Murder & Mayhem Tour
Step into the shadows of Albion’s past and uncover the dark stories that shaped this quiet canal town. By torchlight, we’ll walk the same streets where jealous lovers plotted revenge, where murderers struck in the dead of night, where fiery disasters destroyed livelihoods, and where scandalous trials left reputations in ruins.
From mysterious disappearances and public hangings to poisoned bankers and Prohibition shootouts, each stop reveals another chapter of Albion’s most sensational history. Some tales end in justice, others in tragedy, and a few still linger as unsolved mysteries.
History here is not just dates and names carved in stone — it’s betrayal, greed, passion, and survival. Tonight, you’ll hear them all.
Pullman’s Palace—and His Curse
George Mortimer Pullman
March 3rd marks the birthday of one of Albion’s most famous, and perhaps most infamous, sons: George Mortimer Pullman. Born in 1831, Pullman grew up here in Albion, the son of James and Emily Pullman. His father, James, was a carpenter and inventor—known locally, as one historian put it, as “a…
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The Banker’s Betrayal
Roswell Burrows and the Rise of Albert Warner
Albion’s wealthiest banker trusted his smooth-talking protégé with a fortune — only to leave behind whispers of poison, betrayal, and a mysterious disappearance.
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A Deadly Detour on the Canal
The Unfortunate Case of Nicholas Gavin
On a cold December evening in 1886, Albion lay dusted in snow, the chill of winter making every tavern feel warmer than it ought. On the 2nd of December, a local farmer from Carlton named Nicholas Gavin drove into the village. Gavin owned land outside town, but that night he stopped at the Exchange…
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When the Preacher Lost His Temper
The Insanity of Andrew J. Carney
In the summer of 1877, Albion stirred under the warmth of a July sun. Wagons rattled along Main and Bank Streets, merchants called out from shopfronts, and the town went about its daily rhythm. But on one busy corner, a striking figure drew every eye: a tall man dressed entirely in black, an…
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Albion Aflame: The Night the Sky Burned
The Great Fire of 1882
On a cold January night in 1882, Albion awoke to a danger no one could ignore. It began with a curious whiff of smoke, drifting faintly through the streets, barely noticed at first. By 9 o’clock on January 13th, however, the scent had become a warning — smoke billowing from F. C. Parchert’s…
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Blood in the Shadows of Academy Street
The Murder of Antoni Strizzi
On the evening of August 15, 1909, Albion expected nothing more than the usual quiet of a summer Sunday. The air was warm, the streets calm, and families lingered on porches as the day faded into dusk. But before the night was over, one of the most shocking acts of violence in the town’s history…
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Bullets, Booze, and the Mafia’s Shadow
Gerlando DiSalvo & the Bootlegger’s End
Albion in the early 20th century often wore a quiet, unassuming face, but beneath that calm, secrets and violence simmered. On the night of August 8, 1931, the town was once again shaken by sudden, brutal bloodshed—a grim reminder that Albion’s history of violence was far from over.
Police were…
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The Day the Bridge Gave Way
The Collapse of the Main Street Bridge
Albion’s county fair turned to chaos when hundreds plunged into the canal in 1859.
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Albion’s Disappearing Banker
The Fall of the First National Bank of Albion
When Albion’s bank vault was finally cracked open, it held nothing but ruin — its president had vanished with the fortune, leaving only whispers and ghosts.
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Scandal in High Society
George Ough's Adulterous Wife
In the late 19th century, Albion was a village that prided itself on respectability. Its leaders were men of industry, religion, and civic virtue — pillars of a proper community. And among them stood George Ough: businessman, undertaker, fire chief, village president, member of the school board —…
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The Price of a Broken Promise
Edgar Pells and the Breach of Promise
In the late 19th century, few men in Orleans County were as admired — or as envied — as Edgar Z. Pells of Ridgeway. The son of William H. Pells, a respected store owner and investor, Edgar inherited both fortune and ambition. His father had helped found the Medina & Alabama Plank Road Company,…
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Christmas Eve with Death at the Door
The Murder of Pierpont Dyer
Christmas Eve, 1859, found Albion alive with holiday cheer. Families bustled through the streets, children pressed their noses to shop windows, and the lamplight danced along the Erie Canal like ribbons of fire. Yet amid the warmth and joy, a shadow fell over the town that would linger for…
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Deception, Dammed Waters, and a County Seat
Nehemiah Ingersoll’s Deceitful Politicking
Every town has its founding fathers, but in Albion, one man earned his place in history not through honesty, but through cunning and trickery. That man was Nehemiah Ingersoll.
Ingersoll purchased 100 acres along the Erie Canal and Oak Orchard Road and immediately set about turning the land into a…
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Stones, Blood, and Broken Teeth
The Witkowski-Nowack Rock Fight
Albion had always endured its share of tragedies—fires, murders, even public hangings—but sometimes the town’s most memorable dramas were far smaller, sparked by rocks, chickens, or other humble provocations.
Take the Witkowski–Nowack Stone Fight of 1911. On Joseph Street, a narrow stream ran…
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The Wheelbarrow Wager
James Kaniecki's Unfortunate Bet
Albion had always been no stranger to murder, betrayal, and mayhem, but sometimes the town’s greatest spectacles came not from tragedy, but from sheer foolishness.
In 1906, the political buzz reached every corner of New York State. William Randolph Hearst, the famous newspaper tycoon, was running…
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Death at Van Camp’s
The Emma Hunt Tragedy
It was a cold evening in Carlton, October 18th, 1894 — harvest season nearly finished, the air heavy with the scent of turned earth and woodsmoke. The Van Camp family had left their farmhouse for a short visit into town, leaving behind their trusted housekeeper, Emma Hunt, and a hired man, William…
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A Hanging, a Curse, and a Judge’s Revenge - Part 1
The Murder of Alice Wilson
On a cold January morning in 1887, Albion awoke to a crime that would stain its conscience for generations — the murder of Alice Wilson, wife, mother, and the victim of one of Orleans County’s most haunting cases.
Her husband, George Wilson, had come to Albion a man of stature — six feet tall,…
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A Hanging, a Curse, and a Judge’s Revenge - Part 2
The Legacy of George Wilson's Hanging
St. Joseph’s Church stood ahead, its modest façade belying the turbulent history it marked. At first glance, it might seem like any other building along Albion’s streets, but for those who knew its story, every brick and window whispered of scandal, vengeance, and bitter politics that stretched…
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Proceeds from this tour to benefit the "Save Our Chapel" Campaign: https://orleanshistory.org/mt-albion-chapel-project/