Production Note Cornell University Library produced this volume to replace the irreparably deteriorated original. It was scanned using Xerox software and equipment at 600 dots per inch resolution and compressed prior to storage using CCITT Group 4 compression. The digital data were used to create Cornell's replacement volume on paper that meets the ANSI Standard Z39.48-1984. The production of this volume was supported in part by the New York State Program for the Conservation and Preservation of Library Research Materials and the Xerox Corporation. Digital file copyright by Cornell University Library 1994.IflmMmtg f itarii BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME FROM THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND THE GIFT OF fletirtg Sage 1891 AJM.M1 nfodk 5931BUFFALO HISTORICAL SOCIETY PUBLICATIONS VOLUME SIXTEEN Edited by Frank H. Severance■Htttmt mb uTtmea ffr*00 BttffaUiOFFICERS OF THE BUFFALO HISTORICAL SOCIETY 1912 Honorary President . . ...........ANDREW LANGDON President . ......................HON. HENRY W. HILL Vice-President....................CHARLES R. WILSON Secretary-Treasurer...............FRANK H. SEVERANCE BOARD OF MANAGERS Robert W. Day, Hugh Kennedy, Term expiring January, 1913. Henry A. Richmond, G. Hunter Bartlett, M. D.,* G. Barrett Rich. Term expiring January, 1914. Hon. Henry W. Hill, Henry R. Howland, J. N. Larned, Charles R. Wilson, William G. Justice^ Term expiring January1915. Andrew Langdon, Loran L. Lewis, Jr.J Frank H. Severance, George A. Stringer. Term expiring January, 1916. Albert H. Briggs, M. D., Lee H. Smith, M. D., R. R. Hefford, Willis O. Chapin, William A. Galpin. The Mayor of Buffalo, the Corporation Counsel, the Comptroller, Superin- tendent of Education, President of the Board of Park Commissioners, and Presi- dent of the Common Council, are also ex-officio members of the Board of Managers of the Buffalo Historical Society. * Succeeded Robert S. Donaldson, resigned, who had been elected for the balance of the term of Charles W. Goodyear, died April 16, 1911. t Succeeded John J. McWilliams, died June 11, 1912. t Succeeded James Sweeney, died June 8, 1912. 111LIST OF THE PRESIDENTS OF THE SOCIETY FROM ITS ORGANIZATION TO THE PRESENT TIME. *Millard Fillmore, ..........................1862 to 1867 *Henry W. Rogers,.....................................1868 *Rev. Albert T. Chester, D. D.,......................1869 *Orsamus H. Marshall,............... . . ............. . 1870 *Hon. Nathan K. Hall,.................................1871 * William H. Greene,.................................1872 *Orlando Allen,.................................... 1873 * Oliver G. Steele,..................................1874 *Hon. James Sheldon,.........................1875 and 1886 *William C. Bryant,.................................. 1876 *Capt. E. P. Dorr, ................................. 1877 *Hon. William P. Letch worth,....................... . . 1878 * William H. H. Newman,.....................1879 and 1885 *Hon. Elias S. Hawley,............................. 1880 *Hon. James M. Smith, ................................ . 1881 * William Hodge, .................................. 1882 ^William Dana Fobes,.........................1883 and 1884 *Emmor Haines,...................................... 1887 * James Tillinghast,.................................1888 * William K. Allen, . ..............................1889 * George S. Hazard, ........................1890 and 1892 ^Joseph C. Greene, M. D.,.............................1891 * Julius H. Dawes,.................................. 1893 Andrew Langdon, . . .........................1894 to 1909 Hon. Henry W. Hill...........................1910 to 1912 * Deceased. ivTHE EARLIEST BUFFALO PICTURE KNOWN: VIEW OF FORT ERIE FROM BUFFALO CREEK, 1811. DRAWN BY E. WALSH, 49TH (BTSH.) REGT. SIZE OF ORIGINAL, 21 BY 14 INCHES.TH E PICTURE BOOK OF EARLIER BUFFALO Tempora mutantur, nos et mutaimir in illis. BUFFALO, NEW YORK: PUBLISHED BY THE BUFFALO HISTORICAL SOCIETY 1912CONTENTS PAGE Officers of the Society..............iii. List of Presidents of the Society....iv. AS TO THIS BOOK........................ i SOME OLD HARBOR VIEWS .................. 5 THE FIRST SETTLER.................... 47 THE EARLIEST BUFFALO.................. 57 EARLY PICTURE-MAKING....................67 A BUILDER OF BUFFALO....................71 THE OLD-TIME DOWN-TOWN CHURCHES ...... 105 THE CHANGING TOWN.......................151 EARLY BLACK ROCK FACTS.................251 VANISHED MAIN STREET...................309 GLIMPSES OF YESTERDAY................. 347 ixILLUSTRATIONS Buffalo Creek, i8ii....................... Frontispiece Second view of Buffalo, 1812.................page 6 Burning of Buffalo........................... “ 7 Third view of Buffalo, 1813.................. “ 8 Ball's view of Buffalo harbor, 1825............ “ 10 A Buffalo scene of 1798 (Middaugh's house) ... “ 12 Buffalo harbor in 1825......................... “ 14 Buffalo harbor from the village, 1825.......... “ 16 Basil Hall's sketch, Buffalo harbor, 1827 .... 18 Buffalo on Staffordshire china................. “ 19 Buffalo in 1829 (G. W. Smith).................. “ 20 Buffalo from the Lake, 1829 (G. W. Smith) .... “ 22 Buffalo from the Lake, 1833.................... “ 24 Buffalo water front about 1842................. “ 26-27 Central Wharf.................................. “ 28 Buffalo in 1853 .......................... “ 30 Evans elevator and mills....................... “ 32 Evans elevator, Norton-st. side................ “ 33 Buffalo- harbor, 1859 “ 34 Entrance to Buffalo river before 1879 ....... “ 35 Mouth of Buffalo river, 1879................... “ 36 Harbor view in the ’70’s...................... . “ 37 Bennett elevator.............................. “ 38 Dakota elevator............................. . • “ 39 Second Wells elevator........................ “ 4° City “A” and “B” elevators . . . .............. “ 41 Kellogg aA” and “B” elevators.................. u 42 Watson elevator................................ “ 43 Last days of the Hamburg canal ................ “ 44 Erie canal in early ’8o’s..................... “ 45 View from foot of Main st., 1870............... a 48 Section of Buffalo, 1868 ...................... “ 50 Old buildings foot of Main st.................. “ 52 Hazard Block, foot of Main..................... “ 54 Commercial Hotel, Main and Ohio sts............ “ 55 Market House, Terrace.......................... “ 56 Buffalo in 1813 (diagram) ..................... “ 58-59 xiILLUSTRATIONS. Mansion House, 1842............................. Mansion House, 1859 ................. Spaulding's Exchange . . . .................. . The Terrace in 1866 . . ........................ Arcole Foundry, 1844............................ . 206 Main street, 1838 and 1848 ................ 231 Main street, 1854........................... 164 Main street, 1850........................... . Western Hotel ............................... . . . “Most Historic Spot in Buffalo"................ . . Fire Ladder Test, Western Hotel................. Gothic Hall .................................... Le Couteulx Block............................... Rathbun's Buffalo Exchange...................... Bank of Buffalo, 1838........................... . Brown's Buildings .............................. Academy of Music, 1868 ......................... Academy of Music, 1893........................ . • • Barnes & Bancroft store, 1871................... Hamlin Block, 1875 ............................. Main and West Seneca streets.................... Main, north from Seneca, 1894................... Swan street in the ’6o's........................ Ellicott Block, 1838............................ Old Ellicott Square buildings, Main st.......... Old Ellicott Square buildings, S. Div. st....... Old Ellicott Square, south from S. Div. st...... Old Ellicott Square, Swan street side........... August Ey's shop, Ellicott Square............... Old Down-Town Churches (diagram) ............... First building, First Presbyterian Church....... The Churches, 1839.............................. St. Paul's in 1849.............................. First St. Paul's in its last days............... St. Paul's before the spires were built......... St. Paul's a generation ago..................... St. Paul's interior before the fire............. St. Paul's interior after the fire.............. Common in front of the Churches................... “The Churches" in 1880.......................... Niagara street from the “Old First," 1880....... Pulpit of the “Old First".................. First Baptist Church, 1829...................... page 60 “ 61 “ 62 “ 64 a 67 68 a 69 a 69 “ 72 “ 73 “ 74 ee 75 a 76 a 78 a 79 “ 80 “ 82 (( 83 a . 84 a 85 “ 86 “ 88 90 11 92 a 94 u 96 “ 98 “ 100 “ 102 a 104 “ 106 “ 106 “ 108 “ 109 (C no u 112 114 115 a 116 “ 117 “ 118 u 119 u 120 XllILLUSTRATIONS. Churches, Washington, above Swan st............. First Universalist Church, last days............ Picturesque Buffalo, 1870.................... . . . St. John's Church............................... The passing of old St. John's................... Niagara-st. Methodist Church.................... United Presbyterian Church...................... Central Presbyterian Church..................... Interior, Central Presbyterian Church........... First Unitarian Church, 1833.................... Trinity Episcopal Church . . ................... Main street, above Huron, 1870 .............. Church of the Messiah, last days................ Church of the Messiah, interior................. Church of the Messiah, ruins..................... • Niagara Square Baptist Church................... North Presbyterian Church....................... Where Canisius College began.................... Early St. Michael's and Canisius................ St. Peter's R. C. Church........................ Lafayette Presbyterian Church .................. St. Louis R. C. Church............................. St. Louis, after the fire of 1885............... Olivet Mission (Baptist)........................ First Delaware-ave. Baptist Church.............. Church of the Holy Trinity (Luth.)................. St. Luke's Episcopal Church.................... . . Ascension Episcopal Church . ................... St. Lucas Church (Ger. Evan.) . ................ St. Lucas Church, interior...................... Grover Cleveland's office, Weed block........... Weed Block and White Building................... Site of White Building before 1880.............. Main street in the early '8o’s.................. Main street, from N. Division, 1881............ . . Scene on Main street, 1858...................... Clarendon Hotel ................................ Young Men's Ass'n building ..................... Ruins, Y. M. A. building ....................... Eagle Tavern, general view, 1825................ Rathbun's Eagle Tavern, near view .............. First American Hotel ........................... First American Hotel in 1838 ................... page Xlll 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 T59 161 162 163 164ILLUSTRATIONS. First American Hotel, ruins ..... Second American Hotel, ruins........ Tippecanoe Log Cabin, 1840 ...... Stevenson's Livery ................. Main street to Clinton in the ’70’s . . The Arcade.......................... The Arcade, ruins................... Lafayette Square in the ’70’s....... Court House, with Park fountain . . . Court House and Surrogate's office . . Court House and Jail.............. Main street, junction of Broadway . . Phoenix Hotel....................... Tifft House ........................ Tifft House and G. A. R. Parade, 1897 • Miller Block in 1870 . . . ’........ Mohawk-street buildings............. Mohawk Market....................... Chippewa Market ........... Genesee House ...................... Main and Huron streets.............. First Music Hall.................... First Music Hall, interior ....... Second Music Hall, interior ...... Main street, above Virginia........... Sisters' Hospital, 1848-76.......... Medical College, Main and Virginia sts. Hoffman's brewery..................... SCHAENZLIN BREWERY BUILDINGS........ SCHAENZLIN BREWERY.................. Providence Retreat.............. State Arsenal, Broadway............. Buffalo General Hospital, 1858 .... Buffalo General Hospital, office . Parade House.................... International Fair building......... School-house, Ferry st., 1820....... Masten Park High School ...... Toll-gate, upper Main street........ Williamsville Stage................. Park Grist Mill..................... Pearl and Church streets in the Bo’s . Church street, east from Franklin . . page 165 “ 166 “ 167 “ 168 “ 169 “ 170 “ 171 “ 172 “ J73 “ 174 “ 175 “ T 76 “ 177 “ 178 “ T79 “ 180 “ 181 “ 182 “ 183 “ 184 “ 186 “ 188 190 191 192 193 194 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 XIVILLUSTRATIONS. No. 37 Church street.......................... Franklin Square, 1870.................... . . . . Old Public. School No. Eight.................. Mayor's. Office, Franklin Square.............. Last Days, Old Mayor's Office................. Old City and County buildings................. Northwest from Niagara Square, 1870 .......... Niagara Square, e. and n. sides, 1870 ....... Niagara and Eagle streets, 1875............... Pearl-street rink in the ’8o’s................ Pearl-street rink, interior .................. Pearl, below Niagara, 1890.................... Drug store of Julius E. Francis........... . . . N. E. corner Washington and Seneca sts........ Federal Building of 1858...................... Swan-street houses, Postoffice site, 1894 . . . . Swan and Oak streets, 1894 . .......... Eagle-street Theater of 1835.................. Ruins of St. James Hall ...................... Court-street Theater . ....................... Lyceum Theater ............................... Bryan's “Evening Post" Office................. “Commercial Advertiser" Building ........ N. E. corner, Swan and Washington sts......... “Elephant Joe" Joseph's Paintshop............. Franklin House . ........................ Franklin House, near view..................... Brown's Hotel, Seneca street.................. Red Jacket Hotel.............................. C. W. Miller's Livery stable.................. N. Y. Central train shed...................... B., N. Y. & P. Ry. station.................... Washington and Green streets, 1868............ Old Elk street market......................... Map: The Niagara at Black Rock prior to 1812 . Black Rock in 1825............................ Car ferry, foot of Porter avenue.............. Old Canal locks, Black Rock................... Porter-Allen house, Black Rock................ Porter-Allen house, river side ............... Porter-Allen house, early woodcut............. Rough-Robie house............................. Brecicenridge-street church............ . page 211 212 “ 214 u 215 216 ce 2l8 “ 220 221 “ 222 “ 224 U 225 226 u 227 228 u 229 230 231 “ 232 C( 233 234 ii cc 235 236 u 237 238 “ 239 240 242 243 iC 244 “ 245 246 u 247 248 “ 249 “ 250 252. cc 253 u 254 256 258 260 u 262 “ 263 XVILLUSTRATIONS. William A. Bird house ’.................. Nathaniel Sill house....................... . . O. Stickney house.................... Walter Norton house........................... Hull Thompson house............... ........... Mason houses : Early Black Rock postoffice . . . Hart house, Niagara street.................... Henry Thornton house . ....................... Buffalo in 1841............................... Niagara street, near Amherst, about 1870 . . . . . The Castle, Fort Porter....................... The Magazine, Fort Porter..................... Demolition of the Magazine.................... The Niagara Hotel ............................ The Niagara Hotel, Central Court.............. Edwin Thomas house, later Church Home . . . . Old Church Home, later view................... Buffalo Orphan Asylum......................... Nelson Willard house ......................... Homeopathic Hospital (Bidwell house).......... Spring house, Jubilee Water Works............. City Water Works........................... . . Pumping station, collapsed 1911 . . ........ . Pierce's Palace Hotel . . .................... Palace Hotel, ruins ..... T................... Erie-street Railway station, 1855............. Erie-street station, last days................ Buffalo Cotton Factory . ..................... Empire Malt House............................. Plymouth M. E, Church......................... State Normal School........................... Elmstone, Geo. H. Lewis homestead............. E. S. Warren homestead........................ A. Porter Thompson homestead.................. A. P. Thompson house, garden side............. Cornell Lead Works.......................... . Refectory at the Front................... . . . House of James Miller......................... St. John house ................. Ebenezer Day house............................ Goodrich (Ellicott) house............ Goodrich house on Amherst street.............. Kip-Holland house . '......................... page 264 “ 266 “ 268 “ 268 “ 270 “ 272 274 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 “ 294 " 295 “ 296 “ 297 “ 298 “ 299 “ 300 “ 301 “ 302 (( 303 304 306 308 310 311 312 3H 316 XVIILLUSTRATIONS. Deshler-Woodward-Dold house...................page M. B. Sherwood house ......................... James P. White house.......................... . William H. Glenny house....................... Sill-Marshall house...................... Townsend-Wilson house......................... Andrew J. Rich house ......................... Main-street houses above Tupper............... Pascal P. Pratt house......................... Rupp house............. . .................... Eeenezer Walden house....................... E. G. Spaulding house......................... Spaulding house, drawing-room................. Spaulding house, sitting-room................... Randall-Bennett house...................... . Sutton-Slade house......................... . James Sheldon house .......................... Thomas Clark house............................ Hazard-Dunbar house .............. Bullymore house............................... Schlegel-Smith house . ....................... Erastus Granger homestead .................. Willow Lawn ............................... • Sketch of Buffalo in 1837.................. . Samuel F. Pratt house, Swan street............ Orlando Allen house .......................... Philander Bennett house......................... “ Philander Bennett house, from the grounds .... “ Beecher house, S. Division street............. “ Evans houses, Washington street ................ “ Darrow Block.................................. Historic Graves, North-street cemetery.......... “ Benjamin H. Austin house...................... Harrison-Thompson house....................... Residence of Maj. A. Andrews, 1833............ “ Gruener's Garden.............................. “ Gruener's Hotel............................... Slade house, Washington and Mohawk.............. “ Residence, Hon. Jas. O. Putnam ............... “ John L. Kimberley house..........................“ St. John^s Orphan Home, Hickory street........ “ First German Evangelical Church................. “ Buildings, Sperry Park site..................... “ xvii 317 318 320 32.I 322 323 32 4 325 326 327 328 329 330 33i 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 340 342 344 346 348 350 352 354 356 358 360 362 364 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374ILLUSTRATIONS. Buildings, Willert Park site................ page H. R. Seymour house, Pearl street ........... “ Old Rectory (St. Paul's), Pearl street....... “ George Coit house, Pearl street .......... “ O. H. Marshall house, Pearl street........... “ Delaware street in 1861................ “ Potter-Babcock house, Niagara Sqltare ...... “ WlLKESON HOMESTEAD, NIAGARA SQUARE . ........ “ Sizer homestead, Niagara Square . ........... “ Fillmore house, Franklin street............. . . ^ “ Hollister-Fillmore house, Niagara Square .... “ B. A. Manchester house, Court street ....... “ John Sage house, Court street . ............. “ Silas Kingsley house, Franklin street ....... “ John R. Lee house, Franklin street ....... “ H. A. Salisbury house, West Genesee street .... Gen. David Burt house, Court street.......... R. H. Wells house (Heathcote School)......... “ Elisha W. Ensign house, Pearl street......... Stone houses, Huron, near Prospect avenue .... Spencer-Curtiss house........................ Curtiss House in its last days . . . ........ Scott-Sellstedt house, Mohawk street......... In L. G. Sellstedt's studio.................., Franklin-street houses, at Mohawk street .... Residences at Mohawk and Genesee streets .... “ Hall-Tilden house, Franklin street........... “ At Delaware and Chippewa streets............. . “ John S. Ganson house........................... “ Hutchinson homestead...................... “ In the Hutchinson Garden..................... James D. Sheppard house...................... “ South side of Johnson Park...............L . “ J. N. Larned house........................... “ The Johnson Cottage.......................... “ Johnson Cottage and Goodell Hall (early) .... “ Johnson Cottage in the ’3o’s................. No. i Johnson Park .......................... Bronson C. Rumsey house and grounds.......... “ Rumsey Park: Vista from the house.......... Rumsey Park : From the lake................. Rumsey Park: Lake and chalet ......... “ Rumsey Park : Lake and wooded island......... “ xviii 375 376 3 77 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 40 L 402 403 4O4 406 407- 408 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 418 419 420 421ILLUSTRATIONS. Rumsey Park: A beauty spot spoiled ........ Rumsey Park: A woodland cascade............. Residence of Aaron Rumsey .................... Delaware, west side above Virginia, 1870...... S. V. R. Watson house (Buffalo Club).......... No. 641 Delaware avenue ...................... Southwest corner, Delaware and North . . . . . Site of the Lenox Hotel in the '70’s ......... Residence of Myron P. Bush.................... Myron P. Bush grounds before 1903............. Residence of E. S. Dann....................... E. J. Newman house............................ Stevens-Dudley house ......................... House of Rev. Dr. John C. Lord................ Library in Dr. Lord's house .................. PI. C. Walker house, North street......... . . Ovington-Drullard house, North street......... Jesse Ketchum homestead . . .................. Foote-Masten house, North street . . ......... Sidway homestead.............................. Drawing-room, Sidway house.................... Wm. G. Fargo residence . . ........... Fargo house : side approach................... Fargo house: entrance hall................... Miles Jones house......................... . . F. P. Dorr house.............................. Wm. C. Sherwood house......................... John C. Graves house, “The Lilacs"............ Reuben B. Heacock house ...................... Ltnited Evan. St. Paul's Church............... Reformed Protestant Dutch Church ............. St. Patrick's R. C. Church.................... “The Lamb of God." First St. Louis Church . , . Church of the Annunciation.................... St. Francis Xavier Church .................... Church of the Sacred Heart.................... School No. Seven in 1849...................... School No. Fourteen,in 1849................... School No. Six in 1849........................ School No. Eight in 1849...................... School No. Fifteen in 1849.................... School No. One................................ Birthplace, Buffalo Saengerbund............... page cc cc a 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 442 444 445 446 448 449 450 451 452 453 455 456 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 462 463 464 46s 466 467 XIXILLUSTRATIONS. The Front in 1857 . ........................... Erie street and Terrace, early Ws............... Old houses, Church street....................... Second Free Baptist Church, Grant and Ferry sts. Nos. 181-185 Franklin street................... One type of early Buffalo house................. Gruener's Hotel as last rebuilt................. Seneca Mission Church, 1828-1846................ Red Jacket's cabin and Jones house.......... . . Seneca Mission, Buffam street................... Seneca Indian cemetery ........................ Tollgate, Hamburg turnpike...................... Old buildings, Elk street and Abbott road....... Buffalo river bridge at Abbott road ............ Buffalo river bridge at Seneca street........... Banta homestead, Perry street ................. Eagle-street theater, woodcut of 1835........... Eagle-street theater, interior . . ............. Weed block of 1818 ............................ Hotchkiss office, Pearl and Niagara streets . . . . Perry monument as proposed, 1836 . ............. Gothic Hall in 1851............................. The second American Hotel............... . . . St. James Hotel, 1855..................... . . . Exchange Hotel, 1850............. . . .......... Niagara block, 1850............................ Zion's Church, Ger. Evang. Reform . ............ St. John's Church, Evang. Luth., 1843 . .......... Southeast corner, Main and Mohawk streets . . . Southwest corner, Pearl and Tupper streets . . . . Ensign homestead, two views ................... John Ganson house, 262 Delaware avenue . . . . House at 730 W. Ferry street................... Warren Granger house, Main street ........ St. Mary's-on-the-Hill......................... All Saints Church, Main and Utica streets . . . . Townsend block, Main and Swan streets . . . Old Driving Park, 1873......................... Foot of Main street, 1888............... page 468 “ 470 “ 472 “ 474 “ 475 “ 476 “ 477 “ 478 “ 478 “ 480 “ 481 “ 482 “ 483 “ 484 “ 485 “ 486 489 489 489 490 491 492 492 493 “ 493 “ 494 “ 495 “ 496 “ 497 “ 498 “ 499 “ 500 “ 501 502 “ 503 “ 504 “ 5°6 “ 508 XXAS TO THIS BOOK THIS volume is a picture-book of the Earlier Buffalo. It is not a history of Buffalo, or of any period or phase of it. Incidentally, a good many facts are given; but the primary purpose of the book is to preserve, in a convenient form, pictures of the earlier Buffalo. Distinction should be made between “earlier Buffalo” and “early Buffalo.” There are no true pictures of the early Buffalo—the little village that our friends the British and Indians wiped off the map in 1813. We know pretty well what must have been its general character. We can imagine how the log houses looked, seen down the stump- strewn vistas of roads cut through the woods. There was the open, grassy Terrace; the sand dunes along the shore; and the blue lake, admired from afar by approaching travelers. We have pretty good descriptions of these primitive conditions, written at the time; but neither the first settlers, nor the early visitors, made pictures of what they saw here. The earliest Buffalo picture known to the present compiler was published, in London, in 1811. We shall presently consider it. This book, then, does not picture that first Buffalo. It relates, mostly, to the town that grew by natural evolution during the decades from 1820 to 1870 or thereabouts. Roughly speaking, our pictures are scattered through half a century. A few views which are included, of later date, are of notable buildings that have recently passed away. 1EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. Pictures of some Buffalo buildings that have gone, and some facts about them; that is what this book is. Nor is any attempt made to contrast the old with the new, striking though such contrasts would often be. A few buildings still standing are included because they belong notably to the past in their age and associations. The collection is neither complete nor altogether logical. Oftentimes it does not include this or that prominent building, because no picture could be found of it. But such as it is, it is by long odds the fullest collection ever made of views of the earlier Buffalo. The critical reader is further reminded that most of these pictures are made from old drawings, daguerreotypes or photographs, often faded and yellowed by time. The art quality of many of our pictures is not high, but our reproductions, surprisingly good in many cases, will at least serve to make permanent what would otherwise, in many instances, soon be lost. Until very recent years, it was not a usual thing to make pictures of buildings and street scenes. Buffalo was built up and torn down, or burned down, several times over, before the art of taking instantaneous photographs was perfected. It is easy to forget, in looking at photographs of street scenes, showing motion, that nothing of the sort was possible until about thirty years ago. If it had been, fifty years ago, what a different Civil War record, in a pictorial way, would we now cherish! The very early Buffalo, with its log houses, its Indians, its things of the pioneer period, was, beyond question, picturesque; but a hundred years of constant betterment have not left it, particularly, a picturesque city. Today, ever expanding, with increasing wealth and activity, it has a fair dowry of beauty. It is windswept and clean, for theEARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. most part wholesome and livable; and offers little to the artist by way of picturesque nooks and queer corners, which are much better to look at in a picture, than to live in. Broad avenues and velvety lawns may not appeal to the artist soul, but they have substantial solace for plain people who love health and comfort more than they do surprises of vista or eccentricities of skyline. Buffalo is fairly well content to grow, ever busier, better and more beautiful; but in doing this she ruthlessly destroys the old. The work of destruction, especially in Franklin street, and in Main street between Chippewa and Utica, is going on with uncommon vigor in this year of 1912. It is with a .view to preserving some pictorial record of what has been, and is no more, that this picture-book of earlier Buffalo has been prepared. It is fitting to acknowledge the help that has been received, from many sources, in bringing these pictures together; but to name all who have given assistance has become scarcely feasible, through the very multitude of contributing friends. It is only fair to say, that if this collection have any value or interest in the community to which it relates, it is due to the cordial cooperation of men and women who are of that community, and who represent, for the most part, families who for many years have shared in the development and up-building of their city. To one and all of these friends, the Buffalo Historical Society makes grateful acknowledgment. A number of our pictures are from old negatives by Mr. Horace L. Bliss, who photographed buildings and street views as early as i860, at a time when such work was novel and seldom done. But for him, many glimpses which we now have of the earlier Buffalo would have been lost. Other useful pictures are stereoscopic views of Buffalo made in 3EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. the early ’70’s by Charles L. Pond. Somewhat later still other views were made by Wm. J. Baker and by A. W. Simon, published by Ulbrich & Kingsley. The editor of this collection has striven for brevity in his notes; sometimes he has been brief of necessity. But while trying to record facts bearing on the pictures, he has also endeavored not to repeat at length what is elsewhere printed, in books easy of access. Volume XVII of the Society’s Publications is now in press. It will contain among other things, a full account of the exercises at the semi-centennial of the Society, with all the addresses delivered on that occasion; Mr. Frank M. Hollister’s address at the unveiling of a tablet in memory of Millard Fillmore; Mr. John G. Milburn’s address in unveiling a tablet in memory of Grover Cleveland; the proceedings of Letchworth Memorial evening, with Mr. J. N. Larned’s tribute to the memory of Hon. William P. Letchworth; Mr. Henry W. Sprague’s appreciation of the life and work of Lars G. Sellstedt, delivered on the Sellstedt Memorial evening ; and much other matter relating to the history of Buffalo and the activities of this Society. 4SOME OLD HARBOR VIEWS The earliest picture known, appertaining to Buffalo, is a colored print, entitled “A view of the Lake and Fort Erie, from Buffalo Creek,” drawn by E. Walsh of the 49th Regiment (British), engraved by John Bluck and published by R. Ackermann at his “Repository of Arts,” 101 Strand, London, in January, 1811. In size, the original is 21 by 14 inches, and possesses no little merit, both in drawing and coloring. The artist, in civilian garb, sits on the bank about where, we should say, the Lackawanna freight sheds sit today, and sketches the scene before him. Across Buffalo creek an Indian family are busy about their, wigwam. On the distant lake, a vessel appears, and several others ride at anchor under the guns of Fort Erie, the outlines of which are dimly seen on the distant shore. A substantial dwelling house is introduced on the right of the picture, but can not be identified with any known residence at that time and place. This picture is the frontispiece of this volume. There are two very curious woodcuts of Buffalo during the War of 1812, neither of them being published until some years after the war, and neither of them, it is needless to say, having any great claim to accuracy. They are curios, and as such are here reproduced. One of them purports to show the capture of the British brigs Detroit and Caledonia, by Lieut. J. D. Elliott, XJ. S. N., on the night of October 8, 1812. It is a crude woodcut, published in a pamphlet “Address of Com. Jesse D. Elliott,” 56 PUBLISHED IN PHILADELPHIA, 1845, FROM AN ORIGINAL SKETCH BY LT. JESSE D. ELLIOTT, ACCOMPANYING HIS REPORT TO THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY ON THE CAPTURE OF THE DETROIT AND CALEDONIA, DATED BLACK ROCK, OCT. 9, l8l2.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. THE BURNING OF BUFFALO. AS PICTURED IN TAYLOR’S "UNIVERSAL HISTORY/* 1833. etc., printed at Philadelphia in 1844. The key to the cut is as follows: No. 1, Buffalo; 2, Fort Erie; 3, Black Rock; 4, British batteries; 5, Sailors’, barracks; 6, artillery can- tonment; 7, Squaw Island; 8, Strawberry Island; 9, the Detroit, aground; 10, the Caledonia, ashore; 11, navy yard; 12, British artillery; 13, point of embarcation. The engraving is not to be viewed as an attempt at topographic accuracy, but as a bird’s eye diagram, and probably the only one showing Buffalo at that period. The original sketch was made by Lt. Elliott, and sent by him to the Secretary of the Navy. It was a part of Elliott’s report on the affair of the Detroit and Caledonia, dated Oct. 9, 1812. The little woodcut, showing the burning of Buffalo, suggests the quaint. pictures of the Primer or Shorter Catechism of long-gone days. It is one of a score or more of cuts that embellish “A universal History of the United States,” etc., by C. B. Taylor, published in Buffalo by Ezra Strong in 1833. The scene is evidently the dreadful night 78 THE THIRD OLDEST VIEW OF BUFFALO.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. of December 30, 1813. We leave to experts the task of explaining the details of the picture. The height of the hill on which the doomed town stood is no stranger than the word “Peace,” in the lower left-hand corner. Pre- sumably, it is the artist’s signature. The third oldest picture of Buffalo, so far as known, is also of the period of the War of 1812. It is an engraving of some artistic merit, published in a famous old periodical of Philadelphia, the Port Polio, in August, 1815. Like the earlier English print, it shows the mouth of Buffalo river, but from the elevated ground of the Terrace, where two men are watching with a spyglass, the landing of troops on the bank of the Little Buffalo, near its confluence with the larger stream. One wonders whose grounds those were, on the Terrace, so well fenced? Figures are seen about a camp-kettle on the flats, and numerous boats outside the mouth of the creek, indicate a considerable movement of troops. Accompanying text in the Port Folio says: “The prefixed engraving exhibits a correct view, taken on the spot, of the port of Buffaloe on Lake Erie, at the time of the landing of a part of General Harrison’s troops, subse- quently to the defeat and capture of General Proctor’s army.” This fixes the time of the picture as October 24, 1813, when Harrison landed 1500 troops at Buffalo', and marched them thence to Newark, now Niagara, Ont. The next picture, ten years later in point of time, is Sheldon Ball’s copperplate view of Buffalo harbor, pub- lished in his pamphlet history of Buffalo in 1825. It is a picture with a story. Mr. Ball’s pamphlet says only this of it: “The view of Buffalo Harbor "in 1825 was engraved on copper by Sheldon Ball. It was taken from the Terrace, between Willink [Main] avenue and South Cayuga [Pearl] 910 FIRST PICTURE KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN ENGRAVED IN BUFFALO.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. street. The foreground exhibits the confluence of the Canal with the waters of Little Buffalo, and its final termination with the Lake through the medium of the Buffalo Creek; the lighthouse, pier, mouth of the harbor, and shipping within; Lake Erie with Point Abino (in the Province of Upper Canada) on the right, distant eleven miles, and Sturgeon Point (on the U. S. shore) on the left, distant about fifteen miles.” In 1876 the Hon. Gideon J. Ball, then living at Erie, Pa., sent to Orsamus LI. Marshall, for the archives of the Buffalo Llistorical Society, an account of how Sheldon Ball had made this picture of Buffalo, half a century before. The principal part of it is as follows: “S. Ball was not an engraver—never claimed to be— but, with a pencil, he sketched well and cleverly. After the completion of his drawings, he corresponded with engravers in the city of New York, and to his surprise, found their charges so high, and the difficulties of distance so great, that he was disposed for a time to give up his hobby—for on his part it was a hobby. “After reflection, he resolved to do the work himself. Copper was procured ; the plates were hammered to firm- ness, and by infinite rubbing, their surfaces were finished so that they presented polished planes. S. Ball then set himself to work, and by persevering effort, succeeded in transferring to the copper the pictures he had drawn with his pencil. “When the engravings were completed—it is amusing to remember with what innocence of purpose—the plates were carried to the Buffalo Patriot printing office: up stairs at the north-east corner of Vanstaphorst [Main] Avenue and Eagle street. The plates were duly put oh the printing press, when earnest and repeated efforts were made to get impressions—-but the pictures came not. “Then it was learned that newspaper printing presses would not give impressions from engraved copper-plates. Here was a dilemma. How to overcome the difficulty was 1112 A BUFFALO SCENE OF 1798. DRAWING PUBLISHED ABOUT i860, TO SHOW MIDDAUGH'S HOUSE ON THE PENINSULA.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. the next study. Books were consulted. They taught that such work could be done only on a copper-plate printing press, with large, lignum-vitse rollers, an upper and lower one, etc., etc. Such rollers were not to be had in Buffalo; to procure them from abroad was out of the question. Mechanics who had a knowledge of timber were consulted; they agreed that buttonwood was the best substitute. Accordingly, a buttonwood-tree of suitable diameter was cut down, and two large rollers turned in a lathe, were soon provided, as also a bed-plate to run between them; in this manner a copper-plate printing press was fabricated. And on that press the picture and map in the pamphlet, ‘Buffalo in 1825/ were printed. I will add that when the printing came to be done, newspaper ink was used, and it proved to be unfitted for the work—was unsatisfactory in every respect. “Authorities were again consulted, when it was learned that there was an ink, known as copper-plate printers’ ink, and the books furnished instructions how to make it. The proper ingredients were procured, ink made, and by its use the pictures came from the press of a better and darker color. This was book or picture-making under difficulties. The larger part of the edition was given away; a limited number were sold at twenty-five cents each. I think I am safe in saying that not five per cent, of the cost of the work was ever realized by S. Ball. On his part it was a hobby—a labor of love, and he gratified it.” Some of the papers of Henry Lovejoy, for many years a surveyor in Buffalo, are in the keeping of the Historical Society. In one of them Mr. Lovejoy identifies the build- ings shown in Ball’s etching: “The view was taken from the Terrace, near the north entrance of the Market. The Terrace was then a high bank, with the green turf upon it unbroken. The fore- ground exhibits the Erie Canal, then in an unfinished state, from a point near Erie street to the Little Buffalo Creek, above the Commercial street bridge. At the left is seen 1314 BUFFALO HARBOR IN 1825. FROM THE NEW YORK CANAL “MEMOIR” OF 'EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. the point on which soon afterwards was erected the ware- house occupied by'Joy & Webster. The small building at the extreme left stood in Prime street. The next is the old red warehouse occupied by Townsend & Coit, and below it are two buildings standing in or near the foot of Com- mercial street. Further down the harbor we come to a cluster of small buildings then standing on the Johnson & Wilkeson lot. Next (near the middle of the picture) stands the warehouse of Hiram Pratt, later used by Asa B. Meech. The next and last building, on the right, was a small warehouse used by Sheldon Thompson & Co.” This was the Buffalo branch of a business that had its principal house at Black Rock. The site on Buffalo river was after- wards covered by one of General C. M. Reed's warehouses. Mr. Love joy continues: “Between the canal and buildings lies an open field embracing the southerly parts of Lots i and-2, the foi*mer owned by Louis Le Couteulx and the latter by Benjamin Ellicott. The stumps of two large sycamores are seen on the right. In the harbor, at the foot of Commercial street, lies the steam brig Superior, then the only one afloat on the Lakes. She was 340 tons burden. A solitary schooner lies at Pratt & Meech’s dock. Another is entering .the harbor. “The .old lighthouse is shown on the south bank of the creek, near the junction of the pier and seawall. Beyond is seen the Buffalo pier. At the end is a private light for the use of the steam brig. The lower pier, extending across the original bed of the creek and across the sand bank to the Lake, thus forming with the main pier a new channel which is the present entrance to the harbor, is also exhibited. In the distance are seen Point Abino and the Canada shore.” Such is the first Buffalo picture by a Buffalonian: more history than art in it. > When the Erie Canal was opened in 1825, there was published in New York a “Memoir,” in celebration of the completion of the great work. It is a valuable volume, well 15i6 BUFFALO HARBOR FROM THE VILLAGE, 1825. FROM THE CANAL “MEMOIR” OF THAT YEAR.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. known to students of New York State history. Among the numerous crude lithographs which it contains are two of Buffalo, here reproduced: “Buffalo from the Light- house, ” and “Buffalo harbor from the Village.” The former is interesting for the types of lake craft shown, and for the elevation which the principal part of the town appears to have above the harbor. While this drawing may have exaggerated it, it is certain that there was a marked rise to the natural level of the old Terrace. All the old pictures indicate a steep ascent to Main at present Exchange street. The other view shows a corner of what was prob- ably the old Coffee House on the Terrace (site of the present Sidway building) ; the warehouses on the river are much as in Ball’s engraving; the west side of Main below the Terrace shows more houses; but the distinctive feature of this picture, as of others of the period, is the reach of the Little Buffalo between the canal and the Big Buffalo. This was the heart of commercial Buffalo 88 years ago. The topography of that part of our city has changed many times. In 1827-28 Captain Basil Hall of the Royal British Navy toured through the United States, and visited Buffalo and Niagara Falls. As he traveled he made sketches by the aid of a “camera lucida,” a darkened box with a lens fitted to it, which threw the image of the thing to be drawn upon the drawing paper, and all the artist had to do was to limn the outlines as the sun and his lens set the copy. It was in July, 1827, that Captain Hall came to Buffalo. The Erie canal—or as it was more often styled in the early days, the Grand or Great Western canal—was newly opened, and its junction with Lake Erie was the greatest sight the village folk could show the visitor. Captain Hall sat him down on the Terrace, and with his camera lucida made a good 17i8 CAPTAIN BASIL HALL’S SKETCH OF BUFFALO HARBOR, 1827,EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. VIEW OF BUFFALO ON OLD STAFFORDSHIRE CHINA. SHOWING ERIE CANAL AT BUFFALO CREEK. COMPARE WITH BASIL HALLOS SKETCH. sketch of the junction of the canal with the Buffalo river and infant harbor of Buffalo. Although this was a good many years before photographs were made, the picture is practically photographic. It was afterwards engraved by W. H. Lizars and published at Edinburgh in 1830, in an atlas of views which accompanied Captain Hall’s three- volume work on America. It is interesting to compare with Hall’s drawing the view of the Erie Canal at Buffalo which is found on some of the old Staffordshire plates and platters. Ralph Stevenson of the Cobridge potteries, Staffordshire, was responsible for 1920 BUFFALO IN 1829. FROM THE ORIGINAL WATER-COLOR DRAWING BY GEO. W. SMITH, OWNED BY THE BUFFALO HISTORICAL SOCIETY.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. many of the American views which ornament specimens of this valued old English ware, now become historic. Steven- son is not known to have visited America; and the striking similarity between the picture of Buffalo on the so-called “Canal” plate, and that portion of Hall’s sketch showing the union of the canal and Buffalo Creek, suggests a com- mon origin. The “Canal” plate was made about the time that Hall’s book was published. Two years after Captain Basil Hall made his drawing of the harbor, another artist, George W. Smith, appeared on the scene. Some one—was it Sidney Smith?—has said that Smith is no name. In America, at any rate, George W. (Washington, it must be) Smith is not particularly distinctive. No matter, distinction is none^the less his, for in September, 1829, he rendered high service to the cause of history by making a water-color drawing of Buffalo and harbor as viewed “from the Exchange Buildings, omitting the coffee house on the Terrace.” The original drawing is eleven by twenty-four inches in size. Just what its fortunes have been can not be recorded, except to this extent: About half a century ago Mr. Orsamus H. Marshall, on one of his visits to Paris in quest of historical material, found this old water-color drawing of his home city, and brought it back to Buffalo. It was probably made for Louis Le Couteulx, from whose family it was procured. When the Marshall residence on Main street was demolished in 1909 the old picture was found, intact and in good condition, in the garret, and was then presented to the Historical Society. The most interesting portion of it is engraved for this volume. While no great claim can be made for it, as a work of art—indeed, some of the drawing is very bad—yet it is of high value for the evident accuracy with which the buildings 21EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. of that time were drawn. The foreground shows us Main street at Exchange, which in 1829 was Crow street. It became Exchange street in 1836. On the northeast corner is a vacant lot, which was Louis Le Couteulx’s garden, and the substantial house adjoining was Mr. Le Couteulx’s residence. Opposite, was the Mansion House, precursor of the present structure, three stories high on the Crow street side, four stories on Main street, for the principal thor- oughfare originally dropped off sharply at this point, going towards the harbor. One of the first public works in Buffalo was the improvement of the street grade at this point. The sketch shows the continuation of Main street, over Little Buffalo Creek (which later became the Ham- burg extension of the canal), pretty well lined with build- ings down to its end on Buffalo river. Of equal, perhaps greater importance in the early years of the canal era, was the street at the right of Main, which corresponds to the present Commercial street. It crossed the Erie canal where Commercial street now crosses it ; but otherwise the region has much changed. Many slips were dug, .prior to 1850, connecting the canal and Buffalo river. Most of these have been filled, and the street lines have been changed more than once. Much that was old in this region disap- peared when the Lackawanna Railroad smashed its way through in 1883. The drawing shows the first lighthouse on the beach; the pier that Judge Wilkeson built; and not the least inter- esting object in the picture is the old Terrace pump, in front of the buildings which were put up from 1816 to 1820, some of which, it is said, endured until the erection on that site of Spaulding’s Exchange, in 1845. Another view, “Buffalo as seen from the Lake in 1829,” is from a photograph owned by the Historical Society. The 2324 BUFFALO, FROM LAKE ERIE, 1833. W. J. BENNETT, FROM A SKETCH BY J. W. HILL. SIZE OF ORIGINAL (iN COLORS) 24 BY l6 INCHES. PRATT, S. WILKINSON [wiLKESON], B. RATHBUN AND COL. ROBERT STEELE OF NEW YORK.”EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. photograph was made from a ' water-color sketch, the whereabouts of which is not known. It was, however, probably drawn by the same George W. Smith who made the other view of Buffalo in that year. The cabin in the foreground is about where Martin Middaugh lived from 1798 to 1822, and very likely is the identical house, as it appeared seven years after MiddauglTs death. A lithographed view of Buffalo “as seen from the top of the old Buffalo Bank in the year 1829,” published in the Buffalo City Directory for 1876, is only a redrawing of Smith’s sketch as here reproduced, and is therefore omitted from this collection. It was not until 1833 that a thoroughly artistic view of Buffalo appeared. It was apparently in that year that there was published in New York a colored plate, 24 by 16 inches in size, entitled “Buffalo from Lake Erie”; it was painted and engraved by W. J. Bennett, from a sketch by J. W. Hill; and was inscribed, in flourished script on the bottom margin, “To# E. Johnson, H. Pratt, S. Wilkinson, B., Rathbun and A. Palmer, and Col. Robt. Steele of New York.” “Wilkinson” was of course Judge Samuel Wilke- son, and any one familiar with Buffalo’s story will recognize all the names, except perhaps the last, as Buffalonians of great energy and prominence at that day. The engraving, now rare, scarcely receives justice from our small repro- duction. The artist has hung Turneresque clouds above a Venice-like Buffalo, and has given us a harbor scene that little suggests some moods of old Erie. Did Buffalo ladies and their escorts really go a-pleasuring in canopied barges, back in the 30’s? More likely, they are being landed from a vessel, anchored outside the harbor. The two harbor views on pages 26 and [27 are parts of one picture, a colored lithograph 36 inches long. The only 2526 LITHOGRAPH DRAWN BY E. WHITE-FIELDJ PUBLISHED BY F. MICHELIN,27 BUFFALO’S WATER FRONT ABOUT 1842. THIS FORMS, WITH THE PRECEDING VIEW, ONE PICTURE IN THE ORIGINAL.28 PIONEER STEAM CANAL BOAT WILLIAM NEWMAN.