Buffalo, New York
- See Buffalo for other places with this name.
Buffalo, also known as The Queen City, The Nickel City, and the City of Good Neighbors, is an American city in western New York. With about 300,000 residents, it is the state's second-largest city, after New York City, and is the county seat of Erie CountyTemplate:GR. The Buffalo-Niagara metropolitan area has a population of 1.1 million. Distancing itself from its industrial past, Buffalo was named by Reader's Digest as the third cleanest city in America.
Buffalo is home to master works from many world-renowned architects including Frank Lloyd Wright, H.H. Richardson, Louis Sullivan, Eero and Eliel Saarinen, E.B. Green as well as many others. Buffalo also boasts the largest intact system of parks and parkways designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Buffalo, New York is truly an architectural museum.
Curiously, the city's name arose not from the same-named animal, but from its location at the origin of the Niagara River. Some claim the name comes from the French "beau fleuve" ("beautiful river"). Other historians cite the fact that Buffalo Creek was so-named long before the naming of the city, and they suggest that the city's name more likely honors the Seneca Indian after whom this small waterway was named.
A panoramic view of Buffalo from the observation deck at the top of the 32-story City Hall reveals many of the city's landmarks. Buffalo has the third-oldest zoo in the United States; a science museum; historical museum; the Roswell Park Cancer Institute; the renowned Albright-Knox Art Gallery; and Kleinhans Music Hall, known for its acoustical quality and home to the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. At the Naval and Servicemen's Park on the waterfront are the cruiser USS Little Rock, the destroyer USS The Sullivans, and the submarine USS Croaker, all open for public viewing. Several other US Navy ships have been named USS Buffalo in honor of the city.
Buffalo, New York | |
|---|---|
| Nickname: City of Good Neighbors | |
 Location of Buffalo in New York State | |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Anthony M. Masiello |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 292,648 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Website | Buffalo, NY |
Geography
Buffalo is located on the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the beginning of the Niagara River, which flows northward over Niagara Falls and into Lake Ontario. It is located at 42°54'17" North, 78°50'58" West (42.904657, -78.849405)Template:GR. The city is geographically closer to Toronto, Canada than it is to any major US city. The city is opposite Fort Erie, Ontario in Canada.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 136.0 km² (52.5 mi²). 105.2 km² (40.6 mi²) of it is land and 30.8 km² (11.9 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 22.66% water.
History
Early history of Buffalo
Most of western New York was granted by Charles II of England to the Duke of York (later known as James II of England), but the first European settlement in what is now Erie County was by the French, at the mouth of Buffalo Creek in 1758. Its buildings were destroyed a year later because of an impending British attack. The British took control of the entire region in 1763, at the conclusion of the French and Indian War.
The first American to settle in present day Buffalo was Cornelius Winney, who set up a log cabin store there in 1789 for trading with the Native American community. Dutch investors purchased the area as part of the Holland Land Purchase, and parcels were sold through the Holland Land Company's office in Batavia, New York, starting in 1801. The village was initially called New Amsterdam. In 1808, the new Niagara County, New York was formed (including what is now Erie County), and newly renamed Buffalo became its county seat. By 1811, the predominantly Anglo-American village had grown to 500 people.
Buffalo in the 19th century
Around 1804 the future city was planned by Joseph Ellicott, a principal agent of the Holland Land Company. In 1810 the Town of Buffalo was formed from the western part of the Town of Clarence while still part of Niagara County. On December 30, 1813, during the War of 1812, British troops and their Native American allies captured the village of Buffalo and burned much of it to the ground. Buffalo was rebuilt and re-established as a town in 1816. In 1818 the eastern part of the town was lost to form the Town of Amherst, and in 1839, the northern part of the Town of Buffalo became the Town of Black Rock.
Upon the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825, Buffalo became the western end of the 524-mile waterway starting at New York City. At the time Buffalo had a population of about 2,400 people; with the increased commerce of the canal, the population boomed and Buffalo became a city in 1832. Buffalo was re-incorporated as a city in 1853, at which time it had some 10,000 people. The re-incorporation included the Village and Town of Black Rock, which had been Buffalo's early rival for the canal terminus.
Buffalo was a terminus of the Underground Railroad, an informal series of safe houses for runaway slaves who had escaped from the U. S. South in the mid-19th century. After hiding at the Michigan Street Baptist Church, the slaves could take a ferry to Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada and freedom.
Several U.S. presidents have connections with Buffalo. Millard Fillmore took up permanent residence in Buffalo in 1822 before he became president. Grover Cleveland lived in Buffalo from 1854 until 1882, and became mayor of the city. William McKinley was shot on September 6, 1901 at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, and died in Buffalo on the 14th. Theodore Roosevelt was then sworn in on September 14th, 1901 at the Wilcox Mansion (now the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site), becoming one of the few presidents to be sworn in outside of Washington DC.
