The Arrest of Leon Czolgosz

The Black Rock Historical Society will commemorate the 125th anniversary of Buffalo’s Pan-American Exposition with a special public program, “The Arrest of Leon Czolgosz,” on Saturday, August 29, 2026, from noon to 3 p.m.  The event will take place at the historic Police Station No. 13, 346 Austin Street, Buffalo, N.Y.

The free event will revisit one of the most consequential and tragic episodes associated with the 1901 Pan-American Exposition: the assassination of President William McKinley and the immediate arrest and detention of his assassin, Leon Czolgosz.

The Pan-American Exposition was one of the great international spectacles of its era.  Held in Buffalo from May through November 1901, the world’s fair attracted more than eight million visitors and showcased technological, industrial and cultural achievements, with its spectacular use of electricity earning Buffalo the nickname “The City of Light.”

On September 6, 1901, President McKinley was visiting the Exposition when he attended a public reception at the Temple of Music.  Czolgosz, an anarchist, approached the President in the receiving line with a concealed handgun and fired two shots.  Bystanders immediately subdued him and took him into custody.  McKinley was rushed to the Exposition Hospital, but died eight days later, on September 14.

The assassination had consequences extending far beyond Buffalo.  Vice President Theodore Roosevelt succeeded McKinley and was sworn in as the nation’s 26th President in Buffalo on September 14, 1901.  The sudden transition helped shape the direction of the United States at the beginning of the 20th century.

A Local Connection to a National Tragedy

The August 29 program will focus on an important but less widely known part of the story: what happened to Czolgosz immediately after his arrest.

The historic Police Station No. 13 provides a rare opportunity to interpret the events from the perspective of the local community and law enforcement.  Rather than simply recounting the assassination itself, the program will explore the arrest, interrogation and early detention of Czolgosz and the extraordinary circumstances that placed Buffalo at the center of national and international attention.

Patrick F. Ryan of the Richardson Olmsted Campus will present a historical perspective on the Pan-American Exposition and the events surrounding the assassination.

Jonathan White of The Allentown Association will present “His Confession in His Own Words,” interpreting Czolgosz’s account of the events and providing visitors with an opportunity to hear the story through the words attributed to the assassin himself.

Building owners Andy McLellan and Julie Zack of Environmental Education Associates will provide tours of the historic Police Station, offering visitors a firsthand look at the site connected to this remarkable chapter in Buffalo history.

The afternoon will also feature live music by Setanta and a special invocation by Father Paul D. Seil, Chaplain of the Buffalo Fire Department.

The program is intended not only to remember a tragic event but also to place it within the larger story of Buffalo’s transformation at the dawn of the 20th century.  The Pan-American Exposition represented optimism, technological progress and Buffalo’s growing international prominence. The assassination abruptly transformed that celebration into a national tragedy and helped usher the United States into a new political era.