The Syracuse Blitz was a Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) team that played one exhibition game in 1998 and was going to join the league officially in 1999.
112-624: The franchise was originally awarded to Buffalo, NY as the Buffalo Blitz on June 16, 1997. The move was part of a rush brought on by the threat of the Buffalo Bills ' lease expiration, which had led to speculation that the Bills would leave Buffalo (speculation that turned out to be unfounded as an extension was reached). The Blitz was owned by Don Angelo, Bryan Perry, and a group of area investors. At that time, they were negotiating with
224-512: A humid continental climate ( Köppen : Dfa ), and temperatures have been warming with the rest of the US. Lake-effect snow is characteristic of Buffalo winters, with snow bands (producing intense snowfall in the city and surrounding area) depending on wind direction off Lake Erie. However, Buffalo is rarely the snowiest city in the state . The Blizzard of 1977 resulted from a combination of high winds and snow which accumulated on land and on
336-633: A Dutch trader who arrived in 1789. As a result of the war, in which the Iroquois sided with the British Army , Iroquois territory was gradually reduced in the late 1700s by European settlers through successive statewide treaties which included the Treaty of Fort Stanwix (1784) and the First Treaty of Buffalo Creek (1788). The Iroquois were moved onto reservations, including Buffalo Creek . By
448-500: A day (equivalent to $ 49 in 2023 ) in a six-day work week. Local inventor Joseph Dart and engineer Robert Dunbar created the grain elevator in 1843, adapting the steam-powered elevator. Dart's Elevator initially processed one thousand bushels per hour, speeding global distribution to consumers. Buffalo was the transshipment hub of the Great Lakes, and weather, maritime and political events in other Great Lakes cities had
560-534: A day between the hours of 07:00 and 19:00 from June 15 to September 15. A list of organisations that serve the seaway in some fashion, such as chambers of commerce and municipal or port authorities, is available at the SLSDC website. A 56-page electronic "Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System" Directory is published by Harbor House Publishers. Map of the world Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway from 1959, depicting
672-830: A deal between fellow chief Cornplanter and the Dutch dummy corporation Holland Land Company . The Holland Land Purchase gave the Senecas three reservations, and the Holland Land Company received 4,000,000 acres (16,000 km ) for about thirty-three cents per acre. Permanent white settlers along the creek were prisoners captured during the Revolutionary War . Early landowners were Iroquois interpreter Captain William Johnston, former enslaved man Joseph "Black Joe" Hodges and Cornelius Winney,
784-597: A delegation of eight from the Great Lakes states to meet at the White House with US President Franklin D. Roosevelt to obtain his support for the seaway concept. Beukema and St. Lawrence Seaway proponents were convinced a nautical link would lead to the development of the communities and economies of the Great Lakes region by permitting the passage of oceangoing ships. In this period, exports of grain, along with other commodities, to Europe were an important part of
896-635: A direct impact on the city's economy. In addition to grain, Buffalo's primary imports included agricultural products from the Midwest (meat, whiskey, lumber and tobacco), and its exports included leather, ships and iron products. The mid-19th century saw the rise of new manufacturing capabilities, particularly with iron. By the 1860s, many railroads terminated in Buffalo; they included the Buffalo, Bradford and Pittsburgh Railroad , Buffalo and Erie Railroad ,
1008-458: A dozen railway terminals, as railroads remained a significant industry. The St. Lawrence Seaway was proposed in the 19th century as a faster shipping route to Europe, and later as part of a bi-national hydroelectric project with Canada. Its combination with an expanded Welland Canal led to a grim outlook for Buffalo's economy. After its 1959 opening, the city's port and barge canal became largely irrelevant. Shipbuilding in Buffalo wound down in
1120-565: A major grain importer; large U.S. export shipments are now going to South America, Asia, and Africa. These destinations make Gulf and West Coast ports more critical to 21st-century grain exports. Referring to the seaway project, a retired Iowa State University economics professor who specialized in transportation issues said, "It probably did make sense, at about the time it (the Seaway) was constructed and conceived, but since then everything has changed." Certain seaway users have been concerned about
1232-545: A minimum lock size of 110 ft (34 m) long, 22 ft (6.7 m) wide, and 8 ft (2.4 m) deep, but it was generally too small to allow passage of larger oceangoing ships. The Welland Canal 's minimum lock size was increased to 150 ft (46 m) long, 26.5 ft (8.1 m) wide, and 9 ft (2.7 m) deep for the Second Welland Canal; to 270 ft (82 m) long, 45 ft (14 m) wide, and 14 ft (4.3 m) deep with
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#17327911761591344-591: A small, active presence in the area, including the town of Amherst. A 2016 American Bible Society survey reported that Buffalo is the fifth-least "Bible-minded" city in the United States; 13 percent of its residents associate with the Bible . The Erie Canal was the impetus for Buffalo's economic growth as a transshipment hub for grain and other agricultural products headed east from the Midwest. Later, manufacturing of steel and automotive parts became central to
1456-553: A supermarket. Health disparities exist compared to the rest of the state : Erie County's average 2019 lifespan was three years lower (78.4 years); its 17-percent smoking and 30-percent obesity rates were slightly higher than the state average. According to the Partnership for the Public Good, educational achievement in the city is lower than in the surrounding area; city residents are almost twice as likely as adults in