Buffalo in the 20th century
At the turn of the century, Buffalo was a growing city with a burgeoning economy. Immigrants came from Ireland, Italy, Germany, and Poland to work in the steel and grain mills which had taken advantage of the city's critical location at the junction of the Great Lakes and the Erie Canal. Hydroelectric power harnessed from nearby Niagara Falls made Buffalo the first American city to enjoy widespread electric power.
The opening of the Peace Bridge linking Buffalo with Fort Erie, Ontario on 7 August, 1927 was an occasion for significant celebrations. Those in attendance included Edward, Prince of Wales (later to become Edward VIII of the United Kingdom), his brother Prince Albert George (later George VI), British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, Canada's Prime Minister W.L. Mackenzie King, US Vice President Charles G. Dawes, and New York governor Alfred E. Smith.
Buffalo's new City Hall was dedicated on July 1, 1932.
The city's importance declined in the later 20th Century for several reasons, perhaps the most devastating being the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1957. Goods which had previously passed through Buffalo could now bypass it using a series of canals and locks, reaching the ocean via the St. Lawrence River. The city, which boasted over half a million people at its peak, has seen its population decline by some 50 percent, as industries shut down and people left the Rust Belt for the more moderate winters and air-conditioned summers of the South and Southwest.
Climate
Buffalo has a perhaps undeserved reputation for severe weather. In fact, Buffalo is the sunniest and driest of any major city in the Northeast in the summer, but still receives enough rain to keep vegetation green and lush
The winters are a bit longer, and due to the lake effect Buffalo averages more snowfall than most northern cities, but they are not extremely cold and include frequent thaws and rain as well. Ski country south of Buffalo receives about twice the amount of snow as the metro area each winter, making it one of the best winter recreation centers in the northeastern USA.
The occasionally heavy snowfall in the region is caused by below-freezing winds blowing over the warmer water of Lake Erie. Often the resulting meandering "snow belts" are only ten or fifteen miles wide, with sun shining in one spot and raging lake effect snow falling only a mile or two away. Lake Erie is much shallower than the other Great Lakes, and usually freezes over in the winter. When this occurs, lake effect snowfall ends. Perhaps the best known snow storm in Buffalo history is the Blizzard of '77. The city is an annual competitor for the Golden Snowball Award between large Upstate cities.
Food
Residents and expatriates alike speak the praises of the Buffalo area's cuisine, which is a unique conglomeration of Irish, Polish, Greek and American influences. Beef on Weck, Sahlen's hot dogs, Pierogi, Buffalo wings, Haddock Fish Fries and the like are the name of the game. Buffalo pizza is also of unique design; perhaps due to Buffalo's being geographically located roughly halfway between New York City and Chicago, Illinois, the pizza made here is likewise about halfway between thin-crust New York style and deep-dish Chicago style. Several websites exist that will ship Buffalo pizza (and other local foods) anywhere in the country; most notably, https://www.buffalofoods.com
Buffalo is home to several well-known food products companies. Whipped topping, similar to Cool Whip, was invented in Buffalo in 1945 by Robert E. Rich, Sr. The food company that produced this first whipped topping, Rich Products Corporation, is today a major employer in Buffalo. General Mills was organized in Buffalo, and Gold Medal brand flour, Wheaties, Bisquick, Betty Crocker mixes and Cheerios are produced there. Freezer Queen Foods, a well-known producer of frozen food dinners, also operates from the Buffalo waterfront.
Educational institutions
Buffalo is home to two State University of New York institutions, Buffalo State College and the University at Buffalo, one of SUNY's four university centers. The city also is home to Bryant and Stratton College, Daemen College, D'Youville College, Medaille College, Canisius College, and Trocaire College. A campus of Erie Community College and a site of Empire State College are also located in the downtown area.
Notable people from Buffalo
- John G. Roberts, Judge of the United States Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit; nominated for elevation to the Supreme Court of the United States by President George W. Bush in 2005.
- Millard Fillmore, the thirteenth president of the United States, hailed from Buffalo. He also was the first chancellor of the University of Buffalo (which later became the University at Buffalo).
- Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th President of the United States, was a Buffalo lawyer and served as Buffalo's mayor from 1882–1883.
