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120-724: The Niagara Frontier is part of the region known as Western New York State. The Niagara Frontier also forms the eastern part of the Great Lakes North Coast. Its southeastern boundary forms what is known as ski country , as it includes the northernmost area of the Appalachian Mountain foothills. The National Weather Service office in Buffalo, New York defines the Niagara Frontier as the following: Other, less common, definitions may include

240-610: A humid continental climate heavily influenced by both Lake Erie and Lake Ontario . Winters are long and cold, often lasting from around mid-November to early April. There are often snows before and after that period, as well. Western New York is known for its lake effect snows, which can result in highly localized, sometimes intense and even historic snow events. Lake effect storms are a result of cold air picking up water vapor as it blows over warm lake waters. Lake effect snows are usually most active between November and February and typically diminish when Lake Erie freezes over. Generally,

360-620: A 12-mile-wide (19 km) strip along the east side of the lands acquired from Massachusetts, from the Pennsylvania border to Lake Ontario. This later became known as the Morris Reserve. At the north end of the Morris Reserve, Morris sold a 87,000-acre (350 km ) triangular-shaped tract to Herman Leroy, William Bayard, and John McEvers. This was nicknamed the Triangle Tract. A 100,000-acre (400 km ) tract due west of

480-719: A Friday fish fry special. The fish fry retains particular popularity during Lent , when Catholics are still barred from eating meat on Friday. Italian-American food is a specialty in western New York. Most towns in the region have pizzerias. The Texas hot , introduced by Greek immigrants in the 1920s, has a strong following in the region, and several hot dog stands offer the dish. Longstanding Texas hot stands include Ted's Hot Dogs in Buffalo (1927), Rigas Texas Hot in Wellsville (1921), and Johnny's Lunch in Jamestown (1936;

600-506: A Great Lakes/Interior Northeastern area, with a dose of Appalachia in the Southern Tier , an overlapping region of the state. Buffalo appears to have similarities to other Great Lakes cities/areas, while having Northeastern proclivities. The similarities with Chicago and Milwaukee run the list from sharing a common industrial base traditionally built around steel and automobile manufacturing. The cities were both developed during

720-503: A daily rural route between Buffalo and various locations in Pennsylvania; New York Trailways also serves Buffalo and Rochester, connecting to various locations, as does Greyhound Bus Lines . One discount " Chinatown service " operates in Western New York; Ocean Travel runs an overnight express service between Buffalo, Rochester and New York City. In its early history, Western New York was settled by native cultures including

840-583: A decentralized political and diplomatic Iroquois Confederacy . Allied as one of the most powerful Indian confederacies during colonial times, the Iroquois prevented most European colonization west of the middle of the Mohawk Valley and in the Finger Lakes region for nearly two centuries after first contact. During the colonial era , some smaller tribes moved into the Finger Lakes region, seeking

960-524: A grist mill to grind their maize which would relieve the women of the grinding work. The Indians asked how much land was needed for a grist mill, and Phelps suggested a huge section of land west of the Genesee River, much larger than actually required, extending west from the river 12 miles (19 km), running south from Lake Ontario approximately 24 miles (39 km), and totaling about 288 square miles (750 km ). The section stretches from near

1080-541: A land area of 11,764 square miles (30,470 km ). They include the area of the Holland Purchase and the Phelps and Gorham Purchase . The area is primarily served by Buffalo and Rochester media markets , although there is considerable overlap between these two markets, as well as other American and Canadian media markets (particularly from nearby Toronto ). In terms of the combined statistical areas used by

1200-471: A man of high reputation, to perform the survey. During his original survey for Phelps and Gorham, Maxwell was assisted by Augustus Porter and other surveyors. Maxwell and his assistants started a preliminary survey on June 13, 1788, from the 82-mile stone on the Pennsylvania Line. The trial survey reached Seneca Lake. The actual survey was started on July 25, 1788, and when the surveyors reached

1320-756: A serious error when he ignored the variance between magnetic north and true north . A survey team that Benjamin Ellicott headed found in November–December 1792 that the preemption line ran through Seneca Lake and north along a line to Lake Ontario near the center of Sodus Bay, about four miles west of the line surveyed by Maxwell. The line now divides the city of Geneva and the Town of Waterloo in Border City. The old preemption line reached Lake Ontario, three miles west of Sodus Bay. The new line terminated near

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1440-455: A vast quantity of vegetables of every kind". These actions denied both the Iroquois and the British the food needed to sustain their war effort. The formerly self-sufficient Iroquois fled as refugees, gathering at Fort Niagara to seek food from the British. Weakened by their ordeal and famine, thousands of Iroquois died of starvation and disease. Their warriors no longer were a major factor in

1560-671: A year-round destination with numerous festivals. At their peak in the 1960s, over a dozen ski resorts were in Western New York, most of them in Cattaraugus County. Holland Purchase The Phelps and Gorham Purchase was the sale, in 1788, of a portion of a large tract of land in western New York State owned by the Seneca nation of the Iroquois Confederacy to a syndicate of land developers led by Oliver Phelps and Nathaniel Gorham . The larger tract of land

1680-530: Is "The City of Light". Buffalo experienced steady growth during the 19th century and at one point was one of the 10 most populated cities in the United States. According to some, Rochester was "America's First Boomtown" and was a key player in the flour industry (hence its initial nickname "Flour City"). Its growth was attributed to both the completion of the Erie Canal and its resulting significance in

1800-571: Is generally known as the "Genesee tract" and roughly encompasses all that portion of New York State west of Seneca Lake , consisting of about 6,000,000 acres (24,000 km ). According to the Treaty of Hartford (1786) , it was agreed that the Genesee tract was owned by the Senecas, was a part of and under the jurisdiction of New York State, and that Massachusetts had the preemptive right to purchase

