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An Urban Explorer's Guide to the Buffalo-Niagara Region: Unique Landmarks, Historic Gin Mills, Old World Neighborhoods, History, Nickel City Oddities, Tours and More!

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Forgotten Buffalo Tours

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Buffalo's Bygone Best

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Historic Polonia District

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Polish Home Museum Project

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Polonia Views

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Polish Union of America

Classic Taverns-Buffalo

Dill's Tavern

Top Hill Grill

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Scharf's Schiller Park

Pristach's

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Taverns of Polonia 1910

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Big Joe Dudzick's Tavern

The Broadway Grill

Bramer's Grill

Ray Flynn's

Kutas Warsaw Inn

McBride's Pub

Buffalo's Polonia

A Polka Moment In Time

Polish Cadets

Vintage Polka Posters

Pulaski Parade 1962

Pulaski Parade 2006

Pulaski Parade 2008

Broadway Fillmore

Polonia Stories

1910 Maps of Polonia Buffalo

Buffalo Polonia - 1910

Preserve a Polish Home

Kaminski Meats

Polonia Scrapbook

Polonia On Parade

1965 Polka Convention

Forgotten Bflo Features

Retro Chip Collection

Corner Store Experience

FBTV Video

The Fair

Most Endangered Sites

Re-Light the Rand

Genesee Brewery Tour

Special Features

Whammy Weenie

Skateland - East Ferry

Jimmy Griffin 1929-2008

Jack Kemp 1936-2009

Sattler Theater

Masonic Lodge #846

Broadway Grill Reunion

Bocce Club- Clinton St.

Ukrainian-American Center

Smiling Ted's

Buffalo Snow

Buffalo Drive-In

Buffalo 1969

Ray H. Bennett Home

Ultra Cool: 70s Buffalo

Buffalo Bowling Shirts

Great Northern Elevator

Pullman / Wagner Complex

Pierogi Capital of US

North Park Theater

Zywiec Brewery

Buffalo Beer Trays

1964 Campaign For Pres

Polskie Kolo Spiewackie

Tale of Two Roundhouses

Forgotten Buffalo Sounds

Sounds of Buffalo Beer

Sounds of Buffalo

Sounds of the Hound

Utica Club Beer Song

Forgotten Buffalo-Lost

St. Gerard's Parish

The Polish Village

Rudas Record Store

Tondrowski's Shoe Store

The DL&W Terminal

Buffalo Gas Works

S.S. Aquarama/Marine Star

Aquarama - Final Chapter

Sattlers 998

Rivoli Theater - Broadway

H-O Elevator

Riverside Men's Shop

Mastman's Kosher Deli

Crystal Beach

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CLASSIC PHOTOS

Bevador/Beerador Coolers

Parkside Candies

Buffalo's Last Roundhouse

Wildroot Factory

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Chicago Iron Works

Forgotten Ontario

Tim Hortons #1

TH&B Train Station

Ivor Wynne Stadium

Canadian National Station

Forgotten Rochester

Polonia Rochester

Spittoon Water Troughs

Forgotten Buffalo & Genny

Forgotten Bflo Roadtrips

Perreca's Bakery

F.X. Matts - Utica Club

Forgotten Buffalo-Media

Ch. 2: WGR & WGRZ-TV

Rocketship7

Commander Tom Show

Dialing for Dollars

Ed Tucholka

Polonia Media

Greg Chwojdak, WXRL

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WKBW Top 40 Celebration

KB Goes Kaboom! WKBW

1430 Main St - WKBW RADIO

A Thing of the Past 2006

WKBW's Tommy Shannon

George Hound Dog Lorenz

Friends of Broadway Mkt.