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. copy known to the writer, owned by the Buffalo Historical Society, bears no date, but as it shows the original Dart’s elevator, on Buffalo Creek at the Evans Ship Canal, built 1842, and also shows steamboats which did not ply long after that date, we know that these views show the water front of the early 40’s. The steamboats shown are, as named in the original, from left to right, the Niagara, A. D. Patchen, Emerald, Great Western, Oregon (in front of the elevator), Troy, New Orleans and Louisiana; and, in the second section (p. 27), the Empire, Globe and Indiana. This view gives a good idea of the vacant condi- tion of the peninsula at that period. The old Central Wharf, for many years home of the Board of Trade, would call for a long chapter, but for the fact that its story has been written. It can be found in Volume XIII, Publications of this Society (1909). It may therefore suffice in the present connection to refer the reader to that record, for some account of early buildings in that vicinity, and of changes that have taken place. The old warehouses, stores, and offices shown in the picture all disappeared when the Lackawanna railroad was built through that district in 1883. Old Central Wharf was originally Front street, and gradually became lined with wharves, at first built by private enterprise, but from about 1837 by the City of Buffalo. The Board of Trade, organ- ized in 1844, had its own building at Prime and Hanover streets; four stories high, adequate and imposing. No picture of it is known, though we have an excellent descrip- tion by one who knew it well. (See Vol. XIII, pp. 244- 247.) From 1862 to 1883, the Board of Trade occupied the central building shown in our picture, with some accom- modation in adjoining structures. The second story gallery, overlooking the harbor and lake, was a popular rendezvous 29EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. for many years. The business life of Buffalo now retains nothing so picturesque as old Central Wharf. This picture also shows the first steam canal boat, the William Newman, on the occasion of her first trip in 1868. In 1853, Smith Brothers & Co., well-known lithographers on Fulton street, New York, published the largest picture of Buffalo that had been made. It was 40 by 24 inches, drawn on stone by J. H. Colen, from sketches by J. W. Hill, and was one of a series of “Views of American Cities.” This big lithograph, now sixty years old, is still to be seen, occasionally, in Buffalo offices and homes. A leading magazine of that period, The Ladies Repository, had it reengraved on steel by Wellstood & Peters, and published it in its issue for April, 1855. Our own reproduction, for this volume, preserves very well the principal features of the great plate. It shows the steamboats in the Buffalo river, but does not show their names: From left to right, the Mayflower, the Ocean, the Minnesota, and lying at the foot of Main street, the Michi- gan and the Ohio, famous craft in their time. It shows St. Joseph’s cathedral with two towers, which it never had; and this shows that artist Hill drew his picture as he thought it ought to be; but church spires are among the uncertain things of municipal evolution. The north spire of St. Joseph’s, sixty years afterward, is still to be built. Four years later, Smith’s “Historical and Statistical Gazeteer of New York State” contained a singularly dif- ferent view: “Buffalo Harbor from the Light House.” It shows the foot of Erie street and the old railroad station. The first grain elevator on Buffalo river, which was the first anywhere, was Joseph Dart’s, built in 1842. It stood at the junction of the Evans ship canal and Buffalo river, where the Bennett elevator was afterwards built. Dart’s 3132 THE ORIGINAL EVANS ELEVATOR AND MILLS, ON THE EVANS SHIP CANAL. BURNED 1862.33 THE ORIGINAL EVANS ELEVATOR, MILLS, ETC., NORTON STREET SIDE. BURNED 1862.34 BUFFALO HARBOR FROM THE LIGHT HOUSE IN 1859.35 ENTRANCE TO BUFFALO RIVER FORTY YEARS AGO. SHOWING THE NORTH PIER BEFORE THE LACKAWANNA RAILROAD TOOK POSSESSION OF IT IN 1879.36 SHOWING THE OLD UNION ELEVATOR.37 THE EVER-CHANGING HARBOR: A VIEW IN THE Vo’s. THE RICHMOND, AT THE LEFT, STILL STANDS; THE OTHERS HAVE BURNED: THE EXCELSIOR, THE HAZARD IN ’74, THE STURGIS38 AN EARLY VIEW OF THE BENNETT ELEVATOR, TAKEN DOWN 1912.39 THE DAKOTA ELEVATOR, BURNED AUG. 13, 1900.THE SECOND WELLS ELEVATOR. BURNED MAY 4, 1912. 404i CITY “A” AND CITY “B” ELEVATORS. AT RIGHT, PARTLY BURNED, AND BOTH TORN DOWN DECEMBER, 1908.42 FORMERLY THE COATSWORTH, WAS TORN DOWN 1909; a” TORN DOWN 1912.43 THE WATSON ELEVATOR, BURNED SEPT. 21, 1907. ITS SITE WAS EXCAVATED FOR A TURNING BASIN, 1912.44 OPENED 1852. ABANDONED AND FILLED IN, I90I. NOW A PART OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY RAILROAD PROPERTY.45 ON THE ERIE CANAL NEAR GENESEE STREET IN THE EARLY ’8o*s.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. pioneer elevator can be made out in some of the early pictures of the harbor. In later years, gigantic structures, of a size and capacity undreamed of by their inventor, became the characteristic feature of our water-front. A considerable volume would be required to picture all of these uncouth but potential piles—or even all of those that have burned. We have no separate picture of Dart’s first elevator; but of its successor, the first Evans elevator, old water-color sketches exist which are herewith reproduced. The Evans property, including elevator, mills, and ware- houses, was situated on Norton street, Water street, and the Evans ship canal, completed in 1833. One of the views shows the Norton-street frontage, and the other the frontage on the Evans ship canal. The bridge is the Water street bridge. This entire property was destroyed by fire, September 19, 1862, and was afterwards rebuilt as we see it today. The views that follow (pp. 34-45) require but little comment. One shows the old Union elevator and coal trestle at the mouth of the river as they were in the late ’7o’s. The Union was afterwards a part of the Bennett elevator property. Several elevator and harbor scenes follow, all of them showing buildings and conditions long since gone. The Erie Canal at Genesee street, thirty years ago, and “The Last Days of the Hamburg,” recall condi- tions in that part of the city that can not exist again. The Hamburg canal has been filled in, and the scene shown in our picture is now a railroad yard, full of tracks, with a promise of worthy railway station buildings to come. 46 .THE FIRST SETTLER In this connection one naturally asks, Who was the first white man to build in what is now Buffalo, and where was his house ? The editor of this volume is not aware that that question has ever been satisfactorily answered. British soldiers lodged at or near the mouth of Buffalo Creek, at various times during the Revolutionary War. If we ignore their lodgments, the first house was apparently that built by Ezekiel Lane and his father-in-law Martin Middaugh, in 1784. The testimony on this point is summed up in Volume VII of these Publications (p. no). The dwelling is described as “a double log house, on or near Exchange street, a little east of Washington street.” This same house was occupied by Judge Zenas Barker in 1807-8. Ketchum puts the date of Middaugh’s coming full ten years later, 1794 or 1795 (“History of Buffalo,” vol. II, p. 133), and says he “built a house upon Johnston’s land, by his permis- sion, near what is now the corner of Washington and Exchange streets—east of Washington and north of Ex- change.” This house is shown on the valuable plan of Buffalo village drawn by Juba Storrs in April, 1813. It does not show the neighborhood of Washington and Quai streets, where Cornelius Winne built a log cabin prior to 1791. Ketchum says it stood “upon the bank of the Little Buffalo Creek (now [1864] Hamburg Canal), in rear of the present site of the Mansion House, nearly at the junction of Washington and Quai streets.” This does not fix the site definitely, as a visit to that neighborhood will discover. Ketchum adds confidently: “This was the first 4748 VIEW FROM THE FOOT OF MAIN STREET, 1870. LOOKING ACROSS THE ISLAND, TOWARD THE LAKE.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. building erected by civilized man in Buffalo.” But the obituary notice of Ezekiel Lane, printed in the Buffalo Commercial Advertiser, April 8, 1848, says that Middaugh built here in 1784. The writer of the newspaper article was probably Dr. Thomas M. Foote, the accomplished editor of the paper at that time; and sixteen years earlier than Ketchum probably meant additional means for correct information. On April 7, 1848, the day after Mr. Lane died, the Commercial Advertiser said: “We chronicle today the death of Ezekiel Lane, who lived to the advanced age of 102 years. In 1796 there were only four buildings on the present site of Buffalo. Of these the one first built was erected by Ezekiel Lane, and his father-in-law, Martin Middaugh. It was a double log house on or near Exchange street.” Some facts are given about Middaugh, and the editor expresses the hope that “some of our antiquarian friends will furnish us with a biographical notice of the lately deceased centenarian.” The following day, April 8th, a longer notice appears, in the editorial column, in which it is recorded that “Mr. Lane -—as stated by us yesterday-—was the first white resident of this city, and erected the first house in this place, in 1784. He lived to witness that single hut multiplied to rising of five thousand buildings, and to see upwards of forty thousand people swarming the densely built streets of a city of which himself and little family were the first sole inhabitants. He was a soldier of the Revolution, and fought at the Battle of Minnisink, in 1779.” The Buffalo Directory of 1847 contains a “Sketch of the History of Buffalo.” Its authorship is not there given, but in the “Historical Writings of Orsamus H. Marshall,” p. 375, this sketch is referred to as having been written by Mr. Marshall. In that sketch he states : 4950 SECTION OF BUFFALO ADJACENT TO BUFFALO RIVER, 1868.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. “The earliest information we possess as to the settlement of Buffalo, is derived from the testimony of Mr. Joseph Landon, in an important trial involving the title to the lands on the Peninsula. He came here to reside in 1806, and kept the Mansion House for many years. He was a land surveyor by profession, and passed through Buffalo in 1796, on his way to Ohio, with a party of about sixty per- sons, to survey the Western Reserve. ... At that time, the clearings were inconsiderable, and there were but four buildings on the whole of the present site of Buffalo. One was a double log house on or near Exchange street, a little east of Washington street, and was occupied by Martin Middaugh, and one Ezekiel Lane, his son-in-law, until 1807 or 1808, when Judge Barker, the father of Jacob A. Barker, moved into it. Another house was on the corner of Commercial street and the Terrace, where the Sidway block now stands; another one, and the fourth, near the site of the Mansion House. One of these seems to have been kept by one Jesse Skinner, as a kind of tavern. The fourth was occupied by Col. Asa Ransom. - Three or at most four families then constituted the^ whole permanent population.” Further on, speaking of Lane, Mr. Marshall adds: “'He and Middaugh built the house they occupied, which was the first one erected in Buffalo.” This statement made in 1847, by so careful a chronicler, based on direct testimony of Joseph Landon, whose .residence in the town dated from 1806,. is probably as conclusive as any we can reach. The site of that house is understood to be occupied now by the Exchange street extension of the Matthews building, a few rods east of Washington street. Ketchum’s date is clearly wrong, and may have been a typographical error, of which there are many in his book. Turner, whose “History of the Holland Purchase” was 5152 OLD BUILDINGS ON BUFFALO RIVER, FOOT OF MAIN STREET, SAID TO HAVE BEEN BUILT IN THE ^o’S. TORN DOWN 1912.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. issued in 1849, speaks of Middaugh and Lane’s house with- out giving the date of its erection, and adds: “Winne had [in 1798] a log house on bank of Little Buffalo,' south of Mansion House,” but does not say when it was built. The manuscript records of the Holland Land Company in the possession of the Buffalo Historical Society, throw no light on the matter. The weight of evidence clearly lies in favor of Middaugh. This pioneer “who spoke Indian better than English,” as Dr. Foote wrote, removed in 1798 from present Exchange street to the peninsula (now called the Island) between Buffalo river and the lake, and there he died in 1822. About i860 Charles P. Dwyer projected an illustrated history of Buffalo, to be issued in parts. It is not known to have got beyond part one, consisting of 32 pages of text and two lithographed views, one of them purporting to show Middaugh’s house on the peninsula. A pretty picture was made of it, but we cannot be sure that it looks like anything that really existed. Of Middaugh’s earlier house on Exchange street, or of Winne’s on the Little Buffalo, no picture—not even an imaginary one— exists. Colonel Thomas Proctor, visiting the Senecas on Buffalo Creek in April, 1791, found Cornelius Winne keeping store “about four miles distant” from the Indian villages up the big Buffalo. Augustus Porter in 1795, speaks of Middaugh, Winne and William Johnston as the three white men at Buffalo. Other early visitors mention them, but none offers evidence as to which was here first. Johnston (not Johnson, as books and newspapers usually have it) was the first land-owner here, after the Indians. The others were squatters, with no title. S354 THE HAZARD BLOCK, FOOT OF MAIN STREET, WEST SIDE. DEMO&ISHED 1882. VIEW TAKEN IN THE EARLY ^o’s. 55 COMMERCIAL HOTEL, MAIN AND OHIO STREETS. BUILT ABOUT 1840. IN ITS LAST YEARS, USED FOR VARIOUS BUSINESSES. DEMOLISHED 1882.56 BUILT IN THE ’30’S, TORN DOWN 1853. THE BALCONIES OF THE MANSION HOUSE SHOW AT THE LEFT. —FROM AN EARLY PRINT.THE EARLIEST BUFFALO Except those given on preceding pages, no pictures of Buffalo before the burning are known to the compiler of this book. There is, however, a diagram of the early village, unique and useful. The original was drawn by Juba Storrs, and marked: “Plat of Buffalo village as it is at this date, April, 1813.” What has become of the original is not known. Some fifty years ago it was in existence, and a lithograph reproduction was made. From one of the copies of that reproduction our sketches are drawn. They are an exact copy of the original except for the correction of a few errors, the division of the plat into two, to fit our pages, and a general re-lettering, to make it more readily under- stood. The diagrams show the inner lots which had been built on, in the spring of 1813. The unnamed buildings are barns, shops and sheds. What is now Exchange, from Main street east, is really the starting-point of settlement. Note has been made of the location of Middaugh & Lane’s cabin. The houses of Judge Barker, and of Root, in the Storrs drawing, were its successors. John Crow’s log tavern stood in 1803 near the southwest corner of present Exchange and Washington streets. When Capt. Samuel Pratt brought his family here in 1804 he first lodged at Crow’s, then in a temporary log house on the Terrace, then in his own house on the present site of the Mansion House, west of Crow’s. His first store was on the north side of 57THE BUFFALO THAT WAS BURNED IN 1813. REDRAWN FROM JUBA STORRS’ SKETCH MADE IN APRIL, 1813. 58STONE J AI L NORTHERLY EXTENSION OF MAP ON PRECEDING PAGE. BUILDINGS AND BOUNDARY LINES ARE SHOWN AS IN THE ORIGINAL. 59EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. THE MANSION HOUSE IN 1842. FROM AN ENGRAVING OF THAT YEAR, BY J. W. ORR. Crow street—now Exchange—but he soon built a two-and- a-half story frame house on the corner, with store adjoining, as shown in Storrs’ plan. This was the first frame dwelling in Buffalo and was called the Mansion, which probably indicates the source of the name of the Mansion House. In 1809 Crow's became Landon’s, which name it bore in 1813 when the town was burned. Rebuilt after the war, it was kept until 1824 by Joseph Landon, and is described as a “long low wooden building, south side of Crow between Main and Washington." In 1825 it was kept by Phineas Barton, who named it the Mansion House, which name it still bears. Philip Dorsheimer conducted it for some years and made it famous. It was rebuilt in 1843, and again in 1846, and several times since has been altered or enlarged. About 1883 it was built up to six stories and extended to Washington street. A lithograph of the ’30's shows it of four stories, with a balcony for each story on the Main- street side. Orr’s woodcut of 1842 shows the same thing, better. Woodcuts of a later date show it without balconies, 606i62 SPAULDING’S EXCHANGE. BUILT 1845, REBUILT 1852. FROM A PAINTING OF ABOUT 1849.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. but with a fountain at the Main-street entrance. One may be skeptical about that fountain. Opposite this property, in 1813, was Louis Le Couteulx’s house and garden; and to the east of them, the house of Juba Storrs, who drew this diagram. Passing up what is now Washington street, there were three houses, all on the east side: that of Despar or Despard, a baker ; then the house of David Rees, his blacksmith shop opposite, on the northeast corner of Washington and Seneca. A little further up was Campbell, a barber. A letter preserved among the Holland Land Co. papers runs, in part, as follows : Buffaloe Creek, Apreil 1st 1806 Mr. Benjamin Ellicott Esq. Sir, Mr. David Rees has got Me to Rite to you for A Lot for him he wants it to Put a shop on Amediately it is one of the Iner Lots Number 176 he has got the Mony for the fifth Part Any Time any time you will Rite to him or Me we will send you the Cash and you shall have the Whole of the Mony in one year Please to Rite by Mail the Price Put it as Loe as you can for your Pay will be Good and he is a Good Man or I would not Take the Troubel to Rite. . . . Your very humbel Sarvent Vincent Grant Not strong on spelling, but sturdy pioneers, both of them. No letter from Rees himself is preserved in these volumin- ous papers; perhaps he couldn’t write, but he could shoe a horse or mend a gun, or forge a hundred things—much more useful service then, than the holding of a pen. Passing up Main street, above Le Couteulx’s, we come to McEwen’s house and shoe-shop ; then the market of Vincent Grant, where the Birge building (People’s Bank) now is. Pomeroy’s tavern was on the northeast corner of Main and 6364 PHOTOGRAPH OF THAT DATE, SHOWING SPAULDING'S EXCHANGE, THE AMERICAN THEATER, AND THE EVERETT HOUSE, WHICH EARLIER, AND LATER, WAS THE UNITED STATES HOTEL.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. Seneca. Then came the custom house, and the stores or houses of Stocking & Bull, Grosvenor, and Daley. The west side of Main, beginning at the Terrace, showed Joshua Gillet’s market, then the U. S. Indian Agency, in the charge of Erastus Granger; the property of Isaac Davis; Cook, a tavern keeper; Grosvenor’s house; and Townsend & Coit’s drug-store at Main and Swan, where the Townsend block now stands. Dr. Chapin was across Swan street (the Chapin block now stands on the Pearl-street end of the block), and just above him, fronting the common (Erie street) was the store of Eli Hart. The Ellicott reserve, on this map, east of Main, extends from Swan to Eagle streets. Ebenezer Walden’s house was at Main and Eagle. In the rear, east of Washington, was the house of Kane, a mason, and the old stone jail. In the block above, west of the Washington-street line, was the first court house. Above Eagle the street lines have been changed. Present Court street and Broadway are not shown. Samuel Pratt, Jr., built at the northwest corner of Main and Eagle streets, in 1810. A few other houses were scat- tered along the west side of Main street (that side preferred by the early settlers because less exposed to the lake winds) : Haddock, a cabinet maker; Juba Storrs; St. John, Hopkins and Stocking. Those further up the street were pretty well out of the clearing. With one or two exceptions, there was nothing west of Pearl street except forest. The first school house was at Pearl and Erie—present Dun building—the county clerk’s office was a little below, and the pioneer printing office of Smith H. Salisbury, at the northwest corner of Pearl and Seneca streets. Rees’ blacksmith shop, the stone walls of the jail, and the St. John house were all that were not destroyed when the village was burned, eight months after Juba Storrs 65EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. made his sketch. Of the buildings that were burned, many were of logs, a few were frame, and a few were brick. The store of Juba Storrs & Co., on Main near present Court street, is said to have been the first brick building in Buffalo. The second was Judge Walden's house, built in 1811, at the northeast corner of Main and Eagle. This house is shown in a lithograph of the Tippecanoe log-cabin, on a subse- quent page. 66EARLY PICTURE-MAKING Of most of the early business places there are no pictures. Rarely, enterprising houses used woodcuts in their adver- tisements, in newspapers and in the City Directory. A few of these ante-photograph pictures are given. Of this sort is the woodcut of Wilkeson & Co.’s Arcole Foundry at No. 64 Main street; this is from an advertisement of 1844. Among the early workers in the field of art in Buffalo were John W. Orr, J. H. Richardson, and Filetus P. Butler. They were wood engravers, and to their skill we are in- debted for the only pictures known of several Buffalo buildings. Orr is best remembered by his dainty little pictures which embellish a “Pictorial Guide to the Falls of Niagara,” published in Buffalo by Salisbury & Clapp in 1842. This excellent little work contains several views of Buffalo buildings of that period, some of them being re- THE ARCOLE FOUNDRY, NO. 64 MAIN STREET. FROM AN ADVERTISEMENT OF 1844. 67EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. produced in the present col- lection. Mr. Orr was suc- ceeded in business, on West Swan street, by J. H. Rich-" ardson, a less skillful artist, a sample of whose work is the cut of the Arcole Foundry on page 67. In the late ’40’s and ’50’s, Filetus P. Butler, at his office in Spaulding’s Ex- change, engraved numerous views of Buffalo buildings. One of these shows us Geo. H. Derby & Co.’s book store at No. 164 Main street (old number) as it was in 1850. Another is the store-front of N. Wilgus, at No. 231 Main (old number) in 1854. Sev- eral years earlier are two views of O. G. Steele’s print- ing office and book store in 1838 and 1848, both at the same number, 206 Main street. The type of building shown in these old woodcuts is still with us, and some very 206 MAIN (OLD NO.) IN 1838. 68EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. prominent Main-street stores, now in use, are themselves the best possible illustration of many of their kind that have gone. One must remember, of early busi- ness buildings and homes alike, that they had no electricity, no gas, no kerosene even until the late ’so’s, no furnace heating, no elevators. Noth- ing changed more the appear- ance of store windows than the introduction of plate glass. Large clear plates give a smart- ness and elegance all undreamed of in the earlier Buffalo. A word further as to early picture-making. The first da- guerreotypes taken in Buffalo, were made, it is recorded, by a Frenchman, one M. Girand. A trustworthy chronicler, Mrs. Lucy Williams Hawes, writing of the Buffalo of 1836, says of Girand that he made his pictures “in a white tent, in an open field opposite the American hotel”— 164 main (old no.) in 1850. 69EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. present site of the Brisbane building. “A sunny day was necessary, and we often waited many days to get one. We were seated in the glare, and remained motionless for twenty minutes. The little octagonal frames were made of curled maple. Children who were the victims of this process were quieted with paregoric, as chloroform and ether had not been discovered.” In the decade of the ’40’s, Donald McDonnell, with a partner, established “Daguerrian Rooms” at No. 192 Main street. It was probably he who made the daguerreotype of the Eagle-street theater, now owned by the Buffalo His- torical Society, and, so far as known, the only original picture of that building in existence. When the first American Hotel burned, in 1855, Mr. McDonnell made a daguerreotype of the ruins. That picture also is in the keeping of the Historical Society, and both are reproduced in this volume. The picture of the hotel ruins on a subse- quent page is said to be the first out-door view made in Buffalo. In 1858 Mr. Horace L. Bliss purchased the McDonnell gallery, near the northeast corner of Main and Eagle streets. Photography was still experimental, and it was not until 1864, when the collodion process was perfected, that out- door work could be done, at any distance from the studio dark-room. The first out-door views made by Mr. Bliss, were of the ruins of the second American Hotel, burned in 1865. The scene was just across the street from his gallery. 70A BUILDER OF BUFFALO Whoever inquires into the story of old buildings in Buffalo, soon conies upon the trail of Benjamin Rathbun. With very few exceptions, our “old” buildings do not antedate the decade of the ’30’s. In the older part of the town many are now standing—some of them where better buildings ought to be—which were built by Rathbun. If we seek the record of old-time business blocks, hotels, theaters, residences, no matter what, we encounter the statement that Benjamin Rathbun was the builder. The Buffalo of 1835-6 seems to have been pretty generally Rathbun-built. In Barber & Howe’s “Historical Collections of the State of New York,” published in 1841, one may read of Buffalo that “an enterprising citizen, Mr. Rathbun, during the year 1835, erected 99 buildings, at an aggregate cost of $500,000; of these, 52 were stores of the first class, 32 dwellings, a theater, etc.” It is a unique record. , Much has been written about Mr. Rathbun, not always with a true conception of his worth and extraordinary ability. For the principal facts in his career the reader is referred to volume XI., Publications of the Buffalo Histori- cal Society. Our present concern with him is chiefly as a builder. When Rathbun was arrested, Aug. 3, 1836, he had some 2500 men at work for him, in Buffalo and Niagara Falls. In the decade before his downfall, he had built more of Buffalo, probably, than all other builders together. He built the first American Hotel in 1835-36. He built many 7172 THE WESTERN HOTEL ON THE TERRACE, IN ITS LAST DAYS. BUILT 1841. ITS LAST USE WAS AS POLICE HEADQUARTERS. TORN DOWN 1888.73 “THE MOST HISTORIC SPOT IN BUFFALO”—THE TWIN PUMPS ON THE TERRACE.A FIRE LADDER TEST IN FRONT OF THE WESTERN HOTEL. THIS PICTURE SHOWS THE CUPOLA WHICH WAS A FEATURE OF THE BUILDING IN ITS EARLIER YEARS. 74GOTHIC HALL, 189 MAIN STREET, ERECTED 1843. A RECENT PICTURE OF A UNIQUE BUSINESS STRUCTURE, REMODELED 1846. THE FIRST-STORY FRONT WAS ORIGINALLY ORNATE GOTHIC. 75-76 ON THE SITE OF LOUIS LE COUTEULX S HOUSE AND GARDEN. THIS BUILDING TAKEN DOWN, 1889, WHEN PRESENT BUILDING WAS ERECTED.