USA > New York > Erie County > Buffalo > Directory for the City of Buffalo: Containing the Names and Residence of the 1801-1832 > Part 1
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7
This is a digital copy of a book that was preserved for generations on library shelves before it was carefully scanned by Google as part of a project to make the world's books discoverable online.
It has survived long enough for the copyright to expire and the book to enter the public domain. A public domain book is one that was never subject to copyright or whose legal copyright term has expired. Whether a book is in the public domain may vary country to country. Public domain books are our gateways to the past, representing a wealth of history, culture and knowledge that's often difficult to discover.
Marks, notations and other marginalia present in the original volume will appear in this file - a reminder of this book's long journey from the publisher to a library and finally to you.
Usage guidelines
Google is proud to partner with libraries to digitize public domain materials and make them widely accessible. Public domain books belong to the public and we are merely their custodians. Nevertheless, this work is expensive, so in order to keep providing this resource, we have taken steps to prevent abuse by commercial parties, including placing technical restrictions on automated querying.
We also ask that you:
+ Make non-commercial use of the files We designed Google Book Search for use by individuals, and we request that you use these files for personal, non-commercial purposes.
+ Refrain from automated querying Do not send automated queries of any sort to Google's system: If you are conducting research on machine translation, optical character recognition or other areas where access to a large amount of text is helpful, please contact us. We encourage the use of public domain materials for these purposes and may be able to help.
+ Maintain attribution The Google "watermark" you see on each file is essential for informing people about this project and helping them find additional materials through Google Book Search. Please do not remove it.
+ Keep it legal Whatever your use, remember that you are responsible for ensuring that what you are doing is legal. Do not assume that just because we believe a book is in the public domain for users in the United States, that the work is also in the public domain for users in other countries. Whether a book is still in copyright varies from country to country, and we can't offer guidance on whether any specific use of any specific book is allowed. Please do not assume that a book's appearance in Google Book Search means it can be used in any manner anywhere in the world. Copyright infringement liability can be quite severe.
About Google Book Search
Google's mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers discover the world's books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web at http://books.google.com/
·
₩
A DIRECTORY · FOR THE
CITY OF BUFFALO;
CONTAINING THE NAMES AND RESIDENCE
OF THE
HEADS OF FAMILIES
AND
HOUSEHOLDERS,
IN SAID CITY, ON THE FIRST OF JULY 1832.
TO WHICH IS ADDED A SKETCH OF THE
HISTORY OF THE VILLAGE, FROM 1801 TO 1832.
Buffalo: PUBLISHED BY L. P. CRARY. STEELE & FAXON, PRINTERS. 1882.
1.63
HARVARD UNIVERSITY LIBRARY JUN 16 1941
I) Lawill fund
OFFICERS OF THE CITY OF BUFFALO.
EBENEZER JOHNSON, Mayor
1st Ward-ISAAC S. SMITH,
JOSEPH W. BROWN, 2d Ward-HENRY ROOT, JOHN G. CAMP, Sd Ward-IRA A. BLOSSOM, DAVID M. DAY, 4th Ward-MAJOR A. ANDREWS, HENRY WHITE, 5th Ward-EBENEZER WALDEN, THOMAS C. LOVE,
Aldermen.
D. TILLINGHAST, Clerk.
GEORGE P. BARKER, Attorney. HENRY R. SEYMOUR, Treasurer.
DAVID M. DAY, City Printer. ISAAC S. SMITH, Chief Eng. of Fire Department. JOHN W. BEALS, Assistants.
SAMUEL JORDAN,
WILLIAM JONES, NELSON ADAMS, Constables.
EDWARD BALDWIN, Street Commissioner.
JAMES J. BALDWIN, City Surveyor. JOSEPH DEAN, Clerk of the Markets.
E. JOHNSON, (Mayor) -
R. W. HASKINS, L. F. ALLEN, Board of Health.
J. CLARY,
J. E. MARSHALL, Health Physician.
-
-
INTRODUCTION
THE City of BUFFALO is situated in the county of Erie, and state of New-York; is built upon the land adjoining Buffalo Creek and Lake Erie, at the junction of these waters, and contains 10,119 inha- bitants. Most of the City is situated upon a bluff of table land that rises about fifty feet above the level of the Lake. The low lands that extend from the foot of this bluff, (or Terrace, as it is gene- rally called,) to the margin of the Creek and Lake, offering many inducements to particular business pursuits, have been overspread with buildings, and are becoming thickly populated.
The village was originally surveyed and laid out, by the Holland Land Company, to whom the site belonged in 1801; and the settlement may be said to have begun in the following year. Owing to the usual causes which retard new settlements in their advancement, the village made but inconsider- able progress in its growth, until the commence- ment of the war, in 1812, when it became a mili- tary resort. In December, 1813, the place was en- tered by the British and Indians, and every building but two was burnt. The inhabitants were many of them carried captives to Montreal, while others preserved their liberty by a precipitate flight. The loss of property fell mostly upon individuals, and was not only severe, but, in its consequences, truly
4
calamitous-leaving in many instances, families destitute of house, clothing or provisions, with which to combat the severity of the season. From this period to the close of the war, nothing like a regular and permanent attempt was made to rebuild the town, although such of the inhabitants as could, returned and made temporary locations upon the sites of their former habitations. The news of peace was the signal for renewed exertions to re- build the place, but pecuniary embarassments, and remoteness from market, paralyzed all efforts so effectually as to keep back the place, and retain for it the character of a hamlet only, until the near approach of the Grand Canal, in its progress west- ward, in 1822, gave brighter prospects to those on whom exertions devolved. In 1825, payment was received from the United States, under certain re- strictions, for the buildings destroyed in 1813, but all remuneration for other property lost, was rigidly withheld. Exertions for public advancement now became more visibly efficient; and the attempts which had been several years making to render Buffalo Creek a commercial resort, were now first completely successful. The mouth of that stream had been obstructed by a sand bar which shut out most vessels that navigated the lake, and forced them to resort to Black Rock, where a temporary shelter only could be afforded them, in the open river. To effect the desired object, a loan had been procured from the state, of $12,000, which, aided by private donations, had so far perfected a pier on the south side of the mouth of the Creek, as to exclude sand, and leave an open channel for vessels into the mouth of the harbor. The consequences of this
5
were to create a new resort for vessels, and to arrest them in their passage to Black Rock. This neces- sarily caused the building of wharves, store houses, and such other conveniences as were required by the new business pursuits thus created.
GENERAL VIEW.
The village of Buffalo was incorporated in 1822 and its municipal government was administered by a President and board of trustees. The Act to in- corporate the City of Buffalo, was passed April 20, 1832. The common council were elected on the 26th day of May, and held their first meeting for the choice of Mayor, &c. on the 28th.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
The Public Buildings consist of 6 houses of pub- lic worship, and 1 now building; Court House, jail, U. S. Branch Bank, Bank of Buffalo, Buffalo Literary and Scientific Academy, Land Office, 2 Markets, 3 Engine Houses, and a Light-House.
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.
The U. S. Branch Bank, was established here in 1829.
OFFICERS.
Wm. B. Rochester, President. J. R. Carpenter, Cashier.
Directors .- Wm. B. Rochester, J. Wadsworth, D. E. Evans, C. Townsend, H. B. Potter, A. H. Tracy, W. A. Bird, Wm. Hollister, Geo. Palmer, Wm. Ruxton, B. D. Coe, E. Walden, Geo. B. Webster.
1
/
6
The Bank of Buffalo, was incorporated in 1831. Capital $200,000.
OFFICERS. G. H. Goodrich, President. Hiram Pratt, Cashier.
Directors .- G. H. Goodrich, R. H. Heywood, Henry Root, Wm. Ketchum, George Burt, N. P. Sprague, Hiram Pratt, Thaddeus Weed, J. Stock- ing, Augustus Porter, M. A. Andrews, Henry Hamilton, S. G. Austin.
Buffalo Fire and Marine Insurance Company, in- corporated in March, 1830. Capital $100,000.
E. Walden, President. L. F. Allen, Secretary.
Directors .- E. Walden, C. Townsend, Sheldon Thompson, Henry Root, Hiram Pratt, Lyman A. Spalding, G. H. Goodrich, Joseph Clary, George Palmer, Wm. Hollister, Thomos C. Love, Joseph Dart, Horatio Shumway.
Buffalo Literary and Scientific Academy, incorpora- ted in 1827. Capital $25,000.
OFFICERS. Ebenezer Johnson, President. D. Tillinghast, Secretary. J. W. Clark, Treasurer.
Trustees .- Ebenezer Johnson, Charles Townsend, Henry White, S. Wilkeson, David Burt, Sheldon Thompson, Lewis F. Allen, Bela D. Coe, Hiram Pratt, Thomas C. Love, Heman B. Potter, R. W. Haskins, David M. Day, William Ketchum, John W. Clark, Dyre Tillinghast.
Theodotus Burwell, Principal.
Buffalo Hydraulic Association, incorporatedin 1827. Capital $25,000, which may be increased to 50,000.
