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Cornell University Library 1993.LIFE AND
PUBLIC SERVICES
OF
OLIVER FORWARD.
READ BEFORE THE SOCIETY, JANUARY 25, 1875.
BY HON. JAMES SHELDON.*
The Buffalo Historical Society, in the prosecution of its
work of gathering all the facts having relation to the early his-
tory of our city, and generally to the region of Western New
York and the great lakes, have directed a memorial of the life
and public services of Oliver Forward to be compiled, not only
that their record may exist in some authentic form, but as a
just recognition of his valuable labors. The lives of men who
have rendered important services to* their generation, and by
their devotion to the public good have aided to accomplish
beneficial results, should be borne in grateful and enduring re-
membrance. Too often the applause of men is given, with
unsparing hand, to those who were incited to action solely by
selfish considerations, and withheld from more deserving objects
of approbation, whose highest ambition was to advance the
interests of their age. It is the duty of the impartial historian
to render to each the proper meed of honor; and if time and
circumstance have contributed to induce forgetfulness of merit,
* Then President of the Society.374
OLIVER FORWARD.
it well becomes us to review the records of the past, and award
the just measure of our commendation.
Samuel Forward, the great-grandfather of the object of this
memoir, emigrated from England before the year 1700, and
with his wife settled at Windsor, Connecticut. They brought
with them those stern virtues and characteristics of their parent
land which enabled them, with the men of their time, to
triumph over the troubles and hardships endured in the settle-
ment of the wilderness, and which, in the long line of their
descendents, have been, upon many occasions, so greatly mani-
fested. Their son, Abel, was born in 1710, and died at East
Granby, Connecticut, in 1798, leaving a large family of chil-
dren; of whom, Samuel, who was the sixth child, was born
May 1 st, 1752, and settled at East Granby, where he resided
until June, 1803. At this time, he sold his possessions at that
place and emigrated to Aurora, in the state of Ohio. He went
overland with all his family, consisting of himself, his wife, his
son Samuel with his wife and children, his other children,
Walter, Julia, Chauncey, Rennsselaer, his son Oliver’s wife, and
David Loomis, conveyed in two large wagons, one drawn by a
span of horses, the other by two yoke of oxen and a horse in
the lead, one saddle-horse and two cows. Thus the train was
made up, and with them they took farming utensils, domestic
articles and provisions. They reached Aurora July 27th, 1803,
having been forty-eight days on the route which is now traveled
in half as many hours, and found his son Oliver and three hired
men, who had gone there the previous February to prepare for
them. A clearing had been made and a log house erected, and
the pioneer, with his family around him, began the great work
of aiding in the development of the mighty West. Such men,
the inheritors of sterling and manly New England virtues, were
the very ones to plant the graces of our civilization, and the
republicanism of our institutions, upon the virgin soil of the
northwestern territory. Samuel Forward died in 1821, having
filled many positions of importance, among them, that of judgeOLIVER FORWARD.
375
of Portage county; his counsel always being influential, and his
character entitling him to universal respect.
Oliver Forward was born in December, 1780, and married
Sally Granger of Suffield, Connecticut. He settled at Aurora,
Ohio, in the spring of 1803, and resided there probably about
six years, and then, through the influence of his brother-in-law,
Erastus Granger of Buffalo, he moved to this place about the
year 1809. Judge Granger, at that time, filled the position of
post-master and collector of customs at Buffalo, and agent for
the Indian tribes in Western New York. He had, before that,
settled here, and took up a large tract of land, now, in part,
embraced in Forest Lawn and the Park, and resided, until his
death, at what was known as Flint Hill, a little west of the
stone house erected in later years by his son, our esteemed
fellow-citizen, War^n Granger. Judge Forward immediately
assumed the duties of deputy collector and assistant post-
master, which were of much importance, as this place was the
great distributing office of the frontier. He was also appointed
and acted as justice of the peace.
