Our County and Its People: A Descriptive Work on Erie County, New York (Volume 1), Part 44

Author: Truman C. White
Publication date: 1898
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1017

USA > New York > Erie County > Our County and Its People: A Descriptive Work on Erie County, New York (Volume 1) > Part 44

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What was then called the Buffalo and State Line railroad (now a part of the Lake Shore line) was opened for travel between Buffalo and Dunkirk on February 22, 1852, having already been opened from Dun- kirk to the State line on the first of the previous month.

This was an era of railroad building and improvement. The Buffalo and Brantford Railroad was begun about 1852 and was completed to Brantford, Ont., in 1854. The line was extended to Goderich in 1858. The name was subsequently changed to Buffalo and Lake Huron Rail- way, and in July, 1868, it was leased in perpetuity to the Grand Trunk Railway Company.

In 1853 efforts were made to build a railroad from Buffalo through Aurora and the southeastern part of the county. Early in that year the Buffalo and Pittsburg Railroad Company was chartered under the presidency of the late Orlando Allen .? The line was projected to run

1 The name, Buffalo and New York City Company was changed in 1857 to Buffalo, New York and Erie. Its road was subsequently leased to the Erie Company.

? Orlando Allen was born in New Hartford, N. Y., February 10, 1803. In 1819 he came to Buf- falo and entered the office of Dr. Cyrenius Chapin as a student. This profession did not appeal to the tastes of young Allen and when, in the fall of 1821, Dr. Chapin and Hiram Pratt opened a store, he was employed by them as clerk. In 1824 he was made manager for Mr. Pratt and Horace Meech, who were then partners in mercantile business; two years later he became partner with Mr. Pratt, Mr. Meech having retired. Upon the death of Mr. Pratt in 1840 Mr. Allen succeeded him as president of the old Bank of Buffalo. He was identified with various business undertak-

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near the west end of the village of East Aurora, thence up the valley of Cazenove Creek, and on to the coal fields of Pennsylvania and to Pittsburg. Owing to dissatisfaction with the proposed route, the Buf- falo and Allegany Railroad Company was organized and began work on a line of road designed to extend from the city through the east end of the village of East Aurora, thence up the Cazenove valley to a point near Arcade, where it was to connect with the line running southward from Attica to the Pennsylvania line. Both of these companies did considerable work in 1853 in the vicinity of Aurora, but from lack of financial soundness the last described company first ceased operations but did not abandon its organization; the other company also stopped work and its organization was given up. Further operations were dis- continued until after the war of the Rebellion.

The Canandaigua and Niagara Falls Railroad Company was organ- ized in 1851 and its road completed in 1854, extending from Suspension Bridge to Tonawanda and thence eastward through the northern towns of Erie county and on to Canandaigua; this line passed to the control of the New York Central in 1858.

In May, 1853, the various companies and roads between Buffalo and Albany were consolidated under the name of the New York Central Railroad, making Buffalo the western terminus of one of the greatest railroads in the country. Its importance was still further increased in 1869 by absorption of the Hudson River road. In 1855 the Buffalo and Niagara Falls road was purchased by the Central.

Between 1850 and 1860 the lumber trade in Buffalo became an im- portant factor in business. At that date the wholesale trade was con- fined to three or four firms. Previous to that the lumber supply was near at hand in Canada and was shipped across in small schooners, while the hemlock supply came, even down to later years, from the surrounding country on this side. Between 1855 and 1860 the Canada supply began to decline and the superior quality of Michigan pine be- gan to be better known. From that time onward shipments of lumber down the lakes rapidly increased, and a large trade was carried on at Buffalo and Tonawanda. About 1859, when the local supply of hem.

ings and was called to several positions of responsibility ; was alderman, in 1835, 1846, and 1847, mayor in 1848, member of assembly in 1850-51 and in 1860. He was also connected with many of the prominent institutions and societies of Buffalo, and was in every way an active and useful citizen. He died September 4, 1874.

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lock declined, the Pennsylvania forests were drawn upon for this market and a large part of the supply still comes from that State.

