Free program on Mark Twain's connections to Lockport & Buffalo

On Thursday, Sept. 26, author Tom Reigstad will present a free public program on Mark Twain’s connections to Lockport and Buffalo. The program will take place at 2 p.m. at the Niagara History Center, 215 Niagara St., Lockport.

Shortly after being engaged to marry Olivia Langdon of Elmira in early 1869, 33-year-old Mark Twain experienced a monumental snowstorm and a significant personal encounter while in Lockport. A few months later, he moved to Buffalo hoping to establish himself as a successful newspaper editor in the thriving metropolis at the western end of the Erie Canal.

The presentation will describe Twain’s adventurous visit to Lockport and details of his domestic, social and professional experiences while living in Buffalo. The talk will share colorful anecdotes about Twain’s Western New York connections, drawn from Reigstad’s 2018 cultural biography, “Scribblin’ for a Livin’: Mark Twain’s Pivotal Period in Buffalo.” The presentation will also discuss his new companion book, “The Illustrated Mark Twain and the Buffalo Express,” which reprints 10 original comic stories by Twain from the Buffalo Express of 1869 and 1870, and 50 illustrations by six renowned artists.

Both books will be available for sale and signing.

Reigstad is a fourth-generation Buffalonian. He earned degrees in literature and education at SUNY Buffalo, the University of Missouri and Canisius College. He was a features writer and copy editor at the Buffalo Courier-Express and Niagara Gazette. Reigstad is an emeritus professor of English at Buffalo State University. He received the 2023 Owen P. Augspurger Award for outstanding service in the cause of local history.