1568-475: A total of thirty-five neighborhoods. Main Street divides Buffalo's east and west sides, and the west side was fully developed earlier. This division is seen in architectural styles, street names, neighborhood and district boundaries, demographics, and socioeconomic conditions; Buffalo's West Side is generally more affluent than its East Side. Several neighborhoods in Buffalo have had increased investment since
1680-474: A week; a trip from nearby Williamsville to Batavia could take over three days. British forces burned Buffalo and the northwestern village of Black Rock in 1813. The battle and subsequent fire was in response to the destruction of Niagara-on-the-Lake by American forces and other skirmishes during the War of 1812 . Rebuilding was swift, completed in 1815. As a remote outpost, village residents hoped that
1792-518: A year. No official recording of 100 °F (37.8 °C) or more has occurred to date, with a maximum temperature of 99 °F (37 °C) reached on August 27, 1948. Rainfall is moderate, typically falling at night, and cooler lake temperatures hinder storm development in July. August is usually rainier and muggier , as the warmer lake loses its temperature-controlling ability. Several hundred Seneca, Tuscarora and other Iroquois tribal peoples were
1904-486: Is available at. The NOAA -funded Great Lakes Water Level Dashboard compiles statistics on water depth at various points along the seaway. To create a navigable channel through the Long Sault rapids and to allow hydroelectric stations to be established immediately upriver from Cornwall, Ontario , and Massena, New York , Lake St. Lawrence was created behind a dam. This required the condemnation and acquisition by
2016-640: Is based at the 3,019-seat Shea's Performing Arts Center in the Buffalo Theatre District of downtown Buffalo. Shea's Performing Arts Center was designed by the well-known Chicago firm Rapp and Rapp . The opera house was modeled in the style of European operahouses and decorated in a combination of French and Spanish Baroque and Rococo styles. The interior design was designed by the world-renowned designer and artist Louis Comfort Tiffany , and many of its elements are still there today. Originally there were nearly 4,000 seats, but in
2128-870: Is on the Erie/Ontario Lake Plain of the Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands , a narrow plain extending east to Utica, New York . The city is generally flat, except for elevation changes in the University Heights and Fruit Belt neighborhoods. The Southtowns are hillier, leading to the Cattaraugus Hills in the Appalachian Upland . Several types of shale, limestone and lagerstätten are prevalent in Buffalo and its surrounding area, lining their stream beds . According to Fox Weather , Buffalo
2240-563: Is one of the top five snowiest large cities in the country, receiving, on average, 95 inches of snow annually. Although the city has not experienced any recent or significant earthquakes , Buffalo is in the Southern Great Lakes Seismic Zone (part of the Great Lakes tectonic zone ). Buffalo has four channels within its boundaries: the Niagara River, Buffalo River (and Creek), Scajaquada Creek , and
2352-520: Is the main route for Ontario grain exports to overseas markets. Its fees are publicly known, and were limited in 2013 to an increase of 3%. A trained pilot is required for any foreign trade vessel. A set of rules and regulations are available to help transit. Commercial vessel transit information is hosted on the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation website. Since 1997, international cruise liners have been known to transit
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#17327911761592464-626: Is the primary city of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area , which had an estimated population of 1.2 million in 2020, making it the 49th-largest metro area in the U.S. Before the 17th century, the region was inhabited by nomadic Paleo-Indians who were succeeded by the Neutral , Erie , and Iroquois nations. In the early 17th century, the French began to explore the region. In the 18th century, Iroquois land surrounding Buffalo Creek
2576-727: Is the region's largest employer. In the private sector, top employers include the Kaleida Health and Catholic Health hospital networks and M&T Bank , the sole Fortune 500 company headquartered in the city. Most have been the top employers in the region for several decades. Buffalo is home to the headquarters of Rich Products , Delaware North and New Era Cap Company ; the aerospace manufacturer Moog Inc. and toy maker Fisher-Price are based in nearby East Aurora . National Fuel Gas and Life Storage are headquartered in Williamsville, New York . Buffalo weathered
2688-564: Is today one of the leading operas in the United States and, with more than 3,000 seats, one of the largest opera houses in the world. Founded in 2004 by Valerian Ruminski , the Nickel City Opera has commissioned operas, and has staged world premieres of notable works. Matthias Manasi was music director and chief conductor of NCO from 2017 to 2021, his predecessor Michael Ching was music director and chief conductor of NCO from 2012 to 2017. The NCO collaborates with
2800-466: Is under consideration as well. If the expansion project goes ahead, feeder ships would take containers from the port of Oswego on Lake Ontario in upstate New York to Melford International Terminal in Nova Scotia for transfer to larger oceangoing ships. A website hosts measurements of wind, water, levels and water temperatures. A real-time interactive map of seaway locks, vessels, and ports
2912-865: The 1930s the number of seats was reduced to the current number of 3,019 seats last but not least to increase the place for the orchestra by increasing the size of the orchestra pit . The NCO also performs at the Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda , at the Nichols Flickinger Performing Arts Center in Buffalo, at the Artpark Mainstage Theatre and the Artpark Amphitheatre at the Earl W. Brydges Artpark State Park located on
3024-545: The Black Rock Canal , adjacent to the Niagara River. The city's Bureau of Forestry maintains a database of over seventy thousand trees. According to the United States Census Bureau , Buffalo has an area of 52.5 sq mi (136 km ); 40.38 sq mi (104.6 km ) is land, and the rest is water. The city's total area is 22.66 percent water. In 2010, its population density