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. of the three and four-story brick fronts on lower Main street, some of which are still standing, as for instance most of the stores between North and South Division streets. The long Webster block, on lower Main, is credited to him. Some of the best residences, as the Pierre A. Barker house on Hudson street—then quite out of town —afterwards bought by Jonathan Sidway, and the old Unitarian church, now the Austin building, were built by him. , Thomas Farnham, who came to Buffalo in 1833, and who for many years was personally acquainted with Mr. Rathbun, left at his death a long manuscript account of Rathbun’s business operations in Buffalo. That document, now in the keeping of the Buffalo Historical Society, is probably in many respects the most trustworthy record we have of Benjamin Rathbun’s operations. Too long and diffuse to make its publication advisable, it has been drawn upon for the following extracts and summary. After stating the facts regarding Mr. Rathbun’s birth and first entry upon business in Buffalo; Mr. Farnham- writes: “He kept the Rathbun Hotel [Eagle Tavern], one of the best in the western part of the State. It was located on the west side of Main street, near Court. The main building was of brick, three stories high, and was about 150 feet south of Court street. From its northern line to Court street, it was a two-story frame building. About 1833, Mr. Rathbun sold out to Isaac R. Harrington, who con- ducted the hotel until the American Hotel was built on a portion of the same ground. Mr. Rathbun then engaged in the building business, putting up houses and stores by contract. His business grew rapidly and he soon employed a large number of men. He had stores for drygoods and 77EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. BENJAMIN RATHBUN’S BUFFALO EXCHANGE. THE FOUNDATIONS WERE IN PART LAID, 1835-6. IT WAS TO HAVE FRONTED ON MAIN, FILLING THE WHOLE BLOCK, NORTH TO SOUTH DIVISION, 222 FEET HIGH TO TOP OF DOME. groceries, both for the general public and for the men in his employ. Among the structures which he put up at this period, was the block known as the Webster Block, on the east side of Main, extending north from Perry street to what was then known as Huff’s Hotel. He was by far the largest builder in the city and was the means of driving away others who could not compete with him. “Mr. Rathbun was always a gentleman in appearance. Of medium size, he dressed with taste and wore black, cut in the latest fashion with a white cravat, appearing more like a clergyman than a business man. He was retiring in manner and seldom seen by the men in his employ. His office was in his house, located on the northeast corner of Eagle and Main streets, a very pleasant residence, from which he directed his many enterprises. His brother, Lyman Rathbun, was his financial agent, with the help of a nephew, Rathbun Allen. Lyman Rathbun maintained a large office near the American Block, in which were many 78EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. private apartments. It was here that most of the work was done that resulted in his ruin, as well as that of many others.” Air. Farnham recites the story of the crisis of 1836 and the discovery of more than a million dollars’ worth of forged Rathbun paper in circulation. -“My explanation of it,” writes Air. Farnham, “is as follows, for I had a little experience in the matter myself: “I was then engaged with the late Orlando Allen in the exchange and banking business. Lyman Rathbun nego- tiated a loan of us of $10,000, for which we received Benjamin Rathbun’s checks for from $300 to $500 each, endorsed by our citizens that we considered perfectly good. The checks were made payable at bank at different days, but we never had occasion to present them at bank, for they would always come in a day or two before they were due and pay them, or renew them. So we had no occasion to have them protested: that they were forged never entered our minds. And this promptness in attending to his payments made his credit good. When Air. Rathbun’s failure was known, then the forged endorsements were THE BANK OF BUFFALO, MAIN AND ERIE STREETS, 1838. DRAWN AND ENGRAVED BY J. W. ORR. EARLIEST KNOWN VIEW OF THE WEED AND WHITE BUILDING SITES. 798o BUILT, 1858. TORN DOWN, MAY, 1912. SITE NOW OCCUPIED BY MARINE NATIONAL BANK.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. soon discovered. Dr. Ebenezer Johnson, who was engaged in the banking business, presented me with a check with our endorsement on it, and said, ‘I suppose that is your endorsement/ I replied that it was not, for we had never endorsed one dollar for Mr. Rathbun. ‘Well/ he says, /I think you will have to stand it/ I went to the safe and took out a check for $500, endorsed by him. I said, ‘I suppose that is your endorsement ?’ He looked very much sur- prised and'said,-‘If that does not beat the devil!’ He did not endorse for Mr. Rathbun. ‘Well/ I replied, ‘I think you will have to stand it/ . ~ 1 “A few minutes later Mr. Merrill B. Sherwood came in, and taking off his hat, exhibited a large number of checks, with our name endorsed on them. Turning them over, he says, ‘These are your endorsements/ I told him I never endorsed for Mr. Rathbun. ‘Well/ he says, ‘that surprises me. I gave him that $10,000 only a few days ago/ “So we all found that our loans were made on forged paper entirely. Soon we began to receive from New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Cincinnati, notices of protest, until the amount was over $200,000. We wrote the parties that we had not endorsed anything for Rathbun and we were never called on for one dollar of this large amount. Mr. Rathbun made an assignment to Joseph Clary, who paid us a small dividend on our $10,000. “The first exposure was in this way and then the rest followed. Mr. Charles M. Reed, of Erie, was in Phila- delphia at the old United States bank, and the president, Nicholas Biddle, said to him: ‘I believe we have a note on which you are an endorser, which will fall due in a few days/ ‘Ah! indeed, let me see it, if you please/ said Reed. So Mr. Biddle presented him with a note, made by Benja- min Rathbun, for $50,000, endorsed with the names of 81THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC, AS IT WAS IN 1868. FOR MANY YEARS BUFFALOES BEST THEATER. PRIOR TO 1868, KNOWN AS THE METROPOLITAN; OPENED OCT. 15, 1852, ON THE SITE OF THE FARMER'S HOTEL. 82STORE OF BARNES & BANCROFT, 260-266 MAIN STREET. AS IT WAS IN 1871; REBUILT WITH IRON FRONT, l875- 84HAMLIN BLOCK, STORE OF BARNES, BANCROFT & CO., 1875. MUCH ENLARGED IN 1882; BURNED FEB. I, 1888; SITE NOW OCCUPIED BY SWEENEY & CO/S STORE.86EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. Charles M. Reed, of Erie; Judge Love, Dr. Ebenezer Johnson, Mr. Joseph Clary, Albert H. Tracy, Hiram Pratt, and others, who were well known as prominent business men of Buffalo. ‘Well/ said Mr. Reed, T will see about it/ And I suppose he told the president that he did not endorse the note; for he came to Buffalo and called these gentlemen together and laid the matter before them. They all denied having signed any such paper. They sent for Mr. Rathbun and the whole matter was brought out, but they did not know that the forgeries extended any further than this note. So they got Mr. Rathbun to make an assignment, securing the payment of this note, but they were very much sur- prised to find that nearly all the paper he had out was forged. Mr. Elijah Ford was one of the assignees and the business was closed up honestly and fairly so far as the assignees were concerned. Mr. Rathbun provided for the payment in full of all the men in his employ and all persons to whom he was indebted in the city and country about for building materials. Mr. Benjamin Rathbun and Lyman Rathbun were arrested that evening and put in jail. Lyman Rathbun escaped from jail in a few days and it was sup- posed he went to Texas. He was never overtaken and never tried, nor seen in Buffalo afterwards. Rathbun Allen, Benjamin’s nephew, also escaped and was not ever tried or seen in Buffalo again. Benjamin Rathbun was kept in jail for a year or more, and was finally tried and sentenced to Auburn for five years. He was pardoned by the Governor a few days before the expiration of his time.” Another very active person in the business, not men- tioned by Mr. Farnham, was Lyman Rathbun Howlett, also a nephew of Benjamin Rathbun. Howlett’s part in the forgeries has been graphically told by Samuel M. Welch 8788 MAIN STREET, WEST SIDE, LOOKING NORTH FROM SENECA, PRIOR TO 1894. THE TWO BUILDINGS AT THE LEFT WERE TORN DOWN 1894 FOR THE PRESENT BANK OF BUFFALO. THE GRANITE BLOCK, BUILT 1836, WAS TAKEN DOWN FOR ERECTION OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, I905.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. in'his. “Home. History.” When the crash came, Howlett ■disappeared. Lyman Rathbun disappeared also, but was afterwards heard of in Texas, then not in the United States. Rathbun Allen was arrested in Ohio, charged as accessory to the Rathbun forgeries. His trial was set for September, but he turned State's evidence and his uncle afterwards forgave him. - So Benjamin Rathbun, the Builder of Buffalo, went to jail. He was locked up as a felon in the very jail which he had built! which came to be known as the “old” jail on Batavia street, in use until 1876. Reports of Rathbun’s affairs obviously received, at once, a wild exaggeration. The Angelica Republican, in August, 1836, informed its readers that at the time of his failure, Mr. Rathbun “had in his employ about 3000 workmen,” adding, “his average daily payments were $60,000”! On a basis of two dollars a day they would have been $6,000, for 3,000 workmen ; but there is nothing to show that he ever had so many on his payrolls. A copy of the petition in chancery, owned by the Buffalo Historical Society (it formerly belonged, by the way, to Guy H. Salisbury, before whose uncle, H. A. Salisbury, Commissioner of Deeds, etc,, it was executed, Aug. 2, 1836), states that at the time of making assignment, “the said Rathbun had upwards of one thousand three hundred laborers and mechanics in his employ.” Governor Seward in refusing an application for pardon in May, 1840, stated that Rathbun had in his em- ploy in 1836, 2,000 laborers, besides 96 agents, assistants, cashiers, superintendents, foremen, measurers, clerks and overseers. His daily disbursements exceeded ten thousand dollars. He had the control of several banks, and kept a financial agency in Buffalo and another in the City of New York.go LOOKING EAST ON SWAN FROM MAIN, IN THE ’6o’s.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. When the discovery of the crimes was made it was found that forged paper representing more than a million and a half of dollars was in circulation, and this was estimated to be less than a third of the whole amount for which false paper had been issued by Rathbun and his relatives. These sums, vast today, were relatively much more vast in 1836. The financial operations involved in Rathbun’s upbuilding of Buffalo affected the money market throughout the whole country; but contrary to expectation, Rathbun’s downfall carried no one else with him. As an Albany correspondent of the Buffalo Journal (Aug. 26, 1836) put it: “While Rathbun was selling all the best names in your city, at 5 per cent, per month, none could blame us for doubting your solvency, as a whole, or for believing that if Rathbun failed the town must go with him. Judge then of our surprise to see him fall, assign his estate for the benefit of his cred- itors, and become, himself, an inmate of a prison, upon a criminal charge, and yet not draw after him a single busi- ness man of your city. After his fall we waited day after day, in hourly expectation of a universal crash; for al- though some of his paper was supposed to bear forged en- dorsers, yet we still supposed that he had actual endorse- ments enough to settle wide-spread ruin upon Buffalo—but time passed and the crash came not; and by degrees con- fidence that it would not, began to prevail, and has now be- come quite general.” The shock of Rathbun’s collapse was the greater because his extraordinary building operations had not only drawn wide attention to him, but his general conduct of business had gained for him universal confidence and admiration. A traveler wrote from Buffalo, June 15, 1836, to the Lan- singburgh Gazette: “Rathbun is the same to Buffalo that Astor is to New York. He has erected a hotel that for size 9192 VIEW OF ELLICOTT BLOCK IN 1838.—FROM A WOODCUT BY JOHN W. ORR. BUILT ABOUT 1833 BY COL. BLOSSOM AND LEWIS F. ALLEN.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. and beauty will compete with Astor’s mammoth; and he has commenced clearing the ground for one still larger, so that the prospect of this city becoming the second in the State is very flattering.” Another writer styled him “the Girard of the West.” One is amazed at the multiplicity of his projects, more in keeping with a city of half a million than a little town of 16,000, which was about what Buffalo had in 1836. He put up every kind of building in Buffalo. He was proprie- tor of the most famous hotel west of New York, to which he brought thousands of guests, by his own stage lines. He was the largest merchant in this part of the country, and he carried on business on department-store principles, long before that phrase was used, or the system it stands for. had become a recognized institution. Among his now for- gotten projects was the laying out of a street, 50 feet wide, from Buffalo Creek to Lake Erie, in a line with Washing- ton street. The Common Council, May 21,-1836, approved, and voted that it should be called Ferry street. In May, 1836, Benjamin Rathbun and the Messrs. Au- gustus and Peter B. Porter had plotted and surveyed the village of Niagara Falls. J. P. Haines was the practical surveyor, and his map of that date includes the territory from the river to Pine street on the north and to Fifteenth street and Portage road on the east. Most of the included lands had been in the hands of the Messrs. Porter for thirty years. Improvements had been slow, but in this eventful year of 1836 the proprietors, in association with Rathbun, planned many things: the erection of new saw mills, the opening of stone quarries, of brick yards, and other enter- prises. The preceding year he had built a four-story brick extension to the old Eagle Hotel, at the Falls, and this spring he had laid the foundation for a much greater hotel 9394 BUILDINGS TORN DOWN FOR ERECTION OF ELLICOTT SQUARE BUILDING, 1894-5.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. and projected many new buildings for the Falls. The prospectus for the auction sale of village lots, issued in May, named August 2d as the day when the sales would begin, and one story is to the effect that he was attending such sale when called away, put into a carriage and driven to Buffalo. The Buffalo papers do not state this, but briefly record the assignment. The Commercial Advertiser of Aug. 4th, after brief and obviously restrained comments, said: “Mr. Rathbun and his brother, Lyman Rathbun, were last night secured and committed to jail for further exam- ination.” The sale of Rathbun’s personal estate was advertised for September 12th. The inventories are of much interest. His stores, shops and warehouses were full of dry goods, groceries, hardware, building material of all sorts, grain and provisions. There was upwards of a million feet of pine and whitewood boards and plank; hundreds of cords of stone, nearly two million brick, and a great store of tools for his workmen of all sorts, including everything for building wagons, coaches and railroad cars. He had “be- tween 30 and 40 splendid Stage Coaches,” and “about 200 of the finest Horses in any stage establishment in America, with the mail stage routes traveled by them, and running over five or six roads from Buffalo.” He had 50 wagons, and sleighs^ two canal boats, two large omnibuses, and pleasure carriages, barouches, light wagons, etc., enough to equip the greatest of metropolitan liveries. He had a thousand barrels of salt, great store of corn, coal and other commodities. On September 24th, while the sale was in progress, Mr. Rathbun was bailed out of jail, a $60,000 bond being given. This was to secure his assistance in settling with creditors. Rathbun Allen was also let out on $14,000 bail. Benjamin was re-arrested, October 1, on 95g6 SOUTH SIDE OF SOUTH DIVISION STREET, WASHINGTON TO MAIN. BUILDINGS TORN DOWN FOR ERECTION OF ELLICOTT SQUARE, 1895.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. an indictment for forgery by the grand jury of Genesee County. On the first trial, begun at Batavia March 29, 1837, the jury failed to agree. On the second trial, September, 1838, he was sentenced to five years at hard labor in Auburn prison. Rathbun’s deed of assignment, dated Aug. 2, 1836, named Hiram Pratt, Lewis F. Allen, Joseph Clary, Thomas C. Love and Millard Fillmore as assignees. Mr. Fillmore and Mr. Love resigned as assignees before the estate was settled. The schedules of Rathbun’s real estate showed a valuation of $2,237,150 and of his personal property of $854,500. The personal property actually realized only $115,000. Mr. Clary took upon himself the whole burden of the assignment, and became the chief, if not the sole acting assignee. Mr. Fillmore, in a sketch of Joseph Clary, wrote: “Mr. Rathbun had in his employ at the time of his failure some 2,500 workmen of all nations and tongues, and they were among the preferred creditors, but fearing they were to be cheated out of their pay, they threatened to plunder Rathbun’s stores, and the assignees supposing that there were assets sufficient to pay the preferred class, paid off the workmen to prevent a riot; but it turned out that there was only enough to pay about fifty cents on the dollar to the preferred creditors, and then an effort was made to charge the assignees with what they had paid the work- men.” It took Mr. Clary six years to close up the business, but finally he was granted by the State a “decree of ex- oneration and discharge.” In the spring of 1840 Governor Seward received a peti- tion, signed by several thousand citizens of the State, pray- ing for Rathbun’s pardon. In a long and admirably rea- soned decision, under date of May 27, 1840, the Governor 9798 MAIN AND SOUTH DIVISION STREETS; ELLICOTT SQUARE SITE PRIOR TO 1895.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. reviewed the testimony. Great effort had been made—had always been made, since the crash came—to show that Rathbun was ignorant of the forgeries carried on by his brother and nephews. Governor Seward, however, saw in the evidence distinct proofs of the senior Rathbun’s guilt. '‘They leave no doubt that if he did not initiate his younger brothers and nephews, he led them deeper into crime, and continued to avail himself of all their plans, skill, manage- ment, adroitness and deception, until the sudden exposure rendered these unavailing.” Two years later application for pardon was again made through S. S. Case of Buffalo, then a member of the Assembly, by ‘.‘several respectable citizens” of Buffalo and Batavia, “together with more than fifty members of the Legislature” ; and again the Governor took the ground that “Executive clemency would have an in- jurious effect by impairing the public confidence in the firm and equal administration of justice.” Rathbun served practically his full term, a few days only being deducted, so that he really was “pardoned out,” though it is said, not by his own request.. Mr. Rathbun soon went to New York, where he opened Rathbun’s Hotel on lower Broadway, which he conducted with fair success for many years. From 1861 to 1870 he conducted the Broadway Hotel, Broadway at Forty-second street. At his death, in 1873, he was said to have a prop- erty of $75,000 or upwards. A writer of 1842 pictures Rathbun’s case with more of sympathy, if not of justice, than many who have since at- tempted to tell his story. “Possessing a powerful and am- bitious mind, and a vigorous though not robust frame of body, he was enabled to conceive and carry on a scheme of improvements, as gigantic and comprehensive in its ex- tent, as it was lamentable and unfortunate to him in its 99100 NORTH SIDE OF SWAN STREET, WASHINGTON TO MAIN: ELLICOTT SQUARE SITE PRIOR TO 1895.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. result. The streets were filled with his men, teams and materials; his store-houses, work-shops and stables formed as it were, villages of themselves; and he, a plain, frugal, unobtrusive but active and talented man, was the 'Girard of the West/ Industrious, persevering, indefatigable, he had but one great fault: he trusted too implicitly in others.” Among numerous Rathbun manuscripts owned by the Buffalo Historical Society are a number of letters written by him in his last years. Some of them relate to his sojourn at Toledo, O., in 1818, "when there was not a dwelling- house” in the place. Others speak of his hotels and work in New York. A most touching letter, written on the oc- casion of Mrs. Rathbun’s death, Oct. 6, 1871, reveals his grief and loneliness: “We have lived together almost sixty years, with the strongest affection for each other. ... I have no one to live for, neither child nor grandchild.” After his wife’s death he sold the Broadway Hotel, and went to live with a cousin, Robert C. Rathbone—“whose father was a twin brother to my father,” but who, as not infre- quently happens, had acquired a different spelling for his name—at Washington Heights (or Fort Washington), north of the city, and there he made his home until his death, July 20, 1873. None of the letters preserved by this society contains any reference to his Buffalo experiences, but one of them, Dec. 2, 1872, has the following passage: “I suppose my friend, you are aware that I am an old man. I was born in Ashford, Windham Co., State of Con- necticut, December 1st, 1790. Consequently I was 82 years old yesterday. I was nine years old when General Wash- ington died. I remember the announcement of his death as of yesterday. I have lived under every President these United States ever had. I was a passenger from Albany 101A WELL-KNOWN SHOP IN OLD ELLICOTT SQUARE. ERECTED ABOUT 183 5, TORN DOWN 1895. 102EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. to New York on the first vessel ever moved by steam in the world, when Robert Fulton the inventor was his own Indianeer.” So Mr. Rathbun wrote, obviously meaning “engineer.” Later on in the same letter he drops into poetry—more accurately, into verse—but ’tis only an old man’s musings, and may as well be passed over. Other Rathbun papers, of quite different stamp, the His- torical Society also has: one letter of 1823, regarding the line of stages which lie proposed to establish; an original subscription paper, circulated in 1839 to raise funds to pay certain counsel fees in the Rathbun case; and over $28,000 worth of Rathbun’s notes—the reader will please under- stand that their face value is meant, as most of them are the forged issues. Over $26,000 worth of them represent a loss sustained by Mr. Chas. M. Reed of Erie, on Rathbun’s account. Most interesting of all, in the historical view, is a docu- ment of 68 foolscap pages, all in Rathbun’s writing. It has been in the keeping of the Buffalo Historical Society since 1872, and earlier was owned by the Young Men’s Associa- tion. Some unknown hand has given it the caption: “Con- fession of Benj. Rathbun.” More accurately, it is a state- ment of Rathbun’s affairs, by himself. Its importance, as a chapter of Buffalo history, entitles it to publication in full; to which end it is destined, in a succeeding volume of these Publications. 103LOCATION OF OLD DOWN-TOWN CHURCHES. CROSS-SHADING INDICATES EDIFICES STILL IN USE AS CHURCHES. OTHERS ARE SHOWN IN SOLID BLACK. . 104THE OLD-TIME DOWN-TOWN CHURCHES Nothing marks more certainly the emergence of a city from villagehood than the destruction of its earlier churches. At first they are built in the heart of things, because the people are there. When the heart of the town gets com- mercial, and perhaps harder, the churches move out towards the periphery, where the people live. But sentiment and affection cling to the old sites, and love to recall the associa- tions of the past. The down-town churches of Buffalo have nearly all moved away. How many they were, and where they were, is shown on a sketch of the older streets. In the area be- tween Exchange and Tupper, Delaware and Ellicott, there have been twenty-eight churches. In that area there are now but six. On the map the vanished churches are shown in black, those still active, line-shaded. These are St. Jo- seph’s Roman Catholic (6), St. Paul’s Protestant Episcopal (7), Asbury Methodist (24), Calvary Presbyterian (25), Delaware-avenue Methodist (26), and St. Michael’s Roman Catholic (27). Of course others are met with if we go a little further out; but the map is the area of the old down- town churches. One thing it shows is, that on the east side of Washington street, from Seneca to Chippewa, there have been eight churches. Today there is none. The history of these churches is elsewhere recorded and preserved. Here there is room for only the most meager notes. 105FIRST BUILDING OF THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. ON THE ERIE COUNTY BANK SITE, 1823-1827. FROM A DRAWING MADE PRIOR TO 1877. I06EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. The first church building in Buffalo was erected by the Methodists, on the west side of Pearl street, a little south of Niagara street (9). Some records say, east side of Franklin, which amounts to much the same thing. It was 35 by 25 feet in size, was built in 48 days, and dedicated Jan. 24, 1819. These facts are clear, as are also the records which state that the Presbyterians in 1823 built a little frame church on a part of the site later (1827) occupied by the brick church known as “the Old First/’ and now by the Erie County Bank Building (8). Then confusion arises. Some records have it that the first Methodist church was used (on the old Rink site) until 1828, when it was moved up to the site of the present Mutual Life Building (14). Other records state that the first Presbyterian church, after the brick church was completed in 1827, was moved across Pearl street and used by the Methodists. If so, it super- ceded their original church. It is plain that in 1821 the Methodists secured title to property north of Niagara, run- ning through from Pearl to Franklin, on a part of which they built the Niagara-street Methodist church (13), begun 1832, dedicated 1835. It became Temple Beth Zion in 1865, and was taken down, 1890, for the erection of the Masonic building now on the site. The first little Presbyterian church, sold to the Metho- dists in 1828, appears to have been used by them until 1835, when they gave it to the German United Evangelical St. Peter’s society, which moved it to Genesee and Plickory streets. This German society, in 1850, bought the original wooden edifice of St. Paul’s Episcopal society (built 1819, where the present St. Paul’s stands), and moved it out to Genesee and Hickory, where it was used until replaced by the present building, dedicated in 1878. When the wooden St. Paul’s came, the little old Presbyterian chapel migrated 107io8 FROM AN ORIGINAL PAINTING BY WILLIAM MILLAR, OWNED BY G. HUNTER BARTLETT,THE FIRST ST. PAUL’S IN ITS LAST DAYS. AFTER ITS REMOVAL TO GENESEE AND HICKORY STREETS, 1850. IT WAS THERE ENLARGED, AND IN 1877 REPLACED BY THE PRESENT EDIFICE OF THE GERMAN UNITED EVANGELICAL ST. PETER’S SOCIETY. 109no ST. PAUL’S BEFORE THE SPIRES WERE BUILT. PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN IN 1867 BY W. M. KNIGHT, NOW OWNED BY MR. GEORGE ALFRED STRINGER.