Home History. Recollections of Buffalo ... from 1830 to 1840, etc

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HOME HISTORY. Recollections of Buffalo DURING THE DECADE FROM 1830 TO 1840, or FIFTY YEARS SINCE. DESCRIPTIVE AND ILLUSTRATIVE, WITH INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES. By SAMUEL M. WELCH. BUFFALO : PETER PAUL & BRO. 1891. Copyrighted, 1S90, by S. M. Welch. TO MY ELDER BROTHER, WILLIAM W. WELCH, M. D., OF GALESI5URG, ILLINOIS. Volunteer Surgeon, (Rank of Major of Cavalry), during the War of the Rebellion, until January 5th, 1865, then Staff Surg eon in Chief of the Western District of Mississippi, to the end of 1865. In his early youth a resident of Buffalo, having always manifested a lively interest in the improvement and progress of the City — where he studied his profession under the guidance of those eminent Physicians, Professor Austin Flint, Sr., and Henry L. Benjamin, M. D., — this book is dedi cated and inscribed with the fraternal regard of the AUTHOR.

Preface

. s recall the memories hereinafter related in print, at the * solicitation of a few friends, together with whom, I have often intimately conversed on this favorite subject of local reminiscences, and with a personal desire to place on re cord many of the names of well known persons who lived here, and of current events during the childhood of the City of Buffalo ; not very remarkable to the general read er, but interesting to our townspeople of the present day and those hereafter to follow. My recollections of Buffalo, in its youth, when I also was a child are remarkably vivid. I took in all my sur roundings ; the serious and comic phases — all aspects of current events — the doings and peculiarities of the people daily passing in panoramic review before me. It seems to me now, that when Buffalo became a chartered city in 1832, I recognized and was familiar with every person of all ages ; every dwelling and other building — and every brick in the pavements.

It has grown away from me, while I do not yet call myself an old man. I hope my readers will not find cause to cavil at these records of my boyhood recollections, nor to question their correctness. I admit possible errors ; may be mis statements of facts and anachronisms, due to natural lapses of memory common to every one, and for which I am liable to criticism and correction. I have spent no Preface. time searching records and documents to verify myself, (beyond references to one old City Directory), but have written accordingly as has been suggested to my memory, in the brief intervals when I would find time and was in the humor to write. I may add that these papers have been written with no special attempt at rhetorical grace nor picturesque effect. And so I present to the local public the " Recollections of a Boy in Buffalo " during the decade of the " Thirties."

Buffalo, N. Y., 1890. BUFFALO HARBOR. CONTENTS. PAGR. Introductory Chapter, ....... i Topographical, ........ 5 Climatic, ......... 35 Where Folk Lived in the Thirties, .... 44 A Panorama of Main Street, . . . . . 61 Iroquois, . . . . . . . . . in Stages, . . . . . . . . . . 127 Lake Marine Service, ....... 134 Solicitors, 155 Manners, Customs and Fashions of the Times, and Who were the People in the Thirties, . . 164 Benjamin Rathbun, ....... 197 Colonel Alanson Palmer, ...... 203 The Buffalo Apprentices' Society. .... 209 Early Churches, . . . . . . . 227 Cholera, . . . . . . . . . 264 Cemeteries, ......... 270 Patriot War, . . . . . . . . . 274 The Legal Fraternity, ...... 293 Doctors, M. D., . . . . . . . 330 " Y. M. A." — The Buffalo Library, .... 340 Log Cabin Campaign, 1840, . . . . . 351 Theatres, ......... 363 Gayety, 375 Excursions, ......... 407 Concluding Chapter, .......

