This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Erie Canal Shaped Buffalo from Village to City
The Erie canal completed in 1825 opened a water route from New York to Lake Erie and spurred Buffalo’s growth by enabling cheap transport. Buffalo rose as a steel and meat packing center with ore shipments from Minnesota, while early founders like Cornelius Winney and Joseph Ellicot built the settlement once known as New Amsterdam.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Erie Canal
Buffalo
New York
Lake Erie
la Salle
Cornelius Winney
Joseph Ellicot
New Amsterdam
City of
Minnesota