3136-802: The Buffalo Central Terminal was built in the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood in 1929; the Richardson Olmsted Complex , built in 1881, was an insane asylum until its closure in the 1970s. Urban renewal from the 1950s to the 1970s spawned the Brutalist -style Buffalo City Court Building and Seneca One Tower , the city's tallest building. In the city's Parkside neighborhood, the Darwin D. Martin House
3248-548: The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra , producing a wide range of operas , from 18th-century Baroque and 19th-century Bel canto to the Minimalism of the 20th century and to contemporary operas of the 20th and 21st centuries. These operas are presented in staged productions that range in style from those with elaborate traditional decors to others that feature modern conceptual designs. The NCO
3360-716: The Canadian Parliament authorized the founding of the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority on December 21 of that year. Fueled by this support, Saint Laurent's administration decided during 1951 and 1952 to construct the waterway alone, combined with the Moses-Saunders Power Dam . (This became the joint responsibility of Ontario and New York: as a hydropower dam would change the water levels, it required bilateral cooperation.) The International Joint Commission issued an order of approval for joint construction of
3472-581: The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition in 2009. St. Lawrence Seaway The St. Lawrence Seaway ( French : la Voie Maritime du Saint-Laurent ) is a system of locks , canals , and channels in Canada and the United States that permits oceangoing vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes of North America, as far inland as Duluth, Minnesota , at
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3584-586: The Great Recession of 2006–09 well in comparison with other U.S. cities, exemplified by increased home prices during this time. The region's economy began to improve in the early 2010s, adding over 25,000 jobs from 2009 to 2017. With state aid , Tesla, Inc.'s Giga New York plant opened in South Buffalo in 2017. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States , however, increased
3696-638: The International Joint Commission recommended the project. Although Canada’s Liberal Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King was reluctant to proceed, in part because of opposition to the project in Quebec , in 1932 he and the U.S. representative signed a treaty of intent. This treaty was submitted to the U.S. Senate in November 1932 and hearings continued until a vote was taken on March 14, 1934. The majority voted in favor of
3808-528: The Latin Church ) has a significant presence in the region, with 161 parishes and over 570,000 adherents in the Diocese of Buffalo . Major Protestant denominations in the area include Lutheran , Baptist , and Methodist . Pentecostals are also significant, and approximately 20,000 persons are non-denominational adherents. A Jewish community began developing in the city with immigrants from
3920-691: The New York Central Railroad , and the Lehigh Valley Railroad . During this time, Buffalo controlled one-quarter of all shipping traffic on Lake Erie. After the Civil War , canal traffic began to drop as railroads expanded into Buffalo. Unionization began to take hold in the late 19th century, highlighted by the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 and 1892 Buffalo switchmen's strike . At the start of
4032-546: The Niagara Gorge in Lewiston . The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra was formed in 1935 and performs at Kleinhans Music Hall , whose acoustics have been praised. Although the orchestra nearly disbanded during the late 1990s due to a lack of funding, philanthropic contributions and state aid stabilized it. Under the direction of JoAnn Falletta , the orchestra has received a number of Grammy Award nominations and won
4144-571: The Province of New York —now a U.S. state—began westward expansion, looking for arable land by following the Iroquois. New York and Massachusetts were vying for the territory which included Buffalo, and Massachusetts had the right to purchase all but a one-mile-(1600-meter)-wide portion of land. The rights to the Massachusetts territories were sold to Robert Morris in 1791. Despite objections from Seneca chief Red Jacket , Morris brokered
4256-726: The Soo Locks (at Sault Ste. Marie), which is 1,200 ft (365.8 m) long, 110 ft (33.5 m) wide and 32 ft (9.8 m) deep. A vessel's draft is another obstacle to passage on the seaway, particularly in connecting waterways such as the St. Lawrence River. The depth in the seaway's channels is 41 ft (12.5 m) ( Panamax -depth) downstream of Quebec City , 35 ft (10.7 m) between Quebec City and Deschaillons , 37 ft (11.3 m) to Montreal, and 27 ft (8.2 m) upstream of Montreal. Channel depths and limited lock sizes meant only 10% of current oceangoing ships, which have been built much larger than in
4368-455: The St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation as the U.S. authority. The need for cheap haulage of Quebec- Labrador iron ore was one of the arguments that finally swung the balance in favor of the seaway. Groundbreaking ceremonies took place in Massena, New York , on August 10, 1954. That year Eisenhower appointed Beukema to the five-member St. Lawrence Seaway Advisory Board . In May 1957,
4480-652: 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 Canada–United States border . With a population of 278,349 according to the 2020 census, Buffalo is the second-most populous city in New York state after New York City , and the 81st-most populous city in the U.S. Buffalo
4592-727: The University at Buffalo & Buffalo State College for playing sites for the upcoming PIFL season. In September of '97, the Arena Football League announced their next franchise would be in Buffalo also, later on known as the Buffalo Destroyers . This forced the move of the PIFL "Blitz" to Syracuse, NY . After one scheduled tryout (Feb. 21, 1998), the Syracuse Blitz did not come together in time for
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4704-660: The University at Buffalo , Buffalo State University , Canisius University , and D'Youville University . Buffalo is also known for its winter weather , Buffalo wings , and three major-league sports teams : the National Football League's Buffalo Bills , the National Hockey League's Buffalo Sabres and the National Lacrosse League's Buffalo Bandits . Before the arrival of Europeans , nomadic Paleo-Indians inhabited