ILLUSTRATIONS. porirait of the author, ...... Early Map of Buffalo, ....... 3 Buffalo Harbor, ........ 9 View of Buffalo from High Street in the Thirties, . 10 CONJOCETY AT 102 YEARS Old, ..... 22 Johnson Cottage, ....... 58 Eagle Tavern, ........ 74 Ellicott Square, 86 Bank of Buffalo, ........ 89 Terrace Market House, ...... 99 Ga-o-wo, . . . . . . . . in Noon-Day Powwow, ...... 113 Seneca Indian and Squaw, . . . . . 117 The Modern Side-wheeler, . . . . . . 139 A Group of Buffalonians ok the Thirties, . . 164 American Hotel, . . . . 20 =; St. Paul's — The "Old First" ..... 228 Old Baptist Church, . . . . . 250 Figure-Head of the Caroline. ..... 278 Erie County Court House of the Thirties, . 296 Another Group of Buffalonians of the Thirties, . 340 Eagle Street Theatre, 1835, ..... 366 Dancing, 1840 and 1890, ......

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. Reviewing a decade of past local history of a city like Buffalo, as illustrated by its representative men, and methods and esti mates, very much, above average, seems to have been accomplished in that period. Events greatly crowded themselves here in the decade of the thirties. Individuals stood out so con spicuously in their special offices, that they were many times multiplied ; more especially in what they procured to be accomplished by others. The procession of people which thronged the fast changing scenery of that decade, though so rapidly moving to the absolute end of all their absorbed endeavors, indicated no halting nor faltering in their united, resolute purpose till mortal failure of flesh and spirit, in nature's order overcame them. The Necrology records how surprisingly fast the active men of that generation advanced to a condition of abated powers, inefficiency, and final retirement from the stage on which they had severally so well performed their parts.

How vividly we, of the now elder who still linger, remember the departure of so many from among us who had participated so prominently in the numerous enterprises which the city had developed. Select any one as example : Long time he appeared so strong ; to have in store such wealth of years to come, he was so vigorous and active. One day we all missed him from the places he was wont to frequent. It scarcely seemed beyond the next, when a gloomy chill came over us, and a shadow brooded upon the city at hearing he had passed away. Another day, and attended by a solemn procession his remains were added to the ever aug menting multitude already occupying the city of the silent. But the eternal want favors no class. All alike must forego lamentations andto-morrow resume their places at the Sysiphusian stone.

The dead sleep well, and must be left to their peaceful slumbers. Thenceforward the departed so soon pass from our regard that we are ever surprised in retrospect, when reminded of them, to discover how fast the years have fled since they went away ; how very great the increase in their numbers in a given interval ; so lightly have we really been impressed with their individual departures in our absorption with diurnal affairs. We are also by this forcibly reminded that no one fills so large a place in society as long to be missed when he passes out of it ; nor but what it can be as well occupied by whomever chances to succeed him. The so-called great in all the past, but served as so many successive links in the lengthening chain of history ; and how meagre the number on the list of those known to be truly great there have been among all the untold millions that have existed on the earth.

One object I had in simply recording so many well re membered names of prominent men of the thirties, and even later, has been to emphasize the fact above set forth, which so few realize except in a general way. The work the prominent men of the thirties did and whom I have limitedly essayed to portray, was fundamental, materially and morally. They were eminently the men for that decisive hour ; making it, as now appears, and will in the future of Buffalo, the most important era in all her antecedent history. Its burning by the British in 1813 and the completion of the Erie Canal in the twenties, though events of great concern to her future, were not so determining as were those of the thirties, and the -doings of the men that decade brought so prominently forward, ■or into training preparatory to occupying the places fast being ■vacated, and who became as notable in the historic records of their generation as their predecessors had been in theirs ; and these will remain conspicuous in that local history for indefinite time to come.

Day of remarkable men, well adapted as they testified by their deeds to the work of advancing every interest by legitimate and honorable methods, the inevitable compensations would not Introduction. 3 be preserved if the contrary fact did not to some extent obtain. It does appear that wild schemes and self-seeking designs con tributed nearly as much when measured by final results as strictly honest purposes, in testing feasibilities and giving what proved to be good and wholesome impulse to legitimate objects and enterprises ; showed what could be done, which otherwise had been left untried or so timidly undertaken that only failure and discouragement could have resulted. I venture to believe that the demolitions and every of the irre gular proceedings of Rathbun, by whatever motives or circumstances prompted, were far more than compensated in numerous ways, which will suggest themselves, by the returns which came at length.

