Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2014, All Rights Reserved U.S. Data Repository Please read U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the US Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ ========================================================================= U.S. Data Repository NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization. Non-commercial organizations desiring to use this material must obtain the consent of the transcriber prior to use. Individuals desiring to use this material in their own research may do so. ========================================================================= Formatted by U.S. Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== Gazeteer of the State of New York J. H. French, 1860 -279- ERIE COUNTY This county was formed from Niagara, April 2, 1821. It lies upon Lake Erie and Niagara River, on the W. line of the State, is centrally distant 253 mi. from Albany, and contains 1,071 sq. mi. Its surface is level in the N., rolling in the center, and hilly in the S. A region perfectly flat, and much of it marshy, lies along Tonawanda Creek, and occupies the greater part of the N. tier of towns. This low region is bounded on the S. by a limestone terrace, 20 to 60 ft. high, extending from Black Rock E. through the S. part of Amerherst, Clarence, and Newstead. A nearly level region, extending S. from the summit of this ridge, embraces the city of Buffalo and the towns of Chicktowaga, Lancaster, and Alden, and terminates in the rolling region which occupies the entire central part of the co. The ridges in the center and S. have a general N. and S. direction, and rise gradually toward the S., their highest summits attaining an elevation of 200 to 300 ft. above the valleys, 900 to 1,000 ft. above Lake Erie, and 1,400 to 1,600 ft. above tide. (1) The highlands are divided into several distinct ridges by the valleys of Cazenova and Eighteen Mile Creeks. The slopes of the hills are generally long and gradual; but in some places the bankes immediately bordering upon the steams are very steep. The land along the lake in the N. is low and level, but in the S. it rises in steep banks to a height of 20 to 50 ft. Niagara River, the outlet of Lake Erie, forms a portion of the W. boundary of the co. Its current flows at the rate of 2 1/2 miles per hour. Grand Island, commencing about 5 miles below Buffalo, divides the river into two nearly equal branches. Sqauw, Strawberry, Rattlesnake, Tonawanda, Beaver, and Buckhorn Islands, also in Niagara River, are within the limits of this co. The river is navigable to the head of the rapids, about 2 mi. above Niagara Falls. Tonawanda Creek (2) forms the N. boundary of the co. It flows in a tortuous course through a low, marshy region. A dam, 4 1/2 ft. high at its mouth, furnishes slack water navigation for the Erie Canal for about 10 miles. Its principal branches are Murder and Ellicott - or Eleven Mile - Creeks. Buffalo Creek (3) enters the lake at Buffalo City, its estuary forming the harbor. Its principal tributaries are Cayuga Creek, from the N., and Cazenova Creek, (4) from the S. The other principal streams are Little Buffalo, Eighteen Mile, (5) Big Sister, and Cattaraugus Creeks, all flowing into the lake, and the last forming the S. boundary of the co. The lowest rocks are those of the Onondaga salt group; and these are succeeded by the hydraulic, Onondaga, and corniferous limestones. The central part of the co. is occupied by the Marcellus and Hamilton shales, and the summits of the southern hills are covered by the rocks of the Portage group. The rocks of the salt group occupy nearly all the low land below the limestone terrace. They are covered so deep with drift and alluvium, however, that they have but little influence upon the surface, and can never be profitably quarried for commercial purposes. Hydraulic limestone of an excellent quality crops out along the N. base of the limestone terrace, and is extensively quarried. The terrace is composed of Onondaga and corniferous limestone; and along its whole extent are numerous quarries, furnishing an abundance of lime and building stone of excellent quality. Numerous sulpher springs are found near the N. base of the terrace. The shales of the central and southern parts of the co. are generally covered with a thick deposit of drift, and are only visible along the margin of the streams. These rocks furnish an inferior kind of building stone, but are not otherwise valuable. The soil in the N. is generally a stiff, clay loam interspersed with beds of marl and muck; further S. it is a clay and gravelly loam resting upon limestone. The southern hills are covered with -------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) The following heights have been obtained from the surveys of the proposed Buffalo & Pittsburgh R.R.: - South Wales, 507 ft. above Lake Erie. Holland Village, 699 ft. " " Sardinia (summit), 891 ft. " " Concord (summit), 920 ft. " " The hills generally rise to about 200 feet above the grade of the r.r. (2) Seneca, Ta-no'wan-deh, meaning, "at the rapids or ripples," or perhaps more nearly literally, "at his rapids." (3) On