4816-714: The gross domestic product of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls MSA was $ 53 billion (~$ 62.3 billion in 2023). The city's cultural landmarks include the oldest urban parks system in the United States, the Buffalo AKG Art Museum , the Buffalo History Museum , the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra , Shea's Performing Arts Center , the Buffalo Museum of Science , and several annual festivals . Its educational institutions include
4928-503: The royal yacht HMY Britannia after addressing crowds in Saint-Lambert, Quebec . 22,000 workers were employed at one time or another on the project, a 3,700-kilometre-long (2,300 mi) superhighway for ocean freighters. Port of Milwaukee director Harry C. Brockel forecast just before the Seaway opened in 1959 that "The St. Lawrence Seaway will be the greatest single development of this century in its effects on Milwaukee's future growth and prosperity." Lester Olsen, president of
5040-428: The western New York region from the 8th millennium BCE . The Woodland period began around 1000 BC, marked by the rise of the Iroquois Confederacy and the spread of its tribes throughout the state. Seventeenth-century Jesuit missionaries were the first Europeans to visit the area. During French exploration of the region in 1620, the region was sparsely populated and occupied by the agrarian Erie people in
5152-470: The 1840s. Buffalo was a terminus of the Underground Railroad , with many free Black people crossing the Niagara River to Fort Erie, Ontario ; others remained in Buffalo. During this time, Buffalo's port continued to develop. Passenger and commercial traffic expanded, leading to the creation of feeder canals and the expansion of the city's harbor. Unloading grain in Buffalo was a laborious job, and grain handlers working on lake freighters would make $ 1.50
5264-432: The 1950s, can traverse the entire seaway. Proposals to expand the seaway, dating from as early as the 1960s, have been rejected since the late 20th century as too costly. In addition, researchers, policy makers, and the public are much more aware of the environmental issues that have accompanied seaway development and are reluctant to open the Great Lakes to more invasions of damaging species, as well as associated issues along
5376-489: The 1960s due to reduced waterfront activity, ending an industry which had been part of the city's economy since 1812. Downsizing of the steel mills was attributed to the threat of higher wages and unionization efforts. Racial tensions culminated in riots in 1967 . Suburbanization led to the selection of the town of Amherst for the new University at Buffalo campus by 1970. Unwilling to modernize its plant, Bethlehem Steel began cutting thousands of jobs in Lackawanna during
5488-405: The 1990s, beginning with the Elmwood Village . The 2002 redevelopment of the Larkin Terminal Warehouse led to the creation of Larkinville , home to several mixed-use projects and anchored by corporate offices. Downtown Buffalo and its central business district (CBD) had a 10.6-percent increase in residents from 2010 to 2017, as over 1,061 housing units became available; the Seneca One Tower
5600-447: The 1998 PIFL season, so the team had changed their plans to enter the league in 1999. The "Blitz" in fact did play one exhibition game against the Louisiana Bayou Beast at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on the Louisiana State University campus in Baton Rouge, LA on July 4, 1998. The Beast won the exhibition game 39–18. The "Blitz" wore all black uniforms with all black helmets (no logos used). The Syracuse Blitz never did take to
5712-490: The 20th century, Buffalo was the world's leading grain port and a national flour-milling hub. Local mills were among the first to benefit from hydroelectricity generated by the Niagara River. Buffalo hosted the 1901 Pan-American Exposition after the Spanish–American War , showcasing the nation's advances in art, architecture, and electricity. Its centerpiece was the Electric Tower, with over two million light bulbs, but some exhibits were jingoistic and racially charged. At
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#17327911761595824-409: The American heartland. The seaway was heavily promoted by the Eisenhower administration, which had been concerned with a lack of US control. The seaway opened in 1959 and cost C$ 470 million, $ 336.2 million of which was paid by the Canadian government. Elizabeth II , Queen of Canada and American President Dwight D. Eisenhower formally opened the seaway on June 26, 1959 with a short cruise aboard
5936-475: The Connecting Channels Project was begun by the United States Army Corps of Engineers . By 1959, Beukema was on board the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Maple for the first trip through the U.S. locks, which opened up the Great Lakes to oceangoing ships. On April 25, 1959, large, deep-draft ocean vessels began streaming to the heart of the North American continent through the seaway, a project supported by every administration from Woodrow Wilson through Eisenhower. In
6048-432: The East Side, who moved to newer housing; Italian immigrant families settled throughout the city, primarily on the lower West Side. During the 1830s, Buffalo residents were generally intolerant of the small groups of Black Americans who began settling on the city's East Side. In the 20th century, wartime and manufacturing jobs attracted Black Americans from the South during the First and Second Great Migrations . In
6160-407: The Great Lakes following the opening of the seaway were built to the maximum size permissible by the locks, known informally as Seawaymax or Seaway-Max. Large vessels of the lake freighter fleet are built on the lakes and cannot travel downstream beyond the Welland Canal. On the remaining Great Lakes, these ships are constrained only by the largest lock on the Great Lakes Waterway , the Poe Lock at
6272-426: The Milwaukee Association of Commerce, said, "The magnitude and potential of the St. Lawrence Seaway and the power project stir the imagination of the world." The seaway's opening is often credited with making the Erie Canal obsolete and causing the severe economic decline of several cities along the canal in Upstate New York . But by the turn of the 20th century, the Erie Canal had already been largely supplanted by
