History of Buffalo, (Erie County) New York United States of America

BUFFALO, a city, port of entry, and seat of justice of Erie county, New York, is situated at the eastern extremity of Lake Erie, 2 or 3 miles S. from the commencement of Niagara river: W. from Albany 364 miles by the Erie canal, and 325 miles by the Central railroad, (both of which terminate in this city,) 470 miles N. W. from New York. 22 miles S. S. E. from Niagara Falls, 103 miles N. E. from Cleveland, 290 miles N. by E. from Detroit, and 597 miles E. by N. from Chicago. Lat. 42° 53´ N.; lon. 78° 55´ W. It is regularly, and for the most part, handsomely built, partly on an elevation, and partly on a marsh or low ground, intersected in the southern part by Buffalo creek. This latter portion is the seat of the principal business. The site rises gradually as it recedes from the water's edge, and at the distance of 2 miles becomes an extended plain, 50 feet above the level of the harbor, affording delightful views of the city, lake, Niagara river, and Canada shore. The streets are broad, straight, and usually intersect each other at right angles. Main street, more than 2 miles long, and 120 feet wide, is perhaps the finest in the city, being enclosed on either side with lofty buildings. There are three public squares, Niagara, Franklin, and Washington, all of which are planted with shade-trees, and otherwise ornamented. The harbor is formed by Buffalo creek, and is of sufficient depth one mile from its entrance into the lake, for vessels drawing from 12 to 14 feet of water. It is capacious, and well protected from storms, having a pier or breakwater which extends 1500 feet from the S. side of the mouth of the creek. By thus confining the channel, the bar that originally obstructed the entrance to the harbor has in great measure been washed away by the current. Upon the end of this pier is a light-house, 20 feet in diameter at its base, and 46 feet high. The principal obstruction to the harbor at present, is the ice which at the breaking up of winter is often driven into it by strong westerly winds, where it not infrequently remains long after the lake [p.157] clear. Severed hundred thousand dollars have been expended within a few years past, on this portion of Buffalo creek, in the construction of slips and ship canals to meet the growing wants of commerce. The public buildings are a court house, a jail, 2 market-houses, and about 40 churches, several of which have recently been erected. The Catholic cathedral, not yet completed, will be one of the finest structures of the kind in the United States. St. Paul's and St. John's, (Episcopal,) the North church, and the Central church are distinguished for their architectural elegance.

Among the literary, educational, and benevolent institutions may be mentioned the Buffalo University, chartered in 1846. Connected with it is a flourishing medical college. The Young Men's Association has a library of over 6000 volumes, and sustains an able course of lectures. A society recently organized, denominated the German Young Men's Association, possesses a valuable collection of about 2000 volumes, consisting for the most part of works in the German language. Both of these societies have reading-rooms well supplied with periodicals and newspapers. The female academy is delightfully situated, and endowed to the amount of about $50,000. Buffalo is distinguished for her public schools, and has the honor of being among the very first cities in the state in introducing and perfecting this system of popular education. The schools are under the direction of the city council, and open to the children of all classes free of charge. Buffalo has a marine hospital, founded in 1833, an orphan asylum, and an organization called the Sailors' and Boatmen's Friend Society.

The manufactures of Buffalo are important, especially in the article of iron, in the production of which several large establishments are engaged. The city is supplied with excellent water from Niagara river by a corporation having a capital of $400,000: it is also lighted with gas.

Commerce.-The trade of Buffalo is immense. Its position is such as to render it a great entrepôt, through which much of the commerce between the East and West must pass. The first impulse was given to it by the completion of the Erie canal in 1824. Since then lines of railways have been constructed, opening communication with nearly every section of New York, with the great cities on the Atlantic coast, and in Canada, and with the fertile valleys of the Ohio and the Mississippi. These improvements, with her advantages for navigating the great inland waters, have secured to Buffalo the first rank among the great commercial cities on the north-western lakes. Mother railroad is also projected, to connect with Pittsburg through the Sunbury railroad. This will communicate with the coal regions of Pennsylvania. During the year 1852, there were built at this port 6 steamers, 9 propellers, and 8 schooners, with an aggregate burthen of 8610 tons. There were also commenced in the fall of 1852, to be completed for the spring navigation, 5 steamers, 4 of 1800 tons each, 2 propellers, 4 schooners, one of 360 tons, 1 brig, and 1 steamtug. The aggregate burthen of the vessels to be built during the winter of 1852 and '53 was 11,142 tons. From 1000 to 1200 mechanics are constantly employed at the various shipyards on the creek. There were enrolled and licensed, December 31st, 1852, in the district of Buffalo Creek, 28 steamers, 31 propellers, 33 brigs, 1 barque, and 100 schooners, with an aggregate of 56,523 tons.

