City of Light (II)

Back in February, I had another post titled "City of Light". That referred to Varanasi. This City of Light is Lauren Belfer's novel set in Buffalo, New York at the turn of the last century. A gift from my mother, and the novel I'm currently reading.

Which reminds me of a story I've heard many times. In 1821, the first natural gas well in the United States was drilled right here in Fredonia, along the bank of Canadaway Creek. A few years later, the Marquis de Lafayette, Revolutionary War Hero, visited Fredonia and marveled at the streets lit with gas lamps.

Other Fredonia firsts: first Grange (fraternal organization of farmers), 1868; first branch of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, 1873. Not sure how proud I am of that last one. Samuel Clemens' (Mark Twain) mother and sister lived in Fredonia while he worked on the Buffalo Courier, and the village is considered by some to be the inspiration for the short story "The man who corrupted Hadleyburg".