In 1811, Charles Townsend and George Coit, honorable
names in the history of our city, came here as traders, bring-
ing about twenty tons of merchandise—a heavy stock for that
time—which was boated from Schenectady on the Mohawk
river, carried across the short portage to Wood creek, and
thence floated to Oswego and to Lewiston, carted around the
Falls to Schlosser, and thence brought in boats up the Niagara
river, to Buffalo. Judge Townsend furnished a paper before
his death, from which the following facts in regard to the vil-
lage at that early day are extracted.
“In 1811, Buffalo contained less than one hundred dwellings, and a popu-
lation of some four or five hundred. The only public buildings were the
old stone jail on Washington street, and an unfinished wooden court-house.
A small wooden building, built and claimed by Doctor Cyrenius Chapin,
near the southwest corner of Pearl and Swan streets, put up for a school-
house, served also as a town hall, a church for all religious denominations,
and indeed for all public purposes. Three taverns were kept; one by Joseph376
OLIVER FORWARD.
Landon, on Exchange street, and occupying a part of the site of the Man-
sion House; another of more moderate pretensions, at the corner of Main
and Seneca streets, by Raphael Cook; and the third by Gamaliel St. John,
near the corner of Main and Court streets. The only merchants were Juba
Storrs & Co., Grosvenor & Heacock, Eli Hart, and Isaac Davis; the first
being located on the northwest corner of Washington and Exchange streets,
and the others on Main, between South Division and Exchange streets. A
mail from Albany brought once or twice a week, in a wooden spring lumber
wagon, was opened by Oliver Forward, a justice of the peace. Judge Gran-
ger held the office of postmaster, and also that of collector of the port,—the
latter an office rather of honor than of business or profit. The commerce of
the lakes was small. I think that, at this time, there were only four or
five small vessels on our side, and two or three merchantmen, besides two
British armed vessels on the other. There was no harbor here. The mouth
of the Buffalo creek was usually so much obstructed by a sand-bar that small
vessels could but rarely enter, and even canoes were sometimes shut out, and
footmen walked dry shod across the mouth. Vessels were loaded and un-
loaded at a wharf near Bird Island, at Black Rock.”
Before 1811, Judge Forward had built a small, one-story
wooden dwelling, on Pearl street, in the rear of what is now
No. 102, where he resided, and in a small addition thereto
carried on the post-office and the business of collector of cus-
toms, as the deputy of Judge Granger. This was the central
part of the village, where the news from all parts of the world
was received and disseminated. He continued thus to act and
live until the British and Indians, on the thirtieth day of De-
cember, 1813, burned the place, and massacred the defenceless
women and children. The post-office was removed to Judge
Granger’s residence, where the public business was transacted
until the following spring, when it became safe for the scattered
inhabitants to return to the village. As soon as possible, in
the year 1814, Judge Forward commenced the erection of a
new dwelling on Pearl street. It was a double, two-story brick
house, and was considered the most elegant residence in the
place. The northern portion of it is yet standing, being the
parlor of the house No. 102 Pearl street, the hall of which is of
comparatively recent erection. In this part of his residence theOLIVER FOR WARD.
377
post-office was established, and, as Judge Granger had, before
this, resigned the position of collector, to which Judge Forward
succeeded, the business of collector of customs was also trans-
acted there. For many years he was also treasurer of Niagara
county, before Erie county was organized; and in the perform-
ance of the duties of these positions of trust, he manifested the
greatest integrity.
The village of Buffalo was incorporated by the legislature, in
April, 1813; and Eli Hart, Zenas W. Barker, Ebenezer Walden,
Oliver Forward and Cyrenius Chapin were the trustees nomi-
nated by the act.
On the fourteenth of April, 1817, Judge Forward was appointed
one of the judges of Niagara county; which position he held for
many years. The original commission, in my possession, ap-
points Oliver Forward, Charles Townsend, Samuel Wilkeson,
Gideon Frisby and Samuel Russell, judges of the county of Nia-
gara; and among the justices for the territory of what is now Erie
county, appear the names of James Cronk, afterwards sheriff,
Joshua Henshaw and Jonathan Bowen, of Willink; Seth Abbott
and Silas Patrick, of Hamburgh; Amos Smith and John Hill,
of Eden; Frederick Richmond, of Concord; James Sheldon,
Ezra St. John and Alexander Hitchcock, of Buffalo; and Otis
R. Hopkins, of Clarence; men who were prominently identified
with the early history of our county.