6384-552: The Old Power House near Lock 23 (near Morrisburg, Ontario) became an attractive site for scuba divers. The submerged stone building has become covered with barnacles and is home to an abundance of underwater life. The seaway passes through the St. Lawrence River, which provides a number of diveable shipwrecks within recreational scuba limits (shallower than 130 ft (40 m)). The region also offers technical diving, with some wrecks lying at 240 ft (73 m). The water temperature can be as warm as 75 °F (24 °C) during
6496-433: The Third Welland Canal; and to 766 ft (233 m) long, 80 ft (24 m) wide, and 30 ft (9.1 m) deep for the current (Fourth) Welland Canal. The first proposals for a binational comprehensive deep waterway along the St. Lawrence were made in the 1890s. In the following decades, developers proposed a hydropower project as inseparable from the seaway; the various governments and seaway supporters believed
6608-542: The U.S. During the 1940s and 1950s, Puerto Rican migrants arrived en masse, also seeking industrial jobs, settling on the East Side and moving westward. In the 21st century, Buffalo is classified as a majority minority city , with a plurality of residents who are Black and Latino. Buffalo has experienced effects of urban decay since the 1970s, and also saw population loss to the suburbs and Sun Belt states, and experienced job losses from deindustrialization. The city's population peaked at 580,132 in 1950, when Buffalo
6720-399: The U.S. annual total. The toll revenue obtained from ocean vessels is about 25–30% of cargo revenue. The Port of Duluth shipped just over 2.5 million tonnes of grain, which is less than the port typically moved in the decade before the seaway opened Lake Superior to deep-draft oceangoing vessels in 1959. International changes have affected shipping through the seaway. Europe is no longer
6832-431: The United States, N. R. Danelian (who was the director of the 13-volume St. Lawrence Seaway Survey in the U.S. Department of Navigation (1932–63)), worked with the U.S. Secretary of State on Canadian-U.S. issues regarding the seaway, persevering through 15 years to gain passage by Congress of the Seaway Act . He later became president of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Association to promote seaway development to benefit
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#17327911761596944-414: The United States. In 2002, ships moved 222 million tonnes of cargo through the seaway. Overseas shipments, mostly of inbound steel and outbound grain, accounted for 15.4 million tonnes, or 6.9%, of the total cargo moved. In 2004, seaway grain exports accounted for about 3.6% of U.S. overseas grain shipments, according to the U.S. Grains Council. In a typical year, seaway steel imports account for around 6% of
7056-399: The World War II and postwar years from 1940 to 1970, the city's Black population rose by 433 percent. They replaced most of the Polish community on the East Side, who were moving out to suburbs. However, the effects of redlining , steering, social inequality , blockbusting , white flight and other racial policies resulted in the city (and region) becoming one of the most segregated in
7168-430: The canals and river. Questions have been raised as to whether such infrastructure costs could ever be recovered. Lower water levels in the Great Lakes have also posed problems for some vessels in recent years, and pose greater issues to communities, industries, and agriculture in the region. While the seaway is (as of 2010) mostly used for shipping bulk cargo , the possibility of its use for large-scale container shipping
7280-421: The city became a stronghold of labor unions and the Democratic Party . During World War II , Buffalo regained its manufacturing strength as military contracts enabled the city to manufacture steel, chemicals, aircraft, trucks and ammunition. The 15th-most-populous US city in 1950 , Buffalo's economy relied almost entirely on manufacturing; eighty percent of area jobs were in the sector. The city also had over
7392-403: The city's economy. When these industries downsized in the region, Buffalo's economy became service-based. Its primary sectors include health care, business services (banking, accounting, and insurance), retail, tourism and logistics , especially with Canada. Despite the loss of large-scale manufacturing, some manufacturing of metals, chemicals, machinery, food products, and electronics remains in
7504-438: The city's summers are drier and sunnier than other cities in the northeastern United States, its vegetation receives enough precipitation to remain hydrated. Buffalo summers are characterized by abundant sunshine, with moderate humidity and temperatures; the city benefits from cool, southwestern Lake Erie summer breezes which temper warmer temperatures. Temperatures rise above 90 °F (32.2 °C) an average of three times
7616-513: The coming of railroads greatly reduced the canal's importance, the city became the second-largest railway hub (after Chicago ). During the mid-19th century, Buffalo transitioned to manufacturing, which came to be dominated by steel production. Later, deindustrialization and the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway saw the city's economy decline and diversify. It developed its service industries , such as health care, retail, tourism, logistics, and education, while retaining some manufacturing. In 2019,
7728-540: The country's 49th-largest. Compared to other major US metropolitan areas, the number of foreign-born immigrants to Buffalo is low. New immigrants are primarily resettled refugees (especially from war- or disaster-affected nations) and refugees who had previously settled in other U.S. cities. During the early 2000s, most immigrants came from Canada and Yemen ; this shifted in the 2010s to Burmese ( Karen ) refugees and Bangladeshi immigrants. Between 2008 and 2016, Burmese, Somali , Bhutanese , and Iraqi Americans were
7840-450: The dam in October 1952. U.S. Senate debate on the bill began on January 12, 1953, and the bill emerged from the House of Representatives Committee of Public Works on February 22, 1954. It received approval from the Senate and the House by May 1954. The first positive action to enlarge the seaway was taken on May 13, 1954, when U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Wiley-Dondero Seaway Act to authorize joint construction and establish
