Erie County History
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Home to New Amsterdam (now Buffalo)
The earliest inhabitants of Erie County were the Erie Indians, followed by the Seneca Indians who controlled Western New York in the 17th century. To protect the fur trade, the French built Fort Niagara in 1726. In 1798 the Holland Land Company purchased the land west of the Genesee River, and hired Joseph Ellicott to survey and begin the development of the area. Ellicott with his brother, Andrew, had laid out Washington D.C. and the same wagon-wheel plan was used for “New Amsterdam” (later called Buffalo). Settlers began arriving during the early 1800’s and by 1808 Buffalo became the county seat of Niagara County. Niagara County was divided in 1821 and the southern portion named Erie County.
During the War of 1812 the Americans burned Fort George, Ontario and the village of Newark. In retaliation the British burned Buffalo on December 31, 1813. After the war, Samuel Wilkinson had a dream of a rebuilt city becoming the most important commercial center between New York City and the frontier due to its location of the eastern edge of the upper lakes. Wilkinson forged ahead and by 1821 completed a breakwater creating an artificial harbor for Buffalo.
Championed by Governor DeWitt Clinton, the Erie Canal was authorized by the State Legislature in 1817 and Buffalo chosen as the terminus. Because goods destined for the west had to be moved from canal barges to sailing ships at Buffalo, it became a major commercial center. The canal was responsible for the rise of Tonawanda and its lumber industry in the first half of the 19th century.
During the 1830’s Erie County underwent a dazzling period of rapid expansion and land speculation. In 1836 the first steam railway was built connecting Buffalo and Niagara Falls. The era of railroading began which culminated in making Buffalo one of the most important railway centers in the nation. The rails took from the canal the task of transporting from the upper Midwest by ship to Buffalo. On the waterfront, the invention of the steam storage and transfer elevator by Joseph Dart in 1842 provided an essential link to hasten the unloading of ships. This speedy transfer from ship to elevator helped to make Buffalo one of the great milling and grain centers of the world.
As the region prospered commercially, rapid, reliable transportation became essential. Main Street became a stagecoach route and a partnership was made in 1851 in Buffalo, forming the Wells Fargo Express, a forerunner to our present postal system. In addition to excellent transportation, the introduction of cheap electric power from Niagara Falls added to the desirability of the area, and promoted the development of our industries. The availability of coal by rail from Pennsylvania and iron ore from Minnesota led to the foundation of the Lackawanna Steel Corporation in 1903, which became the largest and most complete steelmaking facility in the world.
Despite the rapid development of commerce, culture was not neglected. In 1846, Future U.S. President Millard Fillmore helped found the University of Buffalo, now one of the major University Centers of the State University of New York. He was the first president of the Buffalo Historical Society, and one of the organizers of the internationally known Albright-Knox Gallery. The Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences opened its doors in 1861.
The Pan American Expedition in 1901 was the world’s fair of the 20th Century and the first to extensively use electrical power. It brought western New York international notice, stimulating business and industry. Unfortunately, President William McKinley was assassinated while attending the Expedition. Theodore Roosevelt thus took the presidential oath of office in Buffalo.
After the second world war, the St. Lawrence Seaway was completed to provide cheaper transportation of goods from the Midwest directly to the open seas and brought direct access to the open seas for Buffalo manufacturers. Erie County’s transportation advantages have made it one of the most densely populated areas in the areas in the United States and Canada. It has become a center not only of commerce and industry, but one of culture and higher learning.