History of the Twin Cities by Mrs. Elias Root.htm
Dublin Core
Title
Description
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- La Salle and French Grab Frontier, Indian Lore Told (1947-04-30)
- French, English and Indians Battle for Niagara Frontier (1947-05-01)
- Bloody Devil's Hole Massacre Recounted in Frontier Lore (1947-05-03)
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- Treaty with Great Britian Deeds Fort Niagara to the U. S. (1947-05-06)
- Spectacle of Mighty Niagara Awed Early Visitors (1947-05-07)
- Daredevils of Niagara Falls Described in Frontier Lore (1947-05-08)
- Falls Proved Lively Subject for Early Writers, Artists (1947-05-09)
- Early Travelers Bypassed Tonawanda Because of Forests (1947-05-10)
- -Early Real Estate Deals Open Up Infant Tonawandas (1947-05-12)
- First Land in Tonas. Sold for 5c* (1947-05-13?)
- Woman's daring Saved Home as British Sacked Tonawanda (1947-05-14), incomplete, includes War of 1812 Tonawanda blockade uniform change story, De Graffs, and the widow Francis
- Grand Island Timber Used for Early Boston Clippers (1947-05-15)
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- Goundry, Sweeney Offered NT Area to Buyers in 1824 (1947-05-17)
- Village of Tona Mapped, Erie Canal Pushed Through (1947-05-19)
- 330 Homes in Tonas. in 1866; Lumber Boom Hits Village (1947-05-20)
- Martinsville Settled, Rails Laid to Twin Cities* (1947-05-21) (incomplete)
CHAPTER XIII
Early Travelers By-Passed Tonas. Because of Forests
In this chapter of the local history, prepared by the late Mrs. Elias Root, an account is presented of the great events which passed the Tonawandas by because nothing was located where the Twin Cities now stand but impassable forests.
For fully 200 years after the first white man set foot in Niagara County, Tonawanda was simply a point in the interminable forest pressing close to the Niagara River banks.
The only thing to distinguish this point from others was the fact that a small unnamed island stood opposite the mouth of two creeks which flowed into the river at this point.
All the stirring events that transpired at the lower end of this noted river made no impression on this lonely spot. The passing of the Indians from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie with furs and merchandise of every description was the only indication of human life. Even the Griffon, built only five miles from here by LaSalle passed here on its first and only voyage, but, while envious and malicious eyes of savages along the banks may have peered at it from among the trees, no white man was here to wave a greeting as it passed by, never to return.
No Land Trips
The spot where Buffalo now stands was originally called the “Place of the Basswoods,” and if a traveller wished to make a trip From Fort Niagara to this point on Lake Erie, he avoided a land trip for two reasons. First, he would be obliged to wade two or three extensive streams whether he took the eastern or western bank of the river, for there were no bridges at that time; secondly, the forests were full of wild animals and snakes, with only Indian trails for roads.
The only practical way to make the journey was by boat, with a portage from the foot of the rapids below the Falls to the river above the cataract. Many people noted in science, literature, military service, and in statesmanship passed by this way but, without a bridge to cross the streams or even a tavern to furnish food or rest, the place was passed by.
Among the noted people who have visited this region, not including writers already mentioned, are the following: George Francis Train, George William Curtis, Anthony Trollope, Prince Maximilian, the Earl of Carlisle, Professors Huxley and Tyndall, Henry James, Edward Arnold, Henry Irving, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Charles A. Dana, George Ticknor, E. C. Stedman, James T. Field, Charles Dickens, Walt Whitman, the Marquis of Lorne, Catherine Sedgwick, Thoreau, and Emerson.
Mrs. Frances Wright made a trip to this region from the eastern part of the state and was entertained on the way at the home of the Wadsworths in Genesee Valley, from which family is descended our former Senator.
After steamboats were invented, a man named Flint came down the lakes from the west in a pioneer steamer called “Walk-in-the-Water.”
In 1825, Maitland had a country seat at Stamford near the Whirlpool and LaFayette on a trip to this country was entertained there. President Monroe also joined the endless number which passed this way with the great cataract for their objective.
Tonawanda was not on the map when the greater part of these travellers passed through.
As late as 1792, there was not a white settler between the Genesee and Niagara Rivers.
Many changes in boundaries were made by the state before the present towns of Wheatfield and Tonawanda were formed.
(To be Continued Monday)
LOCAL HISTORY — CHAPT. 14
Early Real Estate Deals Open Up Infant Tonawandas
The early development of the Tonawandas is covered in this chapter of the exciting history of the Twin Cities prepared by the late Mrs. Elias Root.
The completion of the canal was of untold value to New York and did a great deal toward making it the Empire State. All the merchandise that had been shipped from New York and Albany up the Mohawk, by various portages to Oswego, up Lake Ontario, thru the Niagara River by portages around the Falls, and then on to Lake Erie was now shipped by canal. Of course the passage was slow, horses having been used until about 1900 to draw the boats, but an immense amount of transferring of baggage was eliminated.
But after the first excitement incident to building this end of the waterway had subsided, the town failed to benefit much by it, by virtue of the fact that the greater part of the merchandise passed through to Buffalo and the West.
There was not as much need of the portage at the Falls as heretofore, still the Canadian trade demanded it and although the warehouses at Lewiston had been burned, the firm of Porter Barton & Co. received a commission from the government to run the portage with the understanding that they would build a new warehouse, which they did, and carried on a rushing business there for years. But in spite of the canal and in spite of the realtors, the growth of the Tonawandas was very slow.
Early Landowners
A map showing the transfers of real estate along Ellicott Creek was
about this time indicates that James A. Burrows, A. H. Tracy, William Williams, Charles Townsend and George Cort (Buffalo men) purchased about 300 acres at the junction of the creek with the river and laid out village lots and streets. But in 1827, Tonawanda had only a postoffice, Joseph Brush, Postmaster, a bridge across the creek, a few log houses and two small stores. During the building of the canal Wilkinson and Johnson conducted a store on the south side and later Joseph Brush, after acting as a clerk for this firm for several years, opened one of his own.
Since he was Postmaster for many years, he probably ran the post office in connection with the store which he conducted for 40 years. In 1827, Will Driggs, son of Roswell Driggs, an earlier saloon keeper, built the first store of any account which he kept for 50 years. John Long built a house on the north side of Ellicott Creek at its junction with Tonawanda Creek and there was a tavern run by Peter Taylor at the mouth of the creek. There was also the little log schoolhouse on Niagara street.
First Boom
On the north side was the tavern on the creek run by Ganett Van Slyke whose daughters ran a rope ferry across the creek. There were several log houses on this side.
By an act of legislature in 1825, William Williams was authorized to run a ferry from the south side of Tonawanda Creek to Grand Island and by this same act James Sweeney was authorized to run one from the north side to the same place where the village of White Haven had already been started.
In 1850, the village of Tonawanda experienced its first boom, but the quarter of a century from the opening of the canal to that time was characterized mainly by the opening up of Grand and Tonawanda Islands to the lumber interests as previously mentioned, the building of saw and grist mills and the building of railroads.
(To be continued tomorrow)