In addition to $34,052,798 worth of goods received by shipping, $819,737 worth of goods were brought by the State Line railroad, making the total value of all the imports received at Buffalo from the West in 1852, $34,872,535, being an increase from 1851 of about $3,000,000. The value of the imports from Canada the same year amounted to $1,068,585, and by canal, $41,810,398. The value of the exports from Buffalo by canal in 1852 was $21,049,908, and from the [p.158] district of Buffalo Creek to Canada, $840,800. The duties collected at this port amounted, in 1843, to $4346; 1846, $12,389; 1849, $46,939; 1852, $69,723. The shipping enrolled and licensed in the district of Buffalo Creek, June 30th, 1852, amounted to an aggregate of 49,614 3/9 7/5 tons.

There are in Buffalo 10 banks, 2 savings institutions, and upwards of 40 fire, marine, and other insurance companies and agencies. About 15 newspapers are issued here. Among the hotels, the American, the Clarendon, and the Mansion House, on Main sweet, and the Western Hotel, on the Terrace, near the Niagara Falls Depôt, may be named as the most prominent.

Buffalo was originally laid out by the Holland company in 1801. In 1812 it became a military post. In December, 1813, it contained 200 houses, all of which, except two, were burned by a party of British and Indians. As a compensation for their losses by this disaster, Congress granted the inhabitants the sum of $80,000. An act, incorporating it a city, was passed by the legislature in April, 1832. It is divided into 5 wards, and governed by a mayor and common council, annually elected. Population, in 1810, 1508; 1820, 2095; 1830, 8653; 1840, 18,213; 1850, 42,261; 1853, estimated, 60,000.

Biographies:

Frances Folsom Cleveland, wife of President Cleveland, was born at Buffalo, N.Y., July 21, 1864; daughter of Oscar and Emma C. (Harmon) Folsom. Her father was the law partner of Grover Cleveland, and was killed by an accident in 1875. She attended the Central school, Buffalo, and in 1881 entered Wells college, where she was graduated A.B. in June, 1885, Mr. Cleveland, who was then President of the United States, sending flowers from the White House conservatories to grace the occasion. She spent the summer of 1885 with relatives at Folsomdale, N.Y., and in the autumn accompanied her mother to Europe. They returned home May 27, 1886, and after resting in New York for a few days repaired to Washington, where on June 2, 1886, Miss Folsom was married to President Cleveland in the blue room of the White House. Mrs. Cleveland endeared herself to the people by the tact and graceful dignity with which she fulfilled the duties of her position, and no word of unfavorable criticism was ever uttered, despite her youth and inexperience, she being the youngest mistress the White House had ever known. On her return to Washington, on President Cleveland's second inauguration, she was welcomed with cordial affection and made as great a social success as she had during her husband's first administration, having the dignity of motherhood added to her many charms. Of her children, Ruth, the eldest, was born in New York city, Oct. 3, 1891; Esther, at the White House, Washington, D. C., Sept. 9, 1893; Marion, at Gray Gables, Buzzard's Bay, Mass., July 7, 1895; and Richard Folsom, at Princeton, N. J., Oct. 28, 1897. Mrs. Cleveland was elected a trustee of Wells college in 1887.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Egbert Charles Lawrence, educator and clergyman, was born in Borodino, N.Y., June 25, 1845; son of Silas Rensselaer and Lucinda (Hull) Lawrence; grandson of Peter and Margaret (Robins) Lawrence, and of David and Charlotte (Alvord) Hull, of Homer, N.Y.; great grandson of Joseph Lawrence, of Joseph and Zilpah Hull, and of Charles and Eunice (Learning) Alvord; and a descendant of Jacob Lawrence, who was born in England and settled in Clinton, N.Y.; and of Alexander and Mary (Vore) Alvord, who came from England to America in 1638. Egbert Charles Lawrence was prepared for college at the Owego, N.Y., academy; was graduated at Union college, A.B., 1869, with the Warner prize and Latin oration, A.M., 1872. He was professor in Mechanicsville, N.Y., academy, 1869-70; tutor in mathematics, Union college, 1870-72; graduated at Princeton Theological seminary, 1875; pastor of Grace Presbyterian church, Brooklyn, N.Y., 1875-77, when he assisted Dr. James B. Thompson in the preparation of his series of mathematics; post-graduate student at Auburn Theological seminary, and pastor of Owasco Outlet Reformed church, 1877-78; pastor of the Second Reformed church, Schenectady, N.Y., 1878-80; instructor in Latin and mathematics and assistant professor of history, Union college, 1878-82; pastor of the Reformed church, Thousand Islands, N.Y., 1882-86; pastor of the Presbyterian church, Vernon, N.Y., 1886-90; and in 1890 became pastor of the Presbyterian church, Westhampton Beach, L.I., N.Y. He was married at Buffalo, N.Y., Nov. 27, 1877, to Sarah Jean, daughter of the Rev. Arthur Burris, D.D., who at the time of his death was professor of Greek in Miami university, Oxford, Ohio. Mrs, Lawrence died in 1892, and he married secondly in 1896, Mary Sylvester, daughter of Dr. Henry Sylvester and Harriet Eliza (Hulse) Dering; granddaughter of Gen. Sylvester Dering and a descendant of Nathaniel Sylvester, who in 1673 was sole owner of Shelter Island, N.Y., and lord of Sylvester Manor, where Dr. Dering was born. Dr. Lawrence was the corresponding secretary of the Long Island Bible society. He received the degree of Ph.D. from the National University of Chicago in 1889, having pursued the post-graduate course in physical science under the direction of Syracuse university. He is the author of Historical Recreations (1884), and contributions to church and educational journals.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Daniel D. Bidwell, soldier, was born in Buffalo, N. Y., in 1816, and was connected with the city government and the state militia. At the outbreak of the civil war he joined the Federal army as a private in the 65th N.Y. volunteers, gaining promotion to the rank of captain, and shortly afterwards formed the 74th N.Y. volunteers, of which he was commissioned colonel. He served meritoriously in the more important battles of the war, notably in the peninsular campaign, and at the battles of Harrison's Landing, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. He twice commanded a brigade, and was promoted brigadier-general in 1864. He distinguished himself for gallantry in the Shenandoah campaigns in 1864, and a few months later fought at the battle of Cedar Creek, Va., where he was killed, Oct. 19, 1864.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Frank G. Dossert, musician, was born in Buffalo, N.Y., May 20, 1861. His father was an organist and choral director, his mother a dramatic soloist, and his sister, Christine Dossert, was a dramatic soprano of high standing. In 1875 Mr. Dossert became assistant organist to his father at the Buffalo cathedral, and when but seventeen years old succeeded him as organist. In 1881 he removed to New York city to accept the position of organist and director of the choir of St. Stephen's church. His early studies were pursued in Buffalo under his father and Robert Denton, and on his removal to New York he began the study of composition with B. O. Klein, H. H. Huss and Frank Van der Stucken. He completed his musical studies with Dr. S. Jadassohn at Leipzig, Germany. Among his principal compositions are a mass in E minor, which was sung in churches in Paris, London, Sligo, Ireland, and Vienna, Austria; and a grand Messe Solennelle dedicated to Pope Leo XIII. for full orchestra, chorus, soli and organ, which was produced at Rome in 1893. His other works include orchestral pieces, motetts, songs, male and mixed part songs.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Buffalo, (Erie County) New York

Local History Notes:

Biographies: