Tim Bohen, author of Against the Grain: The History of Buffalo’s First Ward and his newest book, Emerald Thread: The Irish in Buffalo, will return to Dog Ears Bookstore & Café for a pre-St. Patrick’s Day book-signing event. The event will take place from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, March 9 at Dog Ears, 688 Abbott Road, Buffalo.
Emerald Thread tells the story of the Irish in Buffalo, beginning with some of the poorest, most wretched immigrants to wash up on American shores. Despite fierce bigotry from Buffalo’s Protestant establishment, they continued emigrating from Ireland to make Western New York their home. Within a few generations, these hardworking, determined immigrants, many of whom settled in the Canal District, First Ward and South Buffalo, transformed the city and staked their claim to the American Dream.
From Buffalo’s earliest days, Samuel Wilkeson and the Irish Erie Canal diggers shaped the city, and Bishop John Timon and the Sisters of Charity uplifted its residents. Other Buffalo Irish men and women who made an impact on the city and nation include Mayor Jimmy Griffin, Congressman Brian Higgins and Governor Kathy Hochul; journalists Tim Russert and Margaret Sullivan; controversial industrialist “Fingy” Conners; military heroes General “Wild Bill” Donovan (architect of the CIA) and Rear Admiral C. Wade McCluskey; entertainer Chauncey Olcott (“When Irish Eyes Are Smiling”); and NHL star Patrick Kane. Non-native Buffalonians connected to the Queen City are also profiled, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, architect Louis Sullivan, U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Buffalo Bills legend Jim Kelly.
“Emerald Thread is fascinating … filled with stories of interesting people we would never otherwise get to know. Buffalonians and anyone who cares about Irish-American history will love this book. Great storytelling, great history, great research,” said Mark Goldman, Buffalo historian and author of City of My Heart.
“Emerald Thread is a compelling narrative that traces the footsteps of the Buffalo Irish from the harsh realities of the immigrant experience to their astonishing rise in all facets of life. It is a tribute to the indomitable spirit of the Irish in Buffalo — a story of hope, perseverance and the unyielding pursuit of the American Dream,” added Congressman Timothy Kennedy.
Bohen has appeared on C-SPAN and in two PBS productions, one on Buffalo’s First Ward and another on the Erie Canal. Many of his Irish ancestors settled in Buffalo, some as early as 1849. He and his wife live in Buffalo.
For more information on Dog Ears Bookstore, please visit dogearsbookstore.org.