For many years Judge Forward was a director of the Bank
of Niagara, and at one time was called uponx by all interested
in the bank to take the position of cashier, which he accepted;
the expectation being that his name and influence might, in
some way, retrieve the fortunes of that institution.
Early in 1817, Judge Forward, then being collector of the
port, was authorized by the treasury department to purchase a
site for a light-house; and, after some negotiations with Joseph
Ellicott, the agent of the Holland Land Company, selected the
point where the residence of the light-house keeper now stands,
that being, at the time, as stated in the correspondence, near37$
OLIVER FORWARD.
the outlet of Buffalo creek. The price paid was three hundred
and fifty dollars, which was advanced by him in order to hasten
the negotiation; and contracts were let for the building of the
light-house, and an adjacent building for the residence of the
keeper. His letter of December 26th, 1818, to the department,
states, that in obedience to directions received by him, he had
notified Mr. John E. Skaats of his appointment as keeper, and
that in pursuance thereof he had taken charge of it without a
moment’s delay. He also adds, that the light-house and build-
ing were completed on the first of the preceding November,
and, as a light was at that time an important aid in navigating
the lake, he had employed Mr. George W. Fox to take charge
until a keeper was appointed. These incidents are only men-
tioned as being matters of local history, of sufficient moment
to be recorded.
The project of a grand canal, to unite the waters of Lake
Erie with those of the Hudson river at Albany, began in those
years to receive universal attention. The citizens of Buffalo,
at an early day, appreciated the importance of their village,
with reference to its being the proper and natural western ter-
minus of the canal. Naturally enough, they looked forward
with solicitude to the accomplishment of this event, which
would render this place the Emporium of the West. After the
determination of the state authorities that the canal should
be constructed, and which was not arrived at until after a
struggle, great and powerful influences, not only in the canal
board, but of some of the most distinguished politicians on the
frontier, were at work to locate the termination at Black Rock.
That seemed to be the place designed by nature, being the
very outlet of the lakes, and so situated upon the Niagara river
that a safe and commodious harbor, when reached, was pro-
vided for all the commerce that could ever float upon our
inland seas. This view was taken by many disinterested per-
sons in authority, and strongly urged by Peter B. Porter and
others who had made large investments at Black Rock, andOLIVER FORWARD.
379
whose political influence was commanding. The only way the
argument could be met, was by actual demonstration that a
harbor, easier of access and equally commodious, could be
created at Buffalo. It must be remembered, that the mouth of
Buffalo creek was generally closed by a bar of sand, and ves-
sels never entered, but received and discharged their cargoes
from lighters. Few believed that any means could be devised
whereby an entrance could be created, which could be relied
upon for durability; and if this was so, no reasonable hope
could be entertained that the canal would be extended to this
point. The history of that crisis, in which the subject of our
memoir was so conspicuous an actor, has been told in the
sketches furnished by Judge Wilkeson to the Buffalo Commer-
cial Advertiser, the main features of which will more faithfully
relate it, than the effort of any one now living.
In April, 1818, at the instance of the citizens of Buffalo, an
act of the legislature was passed, authorizing the survey of the
creek at the expense of the County of Niagara, which then em-
braced it, with reference to determining the feasibility of con-
structing a harbor; and William Peacock made the survey in
the following summer, gratuitously. Although the report was
favorable, neither the general government nor the State would
assume the work. But the latter, in 1819, by law agreed to
loan twelve thousand dollars for its construction, on being
secured by bond and mortgage for its re-payment.
Oliver Forward, Charles Townsend, George Coit and Samuel
Wilkeson gave the requisite security in the early part of 1820;
and the pier was forthwith commenced. It was prosecuted
and finished under the supervision of Judge Wilkeson, in 1821,
in two hundred and twenty-one working days, and extended
into the lake for about eighty rods, into twelve foot water.
Every person in the place seems to have been agitated by, and
to have participated in the projected improvement, and it was
carried forward earnestly, and with that rare determination
which bends to no adverse circumstances, and always wins sue-38°
OLIVER FORWARD.
cess or glory. Discouragements clustered around them in vairn
It seems marvelous that such an undertaking was persevered in,
amid the jeers of neighbors and the buffets of adversity, by the
people of an inconsiderable town, who were not aided by exper-
ience, nor stimulated by the eye of general observation. The
narrative is worthy of DeFoe. The make-shifts and substitutes
for the unattainable machinery they needed, were most ingen-
ious. And, though they encountered gravel where sand only
was supposed to be, and storms often jeopardized and sometimes
nearly destroyed their labors, they were not to be deterred.
When all seemed successfully completed, the first steam-
boat of the lakes, the Walk-in-the-water, having been lost, and
her owners having determined to build a second,—the old Su-
perior,—the building of it was nearly secured to Black Rock
and lost to Buffalo, and was gained for the latter only by the
giving of a stringent judgment bond by nearly all its respon-
sible citizens, conditioned to pay to the steamboat company
one hundred and fifty dollars for every day’s detention of the
boat in the creek after the first of May, by harbor obstruction.
The boat was built in our creek in 1822, and ready to enter
the lake in the spring of 1823. The completion of the harbor,,
such as it was, had given force to the general considerations in
favor of continuing the canal to Buffalo; and the decision of
the canal board to that effect was published in the report of
1823, to the great joy of its careworn and anxious inhabitants.
But their joy was damped, and they were suddenly summoned
to a renewal of their labors. The spring freshet, which was to-
perfect the harbor entrance by expelling all obstructions and
thus give egress to the Superior, encountered a huge body of
anchored ice, and being repelled by it, formed an eddy, and
whirled large beds of sand and gravel into the channel, reduc-
ing its depth to three feet and a half, for a full hundred yards.
And yet, on the first day of May, the voluntary subscriptions
and exertions of the citizens had re-opened it, and the Superior
floated through, into the lake; the bond was cancelled, and theOLIVER FORWARD.	381
title of Buffalo to consideration as the future great City of the
Lakes, was established.
Before this was accomplished, it was evident that some mas-
ter mind must be selected to represent our village in the
councils of the State at Albany; and, in 1819, Oliver Forward
was elected to the assembly, as a delegate from the district
containing Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Niagara counties; in
which latter, Erie county was then embraced. He entered the
house at a period of great political excitement. The project
of the Erie canal was not then fully determined, and was op-
posed by the elements then arrayed, with bitter hostility, against
De Witt Clinton, the friend and champion of the measure.
Judge Forward, as was expected, sustained the canal policy
with great zeal and influence, and with that effective and
patient policy which was characteristic of his nature. He was
the compeer of great men in that remarkable session. John
C. Spencer was speaker; and such men as Elisha Williams, of
Hudson, Peter Schuyler, of Albany, Erastus Root, of Delaware,
Abraham Bockes and Thomas J. Oakley, of Dutchess, Nathan-
iel Merriam, of Lewis, Jonas Earll, Jr., of Onondaga, and John
A. King, of Queens, renowned as statesmen and orators and
jurists, exercised commanding influence. Not only in the leg-
islature was Judge Forward enabled to sustain the canal policy
with success, but he labored with the officers of State, and with
all men whose support was of moment. His correspondence
reached all quarters, freighted with arguments and persuasions
such as a man of superior intellect and a judicial turn of mind
could adduce in favor of the great work; and his record was of
such a character, that his constituents determined to retain him
at Albany, and he was elected senator in the spring of 1820.