1920-483: Is its largest urban center. Letchworth State Park is a major geographical feature. The fourth region is that of the western Finger Lakes Region composed of parts of Seneca, Steuben, Schuyler, and Chemung counties. While parts of the Finger Lakes are considered within Western New York (as either a region or quadrant) the eastern portions are typically considered a part of Central New York. The Genesee region and Western Finger Lakes region are often combined and described as

2040-403: Is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York . The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all sources agree WNY includes the cities of Buffalo , Niagara Falls , Jamestown , and the surrounding suburbs, as well as the outlying rural areas of Niagara Frontier , and Chautauqua-Alleghany (or

2160-519: The Buffalo and Rochester areas as two different metropolitan areas. If it were counted as a state, the population of Western New York would rank as the 37th most populated state in the United States. The following cities are found in the 17 western counties: Batavia , Buffalo , Canandaigua , Corning , Dunkirk , Elmira , Geneva , Hornell , Jamestown , Lackawanna , Lockport , Niagara Falls , North Tonawanda , Olean , Rochester , Salamanca , Tonawanda . The following villages are found in

2280-673: The Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres . Team loyalties of sports fans in the rest of upstate New York are more divided. Most baseball fans support the Cleveland Guardians , New York Yankees and New York Mets , although the Toronto Blue Jays have seen an increase in support due to the influx of Canadians in the area - as well as the region's proximity to Toronto, the Blue Jays' increased on-field success in

2400-572: The Buffalo Sabres , the region is also home to a number of Toronto Maple Leafs , New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins supporters. "Friday night fish fry " is also regionally popular, a holdover from when Catholics were forbidden to eat meat on Fridays. It is usually skinless cod although most restaurants in the area claim they use the higher quality haddock, and is frequently beer-battered, deep fried, and served with French fries and cole slaw. Numerous restaurants in Western New York have

2520-570: The Finger Lakes area of New York . The campaign involved mobilizing 6,200 Colonial Army troops, which represented about 25% of the entire rebel army at the time. Their orders were to destroy all Indian villages and crops belonging to the six nations, to engage the Indian and Tory marauders under Brandt and Butler whenever possible, and to drive them so far west that future raids would be impossible. Sullivan led his army on an expedition with

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2640-538: The Finger Lakes region. Western New York also includes several Seneca Nation enclaves. If it were counted as a single area, the population of Western New York would number just over 2.6 million, and would rank as the 24th largest metropolitan area of the United States, between the Pittsburgh metropolitan area and the Sacramento, California metropolitan area . However, the U.S. Census Bureau has classified

2760-624: The Finger Lakes region from at least 1000 CE; the nations known to the colonists are believed to have coalesced after that time, and formed their confederacy for internal peace among them. The Mohawk were the easternmost Iroquois tribe, occupying much of the Mohawk Valley west of Albany . The Onondaga and Oneida tribes lived near the eastern edge of this region of land purchases, closer to their namesake lakes, Lake Oneida and Onondaga Lake . (Onondaga territory had extended up to Lake Ontario). The Cayuga and Seneca nations lived to

2880-701: The Fox sisters was relocated to Lily Dale in 1916. Joseph Smith Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement , reported receiving the Book of Mormon in Palmyra, Wayne County. The women's civic organization Zonta was founded in Buffalo in 1919. In the late 20th century this area became part of the Rust Belt of the United States, being a focal point for the transportation of grain, steel, and coal. The opening of

3000-550: The Northwest Territory established the next year and formed part of a new state.) Native title, with the exception of several reservations, was extinguished in the Treaty of Canandaigua in 1794, while the Phelps and Gorham Purchase and Holland Purchase opened the territory for settling. During the War of 1812 Western New York was part of the borderland frontier between the United States and British Canada and became

3120-577: The Rochester Metropolitan Area . The northern part of Western New York features four railroad stations in service on the Empire Corridor : Rochester , Buffalo-Depew , Buffalo-Exchange Street and Niagara Falls . The Buffalo-Exchange Street and Niagara Falls stations do not see as much rail service as the other two Western New York stations due to the fact that, west of Depew Station, Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited leaves

3240-621: The Seneca , very difficult to negotiate with. The Dutch gave presents to the influential women of the tribes, and offered generous payments to several other chiefs to influence their cooperation. They offered the Iroquois about 200,000 acres in return as reservations for the tribes. The result was the Treaty of Big Tree . In 1802, the Holland Land Company opened its sales office in Batavia , managed by surveyor and agent Joseph Ellicott . The office remained open until 1846 when

3360-783: The Seneca Nation of Indians , the Olean Area Transit System and Access Allegany to provide public transportation to most of the Southern Tier. In addition to the public transportation authorities, which provide limited intercity connections, several commercial intercity bus services also operate. Coach USA operates a loop service between Buffalo, Jamestown and Olean; the bus connects to a route to New York City in Olean and to Megabus service to Toronto and New York City in Buffalo. Fullington Trailways operates

3480-611: The Treaty of Canandaigua in 1794. The scrip's low value substantially reduced Massachusetts' proceeds from the sale. After the Revolutionary War ended, the Iroquois chiefs had been assured by the US government in the 1784 Fort Stanwix treaty that their lands would remain theirs unless the Indians made new cessions—as a result of regular councils duly convened and conducted according to tribal custom. The eastern boundary

3600-540: The United States to take title to the land, because New York state law made it illegal for them to own the property directly. Robert Morris prevailed upon the New York Legislature to repeal that ordinance, which it did shortly thereafter, as it was eager to have the lands developed into settlements. The investors of the Holland Land Company could in a worst-case scenario resell their property, i.e.