- Baseball pitcher Warren Spahn
- Baseball pitcher Orel Hershiser
- Howdy Doody host Buffalo Bob Smith
- Television actor David Boreanaz
- Actor James Whitmore
- Actress Christine Baranski
- Actress Christine Ebersole
- Nobel laureate Herbert Hauptmann
- Political satirist Mark Russell
- Iroquois leader Red Jacket
- Wells Fargo founder William G. Fargo
- Composer Harold Arlen
- Director John Patterson
- Folk singer and songwriter Ani DiFranco, as well as the home of her independent record label, Righteous Babe Records
- The Goo Goo Dolls
- Snapcase
- Cannibal Corpse
- Every Time I Die
- American Idol contestant John Stevens
- Famous Hammond B-3 organist Dr. Lonnie Smith
- Jazz saxophonist Grover Washington Jr.
- Soulive's Neal Evans (Hammond B-3 Organ) and Alan Evans (Drums)
- Singer Rick James
- Songwriter Harold Arlen
- Co-creator of the Lone Ranger Fran Striker
- The seminal 1940s harmonic group, the Modernaires
- Teressa Bellissimo, the chef/owner at the Anchor Bar who first prepared Buffalo chicken wings there on October 3,1964
- Cult film maker, actor, director, musician, photographer and model Vincent Gallo. His critically acclaimed film Buffalo 66 is set in Buffalo.
- Author Joyce Carol Oates
- Author Taylor Caldwell
- Author Ishmael Reed
- Singer Brian McKnight
- Astronaut James A. Pawelczyk
Television news hosts Tim Russert and Wolf Blitzer were raised in the greater Buffalo area, as were the actor John Schuck and actress Amanda Blake, both of whom were graduates of nearby Amherst High School.
Acclaimed poets/authors Robert Creeley and Carl Dennis are or were long standing faculty members in the University at Buffalo's Department of English. Mark Twain lived in Buffalo as a part-owner and managing editor of The Buffalo Express from 1869 to 1871. While not technically a Buffalonian, he's remembered by his readers for his time in Buffalo due to his stories "A Day at Niagara Falls" and "The Diaries of Adam and Eve", the latter being a humorous play on the nearby town of Eden.
Sports teams
Current Teams
The Buffalo Bills, of the National Football League.
The Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League.
The Buffalo Bisons of Minor Leauge Baseball's International League, AAA team for the Cleveland Indians.
The Buffalo Bandits of the National Lacrosse League.
The Buffalo Rapids of the American Basketball Association.
Former Teams
The Buffalo Braves played in the NBA from 1970–1978
The Buffalo Destroyers of the Arena Football League from 1999–2003
The Buffalo Blizzard of the defunct National Professional Soccer League from 1992–2001.
The Buffalo Stallions of the defunct Major Indoor Soccer League from 1979–1984.
The Buffalo Bills from 1947–1949 and Buffalo Bisons in 1946 of the defunct All-America Football Conference.
Transportation
The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, or NFTA, operates public transit throughout the Buffalo area. The NFTA runs a number of buses throughout the city and suburbs, as well as an 8-mile Metro Rail system in the city. The NFTA also operates Buffalo Niagara International Airport. The city is served by Buffalo-Depew and Buffalo-Exchange Street Amtrak stations. Downtown Buffalo is also served by The Buffalo Bike Taxi Co.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000,the city had a total population of 292,648. Erie and Niagara Counties have a combined population of 1,170,111 (2000).
At that time there were 292,648 people, 122,720 households, and 67,005 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,782.4/km² (7,205.8/mi²). There are 145,574 housing units at an average density of 1,384.1/km² (3,584.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 54.43% White, 37.23% African American, 0.77% Native American, 1.40% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.68% from other races, and 2.45% from two or more races. 7.54% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 122,720 households out of which 28.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.6% are married couples living together, 22.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 45.4% are non-families. 37.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.29 and the average family size is 3.07.
In the city the population included 26.3% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 88.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 83.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $24,536, and the median income for a family is $30,614. Males have a median income of $30,938 versus $23,982 for females. The per capita income for the city is $14,991. 26.6% of the population and 23.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 38.4% of those under the age of 18 and 14.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Points of interest
References
- "Names on the Land", by George H. Stewart
- "A Short History of Buffalo", from the "Buffalonian"
- "Mark Twain: A Biography", by Albert Bigelow Paine; Harper & Brothers, New York, 1912
External links
- City of Buffalo webpage
- WNY Crawler Local Search Engine
- Surf Buffalo - News, Sports Weather & Local information
- Buffalo.com - Everything Buffalo
- ClassicBuffalo.com
- The Buffalo News
- BuffaloPundit
- Fix Buffalo Today
- Buffalo Flickr
- WNY Media Network
- History of Buffalo
- Buffalo Architecture and History
- buffaloresearch.com
- Reader's Digest List of Clean Cities
- Buffalo Climate Information from NOAA
