Folklore and Legends of Rochester: The Mystery of Hoodoo Corner & Other Tales

by Michael T. Keene

Born from the chilly waters of Lake Ontario and the Genesee River, Rochester, New York, has been the cradle of the modern spiritualist an anti-Masonic movements and religious sects and communes. This unusual history has given rise to strange legends and shrouded the city in mystery. Was the corner of Main and Elm Streets McCurdy s Department Store cursed? Who was Captain William Morgan, and why did he suddenly disappear? What stories lie behind Rochester s first murder and the execution of William Lyman s killer? What is hoodoo, and who is the Hoodoo Doctor? Native American tales, the history of the infamous Fox sisters and the secrets of the Freemasons are woven into these and other legends of Rochester"

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Folklore

146 pages, Hardcover

First published March 22, 2011

About the author

Author, film producer, financial advisor, folklorist, hockey puck (not necessarily in that order)

Reviews

[Jean-Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-researched exploration of local (regional) myths and folklore centered primarily around a single block of the Western New York city in which I reside. Many of the locations were familiar, and now so are some of the history behind them.

[Leah Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a historical look back into the facts behind some of the folklore of Rochester, NY (and surrounding areas). I had been expecting more of a story, but the author is a historian and writes as such. That’s not a bad thing at all — just a fair warning to those who are picking this up. It’s a very interesting book and I learned so much about the history of my hometown. Hoodoo Corner is still in use. The real question is if anyone was expecting it to be where it is….

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title of this book is something of a disservice to the material, since the book focuses on the history of Rochester's 'Hoodoo Corner' and doesn't have a great deal in the way of supernatural material (and almost nothing in that regard that hasn't appeared in other books). What pushed it above two stars for me was the way the author looked at a particular locale, and the ways that lives intersected near that spot in unusual ways. I've seen other authors suggest that there's something peculiar, even unnatural, about western New York, and this matter-of-fact (if slight) tome makes an effective argument for that theory.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Borrowed this book from the library and so glad it was not a purchase. I went into it expecting it to be much more folklore and much less like a history book. It was not until chapter 10 (over 3/4 through the book) that it finally got interesting. If you are looking for a book that outlines the history of Rochester, this is it. If you are looking for something that gives you more of a folklore tale, keep looking.

[Jeanne Gehret · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unusual presentation of people, movements, and businesses that have occupied the geographical and intellectual center of Rochester since its inception. Keene's topics range from Native Americans to business owners, murderers to spiritualists, and more. Enlivened with archival photographs and line drawings.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

The local folklore was very interesting but the purported "Hoodoo Corner" allegedly connecting everything is contrived and tenuous at best. Basically a classic example of trying to contort facts and legend to fit into a predetermined narrative. So Midtown Plaza failed because of its geographical proximity to Hoodoo Corner, really?

Still a fairly cool book for us local history buffs.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much about Rochester that I never knew before.