-
7
The object of this association was to create mill privileges within the city. This object was accom- plished by taking the water out of the Buffalo Creek about four miles from the city, and conveying it by a canal to the eastern boundary about a mile from the city, where there is sufficient fall for the pur- poses intended. This canal was begun in 1828, and is now in successful operation.
There is now in full operation on this canal, the following works :- 1 Woolen Factory; 1 Hat body do; 1 Pail do; 1 Last do; 1 Grist Mill; 1 Brewery. The village which has grown up in its vicinity con- tains nearly 500 inhabitants.
Buffalo and Black Rock Jubilee Water Works Company, incorporated in 1827. Capital $20,000. The object of the company is to supply Buffalo and Black Rock with water. It has already been gene- rally introduced, into both places, nearly 16 miles of aqueduct being already laid.
OFFICERS.
Peter B. Porter, President. Donald Fraser, S. C. Brewster, Peter B. Porter, Directors. Absalom Bull, Secretary & Treasurer. Donald Fraser, Superinten- dent.
Buffalo Lyceum, incorporated 1832.
OFFICERS.
Oran Follett, President. James Stryker, Millerd Fillmore, Vice President. Alfred Handy, Recording Secretary. Lucien W. Caryl, Corresponding Sec- retary. Wm. Ketchum, Treasurer. John W. Clark, Oliver G. Steele, William Hull, Curators.
This Institution was commenced in the winter of 1830-31 by a number of enterprising citizens, and has gradually risen in value and importance. The
-
8
objects of the Institution are mutual improvement in useful knowledge, the advancement of popular education, and the promotion of science generally. There is now belonging to the institution a library of several hundred volumes, and a quantity of chem- ical and philosophical apparatus. Weekly lectures are delivered before the Lyceum during the winter season, which are extremely well attended.
Buffalo Library Association, incorporated im 1816, and now contains nearly 700 volumes.
Trustees .- H. B. Potter, John G. Camp, George Stow, Joseph Dart, Jr., H. A. Salisbury, Nathaniel Vosburgh, James Miller.
J. Wilcox, Librarian.
Religious Societies .- There are, 1 Episcopal, 1 Presbyterian, 1 Free Congregational, 1 Baptist, 1 Bethel, 1 Methodist, 1 Universalist, 1 Unitarian, and 1 Roman Catholic.
Schools .- Thereare 16districtandprivateschools, exclusive of the Buffalo L. & S. Academy, embracing 1 Female Seminary, conducted on the most approved plan, by competent teachers, in which the higher branches of female education are taught.
Mails .- There are 60 mails per week, received at, made up and despatched from, the Post Office in this city, during the winter season, and during the sum- mer, or season of navigation, there are 88 per week. The first mail received here was in March, 1803, on horseback. It was conveyed from the east once in two weeks in this manner, until 1805. A weekly route was then established, and continued until 1809. In 1810, the mode of conveyance was changed, and a stage wagon was used. As the country advanced
in improvements, the route was changed to twice and three times a week, and subsequently toa daily route.
Thefollowing is a list of mails arriving and depart- ing from the Post Office in this city in each week: Eastern Mail, two large and one small, daily.
Northern one
Western
One large mail for the West by water to Portland Harbor, daily.
Two small do. to Dunkirk and Portland Harbor, daily.
One large do. for Michigan, by steamboat, daily.
There is also a mail leaving three times a week to Batavia, via Cayuga Creek and Alexander; one do three times a week, to Warsaw, via Aurora; one do. three times a week, to Olean and the north of Pennsylvania, via Springville; and one twice a week to Fredonia, via Lodi.
Newspapers .- There are the Buffalo Patriot, Buf- falo Journal, Buffalo Republican, and Buffalo Bulle- tin, all published weekly. The Patriot is the oldest establishment, having been commenced in 1811, un- der the name of the Buffalo Gazette. The Journal was commenced in 1815, under the name of the Niagara Journal.
Public Works .- The principal of these is the pier, built to protect the entrance of the harbor from en- croachments of sand, and upon which the United States have bestowed the following appropriations: May 20, 1826, $15,000; March 2, 1827, $6,500; May 19, 1828, $34,206; April 23, 1830, $15,488; Total $71,194. It is built with great strength, with stone, and is 14 of a mile in length. A Light-House is to be built on the outer extremity of the pier the
-
1
10
base of which will connect with and strengthen that work. To this must be added the termination of the Erie canal, and its dependencies.