Then came the session of the senate in the fall of 1820, and the
sessions of 1821 and 1822, during which he maintained a con-
spicuous position, and faithfully accomplished the great objects
of his mission. It is not too much to say of his course in the
state legislature, that, upon every occasion, he was found to be38 2
OLIVER FORWARD.
the warm supporter of all measures that appeared to be for the
general public good, and which promoted the cause of morality
and education, and the interests of the industrial classes.
More effectual as a writer than as a debater, his sound judg-
ment and the power of urging his opinions made his counsels
influential; and his great integrity prevailed, where more bril-
liant men would have met with disappointment.
The canal board, in 1823, finally decided upon continuing
the canal to Buffalo; and when the harbor was completed in
May of that year, as before related, the great work of fixing the
destiny of this city was accomplished. It is useless to speak
of our obligations to such men as Forward, and Wilkeson, and
Townsend, and Coit, and others of our citizens who labored
incessantly, and at the peril of all their property, to ensure
that result. We acknowledge them with gratitude; and though
the tale of their patient labors and untiring efforts may be
thrice told, we should never weary in the recital.
At the close of the session of 1822, on his return to Buffalo,
Judge Forward was again elected chairman of the board of
trustees of the village, as a mark of confidence and respect; in
which position he continued to exercise his watchful care over
the growing interests of the place. He was re-elected a trus-
tee of the village, at the annual elections in 1823 and 1824,
and chosen chairman of the board; that being the highest posi-
tion his fellow-citizens could confer upon him.
The contract for constructing the section of the canal from
Little Buffalo creek to Black Rock having been entered into,
and preparations made for actually commencing the work, the
occasion was deemed by the citizens here to be of so much
moment, that it was resolved it should be celebrated by proper
formalities. Friday, August 9th, 1822, was the day appointed
by the contractors to commence their labors; and on that day
the citizens of bur village and of the adjacent country united
in the very interesting ceremonies so appropriate to the occa-
sion. They assembed at the Eagle tavern, about nine o’clock,OLIVER FORWARD.
383
and marched in handsome order through the village, preceded
by martial music, to the place where the canal was to termin-
ate, and first to receive into its bosom the waters of Lake Erie.
This point was where the Commercial street bridge now stands.
Here the national flag was hoisted, and a cannon planted upon
an eminence at a little distance from the interesting spot.
When order had been restored, the Rev. Mr. Squires, the
Presbyterian clergyman of the place, addressed the Throne of
Grace in a prayer peculiarly appropriate; after which the Rev.
Mr. Galusha, in a short, but neat and animated speech, referred
to the importance of the work then to be inaugurated, and pre-
dicted great results therefrom. Then the ceremony of break-
ing ground was performed by several of the oldest citizens df
the place. Judge Forward, as the chairman of the board of
trustees and the representative of the village, planted the first
spade in the earth and raised the first soil, and then Colonel
Chapin, Judge Barker and Judge Walden joined, after which
all the principal citizens, and many respectable strangers, with
plows and spades, united in the commencement of the grand
canal. The procession then moved down the line of the canal
about half a mile, where the citizens partook of the hospitality
of the contractors, and then, returning, finally dispersed, amid
resounding cheers. A contemporary writer says, that on this
interesting occasion all were united in the same interest, the
same feeling, the same sentiment. Clintonians and Bucktails,
the Kremlin aristocracy and those opposed, democrats and
federalists, all joined hands and exchanged fraternal congratu-
lations. Political feuds and animosities were lost in the gran-
deur of the scene, and nothing was heard but one universal
expression of heartfelt approbation.
In the fall of the year 1825, the canal was fully completed,
and it only remained to dedicate it to the world, by ceremonies
suitable to the occasion. Committees of conference on the
part of New York and Albany taking the lead, a general plan
of celebration was agreed upon and concurred in, by a confer-384
OLIVER FORWARD.
ence of committees of Rochester, Lockport and Buffalo. An
important feature in the general arrangements for the celebra-
tion, was the stationing of cannon from Buffalo to Sandy Hook,
to announce the departure of the first boat from Lake Erie to
tide-water, and to answer the purpose of a continuous salute.