No small consideration beyond the substantial im provement of the city, and the new enterprises and interests es tablished, was the great extent of employment given for a considerable period to a large number of poor laborers and mechanics — all worthy, honest, peaceable men. The immigrant element of that day, though mostly poor, was composed of the best of their class. Though of foreign nationalities they were not exciters of strikes, disturbances and rioting, like the hordes of canaille, of the anarchistic, pauper and criminal population from foreign sinks and slums, such as threaten to overwhelm our country to-day. They were honest, industrious, economical, thrifty and law abiding. And from this class have developed many of the now best and most highly respected families of Buffalo. I dare say we can readily find some among them whose grand-parents were among the frugal laborers to whom Rathbun gave opportunity to provide for themselves, in the thirties.

Whatever estimate be held or comment made as to the un principled proceedings and absurd eccentricities of Palmer and other semi-lunatics of that period, these doings were demon strative of possibilities of what could successfully be done legitimately on a substantial basis, though the immediate, temporary results were inflation and disastrous speculation, followed by the well remembered " hard times." Whatever purposes prompted and however done, Palmer as well as Rathbun did leave substantial, superior and lasting im provements behind them, which later inured largely to the general advantage, even if in some cases the methods, in principle were scarcely better than those of Claude Duval and other " Knights of the Road."* I remember often hearing it so dis cussed in those days by leading citizens when they would chance to meet in knots and coteries in places of common exchange.

The estimated benefits probably to result (which did) were always advanced in offset, as likely far to exceed the temporary dis advantages. Though consequent embarrassments continuing for a season from these unlawful and high-handed acts did result, these were far more than recompensed by the general, widely extended benefits accrued, and in which all have participated — even unto this day. Their acts proved the necessary and efficient fertilizers of the soil in which Buffalo grew to her present greatness. Verily, God orders that even the bad deeds of men shall be made to praise him ! * They were of the class of robbers, who sometimes took from the abundance of the rich and relieved the necessities of the poor — I think some of them did it, in the name of God !

Chapter I

topographical. The topography of the village or city which it is my intention to describe, in a colloquial manner, is, or should be, my first con sideration. The original site of our city, in the thirties, was not confined to outlined boundaries nor to the limits of the unique plan adopted by Joseph Ellicott, who himself was a civil engineer and sur veyor, and who, with the assistance of his brother, Major Andrew Ellicott, laid out the village of New Amsterdam, after wards Buffalo, following or copying the plan of the city of Washington as nearly in design and execution as the natural lay of the ground would allow ; the elevated lands about Buffalo being more convex, swelling or bolder, than those of Washington, which were the reverse, concave, receding, or bending inwards. I have supposed like many others of our early citizens, that Mr. Ellicott had obtained the assistance or co-operation of Captain L'Enfant in carrying forward the plan and who had generally been accredited with designing and the laying out of the city of Washington ; but, in writing to a friend,* there to obtain the correct name of this French engineer, I was surprised to learn the following interesting information : " Pierre Charles L'Enfant came over with La Fayette in 1778 ; Washington had him appointed Captain of Engineers.

This * General Innis N. Palmer, in his youth a resident of Buffalo, appointed a Cadet to West Point by Millard Fillmore, M. C, and was several times breveted for gallant and meritorious conduct in the war with Mexico and in the war of the rebellion. L'Enfant was a cranky, irascible Frenchman, and after trying in various ways to make use of him Jefferson was obliged to get rid of him." " He was for a time quite a favorite with Wash ington, but nothing could be done with him." " He went with Washington and Andrew Ellicott (brother of Joseph Ellicott, who laid out Buffalo), to survey this place (Washington) in 1790 and he made some drawings. But Andrew Ellicott, who was afterwards Professor of Mathematics at West Point and who died and was buried there, was the man who made the survey, laid out and mapped the city.