7952-402: The deeper water to be created by the hydro project was necessary to make the seaway channels feasible for oceangoing ships. U.S. proposals for development up to and including the First World War met with little interest from the Canadian federal government. But the two national governments submitted St. Lawrence plans to a group for study. By the early 1920s, both The Wooten-Bowden Report and
8064-495: The end of the 18th century, only 338 sq mi (216,000 acres; 880 km ; 88,000 ha) of reservations remained. After the Treaty of Big Tree removed Iroquois title to lands west of the Genesee River in 1797, Joseph Ellicott surveyed land at the mouth of Buffalo Creek. In the middle of the village was an intersection of eight streets at present-day Niagara Square . Originally named New Amsterdam, its name
8176-590: The exposition, President William McKinley was assassinated by anarchist Leon Czolgosz . When McKinley died, Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in at the Wilcox Mansion in Buffalo. Attorney John Milburn and local industrialists convinced the Lackawanna Iron and Steel Company to relocate from Scranton, Pennsylvania to the town of West Seneca in 1904. Employment was competitive, with many Eastern Europeans and Scrantonians vying for jobs. From
8288-563: The field in the 1999 regular season, as the league changed its name to the Indoor Professional Football League that season. Twenty years after the original Buffalo Blitz were proposed, the Buffalo Lightning indoor football team (itself an offshoot of the long-established Buffalo Gladiators semi-pro squad) rebranded itself as the Buffalo Blitz . Buffalo, NY Buffalo is a city in
8400-460: The four largest ethnic immigrant groups in Erie County. A 2008 report noted that although food deserts were seen in larger cities and not in Buffalo, the city's neighborhoods of color have access only to smaller grocery stores and lack the supermarkets more typical of newer, white neighborhoods. A 2018 report noted that over fifty city blocks on Buffalo's East Side lacked adequate access to
8512-532: The frozen Lake Erie . Although snow does not typically impair the city's operation, it can cause significant damage in autumn (as the October 2006 storm did). In November 2014 (called " Snowvember "), the region had a record-breaking storm which produced over 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 ft (66 in; 170 cm) of snow. Buffalo's lowest recorded temperature was −20 °F (−29 °C), which occurred twice: on February 9, 1934, and February 2, 1961. Although
8624-460: The government of all the properties of six villages and three hamlets in Ontario; these are now collectively known as The Lost Villages . The area was flooded beginning on July 1, 1958, creating the lake. There was also inundation on the New York side of the border, and the village of Louisville Landing was submerged. A notable adverse environmental effect of the operation of the seaway has been
8736-623: The introduction of numerous invasive species of aquatic animals into the Great Lakes Basin . The zebra mussel has been most damaging in the Great Lakes and through its invasion of related rivers, waterways, and city water facilities. Invasive species and artificial water level controls imposed by the seaway have had a negative impact on recreational fishing. The seaway, along with the St. Lawrence River it passes through, also provides opportunities for outdoor recreation, such as boating , camping , fishing , and scuba diving . Of note,
8848-435: The late 19th century to the 1920s, mergers and acquisitions led to distant ownership of local companies; this had a negative effect on the city's economy. Examples include the acquisition of Lackawanna Steel by Bethlehem Steel and, later, the relocation of Curtiss-Wright in the 1940s. The Great Depression saw severe unemployment, especially among the working class. New Deal relief programs operated in full force, and
8960-407: The local unemployment rate to 7.5 percent by December 2020. The local unemployment rate had been 4.2 percent in 2019, higher than the national average of 3.5 percent. Buffalo is home to over 20 theater companies, with many centered in the downtown Theatre District . Shea's Performing Arts Center is the city's largest theater. Designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany and built in 1926,
9072-529: The low water levels of the Great Lakes that had been recorded between 2010 and 2016. The Panama Canal was completed in 1914 and also serves oceangoing traffic. In the 1950s, seaway designers chose not to build the locks to match the size of ships permitted by the 1914 locks at the Panama Canal (965 by 106 feet (294 by 32 m), known as the Panamax limit). Instead, the seaway locks were built to match
9184-635: The main channel. The Lake Erie level control lock sits in Port Colborne, Ontario . The size of vessels that can traverse the seaway is limited by the size of locks . Locks on the St. Lawrence and on the Welland Canal are 766 ft (233.5 m) long, 80 ft (24.4 m) wide, and 30 ft (9.14 m) deep. The maximum allowed vessel size is slightly smaller: 740 ft (225.6 m) long, 78 ft (23.8 m) wide, and 26.5 ft (8.1 m) deep. Many vessels designed for use on
9296-586: The metropolitan area to lack a high-school diploma. During the early 19th century, Presbyterian missionaries tried to convert the Seneca people on the Buffalo Creek Reservation to Christianity. Initially resistant, some tribal members set aside their traditions and practices to form their own sect. Later, European immigrants added other faiths. Christianity is the predominant religion in Buffalo and Western New York. Catholicism (primarily
9408-629: The mid- to late-summer months. The first 10 ft (3 m) of Lake Ontario is warmed and enters the St. Lawrence River, as the fast-moving water body has no thermocline circulation. On July 12, 2010, Richelieu (owned by Canada Steamship Lines ) ran aground after losing power near the Côte-Sainte-Catherine lock. The grounding punctured a fuel tank, spilling an estimated 200 tonnes (440 thousand pounds) of diesel fuel , covering approximately 500 square metres (5,400 sq ft). The seaway and lock were shut down to help contain