On the evening of the twenty-fifth of October, 1825, the entire
canal, from Buffalo to Albany, was in a navigable condition.
Buffalo, then a village of only twenty-five hundred inhabitants,
from its position at the head of navigation, was, of course, to
lead off in the ceremonies, and well did the germ of a now
great city acquit itself. The New York committee that arrived
here on the evening of the twenty-fifth, stated, in their report,
that they found everything in readiness for the commencement
of the celebration. At nine o’clock on the morning of the
twenty-sixth of October, a procession was formed in front of
the court-house. It consisted of the governor and lieutenant-
governor of the state, the New York delegation, delegations
from villages along the whole line of the canal, various societies
of mechanics with appropriate banners, and citizens generally;
the whole escorted by the Buffalo band, and Captain Rath-
bun’s rifle company. The procession moved down Main street
to the head of the canal, where the pioneer boat, the Seneca
Chief, was in waiting. The governor and lieutenant-governor,
and the committees, including that of Buffalo, were received
on board. The whole, standing upon the deck, united in
mutual introductions and congratulations. Jesse Hawley, in
behalf of the Rochester committee, made a short address, which
was properly replied to by Judge Forward, on behalf of . the
authorities and citizens of Buffalo. All things being in readi-
ness, the signal gun was fired, and continuing from gun to gun,
in succession, in one hour and twenty minutes the citizens of
New York were apprised that a boat was departing from the
foot of Lake Erie, and was on its way, traversing a new path
to the Atlantic ocean. The Seneca Chief led off in fine style,
drawn by four gray horses, fancifully caparisoned. ThreeOLIVER FORWARD.
385
boats, the Perry, Superior and Buffalo, followed, and the fleet
moved from the dock under a salute from the rifle company,
accompanied by music from the band. The procession then
moved to the court-house, where an address was delivered by
Sheldon Smith, Esq., and a public dinner succeeded; the fes-
tivities of the day being closed by a splendid ball at the Eagle
Tavern.
The correspondence of Judge Forward with Governor Clin-
ton and other distinguished men of our state, from 1818 to
1826, in regard to the canal policy, and also as to its termination
here, and as to our harbor, and the letters to him in answer,
have, in part, been preserved, and show that he was constantly
urging the fair consideration of the claims of our village, and
setting forth all the arguments and facts that could be adduced
in support of those measures. At this day, surrounded with
all the evidences of wealth and civilization, one rises from the
perusal of such papers, almost with a doubt that it could be
possible, that, but little more than fifty years ago, the great
men of the time were fearful lest the work would never be
accomplished. It seems more like some fairy tale than a reality,
and illustrates on every page the patriotism and devotion of
those who so successfully carried the measure to a conclusion.
In all this correspondence, it appears that Governor Clinton
was at all times friendly to the interests of Buffalo, as against
Black Rock; believing that this point was in every way better
.adapted to be the Emporium of the Lakes.; and, as one of the
canal board, lent his powerful influence in support of the claims
of our citizens.
These relations of the history of the Erie canal, have been
given for the reason, that the life and labors of Oliver Forward
were for so many years directed to the accomplishment of that
great work. How earnestly, and with what self-denial, he de-
voted his services to that end; how patiently, but firmly, he
encountered the determined opposition of rival and powerful
interests, with arguments and persuasions in place of invectives;386
OLIVER FOR WARE.
with what statesmanlike abilities he made use of political power,,
are matters that have almost been forgotten in our generation.
But, when cotemporaneous history is examined, and the pub-
lic journals of the time and private papers and correspondence
consulted, it will be found that he was one of the most active
and influential men of his day, and contributed as much as any
other to the success of measures which laid the foundation of
the opulence and splendor of our city.
In the year 1825, it will be remembered, General La Fayette
visited this country, and was received as the nation’s guest
with the most distinguished consideration. He arrived at this
place from the west, on the steamboat Superior, on the fourth
day of June, 1825, and, as Judge Forward was the one who-
addressed him on behalf of our citizens, it is proper to recall
this item of local history, by giving the account published in a.
paper of that time.
