Our County and Its People: A Descriptive Work on Erie County, New York (Volume 1), Part 47

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 47

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The Buffalo Fine Arts Academy was organized November 11, 1862, and was incorporated on December 4 of that year. The objects of the institution were to establish and maintain a permanent gallery for the exhibition of painting and sculpture and the promotion of the arts in the city and county. These purposes have been adequately subserved, and local artists and art-lovers have been materially aided through the efforts of the academy.1

The Buffalo Catholic Institute was organized October 1, 1866, under the name, German Catholic Young Men's Association. It was reor- ganized with broader scope on the 15th of December, 1870, as the Buffalo Catholic Institute, and incorporated May 23, 1872.'

Notwithstanding the enormous cost of the war-a financial drain that extended to every hamlet in the land-there was seeming prosperity throughout the North during several years after the close of the con- flict. The great demands of the government for war materials, which had for five years promoted many industries and afforded various ave- nues for speculation and wealth gaining, and the abundance of money which had poured from the national treasury in payment for supplies and to the vast armies whose rank and file seldom hoarded it, with the high prices ruling for all products incident to the inflated currency, were all influential causes in inaugurating a brief era of prosperity such as the country had not before experienced. Erie county advanced with the general tide. The five years between the surrender at Appomattox and 1870 were prolific in new private business projects and the inaugu- ration of public improvements. Lake commerce, while it fluctuated

1890 and 1892; Joseph C. Greene, M. D., 1891; Julius H. Dawes. 1803; Andrew Langdon, 1894 to present time.

1 The Art Students' League was founded in 1885 under the name of the Students' Art Club. The success of this organization led to its acceptance, by request, of the full control of the art school connected with the Fine Arts Academy, and organization under the title, Art Students' League of Buffalo, January 1, 1892. Rooms were occupied in the Buffalo Library building until the fall of 1895; it is hoped that ere long the League may have a home in a building devoted wholly to art. It is now under a board of control, with an advisory committee from the Fine Arts Academy.

" The first officers of the organization were Charles V. Fornes, president ; Joseph Krumholz, vice-president ; Peter Paul, financial secretary ; J. Louis Jacobs, jr., recording secretary ; Jacob A. Gittere, treasurer : these with Joseph A. Dingens, Frank Weppner, Ferdinand J. Reister, Mat- thew Byrne, Christian Krause, William H. Bork, Jacob Korzelius, John Devlin and Peter Young, constituted the board of managers. The principal objects of the Institute were the establishment of a library and reading rooms and the procuring of lectures and other entertainments. The library contains about 6,000 volumes. For many years the Institute has occupied quarters on the corner of Main and Chippewa streets. In October, 1897, work was commenced on its new build- ing, to cost about $65,000, on Main street corner of Virginia.

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without showing decided increase during the five years under considera- tion, advanced with rapid stride before the stringency of 1873-4, which is noticed in the next chapter. For example, the receipts of wheat by lake in 1860 were 18,502,649 bushels; in each of the three succeeding years there was a large increase, while the year 1865 showed a con- siderable falling off; but in 1870 the receipts were 20, 136,166 bushels, and in 1873, 26,653,243. Local commerce was proportionately active in other branches, as shown by statistics in the next chapter. No less than thirteen new elevators were built between 1860 and 1865; two or three others were added before 1870 and several of the former ones were rebuilt with greater capacity. A marked change, however, in business and industrial efforts was at hand.

In connection with the prosperity of this period, railroad building on lines in which Buffalo and Erie county were directly interested, was prosecuted with unprecedented vigor. Even before peace was estab- lished preparations were made for a renewal of railroad construction, which the war had substantially interrupted. On the 10th of Decem- ber the engineer, William Wallace, projected a railroad line from Buf- falo to Olean and thence to the Allegany River, and obtained a sub- scription from six leading citizens of Olean to the stock of the Buffalo and Washington Railroad Company. On the 4th of February, 1865, the company was organized and on the 14th of April it was consoli- dated with the Buffalo and Allegany Railroad Company (noticed in the preceding chapter), and with the Sinnemahoning and Portage Company, the whole taking the name of the Buffalo and Washington; this name was soon changed to the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia. By an act of the Legislature of April 4, 1866, the city of Buffalo was author- ized to borrow $200,000 and loan it to this company. The company selected substantially the line of the old Buffalo and Allegany line through Erie county and slowly carried forward the work of construc- tion; it was not until December, 1867, that the road was completed to East Aurora, where it made a long halt. The next stage of construc- tion was to South Wales, five miles farther, where there was another stop until the latter part of 1870. In July, 1872, the road was opened to Olean and on the 1st of January, 1873, to its terminus at Empo- rium, Pa.