9520-505: The mid-1800s; about one thousand German and Lithuanian Jews settled in Buffalo before 1880. Buffalo's first synagogue , Temple Beth El, was established in 1847. The city's Temple Beth Zion is the region's largest synagogue. With changing demographics and an increased number of refugees from other areas on the city's East Side, Islam and Buddhism have expanded their presence. In this area, new residents have converted empty churches into mosques and Buddhist temples. Hinduism maintains
9632-494: The mid-1970s before closing it in 1983. The region lost at least 70,000 jobs between 1970 and 1984. Like much of the Rust Belt , Buffalo has focused on recovering from the effects of late-20th-century deindustrialization . Buffalo is on the eastern end of Lake Erie opposite Fort Erie, Ontario . It is at the head of the Niagara River, which flows north over Niagara Falls into Lake Ontario . The Buffalo metropolitan area
9744-408: The national economy. Negotiations on the treaty resumed in 1938, and by January 1940 substantial agreement was reached between Canada and the United States. By 1941, President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Mackenzie King made an executive agreement to build the joint hydro and navigation works, but this failed to receive the assent of the U.S. Congress . Proposals for the seaway were met with resistance;
9856-405: The power to be generated by hydroelectricity, Canada began to consider developing the project alone. This seized the imagination of Canadians, engendering a groundswell of nationalism around the St. Lawrence. On September 28, 1951, Canadian Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent advised U.S. President Harry S. Truman that Canada was unwilling to wait for the United States and would build a seaway alone;
9968-616: The power to put even animals and plants to sleep, which could affect the harvest. At the conclusion, audience members typically offered gifts, such as tobacco, to the storyteller as a sign of appreciation. During the Beaver Wars in the mid-17th century the Senecas conquered the Erie and Neutrals in the region. Native Americans did not settle along Buffalo Creek permanently until 1780, when displaced Senecas were relocated from Fort Niagara . Louis Hennepin and Sieur de La Salle explored
10080-490: The primary opposition came from interests representing harbors on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts and internal waterways and from the railroad associations. The railroads carried freight and goods between the coastal ports and the Great Lakes cities. After 1945, proposals to introduce tolls to the seaway were not sufficient to gain support for the project by the U.S. Congress. Growing impatient, and with Ontario desperate for
10192-519: The primary residents of the Buffalo area before 1800, concentrated along Buffalo Creek. After the Revolutionary War, settlers from New England and eastern New York began to move into the area. From the 1830s to the 1850s, they were joined by Irish and German immigrants from Europe, both peasants and working class, who settled in enclaves on the city's south and east sides. At the turn of the 20th century, Polish immigrants replaced Germans on
10304-404: The proposed Erie Canal would bring prosperity to the area. To accomplish this, Buffalo's harbor was expanded with the help of Samuel Wilkeson ; it was selected as the canal's terminus over the rival Black Rock. It opened in 1825, ushering in commerce, manufacturing and hydropower . By the following year, the 130 sq mi (340 km ) Buffalo Creek Reservation (at the western border of
10416-641: The railroads, which had been constructed across New York and could carry freight more quickly and cheaply. Upstate New York's economic decline was precipitated by numerous factors, only some of which had to do with the St. Lawrence Seaway. Under the Canada Marine Act (1998), the Canadian portions of the seaway were set up with a non-profit corporate structure; this legislation also introduced changes to federal ports. Great Lakes and seaway shipping generates $ 3.4 billion in business revenue annually in
10528-489: The region. Advanced manufacturing has increased, with an emphasis on research and development (R&D) and automation . In 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis valued the gross domestic product (GDP) of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls MSA at $ 53 billion (~$ 62.3 billion in 2023). The civic sector is a major source of employment in the Buffalo area, and includes public, non-profit, healthcare and educational institutions. New York State, with over 19,000 employees,
10640-428: The seaway is not a continuous canal; rather, it consists of several stretches of navigable channels within the river, a number of locks , and canals along the banks of the St. Lawrence River to bypass several rapids and dams . A number of the locks are managed by the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation in Canada, and others in the United States by the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation ;
10752-532: The seaway. From downstream to upstream they are: Water Level Elevations: There are eight locks on the Welland Canal . From the north to the south, there is lock 1 at Port Weller, followed by Lock 2 and then Lock 3, a site with a visitors' information centre and museum in St. Catharines, Ontario . There are four locks in Thorold, Ontario , including twin-flight locks 4, 5 and 6, with Lock 7 leading up to
10864-445: The seaway. The Hapag-Lloyd Christopher Columbus carried 400 passengers to Duluth, Minnesota , that year. Since then, the number of annual seaway cruising passengers has increased to 14,000. Every year, more than 2,000 recreational boats, of more than 20 ft and one ton, transit the seaway. The tolls have been fixed for 2017 at $ 30 per lock. There is a $ 5 per lock discount for payment in advance. Lockages are scheduled 12 hours
10976-456: The smaller locks of Welland Canal , which opened in 1932. The seaway locks permit passage of a ship 740 feet (230 m) long by 78 feet (24 m) feet wide (the Seawaymax limit). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducted a study to expand the St. Lawrence Seaway, but the plan was scrapped in 2011 because of tight budgets. There are seven locks in the St. Lawrence River portion of