The Erie Canal approaches the village across the low lands which form the shore of the Niagara river at its head, and terminates in the Little Buffalo Creek, a few rods from the foot of the Terrace. From the point of intersection with the Little Buf- falo, to where that stream is lost in Big Buffalo Creek, extensive excavations have been made, which render the whole distance a continued basin, and the same is true of a considerable distance above the point of intersection; making in all one of the most exten- sive and convenient resorts for boats to be found upon the Canal. From this basin, boats pass when necessary into the harbor, and assume their sta- tions either by the side of lake vessels, or at the wharves of store-houses, as convenience of dis- charging and receiving cargoes may require.
Buffalo Harbor, with which the Canal thus com- municates, is formed by Buffalo Creek, which is of sufficient depth to receive the lake vessels for a dis- tance of about one mile from its mouth, and is con- sidered by mariners as affording the most secure and convenient harbor to be found on the Ameri- can shore of the lake. The present Light-House is situated on the shore of the lake, upon a tongue of landformedbytheshoreofthelakeand BuffaloCreek.
STATISTICS.
The number of vessels of various descriptions employed in the commerce of Lake Erie and the upper Lakes is about 100, and the amount of ton- nage about 8000. The increase of lake commerce at Buffalo may be seen by the following table, show-
11
ing the number of arrivals and departures from 1815 to the present year. No. of arrivals and Years. departures. Years.
No. of arrivals and departures.
1815
- 64
1824
- 286
1816
80
1825
359
1817
- 100
1826
- 418
1818
100
1827
972
1819
- 96
1828
1520
1820
120
1829
1800
1821
- 150
1830
2052
1822
200
1831
3486
1823
- 236
Of the amount of property shipped from this port, no certain information can be obtained; suf- fice to say, all vessels employed in the navigation of the Lake are constantly and actively employed. Table of Canal Clearances from the Collector's Office, Buffalo, from 1826 to 1831 inclusive.
Clearances.
Clearances.
1826
1100
1829
1 1608
1827
1426
1830
2083
1828
1880
1831
2425
Buffalo and Detroit Steam Boat Line .- The follow- ing Steam Boats comprise the above line, one of which leaves each port every day during the season of navigation.
Superior Capt. Pease. Wm. Penn Capt. Wight.
Henry Clay
Norton.
Enterprize
Miles.
S. Thompson " Walker. Ohio
Tyler.
Niagara " Stanard.
The Steam Boat Wm. Peacock, Capt. Wilkins, leaves Buffalo every evening for Portland Harbor, connecting at that place with a line of stages to
-
.
:
1
12
Erie, Pa. and also with a line of stages to Mayville, and from thence by the Chautauqua Steam Boat to Jamestown.
Store Houses .- There are ten Store Houses for the transaction of Lake and Canal business.
The following is a list of Forwarding and Com- mission Merchants, and of the Canal lines of which they severally are agents:
Townsend, Coit & Co.[ Troy & Erie Line.
S. Thompson & Co. S
Joy & Webster,-Pilot Line.
Pratt, Taylor & Co .- Washington Line. Richard Sears,
James L. Barton,-Western Line.
Smith & Macy,-New-York & Ohio Line.
Barker & Holt,-Merchants Line.
Norton & Carlisle,-Hudson & Erie Line.
Augustus Eaton,-Clinton Line.
Taverns .- There are a great number of Hotels and Taverns in this city, which the great influx of travellers renders necessary. The Eagle Tavern, Buffalo House, Mansion House, and City Hotel are the principal houses and are kept and furnished in a style equal to any others of the kind in the State.
1
CHARTER OF THE CITY OF BUFFALO.
The People of the State of New-York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The District of country in the county of Erie, within the following bounds, that is to say : Beginning at a point in the west bounds of the State, due west from the southwesterly termination of York Street; thence to the northwesterly line of said York Street at its southwesterly termination; thence along the northwesterly bounds of York St., to the northerly side of the Guide Board Road; thence easterly along the northerly bounds of said road to the westerly line of lot number 22, in the eleventh township and eighth range; thence south- erly along the west bounds of lot number 22, and part of lot number 16, in said township and range to the easterly termination of the north line of Eagle Street; thence easterly along a line which would be a continuation of the north line of Eagle Street to the Buffalo Creek Reservation; thence southwesterly along the line of said Reservation to the south bank of big Buffalo Creek, thence down the south bank of said creek to the northeasterly corner of a piece of land called the Gore; thence along the northwesterly bounds of said Gore to Lake Erie; thence due west to the State line; thence northerly to the place of beginning: shall
2
14
hereafter be known by the name of the City of Buffalo.
§ 2. The inhabitants of said City shall be a Cor- poration by the name of the "City of Buffalo," and may sue and be sued, complain and defend, in any court; make and use a common seal, and alter it at pleasure; and take, hold, purchase and convey, such real and personal estate, as the purposes of the corporation may require.