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. to Walnut street. Its last service was as ice-house for a brewery, and in 1882 it was burned. The sketch of it here given, from a water-color made prior to 1877, may have been drawn ‘‘from life,” but no photograph of it is known. No 2, on the map, shows the location of the first Baptist church, built 1829. After 1836, the old building was leased by the U. S. Government for a post-office, the church so- ciety, then known as the Washington-street Baptist, moving in that year to its new edifice just above Swan (4). In 1900 the society moved to its present location at North and North Pearl, and the old building became headquarters for the Salvation Army, until 1912, when it was rebuilt for business uses. No. 1 was the Wells-street mission chapel, of which no picture has been found. Growing out of the Soldiers’ Rest mission on Exchange street, in 1870 it removed to the south- west corner of Wells and Carroll, and in 1872, into a new chapel on the opposite, northwest corner (1). A regular church was organized in 1874. It burned Dec. 7, 1886. No. 3, southeast corner of Swan and Washington, shows the site of St. John’s Episcopal, a parish organized in 1845, the church begun in 1846 and completed in 1848. It was abandoned for church use, sold in 1903, and taken down in 1906, for the erection of Statler’s Hotel. No. 5 indicates the location of the First Universalist Church of Buffalo, built 1832. The congregation moved to a new building, Main above Huron (21) in 1866. The older house was put to various business uses before final demolition. The society, known as the Church of the Mes- siah, moved in 1892 to a new house of worship on North street; the old edifice had the usual vicissitudes of aban- doned churches, finally giving way, 1897, to the present . stores of Flint & Kent. hiEARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. Speaking of abandoned churches, several of them have been very abandoned, after the withdrawal of the societies that gave them name and dignity. The United Presbyterian church on Washington near Eagle (io), bought by that so- ciety from the Lutherans in 1850, was used for church pur- poses until 1888; but the building stood for some years after, a place of cheap amusement, its basement a saloon. The concert-hall fate overtook the church of the United Evangelical St. Paul’s society, on Washington between Genesee and Chippewa (23), built 1843, abandoned, for removal to a new edifice, in 1883. The present Lafayette theater is the remodeled Lafayette Presbyterian‘church (16), which was the successor of the Park church; the society’s first building, on the present site, was erected in 1845. It' was burned in 1850, and rebuilt. The structure which is now the theater dates from 1862. It was last used for church service May 10, 1896. There were two other churches on Washington street : The French St. Peter’s Roman Catholic, at Clinton street (15), built about 1844 and bought by the Catholics and consecrated to church use in 1850. It continued as St. Peter’s until January, 1900, when the new church of St. Peter and Our Lady of Lourdes, at Main and Best streets, was dedicated, and the old building gave way to the Lafay- ette hotel. A long chapter could be written of its early his- tory. It was known as Clinton Hall, it was a school, and it served as house of worship by turn for the Unitarians and the Baptists. President Cleveland recommended this site for the Buffalo Postoffice. Trinity Episcopal church (17), Washington at Mohawk, was begun in the late ’30’s, though not used until 1842. Subsequent years brought some alterations, but the build- ing was used by Trinity parish until 1885. For some years114 PHOTOGRAPH, COPYRIGHTED; 1884., BY G. HUNTER BARTLETT.ST. PAUL’S AFTER THE FIRE OF MAY io, 1888: LOOKING TOWARDS THE CHANCEL. PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN THE DAY AFTER THE FIRE.-COPYRIGHT, 1888, BY G. HUNTER BARTLETT.n6 NOW MUCH RESTRICTED AND KNOWN AS SHELTON SQUARE.117 r st. Paul's at the left, the "old first" at the right, st. Joseph's in the distance, church street was used as STAND FOR CARTERS.118 LOOKING OUT NIAGARA STREET, FROM IN FRONT OF THE “OLD FIRST,” 1880.PULPIT OF THE “OLD FIRST” PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. AS IT APPEARED AT THE SEMI-CENTENNIAL SERVICES, 1877. IN FRONT IS A SKETCH OF THE FIRST CHURCH ON THE SITE, 1823-27. HQEARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. thereafter the old building was occupied by an athletic club, and was a sporting rendezvous. The site is now covered by business buildings. FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, BUILT 1829. NORTHEAST CORNER, SENECA AND WASHINGTON STREETS. FROM A WOODCUT; BY J. W. ORRp 1838, WHEN THE BUILDING WAS THE BUFFALO POSTOFFICE. What has been known for many years as the Austin Building, No. no Franklin street, is the remodeled church (n), erected in 1833 by the First Unitarian Congregational Society. Benjamin Rathbun was the builder. It was en- 120LOOKING UP WASHINGTON STREET FROM SWAN. SHOWING THE WASHINGTON STREET BAPTIST CHURCH, AND BEYOND, THE FIRST UNI VERS ALI ST CHURCH, 121FIRST UNI VERS ALIST CHURCH, WASHINGTON STREET. AS IT WAS IN ITS LAST DAYS. 122A BIT OF PICTURESQUE BUFFALO IN 1870. ONE OF C. L. POND’S VIEWS FROM THE SPIRE OF ST. PAUL’S, LOOKING SOUTHEAST, showing st. John’s and Washington street baptist churches. 123124THE PASSING OF OLD ST. JOHN’S. TOWER OF THE FEDERAL BUILDING SEEN THROUGH A GREAT BROKEN WINDOW. FROM A PHOTOGRAPH MADE IN MARCH, 1906. 125126 LITHOGRAPH ADVERTISING-THE AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY, OF WHICH WM. G. FARGO LATER BECAME PRESIDENT. HIS HOME, WITH THE FLAG, ADJOINS THE CHURCH.*fi 127 THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, WASHINGTON STREET BELOW EAGLE. LUTHERAN SOCIETY IN THE ’40’s ; USED FOR CHURCH PURPOSES UNTIL 1888. AT THE RIGHT, PART OF THE TROWBRIDGE129 AN INTERIOR GLIMPSE OF THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN ITS LAST,DAYS.130 FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH, ERECTED 1833. ABANDONED FOR CHURCH USES, l88o. REMODELED AND NOW KNOWN AS THE AUSTIN BUILDING, IIO FRANKLIN STREET.I3i TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH, MOHAWK AND WASHINGTON STREETS. USED FOR WORSHIP, 1842 TO 1885.MAIN STREET ABOVE HURON IN 1870. SHOWING THE CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH BEFORE IT LOST ITS SPIRE (FIRE OF OCT, 29, 1870), AND THE NORTH CHURCH BEYOND. 132133134 INTERIOR OF THE^CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH, DEMOLISHED 1897.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. larged in 1845 and again, after a fire, in 1859. In 1880 the society removed to a new church (19) on Delaware above Mohawk, known as the Church of Our Father. This build- ing still stands, but has not been used for church purposes since 1906, when the society moved to a new edifice. The Central Presbyterian church has had two down-town homes: first, at Genesee and Pearl, west side (18), built 1836; and second, on the northeast corner of the same streets, (20), built 1852, and torn down 1912 for the erec- tion of a theater. RUINS OF THE CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH. AFTER THE FIRE OF OCTOBER 29, 1870. 135136 THE PEOPLE’S CHURCH (FORMERLY NIAGARA SQUARE BAPTIST) IN RECENT YEARS. THE SIZER RESIDENCE AT THE RIGHT, WAS IN I9II RECONSTRUCTED INTO AN OFFICE BUILDING.THE NORTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. BUILT 1846. DEDICATED DEC. 29, 1847. LAST SERVICE IN THIS EDIFICE APRIL 17, 1904. DEMOLISHED SOON AFTER. 137139 AN EARLY VIEW OF CANISIUS COLLEGE AND ST. MICHAEL’S CHURCH. old st. Michael’s (middle) was built 1850, the new edifice, at the right, wasIdedicated june 16, 1867; TOWERS HAVE SINCE BEEN ADDED. AT THE LEFT. CANISIUS COLLEGE, OPENED 1870.140 THE FRENCH ST. PETER’S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, 1844-1900.141 LAFAYETTE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, NOW CONVERTED INTO A THEATRE. LAST USED FOR^CHURCH SERVICE, MAY 10, l8g6.ST. LOUIS ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH (NIGHT-EFFECT). MAIN AND EDWARD STREETS, BURNED MARCH 25, 1885. 142RUINS OF ST. LOUIS CHURCH, AFTER THE FIRE OF MARCH 25, 1885. 143OLIVET MISSION, DELAWARE ABOVE ALLEN. BIRTHPLACE OF THE DELAWARE-AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH. DELAWARE AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH. BUILT 1882-3 ON THE SITE OF OLIVET MISSION. SUCCEEDED BY THE PRESENT CHURCH, 1894. THIS BUILDING, MUCH MODIFIED, IS NOW A PART OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY CLUB. 144EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. The North Presbyterian church (22) was erected on Main below Chippewa in 1847; when sold in 1904, the property ran through to Pearl street. This is now put to business uses, the society occupying a new church. In 1830, a French Lutheran society built a church at the northeast corner of Ellicott and Tupper streets (28), con- solidating in 1879 with the German Lutheran Church of the IToly Trinity, which used the old building until completion of its present edifice on Main near St. Paul. No. 12 is the old church of the Niagara Square Baptist society, built 1848, sold to the First Congregational society in 1881; used by them until 1897, then by the People’s church until 1910, since which date the building has been unused and for sale. CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY (ENG. EVAN. LUTHERAN), AT ELLICOTT AND TUPPER STREETS. BUILT 183O. ABANDONED FOR CHURCH USE, 1905- HS146 THE EARLIER BUILDING OF ST. LUKE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, AS IT APPEARED IN THE ’8o’s. ERECTED ABOUT 1859, ON MARYLAND STREET; IN 1870, MOVED TO NIAGARA STREET. EAST SIDE, ABOVE MARYLANp. ABANDONED FOR CHURCH USE, 1889. TORN DOWN, 1908.147 CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION, NORTH STREET, HEAD OF FRANKLIN STREET. BUILT 1855. REPLACED BY THE PRESENT STRUCTURE, 1873.GERMAN EVANGELICAL ST. LUCAS CHURCH. • SECOND EDIFICE OF THIS SOCIETY AT RICHMOND AVENUE AND UTICA STREET. BUILT, l88i; REPLACED BY PRESENT STRUCTURE, IQI2. I48149 INTERIOR, GERMAN EVANGELICAL ST. LUCAS CHURCH, RICHMOND AVENUE AND UTICA STREET. BUILT 1881; TORN DOWN FOR NEW EDIFICE, I911. 150 GROVER CLEVELAND’S LAW OFFICE IN THE WEED BLOCK. \ PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN ABOUT THE TIME OF HIS ELECTION AS MAYOR OF BUFFALO, 1882.THE CHANGING TOWN The year 1836 is a great milestone, or landmark, or red letter—what you wilt—in the building history of Buffalo. It marked the crest of a wave—a boom—and it preceded a collapse which filled the columns of Buffalo papers with notices of sheriff’s sales. In 1836—the year of Rathbun’s failure—buildings were erected in Buffalo costing $1,700,000—a tremendous figure for a town of 16,000. Rathbun was the largest builder, both for himself and as contractor for others. In this year he put up the American hotel for Col. Alanson Palmer; the United States , hotel on the Terrace for Dr. Josiah Trowbridge; the four-story brick block, Main and Perry, originally seventeen stores in a row, built at a cost of over $100,000 for Joy & Webster, now known as the Webster block; nine other brick stores on Main between Eagle and Perry, several of them, notably between North and South Division streets, in use today, with the same fronts Rathbun gave them seventy-seven years ago! Mr Rathbun built, in 1836, for H. H. Sizer, the fine old brick dwelling, northwest corner of Delaware and Niagara Square, now converted into an office building. On Washington street he built the Darrow block, east side below Clinton, costly, aristocratic residences, still standing (in part), but hard to recognize by that description. He built, in association with J. & T. Hefford, the three-story double residence on Washington near North Division, for William Evans and Miss LetitiaSITE OF PRESENT WHITE BUILDING BEFORE 1880. 153154 WEST SIDE OF MAIN STREET, FROM SOUTH DIVISION, IN THE EARLY ’Bo’s. MOST OF THE BUILDINGS SHOWN HAVE GONE. THE OLD BANK BUILDING AT THE RIGHT WAS TORN DOWN I90O, FOR THE AMERICAN EXPRESS CO.’s BUILDING,155 LOOKING DOWN MAIN STREET FROM NORTH DIVISION STREET. BEFORE THE REMOVAL OF TELEGRAPH POLES. FROM A PHOTOGRAPH OF 1881.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. Evans. For Pierre A. Barker he built the fine old home on Hudson street, long the residence of the Sidway family; and scores of stores and houses on many other streets. CLARENDON HOTEL, MAIN AND SOUTH DIVISION STREETS. OPENED ABOUT 1852 AS THE PHELPS HOUSE. BURNED, NOVEMBER, i860. Among the buildings erected in this eventful year of 1836, but not by Rathbun, were : “The superb edifice (3 stories), with three fronts of cut Sandusky stone,” west side of Main at Erie, built for the Bank of Buffalo by J. B. Townsend and Jno. B. Stone, at a cost of $30,000. The i57EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. earliest picture of this bank is given on page 79. The ‘‘lower” market house, on the Terrace (see picture, page 56),' was “near completion’’ in October, 1836. It had a base- YOUNG MEN’S ASSOCIATION BUILDINGS. SOUTHEAST CORNER MAIN AND EAGLE STREETS. BOUGHT AND REMODELED BY THE ASSOCIATION, 1864; DEDICATED, JAN. IO, 1865. BECAME THE RICHMOND HOTEL, 1883. BURNED, MARCH 18,1887. ment and first story of cut stone, the upper part of brick; was 160 feet long by 30 feet wide, with a projecting center; contained, below, the market, and above, “a spacious159 RUINS OF THE RICHMOND HOTEL AND ST. JAMES HALL. AFTER THE FIRE OF MARCH l8, 1887. PRESENT SITE OF THE IROQUOIS HOTEL.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. Council chamber, convenient offices for the City officers, police court room, watch house, etc.” It was built by Ream & Hull, contractors, and cost $17,000. The “Upper Market,” at Pearl and Mohawk, also of stone and brick, was built in this year by the same con- tractors ; 100 by 30 feet, costing $9,000. Still other interesting structures of this year, were “a splendid brick edifice, with cut stone front and massive colonnade, Genesee and Pearl streets (west side), for the Pearl St. Presbyterian church (afterwards the Central). The cost was $25,000. No picture of this edifice is known. The Washington-street Baptist church (the second one) was erected in this year by Col. O. H. Ditble, contractor, at a cost of $22,000. They often got good results for little money in those days. A residence of 1836, still standing, and not pictured here, is the house at the northeast corner of Delaware and Chip- pewa; built by Wm. S. Gardner, contractor, for A. A. Evstaphieve; well known to a later generation as the home of the Hon. E. C. Sprague; for some years past devoted to business. Opposite (northwest corner), still stands behind a modern store-front, the fine residence built 1835-6 by S. Buck for Philander Hodge, at a cost of $30,000. It has had various ownerships. Our picture shows it about the time it was vacated by the Buffalo Club. The original American Hotel was built in 1835-36 by Benjamin Rathbun for Alanson Palmer. The front was of cut stone and adjoining the structure were the stage yard and barns df Bela D. Coe, later belonging to Kimball & Haddock. The hotel was opened in September, 1836, by L. L. Hodges and Hollis White, who leased it from Mr. Palmer. Mr. White withdrew from the management soon and was succeeded by Ira Osborne. He also withdrew six 160THE EAGLE TAVERN AND ADJOINING BUILDINGS, 1825. BUILT 1825, BY BENJ.-RATHBUN, WEST SIDE OF MAIN, SOUTH OF COURT. TAVERN BLOWN UP WHEN TI BURNED, 1865.----------------FROM AN OLD PRINT OWNED BY THE BUFFALO HISTORICAL SOCIETY.162 FROM AN ENGRAVING OF THAT DATE BY RAWDON, CLARK & CO., ALBANY, AFTER A DRAWING BY GEORGE CATLIN,63 ORIGINAL OWNED BY THE BUFFALO HISTORICAL SOCIETY.164 AS ENGRAVED BY J. W. ORR IN 1838. AT THE RIGHT, THE THREE-STORY AND TWO-STORY BUILDINGS OF THE EAGLE TAVERN.i65 RUINS OF THE FIRST AMERICAN HOTEL, BURNED MARCH 10, 1850. FROM A DAGUERREOTYPE OWNED BY THE BUFFALO HISTORICAL SOCIETY.i66 RUINS OF THE SECOND AMERICAN HOTEL. BURNED JAN. 25, 1865. 167 THE TIPPECANOE LOG CABIN OF THE CAMPAIGN OF 1840. AT MAIN AND EAGLE STREETS, PRESENT SITE OF THE WILLIAMS BLOCK. IN THE BACKGROUND, HOUSE OF JUDGE EBENEZER WALDEN.EAST SIDE OF MAIN, TO CLINTON, IN THE ’yo’s. WHOLLY REBUILT SINCE.170 THE ARCADE, MAIN, CLINTON AND WASHINGTON STREETS. BUILT i8§§.i7i RUINS OF THE ARCADE, MAIN AND CLINTON STREETS, AFTER THE FIRE OF DEC. 14, 1893.172 MAIN STREET AT LAFAYETTE SQUARE IN THE ’6o’s. THE TREES WERE REMOVED IN 1876-7.173 COURT HOUSE, BUILT 1816, TAKEN DOWN 1876. SITE OF BUFFALO PUBLIC LIBRARY AN EARLY VIEW (iN THE 6o’s) FROM COURT-HOUSE PARK, NOW LAFAYETTE SQUARE.175 THE SECOND COURT-HOUSE IN BUFFALO, 1816-1876. OLD JAIL AT LEFT. SITE OF THE BUFFALO PUBLIC LIBRARY.177 THE PHOENIX HOTEL, BUILT 1816, SITE OF THE TIFFT HOUSE, 1865-1903. SITE NOW OCCUPIED BY STORES OF THE WM. HENGERER CO.178 A PROMINENT HOTEL FOR 38 YEARS. TORN DOWN ig03. IT WAS ONLY IN ITS LAST YEARS THAT IT HADJTHE PORTICO AND FIRE-ESCAPE BALCONIES. IT NEVER HAD A SERIOUS FIRE.179 THE TIFFT HOUSE, SHOWING G. A. R. PARADE, AUGUST, 1897. PRESENT SITE OF THE WM. HENGERER CO.’S STORES.OLD BUILDINGS, SOUTH SIDE OF MOHAWK, BETWEEN MAIN AND PEARL STREETS. SITE NOW COVERED BY HENS & KELLY’S STORES.i82 MOHAWK STREET MARKET, BUILT ABOUT 183s; TORN DOWN 1882. THE BUILDING OF THE YOUNG WOMEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION NOW OCCUPIES THISi83 CHIPPEWA MARKET IX THE *8o’s.184 THE SECOND GENESEE HOUSE, PREDECESSOR OF THE PRESENT GENESEE HOTEL. BUIl^T 1842; DEMOLISHED 1881. PRIOR TO 1842, A WOODEN BUILDING, ALSO NAMED THE GENESEE HOUSE, STOOD ON THIS SITE.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. years later, leaving Mr. Hodges sole proprietor. He con- tinued to conduct it, making it the most famous hotel in Western New York, and, indeed, at that time, perhaps the most sumptuous hostelry west of New York City, until March io, 1850, when it was burned to the ground with other buildings. Our picture of its ruins is a reproduction of a daguerreotype owned by the Historical Society. Soon after the fire, the ground on which it stood, 91 feet front, was purchased by John Michael, for $25,000. He also bought 45 feet adjoining on the north, for $10,000 and erected the second American Hotel, the cost for site and building being stated at about $110,000. An addition to the hotel, uniform with it and connected therewith, was built on the south end by Albert H. Tracy and Edward L. Stevenson. The new hotel was opened by Mr. Hodges, July 5, 1851, and remained under his management until it in turn burned Jan. 25, 1865. It was noted as a curious coincidence that Mr. Hodges’ occupancy of each hotel had been for the term of thirteen years and six months. It was at the burning of the second American that three young men, of well-known Buffalo families, lost their lives: James H. Sidway, William H. Gillett and George H. Tifft. To prevent the spread of the fire, the old Eagle tavern, north of the American and south of Court street, was blown up by gunpowder. So ended the two most famous hotels of Buffalo. They were succeeded by the Tifft House, on the site of the old ramshackle Phoenix. About 1845, the United States Bank, on the northeast corner of Main and South Division streets, was bought by Orson Phelps. The old bank building was of stone, with pillars in front ; it was three stories high, and extended down South Division street about half way to Washington186 BUILDING AT MAIN, HURON AND GENESEE STREETS. ERECTED BY MOSES BAITER IN THE 3o’s, TORN DOWN 1898. PRESENT SITE OF THE BUFFALO SAVINGS BANK,EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. street, having a dwelling for the cashier in the rear of the bank, with entrance on South Division street. No picture of these buildings is known. Mr. Phelps tore them down and built the five-story brick structure shown in the pic- tures. It was opened as the Phelps House, later renamed the Clarendon, and was destroyed by fire, with some loss of life, Dec, io, i860. The building now on the site, known as the Peabody block, was built by Mr. Phelps after the destruction of the hotel. In its last years the hotel was used for stores and offices. Two of our pictures show the Clarendon hotel at Main and South Division streets. One of the views was taken in 1858, during an exhibition drill of the old volunteer fire department. The. Clarendon is the principal building shown, with the flag on its roof. The picture is a reminder that Main street was then rough-paved and had no car tracks; also that there was no instantaneous photography, as the blurred vehicles attest. The old Mohawk-street market was truly a landmark. Erected at the junction of Mohawk, Pearl and Genesee streets in 1836, it succeeded the two-storied farm house in which Asaph F. Bemis was born, in 1817, and which was undoubtedly new at that time, else it would have been destroyed at the burning of Buffalo. How long the Mohawk-street building was used for a public market, cannot be definitely stated. During the so- called Patriot War, 1837-8, the State sent arms to-Buffalo for the protection of the frontier and they were stored in this building. An episode of its history was the theft of a quantity of arms by persons favorable to the Patriot cause. The result was a compromise, .according to the terms of which the title of the Mohawk-street property was trans- ferred to the State and the building was used as an arsenal 187THE STAGE AND PART OF AUDITORIUM FIRST MUSIC HALL, BURNED MARCH 25, 1885.]138 FRANCIS HAEFNER’S PICTURE-STORE, IN WHICH CANISIUS COLLEGE BEGAN ITS WORK, AT NO, 222 ELLICOTT STREET. AT THE RIGHT, HOUSE OF CHRISTIAN WOLF, SHOEMAKER, BOUGHT] BY THE COLLEGE FQR PRIESTS* RESIDENCE!*152 THE WEED BLOCK AND WHITE BUILDING OF FORMER YEARS.156 A “PLAY-OUT” OF THE VOLUNTEER DEPARTMENT IN FRONT OF THE CHURCHES, 1858. THE CLARENDON HOTEL, AT THE SOUTH DIVISION STREET CORNER. THERE WERE NO STREET-CARS IN MAIN STREET UNTIL i860.V 168 STEVENSON’S LIVERY, EAST SIDE OF MAIN, BUJLT 1845. TORN DOWN 1866. SITE NOW COVERED BY THE J.174 THE OLD COURT HOUSE, EAGLE HOSE HOUSE NO. 2, AND AT RIGHT, SURROGATE’S OFFICE. THESE BUILDINGS CLEARED AWAY, l876. PRESENT SITE OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.176 INSURANCE BUILDING IN 1876,i8o AND OLD BUILDINGS ADJOINING, ON THE SOUTH,188 THE FIRST MUSIC HALL, BUILT 1883, BURNED MARCH 25, 1885.rgi OLD BUILDINGS OF THE WEYAND BREWING CO., MAIN STREET, AT GOODELL. )ING AT LEFT WAS BUILT ABOUT 1826; THE OTHERS SOMEWHAT LATER. ALL TORN DOWN, 1895-6, FOR ERECTION OF BUILDINGS NOW ON SITE.FROM AN OLD-TIME DRAWING, REMODELED AND STILL STANDING, WEST SIDE OF PEARL PLACE.193 BUILT 1849-SO; TORN DOWN 1890. FIRST BUILDING ERECTED IN BUFFALO FOR COLLEGIATE INSTRUCTION.194 THE LAST OF HOFFMAN’S BREWERY, MAIN AND ST. PAUL STREETS. BUILT 1842. FOR MANY YEARS A TAVERN IN CONNECTION WITH THE VALENTINE HOFFMAN BREWERY. TORN DOWN 1902.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. until the one on Batavia street (now Broadway) was com- pleted, when the market was given back to the city. In 1865, the city made a gift of it to the Grosvenor Library and rented it for police station No. 3 until a new station-, house on Pearl street was built. After the.police vacated it, it was occupied for a time by the College of Physicians and Surgeons. In its last years, when falling into decay, portions of it were used as shops by painters and plasterers. Finally the Grosvenor Library sold the property to the Young Men's Christian Association for $12,000. The old building was cleared away and the corner stone of the Y. M. C. A. (now occupied by the Y. W. C. A.) was laid, Sept. 7, 1882, Grover Cleveland making the principal address. The structure known as Brown's buildings, at the north- east corner of Main and Seneca streets, was erected in 1858. A three-story structure adjoining was of somewhat later date. A current saying, for many years, was to the effect that Queen Victoria owned this property. This was a fiction. The owners, in recent years, were two young women, residents of England, daughters of a former mem- ber of the banking firm of Brown Bros. & Co., who have establishments in London, New York, and many other com- mercial centers. Brown Bros. & Co. for many years con- trolled the investment of a great deal of English capital in the United States, and this fact, no doubt, gave rise to the story that the Brown's buildings were owned by Queen Victoria, as some of the banking house's clients have been members of the British nobility, very close to the throne. For many years, however, down to the time of the purchase of the property by the Marine National Bank, the real owners were the two English women just mentioned, whose possessions in Buffalo, among other places, constituted a 195iq6 BUILDINGS OF THE SCHAENZLIN BREWERY PROPERTY, MAIN STREET AND DELAVAN AVENUE. BUILT 1840; DEMOLISHED I9I2,197 THE SCHAENZLIN BREWERY, MAIN STREET AT SCAJAQUADA CREEK.198 PROVIDENCE RETREAT, MAIN STREET AND KENSINGTON AVENUE. BUILT i860. THIS STRUCTURE STILL STANDS., THOUGH HIDDEN FROM VIEW BY A LARGER MODERN HOSPITAL BUILDING BETWEEN IT AND THE STREET.199 NOW MERGED IN THE BROADWAY AUDITORIUM, THE MAIN HAUL OF WHICH FILLS THE SPACE BETWEEN THE OLD BUILDING AND THE STREET.200 STILL STANDING AS AN INCONSPICUOUS PART OF A GROUP OF MORE MODERN STRUCTURES.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. great property, known as the Brown estate. This estate, at least up to a few years ago, had never been partitioned among the heirs of its former owner. Brown’s buildings, on the corner, were four stories high, and midway between Main and Washington, three stories higli. For many years the Western Union Telegraph Company occupied the upper floors. Its offices were for long periods leased by pub- lishers. Among other papers issued from the building was the Buffalo Christian Advocate, which was located here for many years. OFFICE BUFFALO GENERAL HOSPITAL. 1858. FROM A RARE PHOTOGRAPH OWNED BY THE HOSPITAL. 201202 THE PARADE HOUSE, IN PRESENT HUMBOLDT PARK. BUILT 1875, TAKEN DOWN 1904.203 MAIN BUILDING OF THE BUFFALO INTERNATIONAL FAIR, EAST FERRY STREET. EXPOSITION HELD SEPTEMBER, 1888. BUILDING BURNED JULY 31, 1894.ft 204 MILLARD FILLMORE TAUGHT HERE WHEN205 MASTEN PARK HIGH SCHOOL, OPENED FOR SCHOOL USE SEPT, i, 1897; BURNED MARCH 27, 1912.206 AN EARLIER MAIN STREET TOLL-GATE STOOD NEAR THE PRESENT HUMBOLDT PARKWAY.207 THE WILLIAMSVILLE STAGE,208 AN EARLY LANDMARK ON SCAJAQUADA CREEK: THE PARK GRIST MILL,209 SOUTHWEST CORNER PEARL AND CHURCH STREETS, IN THE ’8o’s. THE CORNER HOUSE, AS EARLY AS 1840, WAS THE HOME OF REUBEN G. SNOW. THESE BUILDINGS CLEARED AWAY, 1895. PRESENT SITE OF THE PRUDENTIAL, NEW YORK TELEPHONE AND OTHER MODERN BUILDINGS.210 AT LEFT, HOME OF CAPT. CHAS. GARDNER, l852-’75. THE THIRD STORY WAS ADDED l888. THE LIGHT MODERN BUILDING WAS MOVED, 1912, TO THE SITE OF THE OSCAR COBB HOUSE ON THE RIGHT. A MODERN OFFICE BUILDING OCCUPIES THE CORNER. AT RIGHT, THE DR. REUBEN G. SNOW HOUSE, 1859; LATER THE HOME OF DR. JOSEPH FOWLER.211 NO. 37 CHURCH STREET, BUILT. 1835, TORN DOWN 1912. ORIGINALLY THE HOME OF BIRDSEYE WILCOX; FROM 1858 TO 1912, THE RESIDENCE OF OSCAR COBB AND FAMILY.212 AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER, CHURCH AND FRANKLIN STREETS, IS THE RESIDENCE OF H. E. HOWARD. ON THE PRESENT SITE OF THE JAIL, DELAWARE AVENUE AND CHURCH STREETS, IS THE ONE-TIME RESIDENCE QF M. A, CAMPBELL.