Session 4: Saturday 9am September 30, 2023 meet at Erie Basin Marina
Canalside
Canalside at Night
The City of Buffalo began as a small village located at the nexus of the Buffalo River and Lake Erie. This natural harbor eventually became home to the historic western terminus one of our country's greatest engineering achievements, the Erie Canal. The opening of the canal is considered to be the principal driver behind Buffalo’s explosive growth in the mid-to-late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Construction of the Erie Canal in 1825 established an all-water passage from the Great Lakes through Buffalo to the port of New York City and the world, transforming Buffalo from a frontier village into a thriving commercial and industrial metropolis. At the canal's western terminus, Buffalo grew as the portal of transshipment to and from the American Midwest, transferring goods and passengers between canal boats and lake ships. At the eastern end New York grew to become the continent's financial and commercial center.
For most of the 19th century, Buffalo's canal district stood at the center of the city's growth and development, the fulcrum between canal and lake. Commercial Slip and Central Wharf were key locations within the canal district. Influenced by the flow of goods, people, and ideas, a port culture emerged among the Slips, wharves, grain elevators, warehouses, businesses, saloons, shops, residences, and hotels of the canal district. This port culture was instrumental in shaping the character of Buffalo. In the late 19th century, railroads became increasingly dominant, supplanting the canal in their economic importance to the city.
Construction of the Erie Canal in 1825 established an all-water passage from the Great Lakes through Buffalo to the port of New York City and the world, transforming Buffalo from a frontier village into a thriving commercial and industrial metropolis. At the canal's western terminus, Buffalo grew as the portal of transshipment to and from the American Midwest, transferring goods and passengers between canal boats and lake ships. At the eastern end New York grew to become the continent's financial and commercial center.
For most of the 19th century, Buffalo's canal district stood at the center of the city's growth and development, the fulcrum between canal and lake. Commercial Slip and Central Wharf were key locations within the canal district. Influenced by the flow of goods, people, and ideas, a port culture emerged among the Slips, wharves, grain elevators, warehouses, businesses, saloons, shops, residences, and hotels of the canal district. This port culture was instrumental in shaping the character of Buffalo. In the late 19th century, railroads became increasingly dominant, supplanting the canal in their economic importance to the city.
New York Heritage: The Wickedest Street in the World
Buffalo News: Before There Was Canalside
Buffalo News: Erie Canal Opens in 1825
Buffalo News: The Coit House 200 Later
Buffalo News: Possible Spaulding Exchange (Aud Site) Canalside Development
Buffalo News Galleries: Canalside Now and Then
Buffalo News: Canalside Mixed Use Development
Buffalo News Galleries: Erie Canal Opens of the Season
C-Span Erie Canal and Buffalo, NY
WGRZ: Missing Birthplace of the Grain Elevator Marker
Erie Basin Marina
View of Erie Basin Marina from Observation Tower
One of the most beautiful places in the City is the Erie Basin Marina. The combination of a waterfront path, private marina, public park, waterfront observation tower, restaurant and ice cream shop make the Marina an ideal location to spend all or part of a summer day. It addition to these amenities, the Marina is a stunning location where the Buffalo River and Lake Erie meet. Summer welcomes the return of the Marina’s glorious garden featuring a variety of flowers and an award winning rose garden. Any warm day will find boaters, kayaks, runners, families and people watchers enjoying the natural beauty of the water and fantastic city views. This public space truly is a treasure of Buffalo.
Lower Lakes Marine Historical Society (Buffalo Harbor Museum)
Lower Lakes Marine Historical Society
The Lower Lakes Marine Historical Society has been established to increase and diffuse knowledge and appreciation of maritime history, art and science and in particular as related to the City of Buffalo and the Niagara Frontier.
To that end, the Lower Lakes Marine Historical Society has established a maritime museum to collect, preserve and display objects of historic, artistic and scientific interest. Open to the public, the museum exhibits provide an overview to the history and development of the waterfront while relating artifacts and photographs to the trade and industry that made Buffalo the port of commerce. A research library is maintained by the museum and is open to the public along with regular meetings that feature guest speakers who discuss topics of maritime interest.
The museum publishes a bimonthly newsletter that details recent maritime activity in and around the Harbor of Buffalo, and features historical articles about significant harbor events,and people and ships that have had a significant role in the City's rich maritime past.
Two books about the development of the Buffalo Harbor were published by the Lower Lakes Marine Historical Society, most recently in 2011 that is becoming the definitive guide to Buffalo's Inner and Outer Harbor, the Erie Basin, and the Black Rock Canal.
To that end, the Lower Lakes Marine Historical Society has established a maritime museum to collect, preserve and display objects of historic, artistic and scientific interest. Open to the public, the museum exhibits provide an overview to the history and development of the waterfront while relating artifacts and photographs to the trade and industry that made Buffalo the port of commerce. A research library is maintained by the museum and is open to the public along with regular meetings that feature guest speakers who discuss topics of maritime interest.
The museum publishes a bimonthly newsletter that details recent maritime activity in and around the Harbor of Buffalo, and features historical articles about significant harbor events,and people and ships that have had a significant role in the City's rich maritime past.
Two books about the development of the Buffalo Harbor were published by the Lower Lakes Marine Historical Society, most recently in 2011 that is becoming the definitive guide to Buffalo's Inner and Outer Harbor, the Erie Basin, and the Black Rock Canal.
Session Objectives
Canalside:
- Explore resources related to the Erie Canal Western Terminus, Lower Lakes Marine Historical Society and Erie Basin Marina.
- Create “Text Based Projects” aligned with the NYS Social Studies Standards & the CCLS to use as assessments with students.
- Use the http://btcwaterfronthistory.weebly.com/index.html website to facilitate classroom discussions