William McKinley Assassination Rock Plaque

This memorial boulder and plaque was placed on June 28, 1921 to commemorate the approximate location of President William McKinley's assassination by Leon Czolgosz on September 6, 1901.

Roughly twenty years earlier, the site was occupied by the Temple of Music, an ornate domed concert hall built for the Pan-American Exposition of 1901. Beginning on May 1st, the Exposition grounds stretched over 350 acres of Delaware Park. The grounds became famous for the illumination of every structure by electricity every night. Thomas Edison even photographed and took panoramics of the display. Recently reelected, President McKinley had intended the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo to be one of his last stops on a victory tour following his inauguration. McKinley arrived in Buffalo on September 4th to an uproarious welcome. The next morning, the President made a speech to a large crowd at the Exposition, mostly regarding trade and tariffs. Unbeknownst at the time, standing near the front of the crowd was 28-year-old Polish immigrant Leon Czolgosz. A former steelworker, Czolgosz had lost his job in the economic Panic of 1893. He had recently begun to show an increasing interest in the political philosophy of anarchism and traveled listening to the speeches of famed anarchist Emma Goldman. Believing it to be his moral duty to kill the President, Czolgosz arrived early that day with his .32 caliber Iver Johnson revolver in his pocket. However, the angle was not ideal for a clear shot and McKinley finished his speech.

For the afternoon of September 6th, 1901, President McKinley was scheduled to host a reception in the Temple of Music where he could meet members of the public. McKinley's personal secretary George B. Cortelyou warned the President against the event, citing security concerns. President McKinley dismissed these, however, and continued with the plans. After greeting 12-year-old Myrtle Ledger and giving her his signature red lapel carnation, McKinley stepped forward to shake the hand of Leon Czolgosz. Seeing that the young man's right hand was wrapped in a handkerchief as if injured, McKinley reached for Czolgosz's left. Czolgosz then raised the revolver he had hidden in the handkerchief and shot McKinley twice in the abdomen. James Parker, a young Black Hispanic man, tackled Czolgosz as he prepared to fire a third shot. Horrified bystanders later described Czolgosz as having said "I done my duty." as he fell back and was beaten. President McKinley, meanwhile, attempted to hide his wounds and ordered that the men "go easy" on Czolgosz. McKinley was then transported to the temporary hospital set up on the grounds of the Exposition, where an unsuccessful emergency surgery was performed to remove the bullets. From there, the President was moved- in good spirits- to the house of John G. Milburn, president of the Pan-American Exposition.

After news of the shooting broke, mobs across the country attacked individuals and establishments aligned with anarchism. In Pittsburgh, an anarchist was nearly lynched. Emma Goldman, whom Czolgosz cited as an inspiration behind the assassination, was arrested on September 10th and released three weeks later without charges. At the Milburn Residence, McKinley appeared to be making a full recovery over the next week. On September 13th, however, the President collapsed in the early hours of morning. Vice President Theodore Roosevelt- 12 miles deep in the wilderness of the Adirondack Mountains- was sent for by a park ranger. The bullet wounds had become gangrenous and it was clear, even to McKinley himself, that death was near. President McKinley died at 2:15 in the morning on September 14, 1901. He was fifty-eight years old. Racing to Buffalo, Roosevelt was notified of McKinley's death as he arrived at the nearest railroad station. He continued to Buffalo in order to comfort McKinley's widow. There, he was sworn in as the nation's 26th president at the Ansley Wilcox House later on the same day.

Czolosz was tried and indicted on the charge of first-degree murder two days later. Found to be legally sane, he was sentenced to death. On the morning of October 29, 1901, Leon Czolgosz was executed by way of the electric chair. His last words were- "I killed the President because he was the enemy of the good people- the good working people. I am not sorry for my crime. I am sorry I could not see my father." Sulfuric acid was poured into his coffin in order to speed up the decomposition process and his clothes and possessions were burned in order to discourage any displays of his life. As a result of McKinley's assassination, in 1901 Congress informally requested that the Secret Service- an agency which was created to investigate bill counterfeiting- take up the responsibility of protecting the president of the United States. Five years later, this was ratified in the Sundry Civil Expenses Act of 1907, which provided funds for presidential protection by the Secret Service.

The Temple of Music, like all of the structures at the Pan-American Exposition, was only created to be temporary. It was torn down after the Exposition ended in November of 1901. Ever since its removal, the exact location of the assassination has been a matter of debate. Today, the memorial boulder is located along a median in one of Buffalo's historic residential neighborhoods where the Temple of Music is known to have stood.

Leech, Margaret. In the days of McKinley. Edition 1st. New York, New York. Harper Books, 1959.

MacDonald, Carlos F. The Trial, Execution, Autopsy and Mental Status of Leon F. Czolgosz, Alias Fred Nieman, the Assassin of President McKinley. The American Journal of Insanity, vol. 58. 359 - 422. Published January 1902.

Neville, Anne. Why doesn't Buffalo do more to commemorate President McKinley's assassination?, Buffalo News. September 4th 2016. Accessed November 10th 2020. https://buffalonews.com/news/local/history/why-doesnt-buffalo-do-more-to-commemorate-president-mckinleys-assassination/article_432d30dc-36cb-539b-ada4-21c5d7f11b0e.html.

Rauchway, Eric. Murdering McKinley: The Making of Theodore Roosevelt's America. Edition 1st. New York, New York. Hill and Wang, 2004.

Secret Service. History, SecretService.gov. Accessed November 12th 2020. https://www.secretservice.gov/about/history/events/.

Western New York Heritage. The Milburns and Their Famous Home: 1168 Delaware Avenue, Western New York Heritage. Accessed November 12th 2020. https://www.wnyheritage.org/content/the_milburns_and_their_famous_home_1168_delaware_avenue/index.html.