GASPORT—Legendary Niagara Falls philanthropist Armand Castellani admitted, before his death in 2002, to some ingenious hands-on marketing research before he co-founded his Tops Markets empire.

He learned what Niagara County people were eating—and more importantly not eating—by perusing their trash at night.

So Gasport historian Melissa Brown was in good company as she sought treasure during “garbage night,” when her mom would send the then-embarrassed teen out their vehicle door to fetch some antiques.

Yet it started a love of history that helped lead the 1992 Royalton-Hartland High School graduate to her job as collections manager for the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society museum. The nonprofit museum holds more than 100,000 artifacts, 200,000 photographs and 20,000 books. The historical society’s National Landmark museum, at 25 Nottingham Court in Buffalo, is the only major building constructed for Buffalo’s 1901 Pan-American Exposition that remains today.

For Gasportians who think they remember you rescuing their castoffs, what kind of vehicle did you slip out of?

Our family vehicle was a rust-colored van.

Have you ever thought of cutting your commute and leaving Gasport for Buffalo?

Sure, I have contemplated a move to Buffalo. I’ve enjoyed coming to know the city—both past and present. I know I would be happy living there, but when I list the pros and cons—this town continues its hold on me.

And in the words of the wise Miley Cyrus—words that have been drilled into my subconscious by my 7-year-old twins—I “get the best of both worlds.”

Then there’s the canal and outings to Olcott.”

Why should county people check out the museum?

Many Niagara County people may not be familiar with all the museum has to offer. Don’t be fooled by the name. You don’t have to be from Buffalo or Erie County to enjoy the museum. Featuring the largest collection of local history items in Western New York, it’s a fabulous place to go to gain a sense of self. Our featured exhibits Bflo Made and Neighbors feature stories of the people and things that make Western New York a special place to live in. We take pride in preserving the character of our community, from stories of the ordinary to the extraordinary.

Currently, the museum is sharing in the celebration of the Bills’ 50th season with an exhibit of the same title. So far, I haven’t met a visitor who doesn’t enjoy watching the greatest comeback game yet another time. Visitors also get to hang out in the locker room filled with Hall of Fame stars, call their own sportscast in a broadcast booth and see more than 500 pieces of Bills memorabilia, ranging from game-worn jerseys to bobbleheads to Flutie Flakes.

Tell us more, please?

If you really want to be wowed, visit [the museum] Saturday at noon, or Sunday, Nov. 8th at 1:30 in the afternoon, for a tour with Bills-fan extraordinaire and exhibit-lender Greg Tranter. Come hear Greg share the history of the team and the stories behind his amazing collection.

How about a behind-the-scenes tour?

[The museum] offers special tours of our Resource Center, at 459 Forest Ave., monthly. Aside from an opportunity to see our amazing Pan-Am exhibit for free, the tour guides visitors through our collections-storage areas with opportunities to see artifacts not on exhibit. Call Christine Melchiore (at 873-9644, Ext. 318) for your reservation, as tour spots are limited and they fill up fast.

Having the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of our region’s history through the collection . . . has been a dream fulfilled for me. Having the opportunity to reveal the many facets of this old gem to folks from Niagara County would be my special privilege.

How’d you get your great gig?

I completed my history B. A. at SUNY Oswego. My work-study position was in the college’s art gallery, and I interned at Oswego County Historical Society. I feel the college provided me with everything I needed to advance in my chosen career. My adviser, Judith Wellman, made a great difference in my life. She shared her passion for primary-source research and local history. She brought history to life for me. After Oswego, I attended Eastern Illinois University and earned my master’s in historical administration— basically, museum studies geared towards history repositories. Their program is one year and a six-month internship. I was hired [at the Historical Society museum] in February 1998 on an Erie County grant to begin preparing for the centennial celebration of the Pan-Am Exposition.

At that point, what were your job responsibilities?

My job responsibilities included inventorying and photographing our Pan-Am collection. While working with the collection, I learned a lot about the expo and began to give talks about its history.

What does a collections manager do?

I process new artifacts into the collection and more specifically, I make and/or find good homes for them in our collection-storage areas. Because we’re half the staff we were in 2001, sometimes it’s necessary to assist on other projects. That’s how I ended up working on exhibits.

We saw your groundbreaking— no pun intended —“In Loving Memory” exhibit, and we’ll never look at Halloween the same way again. Is it true that it’s now moved to Forest Lawn?

Yes. It was a bold and thoughtful presentation of attitudes and traditions about death and dying, and how we ultimately choose to memorialize those we love. One section was dedicated to how we mourn our national leaders. We were unable to incorporate our unique collection of [President William] McKinley artifacts into this display because they were already telling a story critical to our Pan-Am exhibit. By commemorating McKinley’s death in a special program at the Resource Center, we were able to bridge the divide.

Were you always interested in the Pan-Am?

I came to learn the history of the Pan-Am when I helped the museum to prepare for the centennial celebration in 2001. I was hired as a collection assistant to inventory the artifacts and prepare workbook sheets for the exhibit writer. Now I’m well-versed in all things Pan-Am.

The story of the exposition appealed to the historian in me. Studying world’s fairs provides a glimpse at what was important to the people of that time. When I look at our Pan-Am paintings and photographs, I marvel at the area and the amazing things that were happening.

As for McKinley, they really don’t assign a chapter to him in the high school history books. I knew little about him coming into this job, aside from the fact he was mortally wounded here.

Will you tell us the amazing premonitionlike quotation you found from our 24th president?

In his President’s Day address, McKinley optimistically proclaimed that the “good work will go on—it cannot be stopped. These buildings will disappear. This creation of art and beauty and industry will perish from sight. But who can tell of the new thoughts that have been awakened, the ambition fired, and the high achievement that will be wrought through this exposition.” He didn’t know he was going to die here, and I like to remind people about that.

We also learned that the day after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, you gave a Pan-Am themed speech to the International Nurses Society on Addictions for their annual educational conference held in Niagara Falls, Ont. How did that go?

They had anticipated a celebration of what global organizations of nurses had achieved since the meeting of the International Council of Nurses at the Pan-Am in September of 1901. Confronted by the events of 9/11, there was discussion of canceling the conference. I wasn’t even sure if I’d be able to cross the border. As I perused 100-year-old newspaper clippings to prepare, I was startled by their relevance. The articles seemed ironic, haunting and to some extent, comforting.

Have an idea about a Niagara County-resident who’d make an interesting question-and-answer column, or an issue worth exploring? Write to: Louise Continelli, Q&A, The Buffalo News, P. O. Box 100, Buffalo, NY 14240, or e-mail her at lcontinelli@buffnews.com