I saw yesterday his map made in 1792. I copy a newspaper article written by Mr. Kennedy, a grandson of Andrew Ellicott. It contains the perfect statement of the laying out of Washington."* I quote from the article referred to above, which is signed " J. C. G. K.," the following : " While there can exist no reasonable doubt that as a draughts man L'Enfant prepared a general outline on paper of the plan probably determined when General Washington, Major Ellicott, L'Enfant, all three surveyors by profession, and others viewed the ground on horseback in the spring of 1791 ." " Richard King, U. S. Surveyor, in a communication to the President, Sept. 25th, 1803, states: that in January, 1792, Major Ellicott was instructed by the President to prepare a plan for publication ; using such materials as he possessed and the information he had acquired while acting as surveyor."

" Captain L'Enfant having refused to give up the original plan, a plan was drawn by Ellicott and his brother without L'Enfant's aid and ready for engraving by March 14th, 1792. It differed from the other plan in some instances, but was better adapted to the nature of the ground." " The Philadelphia and Boston maps bear record of their exe cution by Ellicott ; there never was engraved or printed a map purporting to be the work of L'Enfant." * Within a fortnight after receiving the newspaper article above mentioned, gotten by General Palmer from Mr. Kennedy, the newspapers reported the brutal murder of Mr. Kennedy. Topographical. 7 " In a letter from Washington of November 20th, 1791, there occurs severe reprehension of Major L'Enfant, see Sparks, vol. 10, p. 204." " He speaks of Ellicott as a man of uncommon talents."

" A brother of Ellicott was his assistant." The entire article is quite interesting as bearing on Washington City. Perhaps out of place here, but it will show by deduction whence came the topographical similarity of the two cities, having had the same engineers and surveyors. And so the Immortal George must have originated, in part at least, the thought of the plan of our city ; leaving the execution of it to the two brothers Ellicott. And if the resemblance be not de stroyed by meddlesome blundering in our city councils they will rusult, finally, in the two most beautiful cities in America. Those persons who may be familiar with both cities will observe marked features of similarity. Most of our people, who will be sufficiently interested in these local sketches to read them, are presumably aware that Joseph Ellicott was the factor and agent of the " Holland Land Company," from which most of our real estate titles descend, and he therefore may be looked up to as the Grandfather ot Buffalo.

The modern, utilitarian method of laying out our western towns and cities, is, in some respects, advantageous : convenient with reference to business ; as the construction of tramways, on straight lines for easy and prompt transportation of passengers and heavy freight. Incidentally, to supply the want of local knowledge on the part of strangers, and facilitate the movements of stupid pedestrians. Also enforcing economy of ground instead of plotting more nearly to nature, broken as the site may be by rocky acclivities, a harbor, or tortuous streams, which would be far more picturesque and satisfactory to live in than when reduced to regular blocks and squares, paralleled by streets of exact and economical width. Existence is rendered wholly too monotonous and lessened of satisfactions limited to such checker board precincts.

The "happy thought" of the Ellicotts, aided by the sugges tions of Pater Patrice, have averted, so far as possible, this calamity to us, and left us the uncompleted design of a most beautiful city, which even in its incompleteness is the admiration of all tourists and strangers. If the reader will scan the early map of the village, bound within the covers of this book, he will observe in the main avenues, squares and open spaces of our incipient city the characteristics peculiar and appropriate to it, and which we hope our Park Commissioners will continue to improve and beautify as time goes on, imitating our Washington brethren, who, by systematic methods, have beautified and are beautifying the streets, open spaces, points, triangular parks, curves, squares and places, with shrubbery, flower parterres and statuary, making the waste places blossom as the rose, the city beautiful and a joy forever.

What is life good for, unless you can enjoy it? What con tributes more to its enjoyment than to have your lot cast where your surroundings are pleasant ; made more beautiful by cultivation, education and refinement? Naturally, in coming to Buffalo in the early days of its ex istence, we would be most likely to approach it from the east ; but the old Albany road before reaching Buffalo, ten or twelve miles away, had to veer round to the southward, or it would have landed travelers on the banks of the Niagara River, near about Tonawanda Creek, where, as now, the Erie Canal reaches it and then turns southward to gain its objective point, Buffalo and Lake Erie. Therefore, as paradoxical as it may seem, although Albany is directly on a latitudinal line east of Buffalo, yet the old stage and transportation traveled road and the Erie Canal approach us from the north, inclining a little westerly.