3720-898: The United States Census Bureau , Western New York consists of the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY area, the Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY area, and the Elmira-Corning, NY area. Western New York is in some contexts considered a sub-region of " Upstate New York " (when that term is used to describe all of New York State outside Long Island and the New York City metropolitan area ); in most cases however, New Yorkers identify by specific regionalities such as Western New York or Central New York in preference to

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3840-623: The United States Constitution , and was the major financier of the American Revolution . At the time, he was the richest man in America. Morris paid about 11 or 12 cents an acre for the land, or about $ 9,878 (£24,695) (about $ 253 thousand in 2023). The land was conveyed to Morris in five deeds on May 11, 1791. On August 10, 1790, the syndicate sold the remaining lands of the Genesee tract directly to Morris, with

3960-528: The Welland Canal in 1957 effectively rendered the narrower Erie Canal obsolete, further exacerbating economic problems in the region. The area saw an economic decline during the period of deindustrialization , leaving many empty steel mills including those of Bethlehem Steel , which was the 2nd largest steel mill in the world. The plant located in Lackawanna , New York provided nearly 25,000 jobs to

4080-581: The "Phelps and Gorham purchase". On July 8, 1788, at the First Treaty of Buffalo Creek , Phelps and Gorham petitioned the Senecas to sell them the entire parcel, but the Senecas agreed to sell only the easternmost third of the tract, for $ 5000 and a perpetual annuity of $ 500 per year. This portion consisted of about 2,250,000 acres (9,100 km ) east of the Genesee River plus the 12 miles (19 km) by 24 miles (39 km) Mill Yard Tract along

4200-614: The 1620s; some relics of their presence, including Fort Niagara and a portage road that follows modern New York State Route 394 between Lake Erie and Chautauqua Lake , are still visible in the region. Western New York's land was acquired from the Iroquois through the Nanfan Treaty , which ceded the territory to England at the end of the Beaver Wars in 1701. At the time, four of the British colonies ( Pennsylvania , New York , Massachusetts and Connecticut ) laid claim to

4320-1905: The 17 western counties: Addison , Akron , Albion , Alden , Alexander , Alfred , Allegany , Almond , Andover , Angelica , Angola , Arcade , Arkport , Attica , Avoca , Avon , Barker , Bath , Belmont , Bemus Point , Bergen , Blasdell , Bloomfield , Bolivar , Brockport , Brocton , Burdett , Caledonia , Canaseraga , Canisteo , Cassadaga , Castile , Cattaraugus , Celoron , Cherry Creek , Churchville , Clarence , Clifton Springs , Clyde , Cohocton , Corfu , Cuba , Dansville , Delevan , Depew , Dresden , Dundee , Dunkirk , East Aurora , East Randolph , East Rochester , Eden , Elba , Ellicottville , Elmira Heights , Fairport , Falconer , Farnham , Forestville , Franklinville , Fredonia , Gainesville , Geneseo , Gowanda , Hamburg , Hammondsport , Hilton , Holley , Honeoye Falls , Horseheads , Interlaken , Kenmore , Lakewood , Lancaster , Le Roy , Leicester , Lewiston , Lima , Limestone , Little Valley , Livonia , Lodi , Lyndonville , Lyons , Lockport , Macedon , Manchester , Mayville , Medina , Middleport , Millport , Montour Falls , Mount Morris , Naples , Newark , Newfane , North Collins , North Hornell , North Tonawanda , Nunda , Oakfield , Odessa , Orchard Park , Ovid , Painted Post , Palmyra , Panama , Pavilion , Penn Yan , Perry , Perrysburg , Phelps , Pike , Pittsford , Portville , Randolph , Red Creek , Richburg , Riverside , Rushville , Savona , Scottsville , Sherman , Shortsville , Silver Creek , Silver Springs , Sinclairville , Sloan , Sodus , Sodus Point , South Corning , South Dayton , Spencerport , Springville , Tonawanda , Van Etten , Victor , Warsaw , Waterloo , Watkins Glen , Wayland , Webster , Wellsburg , Wellsville , Westfield , Williamsville , Wilson , Wolcott , Wyoming and Youngstown . Western New York has

4440-548: The 1885 Erie County Fair (known as the Hamburg Fair) in Hamburg, New York , Frank and Charles Menches sold a ground beef sandwich, which is one of the earliest claims of the invention of the hamburger . Beef on Weck is a regional favorite and a local invention in which sliced warm roast beef is piled high on a Kummelweck roll topped with caraway seeds and large grained salt, au jus and horseradish are often added to

4560-707: The Allegheny, Genesee, Upper Susquehanna, and Chemung river basins. The Iroquois nations also raided American settlements in Western New York and along the Susquehanna River . The colonists were angry and hungry for retaliation. In response, on July 31, 1779, George Washington , who was then commanding the Continental Army , ordered Gen. James Clinton and Gen. John Sullivan to march from Pennsylvania near present-day Wilkes-Barre to

4680-486: The American economy during the 19th century. Large scale immigration from Ireland, Italy, Poland, Great Britain and Germany soon followed into the region. The New Religious Movement known as Spiritualism was among several that arose in the early 19th century burned-over district of Western New York. Its major center is Lily Dale , one of the largest spiritualism communities in the United States. The original house of

4800-464: The Buffalo area. Outside of the cities, agriculture has always been a major factor in the economy, especially dairy farming . Ski country runs through Western New York. Glenwood and Ellicottville both have multiple ski resorts within their boundaries; Ellicottville, in particular, has seen massive gentrification from the development of the large ski resorts within the town boundaries and has attempted to build on that growth by branding itself as

4920-463: The Colera family is also tied to several other Jamestown stands such as AJ Texas Hots, which launched in 1968, and Michael's, which operated from 1976 to 2021). The region produces many agricultural products, including milk, maple syrup, apples, cherries, potatoes, sweet corn, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, and grapes. As with the rest of Upstate New York , dairy farming is an important part of

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5040-533: The Empire Corridor en route to the Midwest. For a period of time, there were proposals to service these four stations with high-speed rail . A major objective of implementing high-speed rail service was to better connect Western New York as well as the rest of Upstate New York with New York City. However, little of substance has come of these proposals. Service to other parts of Western New York ended from

