Sweeney, James Sr. and James Jr., portraits and bio (A History of the City of Buffalo, pp187-188, 1908).htm
Dublin Core
Title
Sweeney, James Sr. and James Jr., portraits and bio (A History of the City of Buffalo, pp187-188, 1908).htm
Description
Archive.org, transcribed by AI:
James Sweeney, Senior, and James Sweeney, Junior.—About the year 1820 three residents of Buffalo—James Sweeney, John Sweeney, and William Vandervoort—came into possession of three farm lots north of Tonawanda creek, comprising in all about five hundred acres, and upon which a part of the city of North Tonawanda now stands. This land had been selling at a very low figure, land that only awaited the development of the Niagara Frontier to become one of the most valuable tracts in this section of the State. George Goundry had a third interest in the property at one time, Mr. Goundry being one of the pioneers of North Tonawanda.
In 1824 the owners of this land, which is located north of Tonawanda creek, began to dispose of it piece by piece, to the village corporation and the residents therein. A copy of a deed of land from James Sweeney, John Sweeney, and William Vandervoort to the village of North Tonawanda, dated 1824, is still in possession of James Sweeney, Senior, son of the James Sweeney mentioned above. In a few years the remaining property passed over to the control of the Sweeney family and has remained in their possession since. The sales which have been made from time to time to individuals, and also to the city of North Tonawanda, leave at the present time in the possession of the Sweeney family about one hundred and fifty to two hundred acres, and comprise what is left of the original grant of the three farm lots.
At the death of the elder Sweeney, his son, James Sweeney, took over the management of the property, which was becoming more valuable year by year. About ten years ago, he in turn gave over the control of the property to his son, James Sweeney, Junior. The elder Sweeney still lives and is manager of the property, but James Sweeney, Junior, acting as his agent, does the active work in connection therewith.
During the latter part of the ten years that James Sweeney, Junior, has been in control, he has paid particular attention to the building up of large factory buildings and industries on the property. During the past five or six years he has closed twenty-three factory deals, the owners of the land erecting the factories on the property and leasing them to the manufacturers on long terms of from ten to twenty-five years. These factories, combined, employ about two thousand people, and the desirability of the property as a site for manufacturing purposes is plainly manifest. It is situated on the thousand ton barge canal and the Niagara River, accessible to connections with every important railroad line in this part of the country. Natural gas and electric power from Niagara Falls add to its desirability.
James Sweeney, Junior.—Sometime before the War of 1812, the old family records show that he was one of those who fled up the beach road, when the British and Indians sacked the town in 1814. After peace came and the hardy settlers went back to their former vocations, Mr. Sweeney seems to have been attracted Tonawandards, and he also owned a large amount of land in the south village of Tonawanda, as well as in the north village. He was subsequently actively identified with the early railroad interests in this section of the State, and was one of the stockholders of the Buffalo & Niagara Falls Railroad, which ran between those points as early as 1836 and was later merged with the New York Central, whose Buffalo and Niagara Falls division now runs over the same road.
James Sweeney, Senior, one of the preceding James Sweeneys, was born in North Tonawanda in 1831, and received his early education in the Buffalo public schools. Having completed his school education he began to assist his father in the management of his large holdings in the Tonawandas. Ten years ago his advanced age forced him to retire from the active management of the property, but he still maintains an active interest in Buffalo and Niagara Frontier affairs. He is a trustee of the Erie County Savings Bank, a member of the Buffalo Historical Society, the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences, the Buffalo Club, and several other social and business organizations. He has been identified with the history of old St. Paul’s Church for many years. His father was one of the original members of the church and the son was the holder of one of the original pews. He is at present time one of its vestrymen.
James Sweeney, Junior, was born in this city in 1866 and supplemented his early training in the Buffalo public schools with a thorough course of training in Professor Briggs’ Classical School, from which he graduated. After spending a year in Europe Mr. Sweeney returned to this country, and at once took up the active management of the Sweeney property, which he retains up to the time of this writing.
He is a member of the Buffalo, Ellicott, Country, Saturn, and Park clubs of this city and of the Frontier Club of North Tonawanda. Other business associations are with the American Savings Bank and the Tonawanda Power Company, he being a trustee of the former and a director of the latter organization. Mr. Sweeney’s office is in the building which was formerly occupied by the first bank established in Tonawanda.
