Buffalo History

Buffalo is the second-largest city in New York (after New York City), and the seat of Erie County. A commercial and industrial center since the 19th century, Buffalo is also a hub of transportation. Situated on the eastern end of Lake Erie, the city serves as an inland port with access to grain and other raw materials from the Midwest. The Welland Ship Canal and St. Lawrence Seaway provide a shipping outlet to the Atlantic Ocean, and the Erie Canal connects Buffalo to the rest of the New York State Canal System. The city is also a major railroad center, with fifteen freight depots and the Buffalo Central Terminal, a massive Art Deco station that provides passenger service.

The area was first settled by the French, who built Fort Niagara at the mouth of Buffalo Creek in 1758. The fort fell during the French and Indian War to the British, who took control of the region in 1763. The land was purchased by Dutch investors, who began selling parcels in 1801 through the Holland Land Company. An agent of the Holland Land Company, Joseph Ellicot, designed the city (modeling it after Washington D.C.) and christened it New Amsterdam. The settlers who flocked to the area chose to call the burgeoning city Buffalo Creek instead, later shortening it to Buffalo.

Like Washington D.C., Buffalo was originally designed in a wheel pattern, with main streets extending from the central hub of Niagara Square. The circular design isn't readily apparent in Buffalo's current layout, but Niagara Square still serves as the figurative center of Buffalo. The city hall (one of the tallest municipal buildings in the U.S.) is located there, and its observation tower offers a panoramic view of western New York, Lake Erie, and even nearby Ontario, Canada. In the very center of Niagara Square stands the McKinley Monument, a 96-foot tall obelisk erected in memory of President William McKinley, who was assassinated in 1901 at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo. The monument, surrounded by lions carved from Italian marble, bears the Carl Sandburg poem Slants at Buffalo, New York.

Despite its Rust Belt reputation, Buffalo is home to some truly marvelous architecture. From the Modernist design of the Guaranty Building to the Victorian structures of Allentown, Buffalo features a number of distinct architectural styles that preserve almost every decade of the city's existence. A number of the houses in the city were designed by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, including the Darwin Martin House, the William Heath House, and the Graycliff Estate. Buffalo actually has more Wright buildings than any other city in the U.S. apart from Chicago.

Buffalo has never been much of a tourist town, as most visitors are simply passing through on their way to Niagara Falls, but the city does feature a number of attractions and events to appeal to visitors and residents alike. Every June, tens of thousands of art patrons attend the Allentown Art Festival, which features over 400 juried exhibitions. Passenger boats such as the Miss Buffalo II and the Niagara Clipper offer afternoon and evening cruises down Niagara River, through Lake Erie, and around Grand Island. Buffalo also boasts a thriving nightlife, with many bars and clubs staying open until 4 a.m. to accommodate second and third shift workers in the city.