Until now I wasn’t exactly sure what the museum at Mutual Park was called. It’s called Waterfront Memories and More Museum. At the same time, I wasn’t aware that the park had abbreviated its name to Mutual Park. So before I get into what’s taking place at this waterfront destination, it’s important to know these vital details.
On Saturday, January 31, 2015, Buffalo Heritage Press will be announcing the release of a historical novel titled Himself: A Civil War Veteran’s Struggles with Rebels, Brits and Devils, written by William J. Donohue. The announcement will take place at Waterfront Memories and More Museum at Mutual Park, 41 Hamburg Street (along the Buffalo River) at 2:00pm.
The book revolves around the life of Patrick Donohue, the author’s great grandfather, who was a resident of the Old First Ward in the mid-1800s. Now that the Old First Ward is seeing renewed life, in the form of breweries, infrastructure, parks, etc., people are taking a closer look at the area and the people who lived there. The Waterfront Memories and More Museum holds a bounty of historic accounts, such as the one regaled in this book.
Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, Bill Donohue attended St. Bonaventure University and the University of Louvain, Belgium. He became a Catholic priest in 1964 and served for ten years before leaving the priesthood and marrying in 1974. He was named New York State Commerce Commissioner in 1983 by Governor Mario Cuomo and worked as a community change agent in Flint, Michigan from 1988 to 2000. The story of his great grandfather, Patrick Donohue, parallels in many ways his own ragged route to selfhood.
Donohue’s historical novel is a compelling tale of poorly educated sons of Irish immigrants enduring the realities of the industrial revolution, war, the Fenian movement, race relations, unionization, and the Roman Catholic Church, led by Bishop John Timon, during a tumultuous period in our community’s history.
There will be a book signing and reception at the WMM, and visitors will be able to view Gene Witkowksi’s iconic Buffalo photographs on that day. Attendees are welcome to tour the center, which is free and open to the public on that day.
*The book is available in stores at Talking Leaves, The Dog Ear, Buffalo Adore and Barnes & Noble venues, and online at BuffaloHeritage.com and Amazon.com.