Lafayette’s 1825 Visit To Greater Western New York (Part VI)

Lafayette’s 1825 visit ended tragically in Waterloo with a fatal cannon blast. Yet celebrations in Geneva and Auburn united communities. What lasting revolutionary pride did it ignite? Click below for this week’s episode of The State of Greater Western New York Report to discover!

In the first half of the show, host Chris Carosa, author of an upcoming book on post-Revolutionary Western New York, traces Lafayette’s final stops from Canandaigua on June 8, 1825. Escorted along the state road to Ball’s Tavern for a carriage switch, he arrived in Geneva amid arches, songs, and Masonic welcomes, drawing massive crowds to honor the Revolutionary hero. Personal friendships with locals like Major James Reese swayed Lafayette to visit Geneva, where a 14-year-old girl’s patriotic ode and floral tributes captured the town’s nostalgic fervor for liberty.

In the second half, Carosa reveals Waterloo’s somber cannon mishap that killed Captain Parsons, kept secret from Lafayette until later. In Auburn, arches, dinners, and a grand ball celebrated unity, with Lafayette’s toasts echoing liberty. Explore Lafayette’s 1825 visit inspiured a revival of patriotism and its WWII parallels. Lafayette’s generosity to Parsons’ family highlighted his enduring compassion, sending $1,000 for relief and underscoring the deep bonds forged across the region.

Our guest happily answered questions from the live audience. In fact, these are probably some of the same questions you had. Would you like to be a live audience member so you can ask our guests questions? Click here to join the growing number of members who share your feelings on StateOf.GreaterWesternNewYork.com because then we can automatically send you the link to watch our shows live.