“ General La Fayette arrived in this village on Saturday, about two o’clock
in the afternoon, and was immediately escorted to the I^agle Tavern, by a.
detachment of Captain Vosburgh’s company of cavalry, and the Frontier
Guards under Captain Rathbun. He was preceded by the committee of
arrangements and his suite. On his arrival, he was conducted with his suite,,
by the committee, to an elegant pavilion, erected in front of the house, where
he was met by the corporation; in whose behalf, and that of the citizens of
the village, Oliver Forward, Esq., addressed him, as follows:
“General—In behalf of the citizens of this village and its vicinity, I
have the honor of welcoming you among them, and of tendering you that regard,
which has been again and again reiterated from the center to the remotest ex-
tremities of the Union. This regard we are unable to testify to you, amidst the
splendor and magnificence of a state or national Emporium; but, to you, we
are aware, it will not be less acceptable, if presented in the unimposing
forms of republican simplicity. We are not less mindful than are the whole
people of this extended Empire, of the services you have rendered our common
country, nor less conscious of the gratification the patriot and the philanthro-
pist must feel in passing the declivities of life, carrying with him the richest
of all earthly reward,—a nation’s gratitude. But few of us were among
those who participated with you in the toils and dangers of the revolution
which established not only the liberties of the confederacy, but what theOLIVER FORWARD.
38 7
world had never before seen, a welcome, a happy and a protected home for
the oppressed of all nations. But we alike revere the memory of the brave,
and cherish with the same zeal, the principles for which you and our fathers
bled; and, with all the grateful recollections which a love of liberty can in-
spire, of the voluntary sacrifices you have made in the support of her cause,
we beg you to accept the humble tribute of our respect, in conjunction with
what has been and will continue to be proffered, not only by every citizen of
the American nation, but by every friend of liberty and of mankind.”
It may well be questioned whether a more dignified and
happy address was presented to La Fayette during his sojourn
in this country.
The narrative further states, that a suitable reply to Judge
Forward was made, and at five o’clock the General and com-
pany sat down to an excellent dinner, provided by Mr. Rathbun;
the evening was spent pleasantly, and the village handsomely
illuminated.
The last public services of Judge Forward were rendered at
the solicitation of the citizens of Buffalo, in connection with a
revision of the charter. The city was organized in the spring
of 1832; but it was soon evident that in order to subserve
the public interests to the desired degree, an extension of
many of the powers granted was needed. On behalf of the
citizens generally, a committee of fifteen was appointed at
a meeting called to consider the matters in question, of whom
Judge Forward was one, as a representative from the first
ward, and the common council added five aldermen to the
committee. He was elected chairman by common consent,
and the labors of the committee were extended through the
year. During this time, many important provisions were orig-
inated, and many revised and improved, and a foundation laid
for a charter that gave ample power to preserve public order,
regulate and improve the highways, and establish our common
schools. The last named subject was one that greatly inter-
ested Judge Forward. One of his papers refers particularly to
this matter, and a few extracts from it may well be presented
as an illustration of the vigor and terseness of his style, at the388
OLIVER FOR WARE.
same time illustrating with what thoughtfulness and ability he
considered questions of public moment. He says:
“At the request of intelligent and respectable citizens, I have prepared a
Series of numbers, addressed to the mayor and common council of the city of
Buffalo, upon the subject of various improvements in said city, and also upon
the subject of powers granted by the pharter, which, by construction, may be
made too extensive, and are consequently too unguarded and indefinite in
their character. In addition to this, I have taken a brief view of powers,
which should be granted by a legislative act, to more effectually preserve
public order, and to make more extensive, permanent and accommodating
provisions for the support of common schools. That our city charter may be
beneficially improved, b} salutary additions and improvements, there can be
no doubt in the mind of any intelligent man, who will take upon himself the
trouble of carefully examining its provisions, and after a full consideration of
the subject, I have no doubt that, without adding to the public burdens, a
city fund may be provided for the education of the poor in common schools,
which should be under the control of the city authorities. I cannot forbear
remarking that the subject of common schools is one of vital importance to
the interests of the whole community. In them, the children of the poor are
educated,—indeed, tfyey are general sources of early instruction, and upon
them will depend, in a great measure, the morals and the intelligence of each
succeeding generation/’
But the time had almost come when the labors of Oliver
Forward were to cease. In the summer of 1832, he suffered
from an attack of cholera, and never recovered his physical
strength, but gradually failed, until he died in April, 1833; thus
closing a life which had been almost entirely devoted to the
public service.