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. There are early prints of the old Eagle Tavern, but the most valuable picture of it in existence is an original draw- ing made by Mr. John Sage in 1866, a few months after it was destroyed. The engraving on page 161 is a reproduc- tion of this drawing. It does not show, what .shows plainly on the large original, the signs over the doors of the several offices. Beginning at the left, the first of the four one-story office buildings was the clock and jewelry shop of S. Ball. Then came in order the offices of Joseph Clary, John Root, and B. Fowler. Across the stage yard, was the stage office; and at the other side of the hotel, in the two-story extension, were, Dr. Trowbridge; next to him a tailor shop; then the offices of William Whitaker, Albert Hayden, and, at the corner, Sprague & Martin. On two of the stages appears the name, “ Bela D. Coe,” on the third (at the left), that of Benjamin Rathbun. If space permitted it would be pleasant to record many facts regarding these glimpses of old-time Buffalo ; but our pages are needed for the pictures themselves. The evolution of Main street, slow though it be, is per-, petual. Sixty years ago the Commercial Advertiser was commenting on it. “The ruthless hand of progress,” said that journal, April.5, 1852, “has leveled to the earth the old willow which stood at the corner of Main and Mohawk streets. ... So perish one by one the relics of our early days.” The passing of another landmark, at Main and Swan, was thus recorded, June 6, 1857: “The old hardware store of De Witt C. Weed, on the corner of Main and Swan streets, is in process of demoli- tion, preparatory to rebuilding in the style of the two stores put up last summer, with a front of Chicago stone. Year by year the old edifices give place to new and more preten- tious successors until Main street is becoming remarkable 213EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. for the high character of its architecture. The changes made during two or three years past have contributed much to make it one of the finest thoroughfares in the country.” The new building above noted, is the “old” Weed block pictured on page 152. OLD PUBLIC SCHOOL NO. 8. ON CHURCH STREET NEAR THE TERRACE. 214EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. The records of the old Tippecanoe log cabin (p. 167) are in part preserved by the Historical Society and afford interesting glimpses of that famous campaign. How much might be written of the old Court House, and the ever- changing park in front of it! Another park-like space, still remembered by many citizens, was in front of the old Hos- pital of the Sisters of Charity, pictured on page 192. The middle part of that building was originally Major M’Kav's OLD ‘MAYOR’S OFFICE, FRANKLIN SQUARE. TORN DOWN ON COMPLETION OF THE CITY HALL, 1876. 2152l6 LAST DAYS OF THE OLD MAYOR’S OFFICE ON THE FRANKLIN SQUARE LOT.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. military academy, and the grounds in front of it extended to Main street. Now it is in part built upon, in part Pearl Place. Franklin Square, where the City Hall now stands, has a varied history. It was the second burial ground in the vil- lage, the first being east of Washington street, above present Exchange. It was originally a part of the Terrace, but used for burials from 1804 to 1836. [See Publications, Buf- falo Historical Society, vol. One.] In October, 1836, a brick wall was built around it on the Eagle, Delaware and Church street sides, at a cost of $2,000, paid for by popular sub- scription. At that time, all the graves not marked by stones or monuments, were leveled and graded even with the gen- eral surface. Many a resting-place of early residents, and of soldiers of 1812, was thus lost for identification. The Commercial Advertiser, Oct. 27, 1836, noted with regret that “the leveling process spares comparatively few of the entire number within the yard,” and advocated marking any that might be known, and the adornment of the place with trees and shrubs. In 1851 the city bought the property of H. E. Howard, 95 by ,1153/2 feet, at the northwest corner of Church and Franklin streets. It was used for Mayor’s office and other city offices until shortly before the completion of the present City Hall. One of our pictures shows it with the walls of the City Hall behind it, and another, taken in 1872, shows the wing of it just before demolition. In its last days this was the office of the Fire Department, and among the men in front may be made out Department Chief French, and at his left, in a light coat, Fred. Hornung, afterwards chief. Further up Franklin, towards Eagle, were the residences of Lyman Dunbar, Geo. W. Smith, Warren Lampman, John J. Palmer and Louisa Johnson. These were bought by the 2172l8 OLD CITY AND COUNTY BUILDINGS, FRANKLIN SQUARE. SOME OF THEM WERE OLD RESIDENCES, WHEN OCCUPIED BY THE CITY, 1852. USED AS PUBLIC OFFICES UNTIL THE ERECTION OF THE PRESENT CITY HALL, 1876.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK: city and used for city offices, until demolished for the pres- ent building. In 1857, when Seth Grosvenor bequeathed $40,000 to the city of Buffalo for a library, $10,000 of which was to be used for a lot and building, old Franklin Square was strongly advocated as its site. The Express thought the Mayor's office (the old Howard house) could be converted into a library; but the Commercial advocated the “choicest spot on Franklin Square," adding, “let its building be beau- tiful and let it be forever a pleasant place of resort." Noth- ing came out of these suggestions. In June, 1857, we find the Commercial lamenting over the neglected state of the place: “A more melancholy exhibition of seediness than Frank- lin Square does not exist in this city. There is a ground, beautiful in its location and in its adaptation to ornamental purposes, and immediately under the nose of the Common Council at its weekly meetings, which has lain for years in the most neglected condition. Not a tree is planted, not an avenue laid out, the gates locked to keep people off a grass which is only imaginary, it is a standing offence to all pass- ers-by. On the north side of the square there is no sidewalk and dwellers on West Eagle street have only the natural soil to walk upon. “Just now some city official is engaged, in a slow and easy way, in mowing the surface of its crop of wild oats and coarse grass. So far so good, but something more should be done to beautify it. Without going into any heavy ex- pense it seems that a little money employed in seeding down the enclosure and planting trees would get the place in the way of becoming pleasant some time or other. The trees once planted would grow without additional expense; pro- vided always that they are put down by some person who 219220 FROM NIAGARA SQUARE, LOOKING NORTHWEST. FROM A PHOTOGRAPH OF 1870. THE NIAGARA SQUARE BAPTIST CHURCH, STILL STANDING, BUT ABANDONED FOR CHURCH USES, AND WITHOUT- STEEPLES,221 AT THE EXTREME RIGHT APPEARS THE DAVID BURT RESIDENCE, LATER REBUILT INTO THE CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL.222 BUILDING, FORMERLY ST. JAMESEARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. ■’understands his business. The row on the Delaware street side of the square seem to have forgotten that it is no longer a burying ground and are all as dead as any soldier of the War of 1812” The next year the same journal suggested “.that the Com- mon Council grant the use of Franklin Square, for the re- mainder of the season, to the Volant Base Ball Club. At this time [September] the grass or the turf will not be in- jured, and our citizens can with less trouble witness this now popular sport.” There are men in Buffalo, not very elderly, who still tell stories of ball-playing on Franklin Square. One of the accompanying views shows this ground as it was before the City Hall was built, with the Howard house at the northwest corner of Franklin and Church streets. On the northwest corner of Delaware and Church, is seen the substantial house, for many years the home of Tames L. Barton. That site is now occupied by the Erie County jail. Several panoramic views in the vicinity of Niagara Square show how that neighborhood looked in the early ’70’s. Kremlin Hall, burned Feb. 28^1875, had been dedi- cated June 25, 1855, by the Young Men’s Christian Union, with a membership of 800. Its hall, when new, had cushioned seats, it is said, for a thousand people, and the special boast was made that it was gas-lighted. For twenty years it was a popular place for concerts and lectures. The corner building shown in the view on page 228 was for many years Buffalo’s postoffice. It was built and owned by Dr. C. C. Haddock, and was an example of quick work not often surpassed in modern days. Ground was broken for it, April 7, 1842, and on May 9th the Government moved in, abandoning the old Baptist church on the northeast cor- ner (see p. 120) which had been used as postofrice for some 223224 IN RECENT YEARS REMODELED INTO A THEATER.225 INTERIOR OF THE PEARL STREET RINK DURING AN INDUSTRIAL FAIR.226 THE WEST SIDE OF PEARL STREET, BELOW NIAGARA, IN 1890. PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN AFTER THE "OLD FIRST" WAS TORN DOWN AND BEFORE THE ERIE CO. SAVINGS BANK WAS ERECTED.DRUG STORE OF JULIUS E. FRANCIS. NO. l6 S. DIVISION STREET. MR. FRANCIS FOUNDED THE LINCOLN BIRTHDAY ASSOCIATION. 227229 FEDERAL BUILDING (Post-Office and U. S. Courts), NORTHEAST CORNER WASHINGTON AND SENECA STREETS. BUILT 1858, ENLARGED AND REMODELED 1885. NOT USED AS POST OFFICE SINCE MARCH, 1906.230 AT THE LEFT IS ELLICOTT STREET, LOOKING TOWARDS SOUTH DIVISION STREET.231 OLD HOUSES, SWAN AND OAK STREETS, TORN DOWN 1894. PRESENT SITE OF THE BUFFALO POSTOFFICE.232 THEATER, BUILT 1835. BUFFALO’S FIRST THEATER BUILDING. BEYOND, SOUTHEAST CORNER OF WASHINGTON, THE HOUSE OF DR. JOHN WINNE. THE THE IROQUOIS HOTEL. FROM A DAGUERREOTYPE OWNED BY THE BUFFALO HISTORICAL SOCIETY.. EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. years. The new building was 45 feet on Seneca by 65 feet on Washington street, was two stories high, of brick' and as described by a local paper, on its completion, was origin- ally finished “with four stone columns supporting the work over the main entrance.” These long since disappeared. The postoffice remained here until 1858, when it again moved back to the northeast corner of Seneca and Wash-, ington streets, in which year the Federal building (for post- office and United States Courts) was completed. This building was remodeled and enlarged in 1885, and still- stands, but has not been used as postoffice since March, 1906, when the new Federal building was opened. Although erected in 33 days, the Haddock building con- tinued to serve the needs of many tenants for 70 years. For ST. JAMES HALL, AFTER THE FIRE OF MARCH 18, 1887. 233234 COURT STREET THEATER, OPENED AS WAHLE’S OPERA HOUSE, OCTOBER, 1883. REPLACED BY THE PARK THEATER, NOW SHEA’S, 1905,THE LYCEUM THEATER AS ORIGINALLY BUILT. REMODELED, I9I2-I3. 235OFFICE OF BRYAN’S “EVENING POST,’’ 206 WASHINGTON STREET. 236EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. years a restaurant in the basement, pleasantly styled by patrons as “The Sewer,” was a popular resort and lunch- time rendezvous of many prominent citizens, of whom, in this connection, piquant anecdotes could be recorded; but, ’tis a pity, there is no room for story-telling here. COMMERCIAL ADVERTISER OFFICE, BURNED DEC. 21, 1882. IMMEDIATELY REPLACED BY THE PRESENT BUILDING. 237NORTHEAST CORNER SWAN AND WASHINGTON STREETS. AS IT WAS FOR SOME YEARS PRIOR TO ABOUT I9OO. NOW WHOLLY REBUILT.“ELEPHANT JOE” JOSEPH’S PICTORIAL PAINTSHOP. NO. 46 EXCHANGE STREET. FOR MANY YEARS ONE OF THE CURIOSITIES OF THE TOWN. SITE NOW COVERED BY THE MATTHEWS BUILDING. 239240 THE OLD FRANKLIN HOUSE, NORTHEAST CORNER ELLICOTT AND SENECA STREETS.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. Among the treasures of the Historical Society is a daguerreotype showing Buffalo’s first theater worthy the name, the Eagle Street theater. An enlarged engraving from that old daguerreotype is included in the present collection. (P. 232 ) The building stood on a portion of the site of the present Iroquois hotel. It had a front on Eagle street of 70 feet, was 53 feet high and well built, its principal facade being of the blue-gray limestone found in nearby quarries. Its architect was C. F. Reichardt of New York City. The building was opened in October, 1835. A contemporary description speaks of it as in “pure Greek taste.” A feature of the interior was a series of portraits of great actors, painters, and poets, which ornamented the first and second tiers of boxes. The color scheme was chiefly in blue and gold, and there was a dome, not circular, but in shape of an elongated semi-circle, resembling a fan spread out. On it were painted four figures, floating on the feathery clouds and scattering the fruits and flowers of the different seasons. “The drop curtain,” to quote again from the old account, “represents rich drapery pendant from a medal at the top, on which is painted a buffalo; the medal is sur- rounded with zephyrs, seemingly supporting it, and strewing flowers around it. The drapery opens as it falls showing a landscape in the distance ; an Indian stands solitarily in the foreground—it is Red Jacket ; the sun is sinking behind the distant hill on the side of which rises the white man’s village.” All of this, of course, was more or less symbolical of the rising Buffalo. It is interesting to note that this theater was the first building in Buffalo lighted with gas. It was erected and owned by Albert Brisbane. 241242 A NEAR VIEW OF THE FRANKLIN HOUSE.243 BROWN’S HOTEL, SENECA AND MICHIGAN STREETS, 1857-1894.244 RED JACKET HOTEL, ELK AND SENECA STREETS. ERECTED ABOUT 1845. BURNED JULY l8, 1878.245 C. W. MILLER’S LIVERY STABLES AND ADJOINING BUILDINGS, PEARL STREET. BUILT 1837. BURNED JANUARY 20, 1893. REPLACED BY THE REAL ESTATE EXCHANGE, NOW THE MUTUAL LIFE BUILDING, 1893.246 THE OLD TRAIN SHED OF THE NEW YORK CENTRAL RAILROAD.247 THIS STRUCTURE, AT EXCHANGE AND LOUISIANA STREETS, WAS THE PASSENGER STATION OF THE248 SHOWING A REPUBLICAN PROCESSION IN OCTOBER OF THAT YEAR. GREEN STREET IS NOW MERGED IN THE N.Y. CENTRAL YARDS.249 AS PICTURED IN BALLOU’S “PICTORIAL DRAWING-ROOM COMPANION,” l8SS-N 00 O < W W O H Pi O 3 Ph C/I << > V o Pi u < w H < H g D > Q < •P4 w > < Pi < o < W H 250 SEE DESCRIPTIVE DATA IN ACCOMPANYING TEXT.EARLY BLACK ROCK FACTS Herewith is published for the first time a map of a section of the Niagara river as it was before the War of 1812, showing the site of the old ferry at the foot of the Black Rock and many other data of value. Our engraving is from a sketch made from the original drawing owned by the Buffalo Historical Society. The original bears this in- scription : “Compiled and drawn from recollection and actual sur- veys and information furnished by Captain James Sloan, Lester Brace, Col. William A. Bird and E. D. Efner, Esq., by Henry Lovejoy, Surveyor, who was familiar with the location from 1810 to the present time.” The date of Mr. Lovejoy’s drawing was December, 1863. The information relative to the Canada side was furnished to Mr. Lovejoy by Alexander Douglas of Fort Erie. On the original drawing are written descriptive notes. These on the engraving are indicated by numerals, the explanation of which follows: 1. Starting at the left of the map on the American side is shown the main traveled road from Black Rock ferry to Buffalo before and during the War of 1812. It also ran to the eddy under Bird Island, where vessels discharged and received most of their freight. “The road was up and along the shore of the river and the beach of the lake to the mouth of the Big Buffalo creek; up the bank of the Big Buffalo 251252 BLACK ROCK IN 1825. DRAWN BY MII.DRED C. GREEN FROM THE ORIGINAL SKETCH MADE BY GEORGE CATLIN, 1825, OWNED BY HON. PETER253254 THE OLD CANAL LOCKS AT BLACK ROCK.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. creek to the mouth of the Little Buffalo creek and up the bank of the Little Buffalo creek to its angle, now [1863] foot of Pearl street; thence direct to the Terrace at the junction of Main and Exchange streets/" 2. Sand ridge behind which some men took shelter from the enemy’s guns. They were engaged the day before Buffalo was burned in towing vessels belonging to Joshua Lovejoy up the rapids, when the enemy opened fire upon them. They were obliged to swing the vessel ashore and retreated behind the sand ridge, which was full protection. The vessel had several shot through her, but was not dis- abled. Her guns were soon brought to bear on the enemy and they were driven off. Dr. Trowbridge served one of our guns. 3. . Site of Water-works, 1863. 4. Lester Brace’s garden. The Black Rock plainly shown on the diagram was a ledge or outcropping of the native country rock, narrowing at its southern end until it disappeared in the bank. At the northerly end it presented a broad line of cleavage forming a natural wharf, with a landing for boats somewhat pro- tected from the force of the current. This rock was blown up and destroyed in 1825 when the canal was built. Three buildings stood on the rock, as follows: . 5. A log house occupied by Orange Dean. Before the war he was employed at the old ferry. During the war it was occupied by E. D. Efner and from it he furnished cloth- ing for Swift’s regiment. 6. Clark’s grocery and boarding-house. 7'. Store built by Porter & Barton, and kept as a tavern during the war until Buffalo was burned, by Orange Dean. It had several shot through it from the enemy’s guns. One, 255256 RESIDENCE OF GEN. PETER B. PORTER, OVERLOOKING THE NIAGARA, NEAR FERRY STREET. BUILT l8l6. FOR MANY YEARS THE RESIDENCE OF THE HON. LEWIS F. ALLEN, AND FOR A SHORT TIME OF HIS NEPHEW, GROVER CLEVE- v LAND. TORN DOWN 1911.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. while Dr. Trowbridge was dressing the wounds of some of the men who had been engaged in taking the brigs Adams and Caledonia. 8. Lester Brace’s barn. 9. A building nearly in line of Fort street of later days, was a log house occupied before the war by Frederick Miller as the ferry-house and tavern. Occupied during the war by Holden Allen as a tavern until Buffalo was burned. Rebuilt after the war on the same location by Lester Brace and occupied by him as a tavern and the ferry-house for a long time. Before leaving the Black Rock it may be noted that the ferry landing was in the protected angle at the north end of the ledge. The old ferry-boat was about 32 feet long by 8 feet wide, with two sweeps and. a steering oar. The ferry charges were: per man, 2 shillings; man and horse, 4 shillings; one horse wagon, 10 shillings; two horse wagon, 12 shillings. The current at this point in the middle of the stream being about 6 to 7 miles an hour, the old route in crossing was to swing into the current and float down stream with it, gradually making the Canada shore at about the point near the figure 31 on our map. From that landing the boat made its way up stream close in shore until opposite the Black Rock, when it again swung out and was carried down stream to about the present Ferry street, whence it was rowed up to the rock. This route is shown by the light dotted line on the map. 10. Lorin Hodges’ grocery after the war. 11. Log house occupied by the Widow O’Neil before the war. Her sons were sailors on the Lakes and one of them was in the Battle of Lake Erie. 12. A battery called Fort Adams. 257258 PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN ABOUT 19OO, SOMEEARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. 13. Barracks burned by the enemy’s shot the day of the Queenston battle, October 12, 1812. 14. Barracks burned by Col. Bisshopp in his attack on Black Rock, July, 1813. 15. Log house occupied by the Widow Sidney before the War. Here boarded Peter Colt who was engaged in lake transportation business. Mrs. Sidney was subse- quently the wife of Zenas Barker. The line around the house indicates the old garden, a part of which is now Albany street. 16. A battery of the War of 1812; the site afterwards included in Col. Bird’s garden. 17. Where Capt. Saunders was shot at the time of Col. Bisshopp’s attack on Black Rock. The ball entering his left breast, passed directly through his body. He was taken to Gen. Porter’s house and later to Major Miller’s, at the Cold Spring. He was attended by Dr. Trowbridge and recovered. 18. Where Col. Hough Cuyler was killed at the time of the taking of the brigs Adams and Caledonia. This is near the foot of the present Breckenridge street. 19. Porter & Barton’s dock and warehouse before and after the war. Oil this dock and along the high shore ad- joining, great quantities of salt for the West were often piled. From this dock the steamer Walk-in-the-Water started on her first trip. 20. A contractor’s store, foot of present Auburn avenue. 21. Nathaniel Sill’s store. 22. Gen. Porter’s house before and during the war, until Buffalo was burned. It had several holes through it, made by cannon balls, and was rebuilt on the same founda- tion after the war and was owned by Capt. James Rough. It was later known as the Robie house. 25926 0 AS IT IS, THIS INTERESTING PICTURE WELL SHOWSEARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. 23. Field’s tavern. Auburn avenue from present Ni- agara street to the river and that vicinity was the scene of the principal fighting in the Battle of Black Rock. 24. Just beyond the margin of the map is the site of the old shipyard, where the Walk-in-the-Water was built. 25. House of--------Bean, who cleared the first farm in this neighborhood. The following data written on the margin of the old map may be recorded here: “J.ane Warren, now Mrs. Hardison, was the first white female child born at Fort Erie, 1782; Edward Warren, first white male child born at Fort Erie, 1780; John Warren Seign of the British commissariat, resided at Fort Erie, 1777. Jonathan and Joseph Sill resided at Fort Erie and kept a tavern in 1802. -----Skinner kept a tavern at Fort Erie, 1802.” 26. John Garner, the first schoolmaster, Fort Erie, 1784. 27. ------Dunbar built a log mill here which was car- ried down the river in a storm, 1804. The red mill was built here some time after the war. 28. Henry Windecker kept the first old ferry, 1789. 29. Store of Alexander Douglass, in the fur trade, 1785. 30. ------Murphy, 1790. Benjamin Hardison, 1794. 31. John Warren’s Store, 1801. 32. Capt.-------Lewis. He kept the ferry after the War of 1812. 33. Tavern kept by -------- Moody. Afterwards by -----—Trout, 1800. 34. ------Gilmore, 1795. Benjamin Wintermuit set- tled about one mile below the present ferry, 1798. On the river road, a short distance below Gilmore’s, was Archibald Bowen’s house, 1790. It is not shown on the map. 261262 BUILT ABOUT 1820, ON THE FOUNDATIONS OF GEN. PORTER’S FIRST HOUSE. FOR SOME YEARS THE HOME OF CAPT. JAMES ROUGH; LATER OF DR. JOHN E. ROBIE. TORN DOWN, igi2.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. The above data are given in substantially the same lan- guage as is found on the old map. The following notes also appear in the margin: “Niagara street was cut out in 1809, but was not traveled much for loads until after the war.” Regarding the ferry lot of one hundred acres, shown on the map, this is the statement as it appears: “April 15, 1803, the Commissioners of the Land Office instructed the Surveyor General to survey and ascertain and report the bounds of the 100 acres directed to be leased with the ferry at or near Black Rock and such other lands264 THE WILLIAM A. BIRD HOUSE, NIAGARA STREET. BUILT 1819. TAKEN DOWN 1911.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. as might be required to accommodate said ferry agreeable to an Act passed April 6, 1803.” Also the following: “Albany, April 4, 1807. “To Simeon De Witt,.Esq., “Surveyor General. “Sir. Agreeable to your instructions I have performed a part of the survey assigned me preparatory to the sale of land in the vicinity of Black Rock. I have laid out the street running from Black Rock to Buffalo and have placed posts at the corners of the squares and also most of the blocks lying north and west of the public squares. [Signed] “Alexander Rea.” This is the official report of the original survey of what became Niagara street. It was not open through the woods until two years later, 1809. The early picture of Black Rock, by George Catlin, is of exceptional interest. The faded original was found, by Hon. Peter A. Porter, among the papers of his grand- father, Gen. Peter B. Porter, who in 1816 built the house pictured on page 256, and resided there until 1836. He was the best-known man on the frontier at that period, and all travelers of note were welcomed at his mansion. George Catlin, America’s most distinguished painter of Indians, had gained a reputation as early as 1824, in which year he was made an academician of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. At this period he often traveled about the country, making studies of famous Indians; and it is under- stood that while Gen. Porter’s guest, he met Red Jacket, who was often at the Porter house. If the date ascribed to the sketch of Black Rock harbor, 1825, is correct, the 265266 HOUSE BUILT BY NATHANIEL SILL, NIAGARA STREET, NEAR AUBURN, 1822.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. artist was apparently at Gen. Porter’s house more than once, for it was in 1829 or 1830 that he. painted his famous portrait of Red Jacket. “I painted his portrait,” says Catlin,. “from the life, in the costume in which he is repre- sented, and. indulged him also in the wish he expressed, that he might be seen standing on the Table Rock, at the Falls of Niagara, about which place he thought his spirit would linger after he was dead.” It is wholly plausible that it was at Gen. Porter’s house, at a meeting with Red Jacket, that the artist made preliminary studies of him; and it is not unlikely that, seated on the river-side veranda, Catlin made the water-color sketch of the scene as he looked out over the harbor. His drawing is faithfully reproduced, much reduced in size, in our engraving. No dwelling in Buffalo, at any time, or on the Niagara frontier, has surpassed the Porter house in historic associa- tion. In Gen. Porter’s time, we know that among his guests were Lafayette, John Quincy Adams, De Witt Clinton and others of high distinction, both Americans and foreigners. While the house was owned and occupied by Hon. Lewis F. Allen, his guests included Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, Gen. Winfield Scott and many other officers of the United States army; Governors Marcy, Seward, Bouck and King of New York State; Governor Talmadge of Wisconsin, Thurlow Weed, and scores of prominent statesmen and politicians. His Buffalo neighbor, Millard Fillmore, was often his guest; and Grover Cleveland, Mr. Allen’s nephew, was for a time a member of his household. One of our pictures shows the house as seen from Niagara street, in the ’8o’s. It was even then shorn of much of its earlier attractiveness. Two other views, one an early woodcut, show the river side of it. When built, the 267THE ORRIN STICKNEY HOUSE, NIAGARA STREET NEAR BRECKENRIDGE. BUILT IN 1819 or 1820. HOUSE OF CAPT. WALTER NORTON. NIAGARA STREET, NORTH OF BRECKENRIDGE. 268EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. house was surrounded by five acres of ground reaching from the west side of Niagara street to the natural shore of the river. The elevation of most of the ground is 25 feet above the water. About 150 feet from the river front of the house and rear of the outer buildings a rather steep slope descended to a lower level five or six feet above the stream. On the slope were also built an ornamental sum- mer house and four other small buildings, two on each side, ice-house, smoke-house, etc. Near the margin of the river was excavated a capacious artificial fish-pond, stored witn muscalonge, spotted pickerel, yellow pike and other choice fish for family consumption, then abounding in the water opposite, and drawn out by seines of the fishermen of the x neighborhood. Throughout the grounds were planted many fruit trees. On the street front of the out-buildings was laid out an ample garden. In front of the house was a lawn about 250 feet wide reaching to the highway entrance, the name of the “street” not then having entered the vocabu- lary of the place. The lawn, then called a “dooryard,” was entered by a wide carriage and foot way, which led to the front door of the house, encircling by two branches, about midway of its approach, an area of grass-plat bordered by rows of shrubbery and flowering plants; beyond were planted native trees taken from the original forests near by. A high picketed fence with a broad gate bordered the high- way, its frequent posts topped with large bombshells, relics of the War of 1812-15. A large cannon, once in hostile service, was planted perpendicularly at the division of the entrance passage from the gate around the circle. All these war-like appendages gave a somewhat military character to the place. One by one, as the years passed, they dis- appeared. 269270 THE HULL THOMPSON HOUSE, NORTHWEST CORNER NIAGARA AND FERRY STREETS.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. The house as originally built was 50 feet long and 40 feet wide, two stories high, rising about thirty feet above the ground, with a low wooden wing adjoining its northerly end, containing a wood-house and other attachments, ex- tending 100 feet to the carriage-house and stable. The wood-house was entered from a partially elevated under- ground room beneath the house. These lower rooms con- tained General Porter’s private office, a kitchen, wash- room, closets, cellar, hall and stairs, giving access to the upper apartments, all well lighted by above-ground win- dows. The outer walls from foundation to roof were of stone two feet thick. The inner partition* walls of the several rooms from bottom to roof were of brick, about one foot thick. The main floor above ground was divided by a center hall ten feet wide, running from the front to the rear door, entered at the street front by a modest porch, elevated about four feet above the ground. On the rear front (the house really had two fronts equally ornate in finish, the one overlooking the river landscape, altogether the more attrac- tive) was a moderate-sized veranda with an upper outlook on its flattened roof, on which a door opened from the second story hall. On the main floor were a, sitting and dining-room on the north, and a double roomed parlor occupied the south side of the hall. A broad flight of stairs led from the latter to the chambers, which were equally divided like the rooms below them. A broad garret sur- mounted all, over which a suitably-pitched wooden roof gave protection. Such was the house when Mr. Allen; took.it in 1836. A wing on the north end, and a new. .carriage-house and stables, were built later. The interior finish of the house was always good. There were handsome cornices above 271272 THE BLACK ROCK POSTOFFICE, AT A VERY EARLY DATE, WAS IN THE BUILDING AT THE RIGHT; DANIELEARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. the door-frames, with some carving, fine old glass door- knobs, marble mantels and other appointments of an old- time, well-built house. Many a resident of Buffalo has expressed the wish that this fine place, for so many years the home of two of Buffalo’s most distinguished citizens—one of them our chief soldier in the days of 1812, and later Secretary of War— might have been spared and preserved, perhaps as an histori- cal museum. But encroachment upon it began early. In the construction of the Black Rock pier, i823-’25, a portion of the river several rods wide was enclosed. When the Erie canal was built, the fish-pond was cut away. Under Mr. Allen’s ownership, the Buffalo, Lockport & Niagara Falls Railroad (now New York Central) ploughed its waf through what had been the beautiful river-side lawn, ruin- ing the summer-house and orchard, the rails being laid within 120 feet of the dwelling. Later, a part of the grounds was sold for building lots. Still later, some years after Mr. Allen’s death, the site was acquired for a great factory, which literally built around the old house. The one-time residence was for a period put to various factory uses, and was then torn down. Not a vestige remains of the most historic house of Buffalo. For many years the Porter-Allen house was the oldest house—at least the oldest good house—in Buffalo. It dated from 1816. The house at No. 2485 Main street, a small one-story frame construction, is said to date from 1809. On the southeast corner of Washington and Eagle streets, in 1816 or 1817, Isaac Kibbe built a substantial brick house, which, after Mr. Kibbe, was long occupied by Dr. Charles Winne. This house is fairly well shown in the picture of the Eagle-street theater on page 232. Many changes have 273274 HOME OF ROBERT AND ASA HART, NIAGARA STREET, NORTH OF ALBANY STREET.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. come to it, in its well nigh a century of existence; but the building now on that corner stands at least in part on the old foundation, and retains a part of the walls of the original house. It is believed to be the oldest existing masonry in Buffalo. Neighbor to the Allen place on Niagara street was the Wm. A. Bird house, built 1819, and for ninety years or so the home of a family whose history will always be a worthy part of the history of Buffalo. Four generations were at home in its spacious rooms, and deep old garden. When new, its principal front was towards the river. It suffered on that side, as the Porter place suffered; but it continued a fine home until very recent years. Near by was the old Breckenridge-street Presbyterian church, built 1831, and last used for church service, Sept. 16, 1888. The old building, still standing, but much altered and put to secular uses, is the oldest structure erected as a church, in Buffalo. A paragraph on page 259 summarizes the interesting early history of the Captain Rough house at No. 1266 Niagara street, known to a later generation as “Deacon” Robie’s. The Rev. John E. Robie, for many years editor of the Buffalo Christian Advocate, resided here from 1854 till his death in 1872. The house had various tenants there- after, but disappeared in 1912. Its site is now covered by a factory. A woodcut “View of Buffalo from the northwest,” was printed in Barber & Howe’s “Historical Collections of the State of New York” in 1841. It is apparently a view look- ing down Niagara street towards Main. The stagecoach, on its way to Black Rock, is perhaps as far out as Virginia street. But one column of black smoke rises over the town, 275276 THE HENRY THORNTON HOUSE, FERRY STREET AND WEST AVENUE. ORIGINAL NO. 18 SCHOOL.277 FROM BARBER & HOWE’S “HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.” THE STREET IS NIAGARA, LOOKING TOWARDS MAIN.278 NIAGARA STREET, NEAR AMHERST, IN THE EARLY 'yo's.279 THE COMMANDANT’S HOUSE AT FORT PORTER, KNOWN AS THE CASTLE. ORIGINALLY THE RESIDENCE OF COL. JAMES m'KAY, BUILT l82,7', BIRTHPLACE OF HIS SON, STEELE MACKAYE, 1844.28o THE MAGAZINE AT FORT PORTER IN ITS LAST DAYS. BEGUN 1843, FINISHED 1850, BURNED 1867, TORN DOWN 1888.DEMOLITION OF THE OLD MAGAZINE AT FORT PORTER. VIEW TAKEN NOV. 17, 1888; JUST BEFORE THE LAST BLAST.28 2 THE NIAGARA HOTEL, PORTER AVENUE. BUILT 1887, TAKEN DOWN 19283 VIEW IN THE CENTRAL COURT OF THE NIAGARA HOTEL.284 THE EDWIN THOMAS HOUSE, RHODE ISLAND STREET AND FRONT AVENUE. BECAME THE CHURCH HOME, 1866. THE PICTURE SHOWS IT SOON AFTER ERECTION OF THE ORPHANS* WARD, 1869.285 THE OLD CHURCH HOME IN ITS LATTER DAYS,286. & EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. from a steamboat in the harbor. With so little smoke and so many churches, Buffalo in 1841 was evidently blessed with both godliness and cleanliness. Some of our pictures are of buildings so recently re- moved that many a resident who had not lately visited that part of the city, would hardly believe they had gone. The demolition of the attractive Niagara Hotel, with its pleasant outlook, its court of palms and broad verandas, will always be regretted by all who had enjoyed its comforts. The old Homeopathic Hospital was another building that is missed. This institution, incorporated in 1872, opened its doors to its first patient, a man with tuberculosis, in June of that year in the Evans house, corner of Washington and THE NELSON WLLLARD HOUSE. NORTHWEST CORNER VERMONT AND SEVENTH STREETS. SITE NOW OCCUPIED BY THE WESTGATE APARTMENTS. 287288 BUFFALO HOMEOPATHIC HOSPITAL, SOUTHWEST CORNER COTTAGE AND MARYLAND STREETS. FORMERLY THE BID WELL HOMESTEAD, BUILT ABOUT 1840; USED AS HOSPITAL, 1874-I9II; ENLARGED, l8845 TORN DOWN, I912.289 SPRING HOUSE OF THE JUBILEE WATER WORKS, CORNER DELAWARE AND AUBURN BUILT 1830. WATER FROM THIS SPRING WAS USED BY BLACK ROCK FOR MORE THAN FIFTY YEARS.290 THE CITY WATER WORKS BEFORE RECONSTRUCTION.291EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. North Division streets, with beds for three patients. Here it remained for two years when the trustees bought the property known as the Bidwell homestead on the southeast corner of Cottage and Maryland streets. The original building was probably erected in the early forties. The PIERCE’S PALACE HOTEL, PROSPECT AVENUE. BUILT 1877. BURNT 1881. SITE NOW IN PART OCCUPIED BY D’YOUVILLE COLLEGE. 292EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. summer of 1874 saw the patients installed in the house, which was then large enough to accommodate the few patients of those early days. One by one changes were made as needed until under the pressing need of more room an addition, corner of Maryland and Twelfth street, was built in 1884. The new hospital, corner Lafayette and RUINS OF DR. R. V. PIERCE’S PALACE HOTEL. BURNED FEB. 16, 1881. 293294 THE ERIE-STREET RAILWAY STATION AS PICTURED IN 1855.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. Linwood avenues, was formally opened and dedicated on June 3 and 4, 1911. The old hospital building was de- molished during the summer of 1912 to make room for a number of two-flat houses! One of our pictures shows the lately-demolished Ply- mouth Methodist Episcopal Church. This organization is a growth from two sources: One a Sunday school started in a building erected by Jesse Ketchum on the ground now occupied by the State Normal School; the other a society called “North Street Church,” worshiping in a frame building erected on a lot in what is now Prospect avenue, THE ERIE STREET STATION IN ITS LAST DAYS. USED BY THE GRAND TRUNK RAILWAY. 295296 OLD BUFFALO COTTON FACTORY, FOOT OF COURT STREET, CANAL FRONT. ERECTED, 1844; CONVERTED INTO A MALT HOUSE BY LYMAN L. AND CHAS. G. CURTISS IN THE FALL OF l86'I, AND SOLD TO M'PHERSON IN 1873. IN 1875 IT PASSED INTO THE HANDS OF THE BUFFALO GRAPE SUGAR CO.297 CURTISS & CO.’S EMPIRE MALT HOUSE IN THE ’6o’s.298 PLYMOUTH M. E. CHURCH, AT JERSEY STREET, PLYMOUTH AND PORTER AVENUES. BUILT 1873, LATER ENLARGED, TORN DOWN FOR NEW EDIFICE, 19H.2Q9 STATE NORMAL SCHOOL, JERSEY STREET. OPENED FOR USE, SEPTEMBER, 1871^ ENLARGED 1875, 1887. CONSTRUCTION BEGUN OF NEW BUILDINGS TO REPLACE IT ON SAME SITE, 1912.300 ELMSTONE: RESIDENCE OF MRS. GEORGE H. LEWIS, NO. 656 SEVENTH STREET. BUILT ABOUT 1840 BY E. D. EFNER. MUCH ENLARGED AND CHANGED BY THE LATE GEORGE H. LEWIS. THE PICTURE SHOWS THE FRONT w p < PH i P £ < ft w > < PH W- H PH 2 § w H K I P P < P PH < P W W w 301 BUILT 1849 BY WM. W. HOWELL. BOUGHT 1855 BY E. S. WARREN AND OCCUPIED BY HIS FAMILY TO THE PRESENT TIME. THE WISTERIA, ON THE GARDEN SIDE OF THE HOUSE, WAS PLANTED BY MRS. WARREN OVER FIFTY YEARS AGO.302 THE A. PORTER THOMPSON RESIDENCE, PORTER AVENUE. BUILT 1835 BY HIRAM PRATT: SOLD TO BELA D. COE, BUT SINCE 1855 THE HOME OF A. PORTER T303 THE THOMPSON HOMESTEAD, GARDEN SIDE. FROM AN EARLY PHOTOGRAPH.304 THE CORNELL LEAD WORKS, NORTHEAST CORNER DELAWARE AVENUE AND VIRGINIA STREET. BUILT 1865, REMOVED 1889. THE SITE NOW CLOSELY BUILT WITH HANDSOME RESIDENCES.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. between Maryland and Hudson streets, the lot having been donated for church purposes by Mr. William Day. This church was built in 1850. In 1859 a union took place and the building was moved from Prospect avenue to Porter avenue and located just west of Plymouth avenue. In 1868 a more suitable lot was found at the corner of Plymouth avenue and Jersey street, where the fire engine house now stands. This lot was purchased and a frame church erected, in 1868. This building burned in 1873 and the same year the present site, bounded by Plymouth avenue, Porter avenue and Jersey street, was bought. The church which we picture was begun in 1873, later much enlarged and modernized. Such was the growth of the society that a new building was required, and in 1911 the brick church was taken down, its site now being covered by a handsome new edifice. The vicinity of Niagara street, from Ferry to Auburn, was built up with comfortable houses soon after the War of 1812. A few of them are pictured. Most of them are gone, while most, perhaps all that remain, have undergone more or less of alteration. The house (p. 262) originally built by Capt. James Rough on the foundations of Gen. Porter’s house which was destroyed in 1813, was for some years a tavern. When the Rev. John E. Robie lived there it had attractive grounds, and was a social center of note, Elder Robie being for a long period editor of the Chris- tian Advocate, and active in the work of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was for some three years chaplain of the 21 st New York Infantry. In its latter days the house had various tenants, stood for a time empty, and was torn down in 1912 for an extension of the Sterling Engine Works. The Stickney house (p. 268) was built in 1819 or ’20 by two brothers-in-law, by name Harty and Harvey, but it was 305306 THE REFECTORY AT THE FRONT, NIAGARA HOTEL AT THE RIGHT. REPLACED BY A STONE BANDSTAND, 1S98.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. only known to a later generation as the Stickney house, Orrin Stickney occupying it for many years, from 1850 or earlier. The Walter Norton house was about as old. The Mason houses (p. 272), Niagara below Breckenridge, were owned by the man for whom Mason street is named—that little thoroughfare lying in the field of the Battle of Black Rock. Daniel Hibbard, Black Rock’s first postmaster, kept his office in the right-hand end of the house at the right of the picture. Much might be written of many of these old houses, did space permit, especially of the better ones, hemes of well-to-do, prominent families, such as the Hull Thompson house at Niagara and Ferry, taken down a few years ago. The old homestead pictured on page 266 had many associations with the .Sill and Hawley families, prom- inent through successive generations in the history of Black Rock and Buffalo. 307IBB HOUSE OF JAMES MILLER, BUILT 1822. SOUTHWEST CORNER, MAIN AND MOHAWK STREETS. ABANDONED AS A RESIDENCE, PRIOR TO THE ERECTION OF THE MILLER BLOCK, 1867, BUT NOT WHOLLY TORN DOWN UNTIL 1906. 308VANISHED MAIN STREET Nothing would he of greater interest, in these Glimpses of Yesterday in Buffalo, than the story of old homes—of the homes which were centers of force for the upbuilding of the community. But even were data at command, space would be lacking. All that can be offered are a few pictures, a few notes. Of most of the interesting old houses, no pictures exist. Sentiment is probably not lacking, but often, even today, it does not take the form of preserving pictures of the old homestead. If it had done so, half a century ago, how we would value the record of the vanished Buffalo! Seneca and Swan and Court and Eagle and other streets in the older part of the city, have in their day been the best residence streets. As they passed to business uses, years ago, so Franklin street below Chippewa, and Main above Chippewa, are now passing. A few scattered souvenirs are here brought together. Whoever lives in a city like Buffalo, and gives any heed to the changing countenance of the town, must often be impressed with the declining fortunes of old houses. The home of the well-to-do resident, built in the 30’s or 40’s, was then the pride of a somewhat primitive neighborhood. Well and honestly put up, it bespoke the dignity of labor, the taste and refinement of its owner. Within its walls, for a generation or more, dwelt a worthy household. It was surrounded, at first, by an ample garden, where fruits 309EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. flourished and happy' children played. Then' set in the inevitable succession of change. The father and mother go to their rest; the children scatter. The growing town encroaches; the garden is despoiled, cut up in lots, smart new structures crowd each other. Perhaps the older resi- dence lingers on, through a second generation of alien occupancy. It is leased to most excellent people, who take as lodgers and boarders a few persons of high respecta- bility. With its good old furniture and careful service, it is renowned in the town; it begins to be advertised, but always as “select,” and charges are in keeping. Presently, something elsewhere, a shade newer and smarter, takes precedence. The erstwhile home, scene of all the domestic blisses and sorrows, begins to be known as the “old” so- and-so house; and as a place of lodgment and food, it steadily cheapens; the neighborhood declines into untidi- THE ST. JOHN HOUSE, NOW 460-470 MAIN STREET. ONLY DWELLING IN BUFFALO NOT BURNED IN THE WAR OF l8l2. 310EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. ness/ with a hint in its atmosphere of boiled cabbage. Presently it seeks the patronage of the impecunious, who do not object to bare hallways 'and rickety stairs and dubious odors. Last stage of all, it stands a while empty, locked, with cobwebbed windows and placards on the walls, till the march of improvement comes down the street and the old home disappears in a few loads of brick and plaster, and there arises on its site a new Pride of the Neighborhood. So we change through the decades. Now and then, estates that can afford it, tear down the old homestead as soon as it ceases to be the family home, saving it from ignoble decline; perhaps, too, with a thrifty thought for lessened taxes. But ’tis an admirable course to take and bespeaks proper pride. The pity of it is that it so soon robs our thoroughfares of fine old structures which in a way THE EBENEZER DAY HOUSE. SITE NOW NOS. 6l8-620 MAIN STREET. 311312 THE GOODRICH HOUSE, MAIN AND HIGH STREETS AS IT APPEARED IN THE 70’s. BEGUN By JOSEPH ELLICOTT, 1823 ; COMPLETED BY COL. GUY H. GOODRICH, 1831 J FOR SEVERAL YEARS KNOWN AS WASHINGTON PARK.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. have become endeared, even to the casual passer-by, who may never have had the privilege of entering their portals. Still another transformation, constantly going on, is the remodeling of old houses to adapt them to business uses. A “store front” is put on, doorways are changed, signs and plate glass complete the disguise, and baked goods, or cigars, or mixed paints are sold in the rooms where, per- chance, family prayers were wont to be said, where children played and women sewed, where all the family experiences of life and death hallowed the place. Often it would seem as if the honest old walls must protest. One building still standing in Buffalo is directly associ- ated with the founder of the city, but most published state- ments about it erroneously state that Joseph Ellicott built it for his own use, On the east side of Main street, just above present High street, in 1823, Mr. Ellicott began the erection of a hand- some house, not for himself, for he had no idea of leaving his Batavia home, but with the intention of giving it on its completion, to his niece, Mrs. Sarah (Evans) Lyon, wife of Ashael Lyon of Lewiston, N. Y. Mrs. Lyon was born in 1789 and was a daughter of Joseph and Ann (Ellicott) Evans, and a sister of Mrs. William Peacock, of Mayville, N. Y. Joseph Ellicott never completed the house. The work was delayed by his increasing ill health and at his death, in 1826, the building was still unfinished. It was sold shortly after Mr. Ellicott’s death to Col. Guy H. Goodrich, who completed it in 1831 and lived there for many years. The house originally stood in large grounds covering an entire block of land and facing on Main street; but in the course of 313314 THE GOODRICH HOUSE AFTER ITS REMOVAL TO AMHERST STREET. AS THE RESIDENCE OF MR. JOHN C. GLENNY, KNOWN AS AMHERST HOUSE. NOW, AGAIN ENLARGED, THE RESIDENCE OF WILLIAM B. HOYT,EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. time, these grounds were cut up into lots and sold, until the old mansion was hemmed in by modern buildings except on the High-street side. About 1891, the land on which it then stood was bought by the . Medical Department of the University of Buffalo, and the house itself was sold to John C. Glenny, who had it moved in sections to Amherst street where, restored, enlarged and re-named “Amherst House,” it became his home until his death. It was bought about 1910 by Mr. William B. Hoyt, who has again enlarged it. It is probably the only building now standing in Buffalo, with the design and construction of which Joseph Ellicott was personally connected. Nothing in recent years has changed Buffalo more than the destruction of the fine old homes that for three-quarters of a century made Main street a very pleasant residence district. Many good residences still remain, but the old- time character is rapidly passing, and some blocks, above Chippewa, are wholly rebuilt for business. Pictures of a number of these early houses are here brought together, but 110 detailed history of them can he entered into. In some cases, the story will be told in the succeeding volume of this series. Many of them have given way to business structures devoted to the automobile trade. One conspicuous struc- ture, the Burrelle building at Main and Goodrich streets, is the successor of the old Sutton house, known to a later gen- eration as the residence of Harry Slade and family. The stores No. 460-470 Main street now cover the site where stood the St. John house, the only dwelling in Buf- falo not destroyed in the burning of the town in 1813. The view of this house on page 308 is from a drawing and other data preserved by Mrs. St. John’s descendants; and as its story is told at length in volume IX of these Publications, .it need not be repeated here. 3153i6 THE KIP-HOLLAND HOUSE, No. 640 MAIN STREET, ABOVE CHIPPEWA, IN ITS LAST DAYS.317 THE DESHLER-WOODWARD-DOLD HOUSE, No. 649 MAIN STREET. LEASED BY THE BUFFALO REPUBLICAN LEAGUE, 1891, AND CALLED THE WHITE HOUSE.318 THE MERRILL B. SHERWOOD HOUSE, WEST SIDE OF MAIN, ABOVE CHIPPEWA STREET. BUILT ABOUT 1854, TORN DOWN 1902.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. The Ebenezer Day house, built in the ’20’s, was torn down in the ’8o’s. Its site is now covered by the Manhattan building-. A handsome residence, on the west side of Main street, above Chippewa, known for nearly half a century as the “Sherwood house,” was erected by Merrill B. Sherwood, probably in the early 50’s ;• certainly prior to 1855. When built, it was the showiest, perhaps the costliest, residence in Buffalo. Mr. Sherwood was president of the so-called Farmers’ Joint Stock Company. It is recorded that many farmers were lured by the name to place their savings in the keeping of the institution. About the tipie the residence of Mr. Sherwood was completed, he closed the doors of his bank and fled to Canada. An old story is that his life was threatened and that certain of his supposed victims stated they would kill him if they ever met him. This, however, is ancient gossip and not history. In its later years, the Sherwood house passed through the usual stages of such structures in the way of improvement. For a time, it was a high-class boarding-house; for a period it was used as a furniture store; and it received various,alterations, so that the picture does not show it as originally built. In 1892 it was torn down for business buildings now on its site. Ebenezer Walden came to Buffalo in 1808, a graduate of Williams College, and the first lawyer to settle here. In that year the entire Bar of old Niagara County consisted of eight young men: Jonas Harrison, John Root, Heman B. Potter, Alvin Sharpe, Bates Cook, Philo Andrews and Ebenezer Walden. The last-named was sent to the Legis- lature in 18 j 2, was the first Judge of Erie County, and was Mayor of Buffalo in 1838. In 1813 he lived at the north- east corner of Main and Eagle streets. The enemy burned his house, but. after the war he rebuilt, of brick, and that 319320 THE JAMES P. WHITE RESIDENCE, NO. 674 MAIN STREET.THE WILLIAM II. GLENNY RESIDENCE. NO, 692 MAIN STREET. 321322 THE MARSHALL HOMESTEAD, NO. 700 MAIN STREET. BUILT 1841 BY HON. SETH E. SILL. OWNED AND ENLARGED BY WILLIAM FISKE, 1851-61. HOME OF JAMES P.RALEY, 1861OF MARSHALL AND FAMILY, 1872-1909. REPLACED BY A BUSINESS BLOCK, 1910.323 THE TOWNSEND (LATER, WILSON) HOMESTEAD, SOUTHEAST CORNER OF MAIN AND TUPPER STREETS. NO. 705 MAIN STREET. BUILT 1831-2, TORN DOWN 1904. PRESENT SITE OF THE WILSON BUILDING.324 RESIDENCE OF ANDREW J. RICH, NORTHEAST CORNER MALN AND TUPPER STREETS. NO. 727 MAIN STREET. BUILT 1850, TORN DOWN I9OO. SITE OF THE PRESENT RICH BUILDING.■1 I I 325 OLD MAIN STREET HOMESTEADS, ABOVE TUPPER, TORN DOWN 1905-6. 'FT, NO. 724, BUILT PRIOR TO 1842, HOME OF DANFORD MARBLE, CHARLES ROSSEEL, DAVID S. BENNETT. NO. 730, RIGHT OF CENTER, ? 1843, HOME OF AMBROSE POTTER YAW, GEORGE RUSSELL POTTER. AT EXTREME RIGHT, NO. 736, PASCAL P. PRATT HOUSE, 1854-1906.THE PASCAL P. PRATT RESIDENCE, NO. 736 MAIN STREET. BUILT, 1854; TORN DOWN, 1906. 326327 TI-IE RUPP HOUSE, LATER KNOWN AS WRIGHT’S, NO. 7S4 MAIN STREET.328 HOUSE OF JUDGE EBENEZER WiALDEN; SITE NOW COVERED BY THE TECK THEATER. TORN DOWN FOR ERECTION OF THE FIRST MUSIC HALL, 1882.329 HOUSE AT SOUTHEAST CORNER MAIN AND GOODELL STREETS. WILLIAM HOLLISTER: FOR MANY YEARS THE HOME OF HON. E. G. SPAULDING. NOW THE SITE OF THE SIDWAY330 DRAWING-ROOM, E. G. SPAULDING RESIDENCE; DINING-ROOM BEYOND.331 SITTING-ROOM, RESIDENCE OF IION. E. G. SPAULDING, SHOWING HIS FAVORITE CEAIR.332 AS IT WAS IN RECENT YEARS. IN EARLIER YEARS, HOME OF MAJ. GEN. NELSON RANDALL. TORN DOWN, IC)I2.333 HOUSE OF W. A. SUTTON, NORTHEAST CORNER MAIN AND GOODRICH STREETS. LATER, RESIDENCE OF WM. H. SLADE. SITE NOW COVERED BY THE BURRELL BUILDING.'I f* - 334 HOMESTEAD OF HON. JAMES SHELDON, 1094 MAIN STREET. BOUGHT BY JUDGE SHEUDON, 1864; TORN DOWN, 1907. PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN AFTER A GREAT STORM, FEBRUARY, 1883.335 RESIDENCE OF THOMAS CLARK, NO. 1227 MAIN STREET. BUILT ABOUT 1856. FROM A PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN IN 1866. SITE NOW COVERED BY COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS,336 RESIDENCE OF EDWARD HAZARD, AS EARLY AS THE ’50’s. IN RECENT YEARS, HOME OF CHAS. F. DUNBAR. TORN DOWN 1912, FOR BUSI- NESS STRUCTURES.337 REPLACED EY COMMERCIAL BUILDING, 1912.338 RESIDENCE OF CHAS. SCHLEGEL; LATER OF HENRY SMITH, NO. 1284 MAIN ST., CORNER OF BRYANT. TORN DOWN 1912, FOR BUSINESS BUILDINGS. ON THIS CORNER STOOD, UNTIL JANUARY, 1913, A LARGE SASSAFRAS TREE, A SURVIVOR OF THE EARLY DAYS.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. is the house shown in the picture on page 167. It was, ap- parently, the third brick building in the reconstructed town. In 1823 Bela D. Coe bought it, and lived in it until about .1839, when W. A. Moseley took possession. During the ’40’s he sold to the McArthurs, who developed the place into McArthur’s Garden, a resort well remembered by older residents, but of which the Historical Society has no picture. Judge Walden built a fine mansion with large columns, where the Teck Theater now. stands, and his orchard em- braced the present site of the Grosvenor Library. Gen. Albert J. Myers (the “Old Probabilities” of the U. S. Signal Service), and his wife, who was a daughter of Judge Wal- den, lived in the old home for a time. Gen. Myers died in .Buffalo in 1880, and the house was torn down a few years later, when the first Music Hall was built on its site. The question is sometimes asked, What was the first brick house in Buffalo ? The late Barton Atkins, who was very well informed on early Buffalo history, especially of the upper Main street vicinity, is authority for the statement that in 1806 William Hodge built a brick house on the lot now No. 1358 Main street, “The bricks for the building were manufactured by Mr. Hodge on the lot now occupied by the Bapst building, corner of Main street and Glenwood avenue.” In 1811 William Plodge built a brick hotel, long known as “the brick tavern on the hill,” at what is now the corner of Main and Utica streets. It was burned when the neighboring village of Buffalo was destroyed, in 1813. The first brick structure in the old village of Buffalo was Juba Storr’s store, northeast corner of Washington and Exchange streets, built 1810. (See map, p. 58.) Erastus Granger, who was one of the fourteen land- owners in Buffalo in 1804, resided from about 1806 till his death, Jan. 21, 1826, in the house shown on p. 339, the prop- 339M £ m <5 £ O Jz; £ O £ w H UJ 340EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. erty now included in Forest Lawn. The original of this picture was drawn in 1891 by the late John R. Chapin, from data supplied by the Granger family. The statement that the house was built in 1792 is on the authority of Tames N. Granger, who so states in his “Launcelot Granger ... a genealogical History,” published in 1893. Accepting this, we must note that up to the time of its destruction, in i860, it was by several years the oldest house in what is now Buf- falo. Since its destruction, the oldest house in Erie County is generally said to be the Evans house at Williamsville; but the oldest part of that—the low wing—dates only from 1798. From the time of Judge Granger’s occupancy until his death, the Granger house was often the scene of councils and other gatherings of the Indians. It escaped destruction in the burning of Buffalo. Erastus Granger was the first postmaster of Buffalo (commissioned Sept. 3, 1804), was Surveyor of the Port, afterwards Collector of the Port of Buffaloe Creek, 1803 to 1812. The duties of these three of- fices he performed by deputy. In 1807 he was appointed one of the judges for Genesee Co., which included what' is now Erie Co., and in June, 1808, he presided at the first term of court ever held in Buffalo. His most important service was as U. S. Indian Agent, 1804 to 1818. “He was the last full agent appointed to the Six Nations,” writes James N. Granger, “while Sir William Johnson was the first.” Trustworthy data regarding the Granger house are scant. If built, as claimed, six years before Erastus Granger came to Buffalo, it was built before the Holland Land Co. made its surveys. Nothing is known of it, by the present com- piler, before Judge Granger’s time. He held title to nearly 800 acres, on which were numerous houses. Among his guests at the homestead were Red Jacket, Cornplanter and 34iV 342 WILLOW LAWN, THE CHAPIN-JEWETT HOMESTEAD, NOW 2364 MAIN STREET.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. Farmer’s Brother—the latter now buried not far from the spot where the old house stood. It is said to have been largely through Farmer’s Brother’s influence that the house was spared by the British in the general burning. In the sketch of Judge Granger, in the genealogical work above referred to, the following incident is related: “His house, removed some three miles from the village, was guarded by his faithful Indians, . . . On the evening of 10 July, 1813, Judge Granger received word from his faithful scouts that the British had crossed the river and were preparing to attack Buffalo. He also found that his home was specially marked for destruction. He sent mes- sengers to the old chief Farmer’s Brother, who was in his hut at the Indian village across the Buffalo Creek, sum- moning him and such Indians as could be mustered to re- port to the agent’s house. The chief and his followers ar- rived at 11 o’clock, and the night was spent in preparing for the coming fray. Bullets were molded by the great fire in the kitchen, messengers hurried into the neighboring vil- lage for arms and ammunition, and the Indians were ban- queted on unlimited salt pork prepared by Mrs. Granger’s own hands. As the sun came up in the morning the Judge ordered his famous sorrel mare brought out and saddled, and led his red warriors, headed by their chief, then 90 years old, through the woods by what was known as the Guide Board Road (now North street) to the little town of Black Rock. Just beyond the site of the Niagara Hotel in that city, he found the white troops hastily assembling under Gen. Porter, who quickly formed his line with the Indians under Judge Granger on the right, the regulars in the center, and the white volunteers on the left. At once the Indians prepared for battle. This was a simple operation, and consisted in divesting themselves of all clothing save 343344 A UNIQUE VIEW OF BUFFALO: REPRODUCTION OF A PENCIL SKETCH OF 1837. THE ORIGINAL (i2 BY l8 IN.) GIVEN TO THE BUFFALO HISTORICAL SOCIETY IN THE ’6o’s Bt HON. ORLANDO ALLEN.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. their breech-cloths and hanging about their necks the matur- nip, a long cord with which they bound their prisoners. Gen. Porter decided to assume the offensive, and at the command the Indians sprang forward with a yell which startled both foe and friend alike. The volunteers on the left commenced to press forward also, but the American center, through some misunderstanding, remained station- ary. In a few minutes the two wings had the British force in full and disordered retreat toward their boats on the shore, their commander mortally wounded and many slain. The Indians followed the retreating enemy, even rushing into the water and pulling them from their boats into the stream. The victory was complete. Buffalo was saved, and saved mainly by the Indians. In the succeeding December Buffalo was burned, and although nearly every house was destroyed the British failed to get within a mile of Flint Hill, as Judge Granger's place was called.” For 52 years after the house disappeared, some of the Judge’s old Lombardy poplars remained to mark the site. The last of them were cut down in the summer of 1912. The. story of Willow Lawn goes back to 1807, when Daniel Chapin came to Buffalo from East Bloomfield and settled on a farm which is now included in Parkside and Delaware Park. He lived in a log house in the rear of the present house, which was built, about 1820, by his son, Col. William W. Chapin. For many years it was the home of Mr. Elam R. Jewett, who published the Journal in 1838, merging it in 1839 with the Commercial Advertiser. During Mr. Jewett’s occupancy, the ample grounds were beautifully kept. A great willow, which gave name to the place, and stood not far from the front entrance, wen,t down in a gale of 1901. A street now called Willow Lawn, cuts through lands that were Mr. Jewett’s garden. The old house still stands. 345346 RESIDENCE OF SAMUEL F. PRATT, NO. 137 SWAN STREET. AS IT WAS AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH IN 1872. THE REGION IS NOW ALMOST WHOLLY GIVEN OVER TO BUSINESS.GLIMPSES OF YESTERDAY In the older part of the city, the establishment of fire limits hastened the disappearance of wooden houses. In 1833 it was forbidden to erect frame buildings south of Mohawk, between the east side of Pearl and the west side of Washington streets. From time to time the fire limits were extended. Many of the early frame houses, however, of honest and substantial construction, continued as com- fortable homes down to comparatively recent years. An excellent example of them was the Harry Slade house, on Washington street at Mohawk. More primitive was the Ebenezer Day house, on Main above Chippewa; and of varying styles were the early homes of Orlando Allen on Swan street, Orsamus PI. Marshall at Church and Pearl, Smith H. Salisbury on West Genesee street, and George Coit, at Swan and Pearl, This last, a substantial and roomy house, had undergone enlargement before its removal to Virginia street, where it may still be seen. One of the com- fortable old frame houses, just gone, was known as the Kinne house, apPearl and Huron; and the finest of them all still stands in quiet dignity, the Wilkeson homestead on Niagara Square. One of the most interesting of the early frame houses, stood until November, i860, on the east side of Pearl street below Seneca. It was torn down when Mr. C. J. Hamlin erected the large store, extending through from Main to Pearl, the front of which is shown on page 84. The old 347348 RESIDENCE OF HON. ORLANDO ALLEN, NO. 99 E. SWAN STREET. HOUSE BUILT 1829, TAKEN DOWN 1904.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. house in question was described in the Courier (Nov. 2, i860), as follows: “On this lot, at its Pearl street end, stood, till within a few days, a one and a half story frame house, in the re- moval of which one of the oldest houses in Buffalo is num- bered with the things that were. It was built in the year 1814 by Reuben B. Heacock, as a residence for the Grosve- nor family. At'that, date only a few buildings, beside it, stood to the west of Main. Pearl street then had a much higher grade than now, as may be seen from the earth em- bankment between Seneca and Swan, on which a few old houses yet stand. Quite a hill rose farther down the street, where it now opens on the Terrace. The postoffice was then kept in a brick house yet standing [i860], on the op- posite side of the street from the building to which we have particular reference. “The first occupant of this Grosvenor house was Martin Daley, who built, for a family residence, what is now Hotel d’Europe, and whose children yet live here. After him, Mr, Heacock himself moved in with his family. Then came in as tenant, Deacon Amos Callender, who kept a select school in its upper rooms, where several that are living and not a few that are dead, were inducted into the mysteries of ‘the three R’s/ Mrs. Grosvenor, mother of S. B. Grosvenor, and afterwards Mrs. Kibbe, was the next occupant of the old house. Jasper Corning of New York, subsequently married into the family, and first kept house in the vener- able edifice. Mr. Corning, a few years ago, had a daguerreo- type of the place taken as an interesting memento of old times. Mr. West, stepfather of Mrs. Grosvenor, lived here afterwards till about the year 1830, when this house, still remaining in the Grosvenor family, was from time to time tenanted by various parties less known in Buffalo 349350 HOMESTEAD OF HON. PHILANDER BENNETT. BUILT 1831, DEMOLISHED 1888. PORTION OF THE ORIGINAL Ig ACRES NOW CONSTITUTES BENNETT PARK. MR. BENNETT STANDS AT FOOT OF THE STEPS.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. history. The. property was finally transferred to C. J, Hamlin.” Two or three distinct types of brick dwelling have char- acterized different periods in Buffalo’s building. Most im- posing, and one of the earliest, was the high, three-story, substantial and costly house, or group of houses, of the type 'of the Evans house pictured on page <356. The Darrow block was of this sort, and so were several others, a few of which still remain. A good example may be seen at the northeast corner, P < w w w > o w w H 13 w ffi £ 483 IMPRQVEMENT IN BUFFALO SINCE 189S HAS REMOVED SCORES OF BUILDINGS,484 OLD RIDER TRUSS WOODEN BRIDGE OVER BUFFALO RIVER AT ABBOTT ROAD.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. labored those devoted missionaries Mr. and Mrs. Asher Wright, and here was set up the first press for printing in the Seneca language. No building in Buffalo has associa- tions of greater historical significance. Numerous pictures are purposely omitted. One of these is a “View of the village of Black Rock, from the Canada shore in 1825,” drawn by T. H. Wentworth, found in a work entitled “A Geological and Agricultural Survey of the District adjoining the Erie Canal/’ published at Albany in 1824—:.a year before the date of the picture ! The view .. . * :.vV"v itself is a part of a composite folding plate that usually accompanies the work as a frontispiece. It is not repro- duced for our collection, as it shows little but an expanse of OLD SENECA STREET BRIDGE OVER BUFFALO RIVER. REPLACED by a NEW STRUCTURE,- 1889. 485i/V' < p £ W u • t/3 O W hJ P < to P to fe & w > < K o H P < m 486 AND ONE OF THE OLDEST INEARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. sky and water, the few buildings indicated being too small and nondescript to be of value in this connection. In 1895'Mr.'- John R. Chapin drew, for the Express, a large bird’s-eye view of the business part of Buffalo. It is a useful record of the aspect of the city at that time, but as its most distinctive buildings are still standing, it does not properly fall within the scope of the present collection. The evolution of the town presents many curious feat- ures, but nothing is more striking than the impermanence of improvements. What one decade achieves, the next destroys. The pride of today is the scorn of tomorrow. By 1837 most of the business buildings were of brick, and some of them of very good architecture. It is not always the poor and shabby that are replaced. Improvements depend upon eligibility of site, or enterprise of owners, or the accident of fire. Thus it happens that much of our best disappears for things newer but perhaps no better, and much of our worst, to our civic shame, remains. There was a time when popular taste (or was it.the roving tendency of pigs and cows?) called for fences, not only around private grounds, but around the parks. In the good old days people had door-yards. The “lawn” came in about the time the fence went out. Court House Park, now Lafayette Square, was fenced for many years. In 1844, it appears, the public was kept out entirely. The Gazette, a Buffalo paper, on September 12th of that year, said: “By the politeness of Col. Riley we are enabled to enjoy the excellent music of the U. S. Band, two evenings in a week. But why should the gates of the Park be kept closed and all admittance denied ?” And it added an appeal to the Mayor, to let the people in when the band played. The Park of 1844 had earlier been an open common. In 1848 it was the scene of the National Free Soil Convention, 487EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. the first and only National political convention ever held in Buffalo. The story of that convention, most graphically told, is to be found in volume Four, Publications of the Buffalo Historical Society. After the old Court House was torn down, in 1876, Court House Park became Lafayette Square. The erection there, in 1882, of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, might have been expected to give the place some character of fixity; but no. Not only has the monument itself been taken down and rebuilt, but the sur- rounding grounds have changed in aspect from year to year; and now, with the projected Broadway extension and other changes impending, the end is not yet. Tempora EAGLE-STREET THEATER, AS PICTURED IN 1835. COMPARE WITH THE DAGUERREOTYPE VIEW ON PAGE 232. 488EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. THE WEED BLOCK OF l8l8. miitcmtur, nos et mntamur in illis. We are a long- ways from the sunny time when red men and white were wont to meet there beside a bubbling spring, to trade and cheat each other INTERIOR, OLD EAGLE-STREET THEATER. in the friendliest of fashions. Of some of our old-v time buildings certain early engravings exist which may be taken to be fairly accurate; at any rate they cannot be shown not to be. The original Weed building, at Main and Swan streets, dated from 1818. The little sketch of it which we give is of unknown origin, but was first printed many years ago. The small view, purporting to show the interior of the Eagle-street thea- ter, was first published in 1835. On October 17th of that year the New York Mirror published the wood- cut of the front of that theater which we give on page 488. This OFFICE OF WHEELER HOTCHKISS. from an ad- 1 •, ,1 •. • VERTISEMENT OF J854- SITE OF THE MORGAN SnoWS It as tne arclll- building, pearl and NIAGARA streets. 489EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. tect drew it. The daguerreotype reproduced on page 232 shows it as it really was. A woodcut of 1848 shows, more or less accurately, a singular structure erected in that year at Pearl and Niagara streets (present site of the Morgan building), to serve as office for the lumber yard of Wheeler Hotchkiss. Among the many enterprises started in the exuberant ’3o’s was a monument to Oliver Hazard Perry, hero of the Battle of Lake Erie. In 1836 an organization of Buffalo citizens was effected, for its erection. There were com- mittees on correspondence, on finance, on subscriptions. Stephen Champlin, veteran of the famous fight, was the PROPOSED MONUMENT TO OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. IN 1836, CITIZENS OF BUFFALO PLANNED TO BUILD IT, 100 FEET HIGH, TO COST $75,000. IT WAS NEVER BUILT. (a WOODCUT OF 1836.) 490EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. happy choice for treasurer. In May, “two splendid de- signs” had been secured from Frazee & Lawnitz, sculptors and architects, 591 Broadway, New York City. Plans were placed on view at the Council chamber. The monument was to stand at present Shelton Square; was to be one hun- dred feet high, of marble from East Chester, N. Y„ and was to cost $75,000. Obviously, some difficulty was en- countered—Buffalo’s monument to Commodore Perry is not yet begun. The Perry memorial and Rathbun’s Exchange are asso- ciated in the annals of things that did not come to pass. Of GOTHIC HALL IN 1851- 491THE SECOND AMERICAN HOTEL, BURNED 1865. FROM A LITHOGRAPH OF 1862. THE ST. JAMES HOTEL AS PICTURED IN 1855. COMPARE WITH VIEW, PAGE 158, WHICH SHOWS IT AFTER ALTERATIONS, WITH THE HADDOCK CLOCK AT THE CORNER. 492THE EXCHANGE HOTEL AS PICTURED IN 1850. LATER KNOWN AS THE RAILROAD HOTEL, 99 EXCHANGE STREET. THE NIAGARA BLOCK, MAIN STREET, AS PICTURED IN 1850. OLD NUMBERS I55-l6l. COMMERCIAL ADVERTISER OFFICE AT THE LEFT, 493EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. this stately Exchange, a sketch of which is given on page 78, the Commercial Advertiser of July 30, 1836, said: “The whole is to be built of cut stone, and will be finished in about two years. The location is unrivalled ; nearly in the center of Main street, the beautiful'monument to Perry in front, and commanding the finest view our city affords, of Lake Erie and the glorious Niagara.” It was a fair dream. What a different Buffalo would be ours if more of the dreams had come true! Joseph Ellicott never heard of a “civic center/' but he dreamed of Niagara Square as the center of the future Buffalo; but State ownership of the Mile Strip, and other things, sent develop- ment elsewhere. He dreamed of a great park for the future great Buffalo, east from Main between Swan and Eagle. GERMAN EVANG. REF. ZION’S CHURCH. CHERRY AND SPRING STS. BUILT 1846. SITE NOW COVERED BY THE CRYSTAL ICE COMPANY’S BUILDING. A NEW CHURCH BUILT, 1855, ON LEMON STREET; ENLARGED, 1885. 494EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. Some people now dream of an improved “down town” if one block, between Ellicott Square and the Post Office, were cleared and made Ellicott Park. A revision of the foregoing pages discovers a few state- ments which need correction, or an additional explanation. FIRST BUILDING OF ST. JOHN’S CHURCH (EV. LUTH.), HICKORY ST. FIRST GERMAN PROTESTANT SOCIETY IN BUFFALO. CORNER-STONE LAID l835, COMPLETED 1843. REPLACED BY NEW CHURCH, Io75- 495EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. Page 12. Charles P. Dwyer’s fanciful sketch of Mid- daugh’s house on the peninsula was published, with Part One of his projected history of Buffalo, in February, 1852. The work was to include nine parts, but nothing after Part One is known to the present compiler. Mr. Dwyer was an SOUTHEAST CORNER MAIN AND MOHAWK STREETS. IN i870-’72, office of the buffalo freie presse. present site of the nellany BLOCK. 496497 OLD HOMES ON SOUTHWEST CORNER PEARL AND TUPPER STREETS.SPRING AND SUMMER AT THE ENSIGN PLACE. FORMER RESIDENCE OF CLARK HECOX AND OF JAMES HOLLISTER. LATER, AND FOR MANY YEARS, HOME OF MR. CHARLES ENSIGN AND FAMILY, NO. 744 MAIN ST. 498EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. architect and appears to have been needy, for a public benefit in his behalf was advertised in the press of 1852. Page 65. “Where the Townsend block now -stands,” must read (due to changes since that page was penned) : “Where the Townsend block stood.” Page 66. Judge Walden’s house, built in 1811, was burned in 1813. The house shown in the picture on page 167 wras built soon after the War of 1812. Page 67. The Arcole Foundry in 1844 had its office at HOUSE AT No. 262 DELAWARE AVENUE. BUILT ABOUT 1850. ORIGINALLY A DOUBLE HOUSE. HON. JOHN GANSON DWELT MANY YEARS IN THE SOUTH SIDE,. JOHN C. SIBLEY IN THE NORTH OR RIGHT-HAND SIDE. ABOUT l866 THE TWO ; SUITES WERE MADE ONE RESIDENCE. NOW, MUCH ENLARGED AND REMOD- ELED. KNOWN AS THE LIVINGSTON . APARTMENTS. AT THE RIGHT, A GLIMPSE IS HAD OF THE'FORMER 1HOME OF HENRY S. LANSING, NOW THE SITE OF THE TOURAINE HOTEL. 4995oo RESIDENCE BUILT 1855, NOW No. 730 WEST FERRY STREET. FORMER HOME OF CHARLES WADSWORTH, JAMES ADAMS (WHO BUILT THE TOWER), JESSE C. DANN AND JOHN J. ALBRIGHT. BURNED 1901, AND REPLACED BY MR. JOHN J. ALBRIGHT’S PRESENT RESIDENCE.501 moffat’s (formerlyEARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. 64 Main street; but the foundry shown in the woodcut was near the foot of Court street. Page 79. The Bank of Buffalo was erected in 1836. The date given is that of Orr’s engraving. Page 126. The old Niagara-street Methodist Episcopal church was originally dedicated on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 18, 1858. It was bought by the Jewish Society of Temple Beth Zion, from William G. Fargo, for $13,000. Seven thousand dollars were spent in alterations, and the Temple was dedicated May 25, 1865. It was torn down in 1890 for the erection of the Masonic building, now on that site. The corner-stone of this building was laid July 26, 1890, and it was dedicated January 20, 1892. Page 127. The original church on this site was not built by a Lutheran, but by a Protestant Dutch Reform society. The corner-stone was laid April 25, 1842* THE FIRST ST. MARY’S-ON-THE-HILL. AT NIAGARA AND VERMONT STREETS. BUILT 1874 ; FIRST USED FOR WORSHIP, EASTER, l875- REPEATEDLY ENLARGED, AND IN l893 REBUILT OF STONE. 502503 ALL SAINTS EPISCOPAL CHURCH, NORTHWEST CORNER MAIN AND UTICA STREETS. ERECTED l879-’8o. SOLD, TO BE REPLACED BY A BUSINESS BLOCK, SPRING OF 1913.504 MANUFACTURERS AND TRADERS’ BANK AND TOWNSEND BLOCK, SOUTHWEST COR. MAIN AND SWAN STS. THE LATTER TORN DOWN, MAY, 1913. BOTH TO BE REPLACED BY A NEW STRUCTURE FOR THE BANK.EARLIER BUFFALO PICTURE BOOK. Page 168. The pillared front of Stevenson’s livery stable was taken down in the summer of 1867. The Com- mercial Advertiser> July . 17th, commenting on the alteration then being made, said : “Instead of the old building, which had something noble in its appearance, and was at least com- plete and harmonious in design, the proprietor has substi- tuted a shabby two-story front, making a pair of low stores, and a second story with a front wall carried up high enough to hide the gable of the old roof, so the whole effect reminds one of a very short, broad man, with an extremely tall hat on. ... It makes one wish to see the massive old pillars set back again.” Page 336. This house should have been styled the resi- dence of Morris Hazard, father of Edward Hazard, whose name is given under the cut. Page 344. The mottled appearance of the sky (it may be stated for: the critical) is not a visitation of Nature, but is due to the fact that the interesting old drawing, in its seventy-six years of precarious existence, has become yellow and spotted. Some old resident may find this one of the most valuable pictures in our book. Page 347. Third line from bottom, “below Seneca” should read “below Swan” or “above Seneca.” The site in question is clearly indicated. Page 380. The M. A. Campbell house is elsewhere called the Jas. L. Barton house. Both designations are correct, the house having as occupants at different times, both the Campbell and Barton families. Page 427. This house should have been spoken of as the one-time residence of Albert P. Laning, instead of Asher P. Nichols. 505VIEWS FROM THE OLD DRIVING PARK, 1873. TAKEN AT THE TROTTING MEETING, AUGUST 9TH. THE UPPER PICTURE SHOWS THE “GO” BETWEEN GOLDSMITH MAID, JIM IRVING AND AMERICAN GIRL, WON BY THE MAID IN THREE STRAIGHT HEATS. LOWER PICTURE SHOWS THE GRAND STAND AND FIRST QUARTER. 506EARLIER BUFFALO_ PICTURE BOOK. The signature to the cut on page 7, which appears to be 4‘ Peace,” is really “ Pease.” The reader—if he has persevered to this point—has remarked that we have made but a rambling and devious tour about Buffalo. We began it at the water front, and at the water front again we may as well end it. Buffalo was born of the lake and its commerce, and no matter how greatly other interests engage her, she still remains, in manifold ways, the offspring of the Inland Seas. 507508 WHARF AT THE FOOT OF THE STREET WAS TAKEN DOWN SOON AFTER BUILDINGS AT THE RIGHT, ON THE RIVER, WERE TORN DOWN IN 1912.THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC AS RECONSTRUCTED, 1893. STILL STANDING, MUCH ALTERED. 83ST PAUL’S A GENERATION AGO. AS IT APPEARED BEFORE THE FIRE OF MAY 10, l888. AT THE RIGHT IS SEEN A PART OF THE "OLD FIRST,” DEMOLISHED 1890. 112THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. AT GENESEE AND PEARL STREETS. BUILT 1850, TORN DOWN 1912. SITE NOW OCCUPIED BY THE MAJESTIC THEATER. 128INTERIOR OF THE SECOND MUSIC HALL, AS ORIGINALLY FINISHED.22 PHOTOGRAPH OF THE ORIGINAL PAINTING OWNED BY THE BUFFALO HISTORICAL SOCIETY. PROBABLY BY GEO. W. SMITH,30 HILL. ENGRAVED BY J. H. COLEN. SIZE OF ORIGINAL, 40 BY 24 INCHES.