A Little About Buffalo New York

The area's first permanent settlement was established in 1758, when Daniel Joncaire, a French explorer, organized an outpost at the mouth of what is today the Buffalo River. After passing through the hands of the French, the Seneca Indians and the British, the United States took control of the area in the mid-1790s.

In 1799, Joseph Ellicott, an agent for the Holland Land Company, a firm which by then owned most of the area, began planning the city, which was called ``Buffalo Creek'' by local citizens. Despite attempts to change the name, ``Buffalo'' hung on.

The city survived a thorough burning by the British during the War of 1812 and became an important commercial center thanks to the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 and later, the railroad. Today, Buffalo remains an important port of entry to the Great Lakes.

Important people and events in the city's history include U.S. Presidents Millard Fillmore and Grover Cleveland, both native sons. Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in as the nation's 26th chief executive during the 1901 Pan-American Exposition, in the library of the still-standing Wilcox Mansion on Delaware Avenue. Famous American writer Samuel Clemens (better known as Mark Twain) was the editor of the Buffalo Express newspaper in the 1870s and one of the most important buildings in the development of the skyscraper, Louis Sullivan's Guaranty Building (1895) still stands at 28 Church Street in downtown.

Buffalo is home to the work of several other architects of note. Frank Lloyd Wright built five houses in the area and the master landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted designed the city's massive Delaware Park. Fans of Art Deco must take in the 1929 masterwork, the Buffalo City Hall.

Buffalo's population now stands at 328,123, while the total population of Erie County is 968,532. The five-county area of the Niagara Frontier (Erie, Genessee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties) includes 1,333,781 residents.

Climate

Buffalo in July is extraordinarily pleasant. Average daily temperatures range from a high of 80.2 F (26.8 C) down to 61.2 F (16.2 C) with relative humidity of only 49 percent. Rain is occasional and averages 2.96 inches (7.5 cm) during the month.

The city sits at an altitude of 705 feet (215 m) above sea level.

Diversions

A wide variety of choices is available to anyone looking for something special in Buffalo. Area attractions include world-class cultural venues such as the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society (in a building from the 1901 Pan-American Exposition), the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Servicemen's Park, Buffalo Zoological Gardens, the Kleinhans Music Hall (home of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra), Shea's Buffalo Center for the Performing Arts and the Studio Arena Theatre.

Of course, there is nothing which can compare with the natural majesty of Niagara Falls. Water flows over the three major Falls at a rate of more than 700,000 gallons per second! The site of the first hydroelectric power plant (1895), the Falls still inspires visitors today as it has for centuries.

Foods

Anything you want is available in Buffalo, at one of the area's 2,700 restaurants. Perhaps the best way for visitors to sample is to attend the annual ``Taste of Buffalo'' at Buffalo Place in the downtown area. The event draws more than 400,000 people annually to sample the offerings of more than 50 restaurants and enjoy continuous entertainment on five stages.

Don't leave the area without trying the area's specialties of red-hot chicken wings and the unique ``Beef on Weck'' sandwich of thinly-sliced roast beef on a Kummelweck roll spiced with sinus-clearing horseradish.

Transportation

The Greater Buffalo International Airport is served by a variety of U.S. national carriers, including:

Easy connections can be made to these carriers from many convenient cities, including New York and Toronto.

Where to Stay

Lodging in the greater Buffalo area is varied in price, style and location.

Historical Traditions

"We are the only city outside Chicago with works by Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, H.H. Richardson, as well as Richard Upjohn, Eliel Saarinen, Gordon Bunshaft and others. Buffalo is a small, manageable city with an outstanding representation of works by major American architects." Jack Quinan, Professor of Art History

State University of New York at Buffalo
For more information, call (716) 873-9644.

The Landmark Society of the Niagara Frontier
For more information, call (716) 835-9236.

Preservation Coalition of Erie County
For more information, call (716) 873-3626.

The Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
For more information, call (716) 884-0095.

The Roycroft Campus
For more information, call (716) 655-0562.

Parkside Community Association
For more information, call (716) 838-1240.

Buffalo Friends of Olmsted Parks
For more information, call (716) 838-1249.

Lancaster Opera House
For more information, call (716) 683-1776.

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This site maintained by Jim Gerland,