5160-837: The Genesee Tract, as it was also known, comprised all of the present counties of Ontario , Steuben and Yates , as well as portions of Allegany , Livingston , Monroe , Schuyler and Wayne counties. After Sir William Pulteney's death in 1805, it was known as the Pulteney Estate. Morris sold additional land in December 1792 and in February and July 1793 to the Holland Land Company , an unincorporated syndicate formed by Willem Willink and thirteen other Dutch bankers. The bankers hired American trustees in

5280-713: The Hopewell. The territory of Western New York, until the 17th century, was held by the Neutral Nation in the northern Niagara region and the Wenrohronon and Erie Indians around the Allegheny River . The Seneca nation and their allies in the Iroquois Confederacy eliminated those tribes in wars during the Beaver Wars between 1638 and 1701, with any survivors being assimilated into the Senecas (in

5400-494: The Iroquois was required to first obtain Massachusetts' approval. After the adoption of the United States Constitution in 1787, the federal government ratified the states' compact. In April 1788, Phelps and Gorham bought the preemptive rights from Massachusetts, but this did not get them the right to develop or re-sell the land. They only obtained exclusive right to negotiate with the Iroquois and obtain clear title to

5520-411: The Iroquois, who were not consulted. To stimulate settlement, the federal government planned to release much of these millions of acres of land for sale. Before that could happen, New York and Massachusetts had to settle their competing claims for a region west of New York. (Massachusetts' colonial claim had extended west without end.) The two states signed the Treaty of Hartford in December 1786. With

5640-519: The Native American nations. Kirkland encouraged the Oneida and other Iroquois to sell their land to the whites in part because he was convinced that they "would never become farmers unless forced to by the loss of land for hunting." Kirkland also benefitted from the land sales, receiving 6,000-acre (24 km ) around present day Utica from New York State and from the Oneida people. Kirkland

5760-594: The Niagara Genesee Land Company, and divided another 23 shares among 21 persons. On July 8, 1788, Phelps met with the original Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy , including the Mohawk , Oneida , Onondaga , Cayuga , and Seneca nations, at Buffalo Creek . His goal was to execute a deed or treaty and obtain title to a portion of their land. The Oneida were split by internal divisions over whether they should give up their title. Phelps

5880-424: The Preemption Line. The Fort Stanwix Treaty and earlier treaties established the approximate western boundary, but a survey was required to establish the exact line. Phelps believed that the line ran through Seneca Lake and included the former Cayuga settlement of Kandesaga, present-day Geneva, New York . He planned to make Geneva the headquarters and location of the land sales office. He hired Col. Hugh Maxwell,

6000-407: The Pulteney Associates , led by Sir William Pulteney. He sold at more than double the price he had paid. Sir William Pulteney bought 9/12ths interest, William Hornby 2/12ths, and Patrick Colquhoun 1/12th interest. At the time non-citizens could not legally hold title to land. The buyers sent Charles Williamson from Scotland, and he was naturalized on January 9, 1792, in order to permit him to hold

6120-419: The Right, Title & Demand, which the said Commonwealth has in & to the said 'Western Territory' ceded to it by the Treaty of Hartford." But first Phelps and Gorham had to go up against competing companies and persuade the Iroquois to give up their title to the land. The New York Genesee Land Company, led by John Livingston, was one of the competitors to acquire title to these lands. He gathered several of

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6240-404: The Rochester area is the " white hot ", a hot dog with a slight variation of ingredients that appears without the distinctive pink color of most hot dogs; when ordering a hot dog in Rochester it is common to be asked to clarify whether it should be "red or white". In urban areas in Western New York, education, business, light manufacturing and tourism have replaced heavy manufacturing which left

6360-567: The Tuscarora became allies of the rebel Americans. Within each tribe, there were often members on either side of the war, as the tribes were highly decentralized. Led by Joseph Brant , a war leader of the Mohawk, numerous Iroquois warriors joined in British attacks against the rebels, particularly in the Mohawk and Schoharie valleys. They attacked and killed settlers, took some women and children as captives, drove off their livestock, and burned their houses and barns. The Iroquois resisted colonists encroaching into their territory, which roughly comprised

6480-585: The WNY Genealogical Society, WNY PRISM, the Psychological Association of WNY, and the WNY Land Conservancy describe themselves as working in these 8 counties. Others, such as Clarion Publications, the publisher of the WNY Travel Guide and WesternNY.com, have used the term Western New York to describe a much larger area consisting of 17 counties. In addition to those counties mentioned, they add Chemung , Livingston , Monroe , Ontario , Schuyler , Seneca , Steuben , Wayne , and Yates as well. The rest of this article uses that definition. The 17 counties have

6600-404: The Western Southern Tier ) comprises Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany counties. The region is mountainous. The largest urban center is Jamestown , and Lake Chautauqua and Allegany State Park are major geographical features. The third region, the Genesee Region, comprises Monroe, Livingston, Wayne, Orleans, Ontario, and Yates counties and parts of Genessee and Wyoming counties. Rochester

6720-505: The area at the end of World War II. Rochester and Buffalo were especially hard-hit with the exodus of manufacturing jobs to other areas of the United States and nations like China and Mexico. Niagara Falls was also hard-hit and has shed half of its population since its peak in 1960. Today, major corporations in Western New York include Kodak , Wegmans , Bausch & Lomb , Xerox , M&T Bank , KeyBank and Moog , among many others. General Motors continues to operate three facilities in

6840-402: The area of Kandesaga, the line was fixed west of Seneca Lake and Kandesaga, which survived as a key town in the region. Oliver Phelps was extremely upset when he learned that the survey did not include Seneca Lake or the Indian village. He wrote a letter to Col. William Walker, the local agent responsible for the survey, and requested that they survey be redone in that area. For unknown reasons, it