a map made in 1804 by Joseph Ellicott, agent of the Holland Land Company, this stream is laid down as "Tos-e-o-way" Creek. In an ancient Indian treaty it is called "Te-ho-se-ro-ron." (4) Named from Theophilus Cazenova, agent for the Holland Land Company. (5) The Seneca name is "Gaah gwahge-gu-aah," literally, "it was the residence of the Gaah-gwah people." Leaving off the suffix for the past tense, the name is "Gaah-gwah-geh," literally, "Gaah-gwah" place or residence. The Gaah-gwah Indians, or Eries, who formerly resided in this region, ar supposed to be the Neuter Nation spoken of by early French writers and some- times called the Cat Indians. The remnant of them now living beyond the Mississippi are called Quawpaws. ---------------------------------------------------------------- -280- drift, consisting of clay and gravel. The soil of the valleys is generally a gravelly loam and alluvium. The principal pursuits in the N. are grain raising, and in the S. stock and wool growing and dairying. The hilly regions are much better adapted to pasturage than tillage. The people of Buffalo and Tonawanda are mostly engaged in commerce and manufactures. Buffalo is the county seat. The courthouse, situated on the corner of Clinton and Ellicott Sts. is a substantial brick building, con- taining the court and jury rooms, the office of the co. clerk, and most of the other co. offices. The jail is a small stone building on the same lot. The Erie Co. Penitentiary is located on Fifth St. in Buffalo. The buildings are 5 in number, - the male and female prisons, the workhouse, the warehouse, and the superintendent's dwell- ing. Prisoners are received from Allegany, Chautauque, Cattaraugus, Wyoming, Genesee, Orleans, and Niagara cos. The average number in confinement is 130. The Erie Co. Poorhouse is located on a farm of 153 acres in the N. E. part of Buffalo. There are 2 buildings, - one designed for use as the poorhouse proper, and the other for the accomodation of the insane. The average number of inmates is 300, supported at a weekly cost of $1.00 each. The principal works of internal improvement are the Erie Canal, the Rochester & Buffalo, and the Lockport, Niagara Falls and Buffalo branches of the New York Central Rail Road, the Buffalo, New York & Erie, and the Buffalo & Erie Rail Roads, all terminating in the city of Buffalo, and the Canandaigua & Niagara Falls branch of the N. Y. C. R. R., extending through Newstead, Clarence, Amherst, and Tonawanda. A railroad from Buffalo to Pittsburgh is now in process of construction. A pier, lighthouse, and breakwater have been built at the mouth of Buffalo Creek. With the exception of the Indian Reservation and the Mile Strip, along Niagara River, this co. was all included within the Holland Pur- chase. The Indian lands, containing 130 sq. mi. and lying upon both sides of Buffalo Creek, at its mouth, were purchased in parcels, at different times; and the whole territory is now thickly settled. The first settlements were made at Buffalo, about 1794-95, and in other places within a few years after. The generous outlays made by the Holland Company in the construction of roads, bridges, mills, & c. led to a rapid occupation of all the best lands in the co. (9) On the morning of the 30th of Dec., 1813, a British force of about 1,000 men crossed over from Canada and captured Black Rock and Buffalo. The American forces then stationed at these places were superior to the British in point of numbers; but the officers were not qualified for command, and a large share of the militia fled upon the commencement of the action. The village of Buffalo was burned in retaliation of the wanton destruction of Newark, in Canada, by the Americans under Gen. George McClure, (then of Steuben co.,) a short time before. (10) The finishing of the Erie Canal and of the N. Y. Central R. R. tended greatly to develop the resources of the co., and to convert Buffalo, its chief city, into the greatest commercial place on the upper lakes. The first newspaper was published in 1811. ------------------------------------------------------------------ (9) A large share of the later settlers of the co. have been German; and this class of people now constitute about one- fifth of the entire population of the co. The population of several of the towns in the immediate vicinity of Buffalo is almost exclusively German. (10) The loss at Buffalo was reported as 66 frame, 1 stone, and 2 brick houses, 16 stores and offices, 35 barns, and 15 shops, valued together at $190,000; at Black Rock, 16 frame and 11 log houses, 8 barns, and 5 outhouses, valued at $19,000; and at other places 20 frame and 67 log houses, 5 stores, 29 barns, 30 shops, &c., worth $141,000. Total 334 buildings, worth $350,000, not including the buildings of the Messrs. Porter. -- Albany Argus, April 22, 1814. =========================================================================== If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access the more of our information about Erie County, N.Y., by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/ny/erie/ ===========================================================================