The Canada Southern Railroad Company, chartered February 28, 1868, began construction soon afterward and the line was opened for

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traffic November 15, 1873. It extended from the Niagara River to Amherstburg, Ont., near the mouth of the Detroit River.1

A railroad company was organized under the auspices of the Erie Company in October, 1868, for the construction of a line from Buffalo to Suspension Bridge. The road was finished in December, 1870, under the name of the Suspension Bridge and Erie Junction Railroad, but was immediately leased to the Erie and is now known as the Niagara Falls branch of that road.' These various lines of railroad communication all contributed to the prosperity of Buffalo and indirectly, at least, to other parts of the county, by providing farmers and country merchants and mechanics with means of easier and more rapid transportation to market. At the same time the railroads that were rapidly reaching out to the far west diverted lake passenger traffic to a considerable extent and began making serious inroads upon freight business. Buffalo was particularly sensitive to these changes. During the years prior to about 1855 Buffalo was essentially a maritime city; she sat at the foot of the lakes, secure in her commercial position, and placid in the belief that energy and enterprise in other directions, and particu- larly in manufactures, were almost unnecessary to her future growth and permanent prosperity. The financial revulsion of 1857 and gradual changes brought about by the lapse of time dispelled this illusion and awakened the citizens of the city to the situation, and men of means and foresight soon began to study the advantages of their locality for manufacturing; while not losing faith in the commercial supremacy of the city, they began to realize that permanent industrial interests were needed to tide over trade fluctuations and the regular intermissions of winter in lake and canal operations. It was these conditions that led, just before the war broke out, to the organization of the Association for the Encouragement of Manufactures in the City of Buffalo. While this association did not have a long existence, it did accomplish some- thing by a system of extensive advertising of Buffalo and its numerous advantages; thousands of circulars were sent out containing statements that real estate in the city was cheap, living economical, rents low ;

1 In 1878 this road passed to the ownership of a new organization in the interest of the New York Central Company, which guarantied the interest on its bonds. In 1882 it was leased to the Michigan Central Company.

'The New York and Erie Railroad Company was reorganized as the Erie Railroad Company in June, 1861, after the line had been two years in the hands of a receiver. In May, 1865, the road again went into the hands of a receiver, and in June, 1878, passed to control of a new organization with the title, New York, Lake Erie and Western.

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that there were then fifty-two miles of pavement, forty-eight miles of sewerage, 260 miles of street, an ample supply of pure water, and that the city was surrounded by an extensive tract that was admirably adapted to market gardening.

All of this sentiment and agitation led to the gradual introduction of a large manufacturing interest in Buffalo, which has ever since been on the increase. The establishment of such industries as the Buffalo Steam Engine Works, the Howard Iron Works, the King Iron Works (founded as the Shepard Iron Works), the Eagle Iron Works, the De Laney Forge and Iron Company, the Buffalo Car Wheel Works, the establishment of Farrar & Trefts, the Union Iron Company, the Harris Iron Works, and others of less note in this line; the founding of a large furniture industry and a considerable business in tanning and leather manufacture, all within the period under consideration and prior to 1870, is an indication of the tendency at that time among men of means and energy.

The wholesale mercantile trade, also, gained considerable impetus from about the close of the war to 1870. Previous to the war the city had made little progress in this direction. The old dry goods firm of Barnes, Bancroft & Co., from which is descended the present house of the William Hengerer Co .; the large house of Adam, Meldrum & Anderson, founded in 1867, and the large house of J. N. Adam & Co., soon became prominent in wholesale trade. Charles E. Walbridge began a business in 1869 in hardware, stoves and house furnishing goods, which soon branched into wholesale trade. Philip Becker began wholesaling groceries in 1854; and Miller, Greiner & Co. and Powell & Plimpton were early in the same line of wholesale trade. In crock- ery, boots and shoes, liquors, hats and caps, as well as other branches of trade that need not be mentioned, beginning was made at the time under consideration.

The Third National Bank was organized February 14, 1865, with capital of $250,000, and began business in the following month. The first president was A. T. Blackmar, who was succeeded in 1869 by Abraham Altman. The first board of directors was composed of A. T. Blackmar, Robert G. Stewart, Thomas Chester, Abraham Altman, Henry Cone, Horace Utley, D. H. Winans, Nathan C. Simons and Edson G. Shoemaker. The first cashier was Elisha T. Smith. The capital of this bank was subsequently increased to $500,000.

The National Savings Bank was organized in 1867 with the following 52

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officials: President, Stephen G. Austin; vice-president, Daniel C. Beard; secretary and treasurer, Edward S. Dann; attorney, A. L. Baker; trustees, Stephen G. Austin, Myron P. Bush, Seth Clark, Erastus Scoville, Peter Rechtenwalt, Laurens Enos, Frederick W. Breed, Peter J. Ferris, Jacob Weppner, Charles E. Young, Joseph Churchyard, John S. Fosdick, William H. H. Newman, George Zim- merman, George W. Tifft, Clifford A. Baker, Daniel C. Beard, George Pugeot, Hugh Webster, Peter Emslie, George Jones, Reuben G. Snow, James E. Ford, James D. Sawyer, James Miller, James A. Chase, Michael Lettau and Philo A. Balcom. This bank passed out of ex- istence by failure through the criminal action of the secretary and treasurer in the summer of 1892.

Two institutions that have been the source of untold benefit were founded in Buffalo between 1850 and 1860, one of them due wholly to the generosity and kind remembrance of a former citizen for the city in which he long resided. This is the Grosvenor Library. In 1857 Seth Grosvenor, then living in New York, made a bequest of which the following is a transcript:

I give to the Mayor, Aldermen and Commonalty of the city of Buffalo, in the county of Erie, to be paid in assets in the same way at the risk of collection by said city, and to be paid in two years after my decease, with interest, $40,000; $10,000 of which to be appropriated to the purchase of a lot and building thereon (unless the city of Buffalo shall give a lot for that purpose) in which case the whole $10,000 are to be expended on the building, which is intended for a public library, and the remainder, $30,000, to be invested forever and its income to be used in the purchase of books, to be always kept open for the use of the public; the books not to be lent out nor rented, and only used for reading in the building, etc.

One provision of the bequest was that the city should appropriate a sufficient sum annually to pay the current expenses of the library ; and under these conditions the city accepted the bequest and the fund was paid over in 1865. Suitable rooms were secured for the library in the Buffalo Savings Bank building, and the library was gathered and opened to the public in 1870. The first Board of Trustees were O. H. Marshall, George R. Babcock and Joseph G. Masten. The city ap- propriated $4,000 a year for expenses. In the course of time a consid- erable building fund was accumulated and in 1891 the trustees took steps to erect the present beautiful and convenient library building, on the corner of Franklin and Edward streets. The library contains over 40,000 volumes, and has within the present year (1897) passed under control of the city, as explained in another chapter.

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The other institution alluded to is the Young Men's Christian Asso- ciation, which, while it had its inception as early as 1852, did not attain much success until 1868. It was organized under the name Young Men's Christian Union and was incorporated on the 10th of March, 1853. It first occupied quarters in the building of the Young Men's Association and in 1853 moved into Odeon Hall, in which was held in June, 1854, the first annual convention of the Young Men's Christian Association of the United States and British provinces. Kremlin Hall was taken in June, 1855, but between that date and 1859 the Union became involved in financial embarrassment, and was forced to sell much of its furniture and move into less expensive quarters; these were found in the Arcade building. Then the Union labored under discouraging circumstances until 1868, when new life was infused into it, the membership was largely increased, and in the next year a removal was made to rooms over 302 Main street and the name of the organization changed to its present title. In 1875 the association moved again to more commodious rooms over 345 Main street. During this period and the few succeeding years a large build- ing fund was accumulated. In 1878 the eighth removal was made to the old court house. On the 8th of September, 1882, the corner stone was laid of the large and handsome building now occupied by the association and owned by it, at the junction of Genesee, Pearl and Mohawk streets, and it was finished in 1884 at a cost of about $80, 000; the lot cost $20,000.

On the 25th of January, 1865, amid the snow and ice of midwinter, the American Hotel was burned to the ground, causing not only a large financial loss, but also the death of three prominent young men of the city, who belonged to the fire department and were bravely discharging their duty. These were James H. Sidway, George H. Tifft, and Will- iam H. Gillett. Their death was deeply mourned by the city at large.

At about the time of this sad event the organization of so-called Fenians had assumed importance throughout the State, and in the sub. sequent attempt to invade Canada, Buffalo was the theater of exciting warlike scenes. Fenian soldiers began to arrive in the city during the last days of May and the early part of June, and soon there were about 1,000 quartered in the place. This movement, particularly in its early operations, received only ridicule from the public; but the presence in Buffalo of so many strangers and the circulation of various sanguinary rumors, created considerable excitement. About midnight of the 31st

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of May, 1866, squads of the invaders marched through the streets towards Black Rock and on northward to a convenient point whence they crossed to Canada on canal boats towed by tugs. The United States authorities adopted prompt measures to prevent transportation of men and arms across the river. At 6 o'clock A. M., June 1, the steamer Michigan passed down the river and took a position opposite the Clinton Mills; but she was too late to prevent the crossing above mentioned. Two armed tugs were now placed in the harbor as a pa- trol. During the day of the 1st a steady tide of travel turned towards Black Rock and hundreds of people gathered on the river bank. In the evening a Fenian meeting was held in the Opera House. On the 2d General Grant arrived in the city and placed Gen. William F. Barry in command of the frontier, with authority to call out the National Guard if necessary to keep the peace. A detachment of the Regular Army was ordered to Fort Porter from Sackett's Harbor. Of the ex- periences of the force of Fenians that crossed from this point the de- tails are well known. An engagement was fought at Ridgway on June 2, which resulted in the defeat of the invaders. In the mean time large numbers of Fenians continued to arrive in the city, and attempts were made during the night after the battle to reinforce General O'Neil, in command of the invaders; but the boats were met by orders to re- turn with the reinforcements and then proceed to Fort Erie for the purpose of transporting the defeated Fenians to Buffalo. This was at- tempted, but when the boats were midway in the river they encoun- tered the propellor Harrison and were ordered to surrender; the order was obeyed and the boats were taken under the guns of the Michigan. Something more than 500 were captured. This substantially ended the invasion, but it did not quell the excitement in Buffalo. Train loads of Fenians continued to arrive and threats of further operations were freely made. On the 4th a detachment of artillery arrived from Fort Hamilton and was quartered at Fort Porter. On the 5th the militia captured several wagons loaded with arms, which had arrived by ex- press. On the 6th orders were made public, bearing the signature of the attorney-general of the United States, for the arrest of all persons supposed to be connected with the Fenians. But notwithstanding these depressing circumstances, the chief Fenian officers gave bail on the 7th before Judge Clinton, and on the 12th orders were given for all Fenians to return to their homes. The war was over.

A reorganization of the police force of the city of Buffalo was effected

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under a law passed by the Legislature April 10, 1866. This law au- thorized the creation of what was known as the Niagara Frontier Police District, which included Buffalo, Tonawanda, and also Wheatfield, in Niagara county. The new organization was under control of a board of commissioners, and consisted of a superintendent, captains, detect- ives, etc., and 105 patrolmen; the latter number was increased a little later to 120; of these the quota of Buffalo was limited to not more than 115. The new force went on duty May 7, 1866. The first Board of Commissioners consisted of James Adams, Obadiah J. Green and Jonathan S. Buell. David S. Reynolds was chosen superintendent. Four captains were appointed, one for each of the four precincts then in existence. The first Board of Commissioners were all Republicans, but in 1870 there was a change and a new board was appointed con- sisting of three Democrats-Robert H. Best, Harmon S. Cutting and Ralph Courter.'