6960-452: The case of the Erie and Neutral) or Huron (in the case of the Wenro). The Neutral territory is currently held by Tuscaroras , who moved up from the Carolinas while refugees from the Erie tribes moved south to the Carolinas. French forces settled in parts of what is now Western New York through much of the 17th century, beginning with Étienne Brûlé 's pass-through of the region in 1615 and Joseph de La Roche Daillon 's missionary journeys in

7080-483: The center of the head of the bay. The new preemption line traveled in a northeasterly direction from the west end of the southern boundary. In his new survey, Hoops established that the western boundary of the Mill Yard tract included a gore-shaped tract of land about 85,896 acres (347.61 km ; 134.213 sq mi) west of the Genesee River, that should have been retained by the Iroquois. To make it easier, Morris' syndicate returned an equivalent amount of land on

7200-403: The chiefs together at Geneva. To circumvent New York state law that only permitted the state to buy land from the natives, he negotiated a lease for a term of 999 years for all the Iroquois lands of Western New York. This included a down payment of $ 20,000 and an annual payment of $ 200 to their heirs. But when New York state learned of his agreement, it advised all parties including the natives that

7320-408: The company was finally dissolved. The Company granted some plots of land to persons with the condition that they establish improvements, such as inns and taverns, to encourage growth. The building that housed the Holland Land Office still exists; it is operated as a museum dedicated to the Holland Purchase and is designated a National Historic Landmark . Morris kept 500,000 acres (2,000 km ) in

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7440-458: The consolidated securities Phelps and Gorham had used to buy the land, effectively quadrupling the syndicate's debt and substantially inflating the amount required to purchase title from the Iroquois for the remaining 1,000,000-acre (4,000 km ). The syndicate sold about 50 townships but the purchasers were mainly stockholders who had accepted land in exchange for interest on the loan principal. Fewer emigrants bought land than expected, reducing

7560-420: The defeated British during the Revolutionary War, and since the British had given up the lands in the 1783 peace treaty , the tribes could expect to retain only the lands granted by the United States. Phelps and Gorham wanted to buy 2,600,000-acre (11,000 km ), but the Iroquois refused to sell the rights to 185,000 acre (749 km ) west of the Genesee River . Phelps suggested that the Iroquois could use

7680-430: The eastern third of the territory ceded to Massachusetts by the Treaty of Hartford, from the Genesee River in the west to the Preemption Line in the east, which was the boundary that had been set between the lands awarded to Massachusetts and those awarded to New York State by the Treaty of Hartford. Boundaries established by Phelps' agreement were reaffirmed between the United States and the Six Nations by Article 3 of

7800-401: The economy. New York State is a leading producer among the states of dairy, maple, and wine. Perhaps the best-known food specialty of Western New York is Buffalo chicken wings (known locally simply as 'wings' or 'chicken wings'). The two best-known places to get wings are Duff's and the Anchor Bar , which have a strong local rivalry in Buffalo and both are expanding outside the city. At

7920-419: The exception of about 47,000 acres retained by Phelps and Gorham. The deed was conveyed on November 18, 1790, and specified that the tract should contain 1 million acres, and any amount over that would require further payment. On September 21, 1791, Geneva was described as "a small, unhealthy village with about 15 houses, all of log construction except three. There are about 20 families." When Morris bought

8040-416: The facility doubles as a gateway to Canada, and a good portion of its passengers (33%) are Canadian. The second major airport in Western New York, Greater Rochester International Airport , does not see as much traffic as Buffalo-Niagara International Airport. Still, located just three nautical miles southwest of Downtown Rochester, the facility provides convenient access to airline service for many residents of

8160-702: The first land sales offices in the U.S. in Suffield, Connecticut and another in Canandaigua . During the next two years, they sold 500,000-acre (2,000 km ) at a higher price to a number of buyers. People arrived from New England, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and from across the Atlantic, from England and Scotland. Settlers also included veterans who had fought under General Sullivan. There was considerable land hunger among people in New England, who had been crowded for some time. Many purchasers were buying land for speculative purposes and quickly resold it. For example, Oliver Phelps sold township 3, range 2, to Prince Bryant of Pennsylvania on September 5, 1789. Prince Bryant sold

8280-402: The flour industry. Olean was originally planned to be a similar major hub, but it proved to be at a major disadvantage: located near the headwaters of the Allegheny River (a factor its planners had hoped would make the city a gateway to the Midwest), the river was too shallow to support large boat travel or shipping on a consistent basis. As a region, Western New York played a significant role in

8400-477: The following areas: The 17th-century Jesuit Relations recorded numerous now-obscure Iroquoian groups living along the Niagara Frontier. Even at that time it was a frontier zone, albeit between the Neutral , Erie , and Five Nations Iroquois confederacies, which were located to the west, south, and east respectively. One of the few well-attested Niagara Iroquoian groups, the Wenro , has never had its homeland concretely located by scholars, though some sites on

8520-417: The goal of subduing the Iroquois in the region. Although they did not kill many Natives, his forces destroyed much of the Iroquois homelands, including 40 villages such as the major Cayuga villages of Cayuga Castle and Chonodote (Peachtown) and their surrounding fields. In the area from Albany to Niagara, they emptied their winter stores, which included at least 160,000 bushels of stored corn along "with

8640-460: The growing season. Lost in its famed winters, Western New York summers are among the sunniest in the Northeast [REDACTED]   Canada and are generally very pleasant. Thanks in part to breezes blowing over Lakes Erie and Ontario (which are usually cooler than the air temperature in the summer), most of Western New York enjoy generally cooler and more comfortable summers than other regions in

8760-488: The heaviest amount of snow in Western New York during the winter falls near the southern end of Erie County as well as in Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Wyoming counties. Spring and fall in Western New York are usually short and changeable. The presence of the lakes allows for fruit growing and wine production along areas adjacent to both lakes, which retard the development of damaging spring and fall frost, thereby extending