The coal trade, too, which was insignificant prior to 1850, assumed great importance before 1860. In 1852 only 60,000 tons of soft coal was brought to the city, for the supply of foundries and shops. An- thracite coal was first brought into use in Buffalo in any considerable quantity in 1860, and in 1861 it was found difficult to dispose of 25,000 tons.1

Shipbuilding, which had from the first been carried on at Black Rock, now began to assume importance. There Capt. Asa Stanard and Ben- jamin Bidwell, as the firm of Stanard & Bidwell, built many vessels before 1838. Jacob Banta was another prominent shipbuilder of early days, and built the steamers, Western Metropolis and City of Buffalo. Capt. Frederick N. Jones settled in Buffalo in 1845 and built the pro- peller Pocahontas, the schooner Watts Sherman, and other vessels; he afterwards removed to Tonawanda and continued the same business. During the year ending June 30, 1853, there were built at Buffalo one brig, twelve steamers, and nine schooners, with a gross tonnage of 65,184.25.'

The growth of these various branches of trade and the rapidly ex- tending commerce of the port demanded greatly increased banking facilities in the city, and several banks were founded between 1850 and 1860 which have ever since possessed the confidence and patronage of the business public. The Marine Bank was organized on the 8th of July, 1850, by George Palmer and James M. Ganson, of Buffalo; James S. Wadsworth, of Geneseo; J. P. Beekman, of Kinderhook; John Arnot, of Elmira; John Mayer and Constant Cook, of Bath, and Will-

1 From the insignificant receipts of coal in 1852, there was an increase in 1868 to 299,914 tons. It is estimated that at the present time the coal imports to Buffalo are nearly 10,000,000 tons. Coal trestles have been constructed here that are the largest in the world and more than $16,000,000 are invested in shipping docks and stocking plants.

? Shipbuilding continued to increase and in 1867 there were built here three ships or barks, sixty-nine sloops and canal boats, seven brigs, and fourteen steamers. In 1870 there were built fourteen propellers, one side-wheel steamer, one barge, two sail vessels and twenty-six canal boats. In 1862 David Bell, of Buffalo, built for E. T. Evans the first iron propeller constructed west of New York; she was 850 tons; the iron was rolled in the Pratt mills and almost the entire work was done in Buffalo. In 1851 Sherman Petrie made an effort to get a tug built in Buffalo. but was unsuccessful, chiefly for the reason that no one had any confidence in the success of the craft financially. The first tug was put afloat in Buffalo harbor in 1855; she was the Franklin and was purchased in Albany by William Farrell. She found plenty of business and others rapidly followed. Among those who have been conspicuous in the shipbuilding interest are David Bell, Samuel Gibson, R. Mills & Co., Baker & Sons, Carroll Bros., William Hingston & Son, Riley Bros., Union Dry Dock Company. C. L. Dimmers, and others.

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iam P. Grimm, of Medina; these were the only stockholders and were all made directors. George Palmer was elected president and James M. Ganson, cashier. In 1853 the capital was increased from $170,000 to $255,000, and again in 1854 to $300,000; in 1859 it was reduced to $200,000.

On April 4, 1853, George C White and William Williams, who had for many years conducted a private banking house under the firm name of White & Williams, organized White's Bank, with capital stock of $100,000, which was increased on March 1, 1854, to $200,000. Mr. White was president of the bank and Mr. Williams cashier.

The Farmers' and Mechanics' Bank was established in Batavia about 1840 and removed to Buffalo in 1852 through the influence of the late E. G. Spaulding, at which time he was elected president. The first board of trustees were E. G. Spaulding, Rufus L. King, John S. Ganson, William R. Gwinn and H. Pompelly. The capital was $100,000, which was subsequently increased to $200,000. The institution was made a National bank in May, 1864, and on May 1, 1889, was changed to a State bank.

The Manufacturers' and Traders' Bank was incorporated under State laws on March 24, 1856, and still remains a State bank. It be- gan business August 29, 1856, with a capital of $200,000. This bank was founded for the especial purpose of giving the business men of the community more extensive and liberal accommodations than they had previously enjoyed, and its success was marked from the first. In 1859 its capital was increased to $500,000 and in 1870 to $900,000. The first officers were Henry Martin,' president; Pascal P. Pratt,' vice- president; D. F. Frazell, cashier; G. R. Wilson, Sidney Shepard, M. P. Bush, S. V. R. Watson,' Pascal P. Pratt, Bronson C. Rumsey, F.

1 Henry Martin was born in Woodbury, Conn., and at the time of his death, in 1897, was in his ninety-fifth year. He removed to near Lockport when a young man, where he engaged in mer- cantile business and continued it fourteen years. He settled in Buffalo in 1848, took active inter- est in railroads, and was elected president of the Buffalo and Attica road, and others In 1858 he was elected president of the Cleveland and Toledo road. He was president of the Manufacturers' and Traders' Bank of Buffalo for thirty years.

" A biography of Pascal P. Pratt may be found in Vol. II of this work.

'Stephen V. R. Watson was born in Rensselaerville, N. Y., June 18, 1817, and located in Buf- falo in 1844, where he purchased large tracts of real estate which he laid out in lots and sold prin- cipally to Germans. In the early history of the street railroads in Buffalo he took an active interest in their promotion and from that time until his death he labored unceasingly and with success to build up the system and place it on a paying basis. He held the office of assemblyman in 1861, and was at one period president of the Young Men's Association. His death took place June 15, 1880.

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H. Root, Alexander H. Anderson, William H. Glenny,' Wells D. Wal- bridge, George Truscott and John Wilkeson.

The first savings bank in Buffalo was chartered May 9, 1846, with the name Buffalo Savings Bank, with the following named officers and trustees: Charles Townsend, president; Francis J. Handel, vice-presi- dent; Nathan K. Hall, attorney; Robert Pomeroy, secretary; Albert H. Tracy, Millard Fillmore, John L. Kimberly, Noah H. Gardner, Francis J. Handel, Frederick Dellenbaugh, Jacob Siebold, Elijah D. Efner, Russell H. Heywood, Warren Bryant, Daniel Bowen, Isaac Sherman, William Tweedy, Hiram P. Thayer, Benjamin Caryl, Charles Townsend, Francis C. Brunck and Ernest G. Gray, trustees. A build- ing was erected for this institution in 1851-52 on, Main street, a little south of Court, and was burned in 1865, when a lot was purchased and a building erected on the corner of Washington and Lafayette streets, which is still occupied.

The Western Savings Bank was incorporated July 9, 1851, with the following officers: Dean Richmond, president; George W. Tifft,' first vice-president; James Hollister, second vice-president; Heman B. Pot- ter, attorney; George Palmer,' Seth C. Hawley, Elijah Ford, Henry

1 William H. Glenny was born in the north of Ireland, September 29, 1818. He settled in Buf- falo in 1886 and worked as clerk until 1840, when he opened a small crockery store. His increas- ing business led him to build the block, 27-57 Main street, in 1877, where he built up one of the largest establishments of the kind in the country. He was connected as a director or trustee with several banking institutions.

" George W. Tifft was for more than forty years closely identified with the business interests of Buffalo. He was born January 31, 1805. His boyhood and young manhood were passed in the eastern part of this State. From 1826 to 1841 he resided in Orleans county, and in the latter year went to Indiana and began buying grain and shipping it east. After a tour of the Northwest Mr. Tifft settled in Buffalo in 1842 and formed a partnership with Dean Richmond in the milling busi- ness. In the next year he formed the firm of George W. Tifft & Co., which opened a branch of the Troy and Michigan Six-day Line transportation business. This he sold out in 1844 and dur- ing the next ten years he was largely interested in the milling business in Buffalo, in which he was very successful. He had by this time accumulated a considerable fortune. In 1854 he was instrumental in organizing the International Bank, of which he was president, and which failed in the crisis of 1857. About 1858 Mr. Tifft became largely interested in Buffalo real estate. In the year 1868 he built seventy-four dwellings, besides the Tifft House and an elevator; the latter he sold and subsequently erected the Tifft elevator at a cost of $700,000. He became owner of the celebrated Tifft farm, adjoining the city, and other valuable real estate. During the last twenty years of his life he gave most of his attention to the management of the Buffalo Engine Works, which carried on business under the style of George W. Tifft, Sons & Co. While a staunch Re- publican, Mr. Tifft never accepted political office: he was essentially a business man and one of the most active and prominent in Western New York. He died June 22, 1882.

' George Palmer was born in Tiverton, R. I., April 24, 1792, and settled in Buffalo in 1828, form- ing a partnership with Noah H. Gardner in the leather business. Foreseeing the future pro- gressive city, he purchased and improved much valuable real estate In 1849 he became actively interested in the construction of the State Line Railroad and was chosen president of the com- pany. In 1851 he was elected president of the Marine Bank and held the position until his death.

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GEORGE W. TIFFT.

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K. Smith, Rufus C. Palmer, John R. Lee, Lucius H. Pratt, Israel T. Hatch, George C. White, William O. Brown, Philip Byer, F. H. Tows, L. L. Hodges, Henry Martin, Gaius B. Rich, George W. Tifft, Nelson K. Hopkins, trustees; James L. Barton, secretary and treasurer. The building occupied by this bank, corner of Main and Court streets, was erected in 1872.

The Erie County Savings Bank was incorporated April 10, 1854, and began business on September 1, of the same year. It first occupied a small store owned by William C. White, corner of Main and North Division streets. The first officers were William A. Bird,' president; Gibson T. Williams,' first vice-president; S. V. R. Watson, second vice-president; Cyrus T. Lee, secretary and treasurer. In June, 1857, the bank was removed to the corner of Main and Erie streets; in 1867 a new building was completed on the corner of Court and Main streets, which was occupied until the splendid edifice on the corner of Niagara, Pearl and Church streets was finished and occupied.

By the year 1850 the rapid growth of the preceding five years and the very promising prospects for the future led to discussion of the sub- ject of increasing the area of the city. There was little opposition to the measure, but it did not assume definite shape until April, 1853, when a new charter was granted under the provisions of which the en- tire town of Black Rock, which had theretofore hemmed in the city on

He became interested in iron manufacture and established a large furnace, which was merged with a similar business projected by Warren & Thompson, to be known as the Union Iron Works. Mr. Palmer took a deep interest in every undertaking that promised to benefit Buffalo. He died September 19, 1864.

1 William A. Bird was born in Salisbury, Conn., March 23, 1796. The family removed to Troy, N. Y., and lived there a number of years and there his father died in 1806. After spending one year in Yale College he was employed in the boundary commission of which his uncle, Gen. Peter B. Porter, was the chief. In 1818 he took up his permanent home at Black Rock and was during the remainder of his life a foremost citizen of that place. With General Porter and Robert Mc- Pherson he built the first flouring mill at Lower Black Rock, and became a large landholder. He was also prominent in early railroad interests and altogether lived a busy and useful life.

2 Gibson T. Williams was born in Charlestown, N. H., January 15, 1813. After obtaining an academic education he began at the age of seventeen years clerking in a store in St. Albans, Vt. At the age of twenty he settled in Buffalo, where he served as clerk. In 1837, in company with Henry C. Atwater, he purchased the business of his employers, Kimberly & Waters, grocers and ship chandlers. Hecontinued in this business as a member of two or three firms until 1850, when he sold out. He subsequently became associated with Henry Roop in building and establishing the Niagara White Lead Company's factory, corner of Delaware and Virginia streets, and with Rufus Howard, built what became the Howard Iron Works. He was called to various positions of trust, among them president of the Young Men's Association, president of the Clinton Bank, vice-president of the Western Insurance Company, etc. He ultimately succeeded to the presi- dency of the Erie County Savings Bank.

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the landward side, was absorbed and the enlarged city divided into thirteen wards. This change gave the city an extent of about nine miles in length, north and south, and from three to five miles width. The city boundaries have not since been materially changed. Under the new charter the mayor, comptroller, treasurer, attorney, surveyor, street commissioner, superintendent of schools, and overseer of the poor were elected for two years; the mayor ceased to be a member of the Common Council and a presiding officer of that body was thereafter selected from the members. Eli Cook' was elected mayor in 1854, and assumed the duties of the office with far greater responsibilities than had fallen upon his predecessors.

On December 4, 1857, the last subdivision of Erie county was made in the formation of the town of Elma, which included a tract of about six miles square taken from Lancaster and Aurora. The first town meeting was held March 19, 1858.

The unprecedented prosperity of the country, in which Erie county had shared to a conspicuous degree, as outlined in foregoing pages, was brought to a sudden and disastrous termination in 1857. The tide of prosperity brought its own destruction; business of all kinds, public and private, had been greatly overdone; railroads and other great undertakings had been recklessly projected in all parts of the country; banks had multiplied and inflated the currency beyond necessity and prudence, and another financial crash ensued. The climax was reached when in the fall of 1857 the New York banks suspended specie pay- ment. The money market in Buffalo had been growing more and more stringent for several months, and it is believed that if the New York banks had postponed suspension a little longer, failures in this city would have been much more numerous than they were. As it was, many business men were forced to the wall and several banks failed, while real estate operations ceased and prices went down to a fraction of what they had been ; general business was paralyzed, and in the lan- guage of one of the oldest bankers of Buffalo, "It seemed as if the whole town was not worth a dollar."

But serious as was this crisis, it wrought far less injury in Erie county than the panic of 1836-7, and recovery was much more rapid. The

1 Eli Cook was a native of Montgomery county, N. Y., and settled in Buffalo in 1838. Previous to that date he had practiced law in Utica and had an excellent reputation as a criminal lawyer. Besides the office of mayor, he was elected district attorney of Erie county. His death took place February 25, 1865.

