Black Rock, Buffalo, New York
Encyclopedia
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. In the 1820s, Black Rock was the rival of Buffalo for the terminus of the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
, but Buffalo, with its larger harbor capacity and greater distance from the shores of Canada, a recent antagonist during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, won the competition. Black Rock took its name from a large outcropping of black limestone along the Niagara River
Niagara River
The Niagara River flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the Province of Ontario in Canada and New York State in the United States. There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the river...
, which was blasted away in the early 1820s to make way for the canal.
History
In spite of losing the Erie Canal terminus to Buffalo and being burned to the ground by the British during the War of 1812War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, Black Rock continued to prosper and in 1839, was incorporated as a town. In 1853, the City of Buffalo annexed the town of Black Rock.
Because of its strategic position across the Niagara River
Niagara River
The Niagara River flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the Province of Ontario in Canada and New York State in the United States. There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the river...
from Canada, Black Rock was an important crossing place for African-Americans escaping slavery via the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
. This heritage is celebrated with an annual Underground Railroad Re-Enactment at Broderick Park
Broderick Park
-Location and recreational opportunities:The Park, following an elongated shape, is located on Squaw Island, , in the Niagara River, and overlooks the Canadian border....
on Squaw Island
Squaw Island, (Buffalo)
Squaw Island is an island in the Niagara River, located at within the city limits of Buffalo, New York.A recreational area known as Broderick Park is located in the southern portion of Squaw Island, and has been the scene of high profile visits of Congressmen ....
at Niagara and Ferry Streets, the site of a ferry crossing prior to the construction of passenger bridges.
The area's first industry was shipbuilding, later supplanted by foundries, manufacturing, and canal commerce. Today Black Rock is home to Rich Products
Rich Products
Rich Products Corporation is a privately held, multinational food products corporation headquartered in Buffalo, New York. The company was founded in 1945 by Robert E. Rich, Sr....
, one of Buffalo's largest private employers. It also boasts some pre-annexation houses and many excellent, often vacant examples of early 20th century brick and masonry industrial architecture.
Black Rock's history is amply documented in the library collections of the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society.
Railroad link
In the 1870s, the International Railway BridgeInternational Railway Bridge
The International Railway Bridge carries a railway line across the Niagara River between Fort Erie, Ontario and Buffalo, New York. It was built in 1873 for the International Bridge Company by Casimir Stanislaus Gzowski and D.L...
connected the two nations at Black Rock, an engineering marvel at the time. The Black Rock Rail Yard
Black Rock Rail Yard
The Black Rock Rail Yard is on the west side of Buffalo, New York, a half mile inland from the Niagara River, in the Black Rock neighborhood. The rail yard receives Canadian National Railway freight trains arriving from Canada by way of the International Railway Bridge.The yard is surrounded by old...
handled both passenger service and commercial transport of goods into and out of Canada. Following the completion of the St. Lawrence Seaway, the construction of the United States's Interstate Highway system, Canada's Queen Elizabeth Highway, and the increase of commercial air travel, the Black Rock Rail Yard lost its passenger service and later most of its commercial freight service. The railroad bridge, however, remains in heavy usage and is one of the most important rail crossings between the United States and Canada.
Prominent Residents
Black Rock's best-known resident was American poet Robert CreeleyRobert Creeley
Robert Creeley was an American poet and author of more than sixty books. He is usually associated with the Black Mountain poets, though his verse aesthetic diverged from that school's. He was close with Charles Olson, Robert Duncan, Allen Ginsberg, John Wieners and Ed Dorn. He served as the Samuel P...
, who lived with his family in a converted firehouse at the corner of Amherst and East Streets from 1990 to 2003. Another prominent resident was US Secretary of War Peter Buell Porter
Peter Buell Porter
Peter Buell Porter was an American lawyer, soldier and politician who served as United States Secretary of War from 1828 to 1829.-Life:...
. Current residents include prominent Buffalo architect Max Willig who lives in the historic Amherst National Bank Building at the corner of Amherst and Germain Streets.