11088-890: The south and the Neutral Nation in the north, with a relatively small tribe, the Wenrohronon , between and the Senecas , an Iroquois tribe, occupying the land just east of the region. The Neutral grew tobacco and hemp to trade with the Iroquois, who traded furs with the French for European goods. The tribes used animal- and war paths to travel and move goods across what today is New York State. (Centuries later, these same paths were gradually improved, then paved, then developed into major modern roads.) Traditional Seneca oral legends, as recounted by professional storytellers known as Hagéotâ, were highly participatory. These tales were told only during winter, as they were believed to have
11200-611: The spill. The seaway is important for American and Canadian international trade. It handles 40–50 million annual tonnes of cargo. About 50% of this cargo carried travels to and from international ports in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The rest comprises coastal trade, or short sea shipping , between various American and Canadian ports. Among international shippers are found: The St. Lawrence Seaway (along with ports in Quebec)
11312-500: The theater presents Broadway musicals and concerts. Shakespeare in Delaware Park has been held outdoors every summer since 1976. Stand-up comedy can be found throughout the city and is anchored by Helium Comedy Club, which hosts both local talent and national touring acts. The Nickel City Opera (known as NC Opera Buffalo and NCO ) is an American opera company based at Shea's Performing Arts Center in Buffalo and
11424-576: The treaty, but it failed to gain the necessary two-thirds vote for ratification. Later attempts between the governments in the 1930s to forge an agreement came to naught due to opposition by the Ontario government of Mitchell Hepburn and the government of Quebec. In 1936, John C. Beukema, head of the Great Lakes Harbors Association and a member of the Great Lakes Tidewater Commission, was among
11536-639: The two bodies together advertise the seaway as part of "Highway H 2 O" . The section of the river from Montreal to the Atlantic is under Canadian jurisdiction, regulated by the offices of Transport Canada in the Port of Quebec . The St. Lawrence Seaway was preceded by several other canals. In 1871, locks on the St. Lawrence allowed transit of vessels 186 ft (57 m) long, 44 ft 6 in (13.56 m) wide, and 9 ft (2.7 m) deep. The First Welland Canal , constructed between 1824 and 1829, had
11648-523: The upper Niagara and Ontario regions in the late 1670s. In 1679, La Salle's ship, Le Griffon , became the first to sail above Niagara Falls near Cayuga Creek . Baron de Lahontan visited the site of Buffalo in 1687. A small French settlement along Buffalo Creek lasted for only a year (1758). After the French and Indian War , the region was ruled by Britain. After the American Revolution ,
11760-478: The village) was transferred to Buffalo. Buffalo was incorporated as a city in 1832. During the 1830s, businessman Benjamin Rathbun significantly expanded its business district. The city doubled in size from 1845 to 1855. Almost two-thirds of the city's population was foreign-born, largely a mix of unskilled (or educated) Irish and German Catholics . Fugitive slaves made their way north to Buffalo during
11872-470: The western end of Lake Superior . The seaway is named for the St. Lawrence River , which flows from Lake Ontario to the Atlantic Ocean. Legally, the seaway extends from Montreal , Quebec , to Lake Erie , and includes the Welland Canal . Ships from the Atlantic Ocean are able to reach ports in all five of the Great Lakes, via the Great Lakes Waterway . The St. Lawrence River portion of
11984-695: Was 6,470.6 per square mile. Buffalo's architecture is diverse, with a collection of 19th- and 20th-century buildings. Downtown Buffalo landmarks include Louis Sullivan 's Guaranty Building , an early skyscraper; the Ellicott Square Building , once one of the largest of its kind in the world; the Art Deco Buffalo City Hall and the McKinley Monument , and the Electric Tower . Beyond downtown,
12096-559: Was ceded through the Holland Land Purchase , and a small village was established at its headwaters. In 1825, after its harbor was improved, Buffalo was selected as the terminus of the Erie Canal , which led to its incorporation in 1832. The canal stimulated its growth as the primary inland port between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. Transshipment made Buffalo the world's largest grain port of that era. After
12208-460: Was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in his Prairie School style. Since 2016, Washington DC real estate developer Douglas Jemal has been acquiring, and redeveloping, iconic properties throughout the city. According to Mark Goldman, the city has a "tradition of separate and independent settlements". The boundaries of Buffalo's neighborhoods have changed over time. The city is divided into five districts , each containing several neighborhoods, for
12320-613: Was redeveloped in 2020. Other revitalized areas include Chandler Street, in the Grant-Amherst neighborhood, and Hertel Avenue in Parkside. The Buffalo Common Council adopted its Green Code in 2017, replacing zoning regulations which were over sixty years old. Its emphasis on regulations promoting pedestrian safety and mixed land use received an award at the 2019 Congress for the New Urbanism conference. Buffalo has
12432-588: Was soon changed to Buffalo. The village of Buffalo was named for Buffalo Creek . British military engineer John Montresor referred to "Buffalo Creek" in his 1764 journal, the earliest recorded appearance of the name. A road to Pennsylvania from Buffalo was built in 1802 for migrants traveling to the Connecticut Western Reserve in Ohio. Before an east–west turnpike across the state was completed, traveling from Albany to Buffalo would take
12544-509: Was the 15th-largest city in the United States ;– down from the eighth-largest city in 1900, after its growth rate slowed during the 1920s. Buffalo finally saw a population gain of 6.5% in the 2020 census, reversing a decades long trend of population decline. The city has 278,349 residents as of the 2020 census, making it the 76th-largest city in the United States. Its metropolitan area had 1.1 million residents in 2020,
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