New York's Finger Lakes region is filled with compelling characters, tragic disasters and fascinating mysteries.
Famed daredevil Sam Patch, known as the "Yankee Leaper," thrilled audiences at Niagara Falls but took his last jump into the Genesee River with his pet black bear, plummeting to his death. The first ever Memorial Day was celebrated in Waterloo in 1866 and inspired a nation to adopt the holiday. Seneca Lake claims its fair share of ships, including the Onondaga, which was blown up with dynamite as part of a spectacle to commemorate the sinking of the USS Maine. Author Patti Unvericht reveals the forgotten history of the Finger Lakes region.
Patti Unvericht is the History Press author of Ghosts and Hauntings of the Finger Lakes and a native to the Finger Lakes region, living in Rochester. She is a member of the Ogden Historical Society, Palmyra Historical Society, Victor Historical Society and the Friends of Mt. Hope Cemetery (Rochester), where she also gives tours. She is a wife and mother of two wonderful children.