8880-487: The income expected by the syndicate. Two of the three bonds financing the purchase were canceled, but even when the debt was reduced to $ 109,333 (£31,000) (about $ 2.8 million in 2023), the syndicate was unable to make the next payment. In August 1790, the reverses forced Phelps to sell his Suffield home and his interest in the Hartford National Bank and Trust Co. of Connecticut In early 1791, the syndicate

9000-403: The land a month later to Elijah Babcock, who in turn sold various parcels to Roger Clark, Samuel Tooker, David Holmes, and William Babcock. The syndicate was able to sell about half of its holdings. However, within the year, currency values rose in anticipation of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton 's plan to nationalize the debts of the states forming the new nation. This raised the value of

9120-453: The land from the Senecas. In other words, the Senecas could sell the land only to the owner of those preemptive rights (unless those rights were relinquished), and that those rights were owned by Massachusetts . In 1788, Phelps and Gorham purchased these preemptive rights to the Genesee tract from Massachusetts for about $ 1,000,000 ( £ 300,000), to be paid in three annual installments. Some sources refer to this purchase of preemptive rights as

9240-431: The land in trust for the owners. He relocated to the United States in February 1792 and settled on the tract. Morris conveyed the deed to Williamson on April 11, 1792, and was paid $ 333,333 (£75,000). The U.S. Congress had passed The Coinage Act which established the U.S. Mint and the dollar as its official currency only a week before. Morris made a profit of over $ 160,000 on the transaction. The Pulteney Purchase, or

9360-523: The land. For this preemptive right, they paid Massachusetts $ 1,000,000 (£300,000) (about $ 25.3 million in 2023)). This was to be paid in three annual installments. By an act of the Massachusetts Legislature approved April 1, 1788, it was provided that "this Commonwealth doth hereby agree, to grant, sell & convey to Oliver Phelps and Nathaniel Gorham, for a purchase price of $ 1,000,000, payable in three equal annual installments all

9480-502: The lease had no standing in either Massachusetts or New York. Another competitor was the Niagara Genesee Land Company formed by Colonel John Butler , Samuel Street , and other Tory friends of the Iroquois. They tried to persuade the Iroquois to grant them a lease. Some proposed that an independent state be created in western New York. Phelps eliminated many of his competitors by persuading them to join his syndicate. Phelps and Gorham retained 82 shares for themselves, sold 15 shares to

9600-584: The local economy. Republic Steel also had a large integrated steel mill located in South Buffalo . General Motors in Tonawanda is the largest vehicle engine plant in the world, which still is a major contributor to the Buffalo area economy. Ford Motor Company also maintains a large manufacturing facility in Woodlawn , New York, which is just south of Buffalo . Western New York is culturally

9720-519: The mid-1960s to 1970. The Erie Lackawanna 's Phoebe Snow served on a southeastern trajectory from Buffalo to Elmira , Binghamton , Scranton and Hoboken ; service ended in 1966. The E-L's Lake Cities originated in Chicago , passing through Western New York's Jamestown , then through the rest of the Southern Tier , Orange County and terminating at Hoboken, NJ; service ended on January 6, 1970. The Pennsylvania Railroad 's Buffalo Day Express

9840-565: The mid-2010s, and the affiliation with the longstanding minor league Buffalo Bisons . The Pittsburgh Pirates have some following in southwestern New York, and teams with national fanbases such as the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs also have followings. The region has no clear favorite professional basketball franchise, with the Brooklyn Nets , Cleveland Cavaliers , New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors all claiming parts of

9960-456: The present-day town of Avon north to the community of Charlotte at Lake Ontario and encompasses Rochester . The Iroquois agreed. Within this area on the west bank, Phelps and Gorham gave 100 acres (0.40 km ; 0.16 sq mi) at the high falls of the Genesee River to Ebenezer "Indian" Allen , on the condition that he build the grist mill and sawmill. The grist mill was distant from potential customers—only about 25 families lived on

10080-443: The property, issues with the first survey were well known. The purchase deed stated, "A manifest error has been committed in the laying out and dividing the same, so that a new survey must be laid in order to correct the said error." Some accounts from early in the 20th century attribute errors discovered during the second survey to the primitive instruments used by the surveyors, but allegations of fraud were also made. A description of

10200-700: The protection of the Iroquois. In about 1720, the Tuscarora tribe arrived, having migrated from the Carolinas after defeat by European colonists and Indian allies. They were also Iroquoian-speaking and were accepted as "cousins", forming the Sixth Nation of the Confederacy. In 1753 remnants of several Virginia Siouan tribes, collectively called the Tutelo - Saponi , moved to the town of Coreorgonel at

10320-696: The region French Canada as including Western New York. The French sent traders and missionaries there, but ceded any claim in 1759 during the French and Indian War , the North American front of the Seven Years' War , in which they were defeated by Great Britain. During the American Revolutionary War , four of the six Iroquois nations allied with the British, hoping to push American colonists out of their territory. The Oneida and

10440-447: The region as part of their regional broadcasting territories. (Western New York puts more emphasis on college basketball , where the "Big 4" Division I programs—Canisius, Niagara, St. Bonaventure and UB—all have strong followings and rivalries; while most attention has been centered around the men's college basketball teams, the recent success of UB and St. Bonaventure's women's teams has led to increased attention to women's basketball in

10560-485: The region that impressed potential settlers. Following the American Revolution , there were a confusing collection of contradictory royal charters from James I , Charles I , and Charles II , mixed with a succession of treaties with the Dutch and with the Indians, which made the legal situation for land sales intractable. Following the war, Great Britain ceded all its claims to the territory, including lands controlled by