Mrs. Forward died in December, 1831, and, of several chil-
dren, one only is now living—Mrs. Julia M. Sterling—the
wife of Ambrose S. Sterling, a former merchant of this city.
Several of the brothers of Judge Forward have been distin-
guished in our national councils. Walter Forward, of Pitts-
burg, was well known as one of the first lawyers of his State,
and served his constituents as a representative in Congress, in
1822. In 1837, he bore a prominent part in the Pennsylvania
convention to reform the state constitution. In March, 1841,OLIVER FORWARD.
389
President Harrison named him first comptroller of the treasury,
which post he held until he was appointed secretary of the
treasury by President Tyler. On retiring from that position
he resumed his practice at the bar, until appointed by President
Taylor as minister to Denmark; and, on his return home, was
made president judge of the district court, which office he held
at the time of his death, in 1852.
Chauncey Forward was born February 4th, 1793, and went
to Pittsburg about 1809, with his brother Walter, where he was
educated and became a lawyer, and settled at Somerset, Penn-
sylvania. He was a member of the state legislature, and also
of Congress for three terms, from 1825 to 1831. One of his
daughters married Hon. Jeremiah S. Black, who was the attor-
ney-general during the administration of President Buchanan.
Rennssalear and Dryden, two younger brothers, were educated
for the bar, and gave great promise of future excellence, but
untimely deaths prevented the realization of the high hopes
entertained by their friends.
In preparing this memorial, use has been made of the con-
temporary newspapers, which are generally reliable in their
statements of facts, and of Turner's History of the Holland
Purchase; as well as a remarkably well-written paper com-
piled by the lamented Guy H. Salisbury, contained in the
Directory of 1847. Particular obligation is due to Rev. James
Remington, of Lancaster, in this county, the father of our
county clerk, who was the brother-in-law of Judge Forward,
and intimately associated with him from about the year 1811,
for many years, in the discharge of the duties of the public
offices held by him, and who has furnished many particulars
of which no record existed.
In person, Judge Forward was of medium stature, but portly;
of grave and dignified presence; one whose imposing appear-
ance would have been marked in any assembly of men. His
mind was judicial in its tone and character; always calm and390
OLIVE I? FOE WARD.
temperate, dealing with facts and seeking by logical methods
to convince others; modest as to self-assertion, but firm and
resolute in seeking the ends and purposes he knew were right
and justifiable. Above all, he had that mastery of those with
whom he became associated, which compelled acquiescence in
his opinions; and the gift of wisely marshalling the abilities of
others who joined with him in the prosecution of important
purposes. He guided the energies of one and availed himself
of the acquirements of another; the learning of one and the
influence of another were made -^.contribute to success, while
all looked to him for wise and prudent counsel.
The life of Oliver Forward is but another illustration of the
fac.t that it is to circumstances beyond his control, more than to
ids own works, that a man is generally indebted for his position,
and for the character of the memories that survive him. Had
he laid the foundation of a fortune in this city, and died, sur-
rounded by a large circle of descendants and relatives who
might now worthily represent his name and wealth, how much
larger a place in public remembrance would he have filled! Let
us not withhold the due tributes of respect and gratitude.
Rather let us, by the memorial of his life, preserve the just
record of his fame, so that his name and acts and deeds, so in-
dissolubly connected with our welfare and prosperity, may
continue to be the objects of public regard.