An organization, which in recent years has exerted considerable in- fluence in Buffalo in certain directions, had its inception in 1867. In February of that year twenty-two firms responded to a call issued by Joseph Churchyard and formed a Builders' Exchange. Its chief pur- poses were to bring builders into closer relations, modify the bitterness

1 After an existence of about five years this police system showed signs of weakness and a change was demanded. A new law was accordingly passed, April 26, 1871, cutting off the out- lying district and creating the Buffalo City Police Department. The act was amended in 1872, 1878, and 1874. It made the mayor police commissioner ex officio, and gave him the power, with approval of the Council, to appoint two commissioners of police. Alexander Brush was then mayor, and he appointed John Pierce and Jacob Beyer commissioners. Col. John Byrne was ap- pointed chief of police in 1872, and his successors have been W. A. Phillips, from May, 1879, to January, 1880; William J. Wolfe, appointed January 14, 1880. In this year the police department was reorganized, its control being vested in the mayor, president ex officio, a police commissioner, and the superintendent. The commissioner was appointed by the mayor with consent of the Council, and the mayor and this commissioner appointed the superintendent; the commissioner was ap- pointed for four years and the superintendent for five years. At that time there were eight pre- cincts. In May, 1883, the act reorganizing the department was amended, the superintendent being thereby deprived of his previous official capacity as both commissioner and superintend- ent, and the mayor being given power to appoint two commissioners of police, one from each

political party. The board, as thus constituted, had the power to appoint a superintendent, and the law divided the city into ten precincts. Mr. Wolfe, whose appointment as superintendent has been mentioned, resigned in 1882 and James M. Shepard was appointed; in 1883 he was suc- ceeded by Thomas Curtin, who was given an assistant, William A. Phillips, the first to hold that office. In 1884 Mr. Phillips was appointed superintendent, and was succeeded by Martin Moran; the latter was succeeded in 1890 by Daniel Morganstern; June 1, 1803, George Chambers was ap- pointed, and was succeeded March 5, 1804, by the present incumbent, William S. Bull. The police department of Buffalo at the present time comprises thirteen precincts, with a station house and captain in each, thirty nine sergeants, thirty-nine doormen, fifteen detective sergeants, 509 pa- trolmen, with various other officials connected with the department in the capacity of clerks, telegraph operators, engineers, electricians, etc. The police headquarters building was erected in 1884.

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of business rivalry, and communicate trade knowledge alike to all mem- bers. The Exchange had a precarious existence for many years, but is now a recognized force in the community.'

In the fall of 1865, the closing year of the war, the Republicans at last gained the ascendency in Erie county, David S. Bennett being elected State senator. This change was effected largely by the influ- ences attending the triumph of the Union arms. In the next year, however, while the Republicans carried the State, re-electing Reuben E. Fenton governor by nearly 15,000 majority, the Democrats re-elected their congressman in this district and carried the county. At this time Erie county became entitled to five assemblymen.

A constitutional convention was held in this State in 1867, which made a few changes materially affecting each county. The term of the senatorial office was extended to four years; the Assembly was increased to 139 members, Erie county having five, as shown in the civil list herein; the Court of Appeals was organized with a chief jus- tice and six associates, and Supreme Court judges were to be elected by the people for fourteen years. Excepting the portion relating to the judiciary, this constitution was rejected by the people to whom it was submitted in 1869.

At the election of 1868 the Democrats of the State elected their can- didate for governor, John T. Hoffman, and re-elected him in 1870. But Erie county again in 1868 went over to the Republicans, the Grant electoral ticket having. a majority of about 2,000; David S. Bennett was elected to Congress. In 1870 the Democrats rallied and captured all the prizes. William Williams was elected to Congress and Grover Cleveland began his long and triumphant political career by election as sheriff. For several years at about this period Erie county was very evenly balanced in the political scale.

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Our County and Its People: A Descriptive Work on Erie County, New York (Volume 1), Part 47

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

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