10680-534: The region this way. The state has also used this regional boundary to set policy during the COVID-19 pandemic . More commonly, WNY has been defined to include at least Genesee , Orleans , and Wyoming counties as well. Almost all descriptions of WNY in the Buffalo media market define it as this 8 county area. Most organizations that use WNY in their name including the WNY College Consortium,

10800-755: The region. A few shortline railroads also offer rail service, including the New York and Lake Erie Railroad and the Arcade and Attica Railroad . The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority runs regular bus service throughout the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority serves Rochester and surrounding counties, and the Chautauqua Area Regional Transit System serves Chautauqua County. First Transit contracts with

10920-419: The region. Rochester Components Operations, formerly known as Rochester Division, produces fuel system components. Lockport Operations, formerly Harrison Thermal Systems, produces cooling system components and was awarded $ 154 million for additional and future products in 2022. Finally, Tonawanda Power Train originally opened in 1938 as a Chevrolet engine plant and continues producing 4 and 8 cylinder engines in

11040-513: The region. The college basketball scene once had enough clout to help drive Buffalo's NBA team, the 1970s-era Buffalo Braves , out of the city.) Syracuse University sports, being the closest major-conference school to the region, also has a sizable following in western New York, particularly in basketball. College football interest is minimal, with no team having a major following (not even UB, who has struggled to maintain its Division I football program despite modest success). For hockey, other than

11160-481: The right to purchase aboriginal land. The investors expected a significant profit if they could obtain clear title from the Iroquois and sell unencumbered parcels of land. They organized a council at Big Tree in the summer of 1797. The council was attended by the Iroquois sachems , Robert Morris, James Wadsworth (who represented the federal government), and Joseph Ellicott , who represented the Holland Land Company. The Europeans and Americans found Red Jacket , chief of

11280-408: The river's northwestern bank. Within a year, monetary values rose and, in combination with poor sales, the syndicate was unable to make the second of three payments for the land west of the Genesee River, forcing them to default on exercising the remainder of the purchase agreement. They were also forced to sell at a discount much of the land they had already bought title to but had not yet re-sold; it

11400-534: The same climatic zone. Interstate System U.S. Routes Western New York has two airports that provide significant regular passenger service, Buffalo-Niagara International Airport and Greater Rochester International Airport . Buffalo-Niagara International Airport is the most patronized airport facility in Western New York. While it primarily serves as the regional airport for the Buffalo-Niagara Falls Metropolitan Area ,

11520-499: The same or similar dish under other names, usually containing the word "plate". The Rochester Red Wings baseball team concessions at Frontier Field , for example, offer the "Home Plate". A component of the garbage plate and many other local dishes is a topping known in Rochester as "hot sauce." The term in this context does not refer to a pepper sauce , but to a spiced sauce containing bits of meat. Another food associated with

11640-610: The same period in American history , so the street patterns, architecture , and ethnic communities share a similar appearance. Linguistically, Western New York is part of the Inland North region of American English, which means it is subject to the Northern Cities vowel shift ; a distinct variant of that accent, " Buffalo English ", is heard in many parts of the region. Finally, most Western New York sports fans support

11760-587: The sandwich. Butter lambs are a popular tradition in Buffalo during the Lenten season leading into Easter . The Broadway Market, a market in Buffalo, is famous for this product. The Rochester area is known for the Garbage Plate . It was created and continues to be served by Nick Tahou Hots on West Main Street. The name "Garbage Plate" is trademarked by Nick Tahou's, but other Rochester restaurants serve

11880-496: The scene of various military actions. The two major Western New York cities, Buffalo and Rochester, benefited greatly from the opening of the Erie Canal . With its strategic position at the western end of the Erie Canal, the eastern end of Lake Erie and proximity to Niagara Falls and Canada, Buffalo emerged as a major port. Niagara Falls provided Buffalo with a ready supply of power, so much so that one of its enduring nicknames

12000-545: The south end of Cayuga Lake (near present-day Ithaca). They lived there until 1779, when their village was destroyed during the Revolutionary War by allied rebel forces. The French colonized northern areas, moving in along the St. Lawrence River from early trading posts among Algonquian -speaking tribes on the Atlantic Coast; they founded Quebec in 1608. When Samuel de Champlain explored the St. Lawrence River, he claimed

12120-540: The south shore of Lake Ontario have been identified with them. There is some historiographical confusion as to which groups were distinct from each other and which may simply have been the same groups known by different names recorded by different chroniclers. One example, the Kakouagoga or Kahkwa people, are only mentioned in a handful of written sources, but may have had their territory near the modern city of Buffalo. Western New York Western New York ( WNY )

12240-475: The state. When a new survey was commissioned, Maxwell's survey became known as "The First Survey." Adam Hoops was hired to lead a team of new surveyors, who discovered that Maxwell erred on both the eastern preemption line and the western boundary. Maxwell had located the westernmost boundary of the Millyard Tract in the belief that the Genesee River ran due north. Hoops' team found that Maxwell had made

12360-537: The states' Revolutionary War debts, the states were required to extinguish their western land claims . Massachusetts extinguished its claim to the territory in exchange for receiving the profits from its sale to settlers. New York was the only colony not to extinguish its western claim, and by way of the 1786 Treaty of Hartford , the land, with the exception of a small triangle that was ceded to Pennsylvania in 1792 , officially became Western New York. (Had New York extinguished its claim, it would have likely become part of

12480-403: The survey in 1892 cast suspicion on an assistant surveyor named Jenkins, who was supposed to have altered the survey line to favor his employer, Peter Ryckman. He wanted to control the site of present-day Geneva . Ryckman had previously sought to buy the land directly from the Iroquois, but it was illegal under New York state law for him to buy land from the natives, and his contract was voided by

12600-467: The treaty, Massachusetts ceded its claim to the United States government, and sovereignty and jurisdiction of the region to New York State. The treaty established Massachusett's pre-emptive rights right to negotiate with the Iroquois nations for their aboriginal title to the land ahead of New York, and also gave the two states the exclusive rights ahead of individuals to buy the land. Anyone else who wanted to purchase title to or ownership of land from