It was a very common problem with new comers in early days to solve why the sun should rise here in the south and set in the north. To-day we witness quite as strange a contradiction of the compass : travelers coming here from the west, Chicago Topographical. 9 Toledo and other places, by the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad, come into town from the south-east. Fancying that we came by one of Bela D. Coe's or Rathbun's four-horse stages, or post coaches, at our advent here, our first view of Buffalo would have been from the summit of the hill at or near the junction of Main and High Streets, from whence we looked through a grand vista, through and over grand old forest trees and shrubbery to Lake Erie, showing midway to the margin of the lake, openings and clearings, delighting and gladdening the beholder.

The first objects likely to attract our vision would be the shining domes of our old county Court House and " Old First Church." Then in the distance the bright, gleaming blue water of Lake Erie, varying and changing its colors to a sea-green, or white-capped or tossed in waves, scintillating diamonds of light, according to its atmospheric humor, either placid or in anger. The view, then and there, was to the lover of nature romantic ; at times surpassingly charming. Perhaps it would be during one of our gorgeous sunsets, in which we rival the Vesuvius Bay ! It may be in the full rich leaf of June or rainbow coloring of October foliage. Approaching the site of Buffalo from the south-west, scanning it from a vessel's deck on Lake Erie in the days before it was peopled or but sparsely settled, your first observation would be a chain of bluffs, commencing a short distance beyond Ferry Street at Black Rock, reaching their highest altitude in the vicinity of Fort Porter and the " Park Front," and thence running off to the south-east in a convex, curving line of terraced hills, dwindling away as you reached and passed the site of the " Mansion " at the junction of Main and Exchange Streets (formerly Crow Street, named for an early resident, one John Crow.)

Back of these bluffs and hills on the table land or plateau were located the village of Buffalo and the south village of Black Rock. A great part of this territory was covered with an indigenous growth of trees and" shrubbery. Overlooking this table land was the ridge of land now known as North and High VIEW OF BUFFALO FROM HIGH STREET IN THE THIRTIES. Topographical. 11 Streets. This ridge was also covered with a good growth of forest trees. On and near North Street and Porter Avenue (now so called) were handsome chestnuts, in openings or groves. The foregrounds below those terrace bluffs hereinbefore spoken of, in the vicinity of Buffalo Creek and along the lake and river shore and away around and past the present Elk Street market and Market Streets to Seneca Street were low, flat lands and marshy places, known to early Buffalonians as " The Flats," which were frequently overflown during high water after a westerly gale.

From the mouth of Buffalo Creek to Hamburgh it was plentifully wooded on both banks of the creek and to the lake beach. On the table land or plateau heretofore mentioned, was the nucleus of the embryo city as it is now the central and principal part of the city, which was early planned, laid out and surveyed by grandfather Joseph Ellicott as " New Amsterdam." Where North and High Streets are, and beyond, was far off in the country and only reached through by-paths or country roads to become thrifty farms ; the prolific thrift is mostly now, in the decade of the eighties, obtaining in city lots. The flat lands below the village were almost wholly neglected, as only now and then was Buffalo Creek visited by sailing craft until a more recent period, when commercial business became the ruling passion and marine interests the prominent feature.

When I was brought here, a child, by the way of the Erie Canal to the village of Buffalo (it received its charter as a city in 1832), the village had extended its lines somewhat beyond the outlined limits of Ellicott's original map; but the leading features, which still exist, were then almost intact. Some changes however, had been made, which it would seem to have been early found necessary to a growing town. The nomenclature of the streets had been changed, some of which might well have been retained, if for no other reason than to perpetuate our local history. On the original map the line of Main Street from Eagle Street to Swan Street was the frontage of the property intended for the residence and use of Mr. Ellicott as a private estate, running to the rear easterly and indefinitely, or as far as his desire might be.