Forgotten Links

A Moment in Time in the Polonia District
Polka Legends Spend A 1968 Summer Afternoon at the Warsaw Inn

1968 - Warsaw Inn, Jerry Darlak on Concertina, Marion Lush in black shirt. The former clubrooms of the Polish Singing Circle are visable throught the bar window across Broadway. Click link to see pictures of building today.
1968 - Warsaw Inn, Jerry Darlak on Concertina, Marion Lush in black shirt. The former clubrooms of the Polish Singing Circle are visable throught the bar window across Broadway. Click link to see pictures of building today.
Click image to see vintage polka concert posters
The Warsaw Inn, located at 1171-1173 Broadway in Buffalo’s Polonia Historic District was one of a large number of taverns, clubs and restaurants that were regularly filled with the sounds of live polka music. In walking distance from the Inn was the Polish Village, across the street was the private Polish Singing Circle Club and nearby were the clubrooms of the Chopin’s Singing Society. In later years, polkas could be found at the Broadway Grill just down the street.  In the 1960’s, it seemed like polka music was EVERYWHERE on the Eastside!  
 

Let’s take a trip back in time to 1968 and stumble into Ed and Millie’s Warsaw Inn on a warm summer Western New York day. The details are sketchy, as it seems to have been a pretty good party weekend. A Polish Lawn Fete with live polka music. A relaxing afternoon recovering with friends and fellow musicians at the Inn. The celebration of a friend’s birthday and a little bit of alcohol induced fun.  For one glorious afternoon, future Polka Hall of Fame Members Eddie Blazonczyk, Chet Kowalkowski, Marion Lush and Jerry Darlak held court at 1171 Broadway.

 

In 1968, Marion Lush was one of America’s biggest touring polka stars, performing over 300 nights a year in city’s across the country. Eddie Blazonczyk and the Versatones were still considered one of the young and up and coming bands but could hold their own with a rapidly growing fan base. At one time, the Buffalo chapter of his fan club had over 10,000 members!

 
The pictures in this exhibit were donated to Forgotten Buffalo by Rich Kurdziel. Stored for many years in his Babci’s (Grandmother’s) attic, the images represent a rare color view of the vibrant Buffalo and national polka scene. For more treasures from the Kurdziel archives, see the link above for a collection of historic polka concert promotion posters.  
Eddie Blazonczyk receives a cake as Marion Lush sings Happy Birthday.
Eddie Blazonczyk receives a cake as Marion Lush sings Happy Birthday
Marion Lush, Eddie Blazonczyk and Chet Kowalkowski
Marion Lush, Eddie Blazonczyk and Chet Kowalkowski
Dyno Recording Star Marion Lush outside his gig van.
Dyno Recording Star Marion Lush outside his gig van.
Marion Lush jokingly plays for tips at the Warsaw Inn
Marion Lush jokingly plays for tips at the Warsaw Inn
Eddie Blazonczyk's Versatones play in the backroom of the Warsaw Inn
Eddie Blazonczyk's Versatones play in the backroom of the Warsaw Inn
Marion Lush sings with the Versatones
Marion Lush sings with the Versatones
To go back in time...just for an afternoon Lush and Eddie
Chet Kowalkowski gets it in the face.
Chet Kowalkowski gets it in the face.
After the cake war....Chet Kowalkowski
After the cake war....Chet Kowalkowski
Bobby Sendra played drums and Richie Sendra (brother) played accordian with the Versatones.  They were original Versatones, in the band before Eddie Blazonczyk.  I believe the guy with the Crush Lush shirt is Rich Sendra - note from Rich Kurdziel
Bobby Sendra played drums and Richie Sendra (brother) played accordian with the Versatones. They were original Versatones, in the band before Eddie Blazonczyk. I believe the guy with the Crush Lush shirt is Rich Sendra - note from Rich Kurdziel
Richie Sendra, Eddie Blazonczyk and Chet Kowalkowski at an unnamed Buffalo Lawn Fete
Richie Sendra, Eddie Blazonczyk and Chet Kowalkowski at an unnamed Buffalo Lawn Fete
The former Warsaw Inn had seen better times when this picture was taken in the mid-90s. The building has since conitnued to decay and is on the City of Buffalo's demo list.
The former Warsaw Inn had seen better times when this picture was taken in the mid-90s. The building has since conitnued to decay and is on the City of Buffalo's demo list.
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