James Sweeney, Senior, and James Sweeney, Junior.—About the year 1820 three residents of Buffalo—James Sweeney, John Sweeney, and William Vandervoort—came into possession of three farm lots north of Tonawanda creek, comprising in all about five hundred acres, and upon which a part of the city of North Tonawanda now stands. This land had been selling at a very low figure, land that only awaited the development of the Niagara Frontier to become one of the most valuable tracts in this section of the State. George Goundry had a third interest in the property at one time, Mr. Goundry being one of the pioneers of North Tonawanda.
In 1824 the owners of this land, which is located north of Tonawanda creek, began to dispose of it piece by piece, to the village corporation and the residents therein. A copy of a deed of land from James Sweeney, John Sweeney, and William Vandervoort to the village of North Tonawanda, dated 1824, is still in possession of James Sweeney, Senior, son of the James Sweeney mentioned above. In a few years the remaining property passed over to the control of the Sweeney family and has remained in their possession since. The sales which have been made from time to time to individuals, and also to the city of North Tonawanda, leave at the present time in the possession of the Sweeney family about one hundred and fifty to two hundred acres, and comprise what is left of the original grant of the three farm lots.
At the death of the elder Sweeney, his son, James Sweeney, took over the management of the property, which was becoming more valuable year by year. About ten years ago, he in turn gave over the control of the property to his son, James Sweeney, Junior. The elder Sweeney still lives and is manager of the property, but James Sweeney, Junior, acting as his agent, does the active work in connection therewith.
During the latter part of the ten years that James Sweeney, Junior, has been in control, he has paid particular attention to the building up of large factory buildings and industries on the property. During the past five or six years he has closed twenty-three factory deals, the owners of the land erecting the factories on the property and leasing them to the manufacturers on long terms of from ten to twenty-five years. These factories, combined, employ about two thousand people, and the desirability of the property as a site for manufacturing purposes is plainly manifest. It is situated on the thousand ton barge canal and the Niagara River, accessible to connections with every important railroad line in this part of the country. Natural gas and electric power from Niagara Falls add to its desirability.
James Sweeney, Junior.—Sometime before the War of 1812, the old family records show that he was one of those who fled up the beach road, when the British and Indians sacked the town in 1814. After peace came and the hardy settlers went back to their former vocations, Mr. Sweeney seems to have been attracted Tonawandards, and he also owned a large amount of land in the south village of Tonawanda, as well as in the north village. He was subsequently actively identified with the early railroad interests in this section of the State, and was one of the stockholders of the Buffalo & Niagara Falls Railroad, which ran between those points as early as 1836 and was later merged with the New York Central, whose Buffalo and Niagara Falls division now runs over the same road.
James Sweeney, Senior, one of the preceding James Sweeneys, was born in North Tonawanda in 1831, and received his early education in the Buffalo public schools. Having completed his school education he began to assist his father in the management of his large holdings in the Tonawandas. Ten years ago his advanced age forced him to retire from the active management of the property, but he still maintains an active interest in Buffalo and Niagara Frontier affairs. He is a trustee of the Erie County Savings Bank, a member of the Buffalo Historical Society, the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences, the Buffalo Club, and several other social and business organizations. He has been identified with the history of old St. Paul’s Church for many years. His father was one of the original members of the church and the son was the holder of one of the original pews. He is at present time one of its vestrymen.
James Sweeney, Junior, was born in this city in 1866 and supplemented his early training in the Buffalo public schools with a thorough course of training in Professor Briggs’ Classical School, from which he graduated. After spending a year in Europe Mr. Sweeney returned to this country, and at once took up the active management of the Sweeney property, which he retains up to the time of this writing.
He is a member of the Buffalo, Ellicott, Country, Saturn, and Park clubs of this city and of the Frontier Club of North Tonawanda. Other business associations are with the American Savings Bank and the Tonawanda Power Company, he being a trustee of the former and a director of the latter organization. Mr. Sweeney’s office is in the building which was formerly occupied by the first bank established in Tonawanda.
Date
1800
Collection
Citation
“Sweeney, James Sr. and James Jr., portraits and bio (A History of the City of Buffalo, pp187-188, 1908).htm,” North Tonawanda History, accessed January 24, 2026, https://nthistory.com/items/show/4839.