Doug Kohler is the New Erie County Historian
Doug Kohler is a History teacher at Clarence Middle School with a passion for researching our County’s past. Kohler was recently appointed as the new Erie County Historian. He’s already reaching out to all of the historians and historical societies in every Erie County town and village.
A member of the steering committee for the Clarence Bi-Centennial, Kohler is helping numerous other municipalities prepare for their milestone celebrations. He’s also already preparing for a commemorative event for the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812. His office will be located in the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library downtown, near their unique rare books collection.
Kohler said, “I think we have a lot of great stories to tell. For whatever reason, we’ve been reticent to put our community forward. If I can create a venue for those stories to be told, our County would be a better place to live.”
Kohler has written books about the history of each of the four hamlets of Clarence. He also wrote articles about the War of 1812, and the Automobile Club of Buffalo. He’s currently working on an article on one of the founding fathers of the City of Buffalo.
When asked why he’s volunteering to take on a role as County Historian in addition to his teaching duties, Kohler said, “I feel there’s important work to be done, and there’s a place for volunteerism. I’m more than happy to find the time to help the towns and villages that have projects that need an extra set of hands, and can benefit from my experience in local history. I’ve seen the difference active, involved people can make.”
Kohler wants residents to know he’ll be available to answer their questions. Researchers may email him at doug.kohler@erie.gov.