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same causes which, to a great extent, have always rendered Buffalo self-dependent, and to which reference has been made in these pages, -her advantageous situation in a commercial sense; her position as an important railroad center and the terminus of the Erie Canal: her enormous elevator interests; her accessibility as a market for surround- ing towns, and the fact that many of her business men had accumulated large means-all contributed to her ability to pass with comparative safety through such a crisis.

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE WAR PERIOD-1860 to 1870.

The Election of 1860-Bombardment of Fort Sumter-First and Second Calls for Troops-First War Meeting-The 21st Regiment-The 44th Regiment-The 10th Cavalry-The 11th Cavalry-The 12th Cavalry-The 14th Cavalry-The 16th Cav- alry-The 24th Cavalry-Wiedrich's Battery-The 27th Light Battery-The 23d Light Battery-The 2d Mounted Rifles-Committee on the Defense of the Union- The 49th Regiment-The 100th Regiment-The 116th Regiment-Draft and Boun- ties-The 155th Regiment-The 164th Regiment-Bounties-Draft of 1864-Issue of Bonds-Great Central Fair-Rumored Rebel Invasion from Canada-Lincoln's Re-election - The 187th Regiment - Bounties - Draft of 1865 - Summary of En- listments-Close of the War-First Street Railway-Change in Basis of Repre- sentation in Board of Supervisors-The Buffalo Historical Society-The Buffalo Fine Arts Academy-Seeming Prosperity After the War-Railroad Building -- Introduc- tion of Manufacturing Interests - Wholesale Mercantile Trade - Banks - The Grosvenor Library - The Young Men's Christian Association - Burning of the American Hotel-The Fenian Episode-Reorganization of the Buffalo Police De- partment-Buffalo Builders' Exchange-Political.

In the year 1860 the country passed through the most important presidential campaign since the formation of the Union. There were four national tickets in the field, headed respectively by Abraham Lincoln, John C. Breckinridge, John Bell, and Stephen A. Douglas. Of the 303 electoral votes, Lincoln received 180; Breckinridge, 72; Bell, 39; Douglas, 12. Breckinridge and Bell received very few votes in Erie county, and although Lincoln received a majority it was not a large one. Elbridge G. Spaulding was re-elected to Congress, and the

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other successful candidates from this county are named in the civil list in later pages of this volume.

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There was great rejoicing in the triumphant Republican party throughout the Northern States, but with it was mingled a swelling volume of dissatisfaction and rage which rolled up from the South and finally culminated in open rebellion and secession of the States. These demonstrations were looked upon at the North for some months as idle boasts and intimidating threats of the slave-holding people and, while suppressed excitement was apparent in every community, few yet believed that the misguided Southerners would resort to open warfare.

The Buffalo morning newspapers of April 15, 1861, were burdened with tidings of the bombardment of Fort Sumter on the 12th and 13th. Many are now living in Erie county who passed through the exciting scenes of the days that immediately followed. Business of all kinds, public and private, was largely neglected for the discussion of the por- tentous event. War was the sole topic of conversation; but even yet it was thought by most men of intelligence and judgment that the moment the strong arm of the government was uplifted against the offenders they would abandon their treasonable outbreak and submit to national authority. Many months elapsed, blood was shed in the border States, and millions of treasure were expended before even the highest government officials realized that a long and desolating war had begun.

On the 15th of April, the day of the evacuation of Fort Sumter, President Lincoln issued a proclamation calling for 75,000 militia for three months' service. This call was in itself sufficient evidence of the general belief in Washington that the war would prove to be only a summer-long conflict. The quota of New York State under this call was 13,280, and it was more than filled. On the 3d of May another call for troops was issued, under which and acts approved July 22 and 25, 500,000 men were required. No sooner was the first call for troops made public than Erie county, and particularly Buffalo city, was in a fever of martial enthusiasm. Flags leaped from a thousand windows and the stirring music of fife and drum was abroad in the streets. A meeting was called at the old court house for the evening of the 15th to organize what was then termed a body of minute men for immediate service. At an early hour a crowd assembled, and Eli Cook was chosen chairman of the meeting. He made an impassioned speech, before the close of which such a crowd had gathered that an

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Our County and Its People: A Descriptive Work on Erie County, New York (Volume 1), Part 44

Author: Truman C. White Publication date: 1898 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1017

Author: Truman C. White
Publication date: 1898
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1017