Hear UR

In Season Three of Hear UR, our story deals with a well-known and much debated topic in Western New York -- The Rochester Fast Ferry. Full episodes will drop on December 5. Tune in, and share the podcast with your peers!

In Episode 301, Hear UR goes through the foundations of the short lived Rochester Fast Ferry. With the help from former Mayor of Rochester William A. Johnson, we get to understand what was really happening in Rochester during its Fast Ferry boom.

The Fast Ferry, headed by private company CATS, was marred with physical problems, poor funding, and disinterest. In this episode, we explore the Fast Ferry's arduous journey to launch day, a journey to achieve Rochester's dreams.

The Fast Ferry is open for business and taking passengers across Lake Ontario, but cracks are beginning to show. In this episode we go over the short but action packed life of Rochester’s Fast Ferry.

The Fast Ferry has left Lake Ontario, but could there have been an alternate ending? In this episode we take a look into the ferry’s postmortem, its Lake Michigan counterpart, and the state of ferries today.

Why did we start drinking milk? The dairy industry created a prominent supply and demand for milk in our society, but it wasn't always this way. Before modern milk health regulations, milk was not a common drink, and it was often rampant with disease and caused frequent health issues and infant deaths. The city of Rochester wasn't immune to the diseases dirty milk caused. Health officials here in Monroe County played an important role in the efforts to industrialize milk. However, their intentions might not have been for the greater good of public health.

Bottles and Bootleggers follows the exciting journey of smuggler Ben Kerr as he traverses the icy waters of lake Ontario during prohibition. He lands in Rochester, New York fueling Rochester's alcohol craving. We investigate the ways alcohol is smuggled, how it's hidden and the ways it affects people. So, how far were Rochesterians willing to go to keep alcohol flowing, and how much violence and crime were they willing to tolerate?

A local Rochester park with an unconventional history. What happened on these grounds between 1943 and 1945? Join us as we attempt to uncover the mysterious relationship between Rochesterians and these unlikely residents in Cobb's Hill Park during World War II. ​

Ghost story or infamous legend, what's the difference? If you're from the greater Rochester area, there's a good chance you have heard one of the many tales regarding the lady in white apparition that haunts Durand Eastman Park. Why do these stories persist through time? What do morphologies of urban legends suggest about the societies that engrain them? Find out how this seemingly innocent local fable intertwines with darker hidden histories and more within The Lady in White, an episode produced, researched, and engineered by Jacob Hall, Wesley Mawn, and Divya Duraisamy. ​

Underneath the busy streets of Rochester sits the abandoned subway, a local hub for creativity and self expression; a space where concrete walls come to life in visceral color and motion. But where did it all begin? Join Hear UR in exploring the rich history of Rochester's street art.

On a clear day in April, onlookers standing in Mt. Hope Cemetery were met with an astounding sight: Canada. This was the Rochester Mirage of 1871. Normally 400 feet below the horizon, the shore on the other side of Lake Ontario loomed closer than ever, with the lake itself seeming to have engulfed the northernmost half of our city. Or so the story goes. But what actually happened? And what can the Mirage tell us about the Rochester of that time, and about history as a whole?