12720-517: The unsettled territory, as did New France until the Seven Years' War . Most of Western New York was officially off-limits to all of the colonies as a result of the establishment of an Indian Reserve over the area following the Seven Years' War. By the 1780s, only New York and Massachusetts still maintained their claims to the territory, which was separated from mainland New York by a Preemption Line . Under federal policy designed to extinguish

12840-556: The vague and broader term Upstate New York. Western New York is generally considered to have 2-4 subregions: The Greater Niagara Region (or the Niagara Frontier), comprises Niagara and Erie counties and parts of Genesee and Wyoming counties. It is named for its major features, the Niagara river and Niagara Falls . Buffalo is its largest urban center. The Chautauqua–Allegheny Region (also known as Southwestern New York or

12960-479: The war. The Continental Army took heart from their punishment of the Iroquois on the frontier. During their advance west, Sullivan's army took a route to New York through northeast Pennsylvania. They had to cut a new road through lightly inhabited areas of the Pocono Mountains (this trail is known today as "Sullivan's Trail"). When the troops returned to Pennsylvania, they told very favorable stories of

13080-574: The west bank at the time—and there were no roads going to it from the few nearby farms on the west bank of the river. It never prospered. Allen's tract became the nucleus of modern Rochester, New York . The section of land on the west bank of the Genesee River became known as the Mill Yard Tract. Phelps and his company paid the Indians $ 5,000 cash and promised an annual annuity of $ 500 to their heirs forever. The agreement gave them title to 2,250,000 acres (9,100 km ), included approximately

13200-499: The west in the Finger Lakes region, with the Seneca the westernmost tribe. Major Iroquois towns in the Finger Lakes region included the Seneca town of Gen-nis-he-yo in present-day Geneseo , Kanadaseaga near present-day Geneva , Goiogouen (Cayuga Castle, east of Cayuga Lake ), Chonodote , Cayuga town in present-day Aurora , and Catherine's Town near present-day Watkins Glen . The Iroquois nations had earlier formed

13320-413: The west, a 87,000 acres (350 km ; 136 sq mi) parcel known as the Triangle Tract, to the Iroquois. Morris then purchased the rights to the Triangle Tract from the Iroquois; this land became part of the Morris Reserve. The area of land purchased by Morris was fixed at 1,267,569 acres (5,129.67 km ; 1,980.577 sq mi). Hoop's corrected survey became known as the "Second Survey" and

13440-639: The western Southern Tier ). Many would also place Rochester and the Genesee Valley in the region, although those legally belong in the Finger Lakes Region and are separate from Western New York Region. The State of New York sometimes defines the WNY region as including just five counties: Allegany , Cattaraugus , Chautauqua , Erie , and Niagara . The state's Empire State Development Corporation and state health authorities have both mapped

13560-556: Was accepted by Simeon DeWitt, New York's surveyor-general, in a resolution passed by the state on March 24, 1795. After buying the land from the state of Massachusetts in early 1790, Morris almost immediately resold 12,000,000 acres (49,000 km ; 19,000 sq mi) (Error: Total land in New York State west of the Pre-emption line is only about 6 million acres.) through his London agent William Temple Franklin to

13680-408: Was aided by Samuel Kirkland , a Presbyterian minister and missionary among the Oneida. Kirkland had been appointed by the state of Massachusetts to oversee the transaction. Kirkland had previously taken part in six prior illegal land treaties made by individual states with the Indians, in violation of federal authority over Indian affairs. Only the US government had the authority to make treaties with

13800-540: Was another route serving Western New York, traveling south to Baltimore via Olean and Harrisburg ; this train was discontinued in 1967, but an unnamed Penn Central (PC) successor lasted through April 30, 1971, when AMTRAK assumed most of the remaining U.S. rail passenger service but declined to serve the Baltimore-Harrisburg-Buffalo route of the former PRR/PC. The Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad and WNY&P both operate freight service in

13920-628: Was defined by a Preemption Line , which was anchored on the south at the 82nd milestone on the New York-Pennsylvania boundary line and on the north by Lake Ontario . The treaties gave Massachusetts the right to buy from the Native Americans and resell all territory west of the Preemption Line, while New York State retained the right to govern that territory. New York State would add to its territory all land east of

14040-584: Was determined to build the Hamilton-Oneida Academy and needed financial support from the wealthy land speculators. In November 1790, some Iroquois, including Cornplanter , accused Phelps, Kirkland, and the Mohawk chief Joseph Brant of altering deeds in order to favor Phelps. The Indians believed they were owners of the land, but Phelps persuaded the Chiefs that, since they had been allies to

14160-539: Was not completed. On the west, the survey ran north from the Pennsylvania border to the confluence of Canaseraga Creek and the Genesee River. The survey line followed the river to a point 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Canawagus Village , and then due west 12 miles (19 km) distant from the westernmost bend, and then due north to the shore of Lake Ontario. Maxwell divided the land into ranges 6 miles (9.7 km) wide from north to south. Maxwell's work later became known as "The First Survey." Phelps opened one of

14280-578: Was purchased by Robert Morris of Philadelphia , financier, U.S. Founding Father , and U.S. Senator . Much of the land south of the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario , and west of the Hudson River , had been occupied by the Iroquoian -speaking Five Civilized Tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy before any encounter with Europeans. Archaeological evidence suggests that Iroquoian peoples lived in

14400-468: Was unable to make the second payment on the preemptive right to the lands west of the Genesee River, comprising some 3,750,000 acres (15,200 km ), and these preemptive rights reverted to Massachusetts on March 10, 1791. On March 12, Massachusetts agreed to sell these rights to Robert Morris for $ 333,333.33 (about $ 8.5 million in 2023). Morris was a signatory of the Declaration of Independence and

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