In September 1826, a bricklayer from Batavia, New York disappeared. His disappearance caused a national sensation. The Freemasons were blamed for the disappearance because Morgan was a man who wanted to be accepted into the Masons, was rejected and threatened to disclose the rituals of the secret society. His disappearance led to the formation of the first third political party in American history, the Anti-Masonic Party. Freemasons claim Morgan jumped on a boat in Lake Ontario and disappeared forever. The Anti-masons claim the Freemasons murdered him by tossing him in the Niagara River. The important part to remember is the political upheaval caused by the disappearance of one man. Click Here to Listen http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/03wm.mp3 Read the Podcast text and more here

During the Civil War, many men from Genesee County answered the call to keep the Union together. In our countdown we've already met two of the County’s Civil War Heroes, Charles Rand (#14) and Ely Parker (#11). Genesee County’s most famous Civil War soldier was Emory Upton. Upton was born into a farm family in the town of Batavia in 1839. He rose to the rank of Brevet Major General. After the war, he was commandant at the United States Military Academy at West Point, wrote books about strategies and tactics, and toured the world. He became an expert on military policy and known as one of the reformers of the United States Military and influenced to policies of the United States Army throughout the 20th Century. Listen Here http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/05eu.mp3 Read the Podcast text and more here

John Gardner was a renaissance man. He was comfortable in the dairy barns of Bethany or the townhouses of Manhattan. Although he lived in the world of academia, he never forgot his rural upbringing. In Bill Kauffman’s book, Dispatches from the Muckdog Gazette, he quotes Gardner saying, “I grew up with farmers, I learned more from farmers than from professors.” He wrote poetry, plays, operas, but is best known as a novelist. Gardner taught at universities across the country and was the mentor to many writers. His influence on American literature will go on for a long time and he will always be honored as one of Genesee County’s greatest authors. Click Here to Listen http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/06jg.mp3 Read the Podcast text and more here

Terry Anderson was born in Ohio, spent the early part of his life in Albion, New York and graduated from Batavia High School in 1965. He was a combat vet in Vietnam, then a journalist for the Associated Press. Anderson was kidnapped by Shiite Muslims in Beirut, Lebanon on March 16, 1985. He was held captive for 2,454 days. Following is release in 1991, he taught at Columbia University and Ohio State University. He is a co founder of the Vietnam Children Fund, which has built schools and educated tens of thousands of Vietnamese children Click Here to Listen! http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/07ta.mp3 Read the Podcast text and more here

Thundering horses, bells, whistles, sirens, flashing lights and the screams of excitement. The place in Genesee County where you can get it all is Batavia Downs. When Batavia Downs opened in the 1940s, horse racing was nothing new in Western New York. Early land developers used horse racing as a way to attract settlers and pioneers. Harness racing became popular at Batavia Downs and throughout the 1960s the track would draw over a half a million people per year. As harness racing lost popularity, the track fell on hard times, but today the track is again thriving and busier then ever. Click Here to Listen! http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/08bd.mp3 Read the Podcast text and more here

Genesee County's only professional sports franchise has been getting a lot of publicity lately. The miracle season of 2008 culminated in the team's first championship in 45 years. Batavia is one of the charter franchises of the New York - Penn League. In fact, the league was founded in Batavia in 1939 at the Hotel Richmond in downtown Batavia. Batavia has fielded a team every year in the league except for 1954, 1955, 1956 and 1960, and have won four league championships. Every summer Geneseeans flock to Dwyer Stadium to cheer for the Muckdogs. Click here to listen http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/09bm.mp3 Read the Podcast text and more here

On March 31, 1804, in Barnard, Vermont, a son was born to Hathaway and Rachel Dean Richmond. The boy, named Dean, was destined to become a powerful businessman who helped influence the way people traveled. Dean Richmond became a titan of industry and New York State politics. He was a man who knew Abraham Lincoln and, as legend states, was asked to run against Honest Abe in 1864. He allegedly stated, "I want to be the man behind the scenes, not in the front." He was an early supporter of the use of steel rails on the rail lines. The use of steel rails helped grow the American steel industry. Click Here to Listen http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/10dr.mp3 Read the Podcast text and more here

Who would have guessed that a boy born on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation in 1829, would grow up to be a great leader both the Native American and white man's world? Before he was born, his pregnant mother, Elizabeth Parker, had a dream. It took place in the village of Buffalo. In her dream, it was a snowy winter day. "Suddenly the sky opened, the clouds were swept back by an invisible hand and she beheld a rainbow that reached from the reservation to the Granger farm [Judge Erastus Granger, a former Indian agent. His farm is near where Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo is today], when it was suddenly broken in the middle of the sky. From the lower side of the rainbow were strange pictures, which she recognized as resembling the signs over little shops in Buffalo." Superstitious, she went to a dream interpreter. He said, "A son will be born to you who will be distinguished among his nation as a peacemaker; he will become a white man as well as an Indian, with great learning; he will be a warrior for the pale faces; he will be a wise white man, but will never desert his Indian people nor 'lay down his horns as a great Iroquois chief'; his name will reach from East to the West - the North to the South, as great among his Indian family and the pale-faces. His sun will rise on Indian land and set on the white man's land. Yet the ancient land of his ancestors will fold him in death." The dream proved to be great prediction for the life of Ely Parker. Click Here to Listen Read the Podcast text here

In 1960, Buffalo entrepreneur, Paul Snyder, opened a small campground and picnic area in the town of Darien and called it, Snyder’s Darien Lake. Almost 50 years and millions of visitors later, Darien Lake is Genesee County's favorite theme park. Its gone through a few name changes, and has added many rides and attractions, but the family fun atmosphere is still there. I remember my first visit there all those years ago. There was the swimming pool, some water slides, and who can forget Skateboard City. Click Here to Listen http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/12darienlake.mp3 Read the Podcast text and more here

On June 10, 1987, the community was rocked when a car driven by a drunk driver slammed head on into a driver’s education car from Pembroke Central Schools. The lives of three students and their teacher tragically ended that day. How Did It Make Genesee County Famous? The accident was picked up by news agencies around the country, and the tragedy spurred the community into action. People became advocates, and that is one of the ways the community started to heal. Community members went out and told their story. They told it to the newspapers, on television, on radio and even in front of Congress. Their advocacy led to changes in New York State laws. The reason New York State Drivers licenses are stamped, “Under 21” is because of the people of Pembroke. They also lobbied successfully to make it a crime to possess alcohol under the legal drinking age and had the blood alcohol content lowered from .10% to .08%. Click Here to Listen http://www.hollandlandoffice.com/podcasts/13pdea.mp3 Read the Podcast text and more here