He did not complete this project. Main Street, north from Eagle Street, was named Van Staphorst Avenue. South from Swan Street, Willink Avenue, the intermediate space dividing these two avenues, was to be the front area of Mr. Ellicott's lordly reserve. His front line swerved out as far as the west line of Main Street in the form of a bow, around which the people and vehicles would have had to travel to reach one or the other of these avenues. Directly in front of the centre of this outward curve or swelling bust was the head of Stadnitzky Avenue (Church Street.) To the north-west reached out Schimmel pennick Avenue (Niagara Street), or the " Black Rock Road," as it was known for many years, and to the south-west Vollenhoven Avenue (Erie Street); these three last mentioned Avenues forming the two triangular spaces or blocks with their base on Cayuga Street (now known as Pearl Street.)

These triangles are now occupied by the two churches : " St. Paul's " and the " Old First Presbyterian." Franklin Street was known as Tuscarora Street ; Morgan Street as Mississaugua Street. Busti Avenue was changed to Genesee Street. Of all the streets in our city, why should not that have been called an avenue, leading as it does directly to the heart of Genesee County? while numbers of our very modern "avenues," five hundred to one thousand feet long, leading out of avenues, perhaps directly into a cul-de-sac, are so designated by local speculators, prompted by their vanity : as Smith, Brown or Jones "Avenue." They signify nothing ; record nothing ; euphony is violated, and a false impression created of the importance of common-place streets. The Terrace from Erie Street, north-west, was called " Busti Terrace," and from Erie Street around to Main Street, " Cazenovia Terrace."

Washington Street was first christened Onondao-a Street and Ellicott, Oneida Street, while Seneca, Mohawk, Huron, Chippewa and Delaware Streets have very properly maintained their historic names, excepting that within the last decade the Topographical. 13 new regime of Delaware Street have discarded the title " street " for avenue. I would like here to make a suggestion : that we should add avenue to Niagara, Genesee and Main, abolishing the word street as in connection with them. The ground on which stands our " Buffalo Library" (time honored "Young Men's Association"), was intended and set apart for our Court House and County Jail, and where the ancient structures for those purposes were first erected, Lafayette Square was " Court Square " at the head of and looking directly down through Cazenovia Ave. now Court Street, to Niagara Square.

Niagara Square was intended to be the Grand Plaza of the picturesque New Amsterdam for the business of the town and the congregating of its people. The changes of names were made after the reign of the Hollanders ; their nomenclature being too Hollandische or Outlandish for our brevity of expression. At the time of my advent here the village with its later names, with a few more added, namely : South Division, Tupper, Oak, Elm, Michigan, Elk, Commercial and Water Streets, comprised nearly all of the village of Buffalo. " The Terrace," commonly adopted as the general name for Busti and Cazenovia Terraces, was a series of hills and bluffs, which, to my childish ideas, were of great height, dropping away to The Flats and low lands on the margin of the river, lake and creek. About on the average level with the tops of these terrace " hills " it had been the intention of Mr. Ellicott to lay out, grade and beautify in a picturesque manner, making of it a sort of " Champs Elysees," terminating at Niagara Square, where should be a Triumphal Arch as at the Champs Elysees in Paris at the Arc De Triomphe, which it would be not unlike, for the resort of the people in their leisure hours, having a beautiful overlook to the lake and river beyond, fanned in summer by our lake breezes.

To the north and north-east of the plateau of the village was another rise of ground of which High and North Streets, called then the "Top of the Hill," was then, as now, the summit or highest land about us. Gradually most of these hills and high lands have been "lost to sight and memory dear" as the result of constant grading, until now there is a gentle ascent from the water to the highest grounds. West and north-west of the village was what was known on the records and to our title searchers, as the " Mile Strip,"* a strip of land formerly belonging to the State of Massachusetts, but by a compromise, or as an offset conveyed to the State of New York. This strip ran along the margin of the river, covering a mile from its banks, from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. Some of our intelligent old citizens call it our historic ground or classic land, and indeed that " mile strip " has more of local historic interest connected with it, than all else of Western New York ; north-westerly from where it joined the village of Buffalo it was known as the South Village of Black Rock, which brought the boundaries of that village well down into our present city.