Search results
Nov 14, 2023 · The city of Buffalo, in Western New York, has a few mysterious and interesting theories about where the name “Buffalo” comes from. It is said that the city of Buffalo got its name from the creek that it is built around. But the question is, then, why was the creek named Buffalo? How did the creek become known as Buffalo Creek?
- Overview
- History
- The contemporary city
Buffalo, city and port, seat (1821) of Erie county, western New York, U.S. It is located where the eastern end of Lake Erie narrows into the Niagara River. New York’s second largest city, it is the metropolis of a large urban complex that includes the cities of Lackawanna, Lockport, Niagara Falls, and Tonawanda–North Tonawanda, as well as the towns...
Buffalo’s site, at the natural junction of east-west transportation routes from the Hudson-Mohawk river valleys to the Great Lakes basin, was visited by early French trappers and Jesuit missionaries. It was there on the banks of the Niagara River that the explorer René-Robert Cavelier, sieur (lord) de La Salle, built his ship the Griffon in 1679. A French trading post under Chabert Joncaire was established in 1758 but was abandoned the following year after it was burned by the British. Seneca Indians under British protection settled the area in 1780. The town was laid out in 1803–04 by Joseph Ellicott of the Holland Land Company. Named New Amsterdam (but popularly called Buffalo), it had a population of about 1,500 at the time of the War of 1812 and became the American military headquarters for operations on the Niagara frontier. It was again burned by the British in 1813 but was rebuilt and incorporated as the village of Buffalo in 1816. The origin of the place-name is in dispute, as buffalo (bison) did not inhabit the area; it may reflect a mispronunciation of the French beau fleuve (“beautiful river”), in reference to the local Buffalo Creek.
The first steamboat on the upper Great Lakes, Walk-on-the-Water, was built at Buffalo in 1818. The completion of the Erie Canal in 1825 brought a tremendous economic boom to the community, attracting immigrants and boosting its population to some 10,000 at the time of its incorporation as a city in 1832. Trade with the expanding West grew rapidly during the American Civil War period. Railroads, attracted by existing markets and trade routes, converged on the city. Shipyards, iron and steel mills, meat-packing plants, flour mills, and railroad car industries developed. The harnessing of Niagara waterpower in the 1890s further stimulated the growth of highly diversified industry.
The chief manufactures include auto parts, chemicals, plastics, medical supplies, machine tools, pharmaceuticals, and wood products. However, services (notably those related to trade and government employment) constitute the largest share of the city’s economy. Buffalo is a major port of the St. Lawrence Seaway; it is the terminus of the New York State Canal System and is a major rail centre and highway crossroads. As the main U.S. gateway to the Toronto-Hamilton industrial region of Ontario, it processes a large percentage of trade between the United States and Canada. The international Peace Bridge to Fort Erie, Ontario, was opened in 1927 as a memorial to 100 years of peaceful relations between the United States and Canada.
The State University of New York at Buffalo (University at Buffalo) was founded in 1846, and the State University College at Buffalo (Buffalo State College) originated in 1867. Colleges in the city and suburbs include Canisius (1870), Medaille (1875; chartered 1937), D’Youville (1908), Erie Community (1946), Daemen (1947), Trocaire (1958), and Villa Maria (1960). Buffalo is also an established centre for medical research. Cultural institutions include the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, the Buffalo Museum of Science, Kleinhans Music Hall (home of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra), Shea’s Performing Arts Center (in a renovated theatre built in 1926), and Studio Arena (a professional theatre founded in 1965).
Are you a student? Get Britannica Premium for only 24.95 - a 67% discount!
Learn More
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
People also ask
Where is Buffalo NY located?
Is Buffalo a city?
What is Buffalo known for?
What was downtown Buffalo like in 1973?
Buffalo is a city in the U.S. state of New York and the county seat of Erie County. It lies in Western New York, at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, on the United States border with Canada.
Feb 29, 2024 · Looking for the best things to do in New York City? Plan your trip with these expert tips for iconic attractions, including the Statue of Liberty, Broadway and more.
- Jessica Colley Clarke
The Boroughs of New York City are the five major governmental districts that compose New York City. The boroughs are the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. Each borough is coextensive with a respective county of the State of New York: The Bronx is Bronx County, Brooklyn is Kings County, Manhattan is New York County, Queens ...
Things to Do in Buffalo, NY - Buffalo Attractions. Explore popular experiences. See what other travelers like to do, based on ratings and number of bookings. See All. Fun & Games (9) Self-guided Tours (11) Points of Interest & Landmarks (22) Day Trips (5) Historical Tours (8) History Museums (9) Half-day Tours (5) Walking Tours (6)
Jul 24, 2021 · Located in the western corner of New York along the shores of Lake Erie, you’ll find the state’s second-largest city: Buffalo. After coming to prominence thanks to the Erie Canal, the city is now a great place for visitors because of the many fun and unique things to do in Buffalo, NY.