§ 3. The said city shall be divided into five wards, as follows, to wit: all that part of the city which lies south and east of the following lines, to wit: Beginning at a point in the said Reserva- tion, where a line drawn through the centre of Crow Street would strike said Reservation; thence along said line to the centre of Crow Street; thence pro- ceeding westwardly along the centre of said street to Cazenovia Terrace: thence to the centre of Caze- novia Terrace; thence westwardly and northerly along the centre of said Terrace to the centre of Erie Street; thence along the centre of Erie Street to the centre of Erie Canal; thence along the cen- tre of the Canal to the west bounds of York Street; thence down the west bounds of York Street to Lake Erie; thence due west to the State line, shall be denominated the first ward of said city; all that part of said city which lies east of the centre of Main Street, and north of the centre of Crow Street, and north of a line drawn through the centre of Crow Street to the said Reservation, and south of the centre of Eagle Street, and south of a line to be drawn in continuation of the north line of Eagle Street, to the Buffalo Creek Reservation, shall be denominated the second ward of said city; all that
-
15
part of said city, lying westerly of the centre of Main Street, and northeasterly of the bounds of the first ward, and southeasterly of the northwesterly bounds of said York Street, and southwesterly of the centre of Niagara Street, shall be denominated the third ward of said city; all the residue of said city lying east of the centre of Main Street, and north of the centre of Eagle Street, shall be denomi- nated the fourth ward of said city; all the residue of said city lying west of the centre of Main Street and northeasterly of the centre of Niagara Street, shall be denominated the fifth ward of said city.
§ 4. There shall be in and for said city, one Mayor, ten Aldermen, one Clerk, one Treasurer, one or more Collectors, five Assessors, and such other officers as are hereinafter authorized to be ap- pointed. Which Mayor, Aldermen and Assessors shall be freeholders in said city.
§ 5. An election shall be held in each of the wards of said city on the first Tuesday in March, in each year, after the year eighteen hundred and thirty two, at such place as the common council of said city shall appoint, and of which six days pre- vious public notice shall be given in writing, in three public places in each ward, by the inspectors thereof.
§ 6. At the first election under this act, and at each annual election thereafter, there shall be elected two Aldermen and one Assessor for each ward, each of whom shall be an actual resident of the ward in which he is elected.
§ 7. Thealdermen of each ward, or such persons as the common council shall for that purpose ap- point, shall be inspectors of such election after the
-
16
first; such inspectors shall have the same powers and authority as the inspectors of a general state election.
§ 8. The electors shall vote by ballot, and each person offering to vote, shall deliver his ballot, so folded as to conceal the contents, to one of the in- spectors, in the presence of the board.
§ 9. The ballot shall be a paper ticket, which shall contain, written or printed, or partly written and partly printed, the names of the persons for whom the elector intends to vote, and shall desig- nate the office to which each person so named is intended by him to be chosen; but no ballot shall contain a greater number of names of persons as designated to any office, than there are persons to be chosen to fill such office.
§ 10. The polls of such election shall be opened at nine o'clock in the forenoon, and continue open until four o'clock in the afternoon of the same day, and no longer. Poll lists shall be kept in the same manner, as nearly as may be, as is provided by law for keeping poll lists at the general state election.
§ 11. Every person voting at such election, shall be an actual resident of the ward in which he so votes, and shall, if required by any person qualified to vote thereat, before he is permitted to vote, take the following oath: "You do swear (or affirm) that you are a citizen of the United States, of the age of twenty-one years; that you have been an inha- bitant of this state for one year next preceding this election, and for the last six months a resident of this county, that you are now a resident of this ward, and that you have not voted at this election." If the person be a colored man, he shall, (if re-
17
quired as aforesaid,) before he is permitted to vote, take the following oath: "You do swear (or affirm) that you are of the age of twenty-one years, that for three years you have been a citizen of this state; that you have been an inhabitant of this state for one year next preceding this election, and during that time have been and now are seized and possessed of a freehold estate of the value of two hundred and fifty dollars, over and above all debts and incumbrances charged thereon, and have been actually rated and paid a tax thereon; that you have been for the last six months a resident of this county; that you now are a resident of this ward, and that you have not voted at this election."
§ 12. After the poll of any such election is closed, the inspectors holding the same in each of said wards, shall on the same or next day, canvass the votes given at such election. The canvass shall be public, and shall commence by a compari- son of the poll lists, and a correction of any mis- takes that may be found therein, until they shall be found or made to agree. The ballots shall be counted unopened, except so far as to ascertain that each ballot is single, and if two or more ballots shall be found so folded as to present the appear- ance of a single ballot, they shall be destroyed.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.