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200
897
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/070b55f6ac37be6c4fad6238f57c5c1e.jpg
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Ellicott creek flooding washes away canal bridge and buildings; cuts a channel through Goose Island, article (NY Spectator, 1843-04-18).jpg
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1843-04-18
tonawanda
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/89a051f9328a9783b6b62dbe0a9f0363.jpg
433973d26f188bd029dc9cafe8026167
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Tonawanda Island
Description
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<img class="cover" alt="1853 illustration of Tonawanda Island, showing the Beechwater residence, and a ferry The Saratoga plying the waters of the Niagara River." src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/55e.jpg" /><span class="cover-caption">1860 illustration showing the southern tip of Tonawanda Island. The lavish Beechwater residence and a smaller building are seen to the left of a mysterious mound (Harper's Monthly Magazine, May 1860) </span><span>This small island in the Niagara River is today home to the N.T. (Water) Pumping Station, Taylor Devices, a booming feral cat population and (we expect) a very few skillful mice. But a mysterious structure at the south end of the island drew some of the earliest widespread attention to our area.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Burial mound left by Native Americans. Or giants.</strong><br /><br />Early European explorers notice a roughly 15 foot-high mound of earth near the southeastern end of the island. One explorer dates the peculiarity to the Native American Squawkie Hill phase (100-400 A.D.), which "included a religious aspect involving the burial of high-status individuals" (John Percy).<br /><br />Indeed, human remains are discovered within, though there is little consensus on who (or what) they were. In 1853, <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/557"><em>Gleason's Pictorial</em> reports</a> that resident Mrs. White (more on the Whites below) personally unearthed "the skull and bones of a human body, supposed to be an Indian chief...not...less than eight feet in stature." (The article adds vaguely that "Many other curiosities are found on the island.") An 1860 article in <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2980"><em>Harper's</em> tells</a> of "several heaps of bones, each comprising three or four skeletons" found just under a circle of stones with indications of fire. Modern mysteriophile Mason Winfield poi</span><span class="text_exposed_show">nts to sensational accounts in frontier newspapers claiming at least two "very bizarre skulls" were excavated from the enclosure, with a "portentous, protruding lower jaw and canine forehead," and buried in a way inconsistent with the traditions of the locals. The skeletons are not confined to the great mound, either. Yet more human remains are found while digging the foundations for the Beechwater mansion, the <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2326"><em>Tonawanda News</em> reports</a> in 1906.<br /><br />Across the Little River, on the mainland, <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1565">evidence of</a> a Native American armory is discovered, with numerous broken flints and arrows.<br /></span><br /><br /><strong>Carney's Island? Not so fast!</strong><br /><br />The island's first European inhabitant arrives as early as 1791, one <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1070">Edward Carney</a>, who hopes to "squat" his way into possession of the island. The property's value skyrockets however when <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2352">Mordecai Noah's plan</a> to turn nearby Grand Island into a refuge for the world's displaced Jews gets underway around 1825, and the land is purchased at auction from the state by Samuel Leggate of New York City (<a href="https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/lifestyles/niagara-discoveries-tonawanda-island-stephen-white-and-his-magnificent-mansion/article_657aa96e-c9eb-54ca-8237-dc7dcc2e0afb.html"><em>Lockport Union-Sun & Journal</em></a>). <br /><br /><strong>White's Island and the Beechwater mansion</strong><br /><br />The plan to make Grand Island into a refuge for Jews, we know, fails, and the next speculators to turn their eyes to our little island are the moneyed men of the East Boston Timber Company in 1833. They are likewise most interested in the much larger prize of Grand Island, and harvest its white oak to build ships in New England. President Stephen White purchases Tonawanda Island as a headquarters and residence, and it becomes known as "White's Island."
<blockquote>To cement his claim, White built a magnificent mansion at the southern end of the island. “Beechwater,” as White called it, was designed by Boston architect Samuel Perkins in 1835 for $18,000. The interior contained cherry, black walnut and marble embellishments (<a href="https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/lifestyles/niagara-discoveries-tonawanda-island-stephen-white-and-his-magnificent-mansion/article_657aa96e-c9eb-54ca-8237-dc7dcc2e0afb.html"><em>Lockport Union-Sun & Journal)</em></a></blockquote>
The Beechwater mansion <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1565">boasts</a> "chimney pieces from Italy," surrounding pleasure grounds with "choice fruits, ornamental shrubbery and graveled walks," and was called the finest residence in Western New York at the time. Famous American lawyer and politician Daniel Webster (after whom Webster Street is named) <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2326">visits Beechwater</a> on several occasions. Webster's son Fletcher is married to White's daughter Caroline there in 1836. <br /><br />Further plans of the East Boston Timber Company are thwarted by a poor economy. By 1840 the white oak of Grand Island has been cut down and floated away to New England. Stephen White dies, and his widow stays on. It appears Beechwater was offered as a summer resort for a time. <br /><br /><br /><strong>Lumber and industrial era</strong><br /><br />William Wilkeson purchases the property from the family in 1869, planting orchards and vineyards. In 1881, William Wilkeson sells the property to Smith, Fassett & Company, one of the many lumber concerns flocking to the Tonawandas. The natural harbor of the Little River make the island and opposite shore perfect for stacking, processing and shipping immense quantities of lumber, and North Tonawanda has become a major lumber market.<br /><br />Beechwater, Stephen White's mansion, coexists for a while with the great square piles of wood coming and going around it. Although said to still be largely structurally sound, the mansion is <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2326">torn down in 1906</a>, as the "demand for lumber yardage makes its razing imperative." It had long been rumored to be haunted. Its fireplace, we believe, is preserved and cared for by the Historical Society of the Tonawandas.<br /><br />Later significant occupants o Tonawanda Island include the International Paper Company and the R. T. Jones Lumber company.
Source
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.lockportjournal.com/news/lifestyles/niagara-discoveries-tonawanda-island-stephen-white-and-his-magnificent-mansion/article_657aa96e-c9eb-54ca-8237-dc7dcc2e0afb.html">NIAGARA DISCOVERIES: <em>Tonawanda Island, Stephen White and His Magnificent Mansion,</em> Ann Marie Linnabery</a></li>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/pioneerhistoryof00turne/page/n6">Pioneer History of the Holland Purchase of Western New York, 1849</a></li>
<li>Percy, John. <a href="https://www.wnyheritage.org/product/buffalo-niagara_connections_a_new_regional_history_of_the_niagar/index.html"><em>Buffalo-Niagara Connections: A New Regional History of the Niagara Link</em>.</a> Western New York Heritage Inc. 2001</li>
</ul>
Relation
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/92">International Paper Company</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/48">Lumber Scenes</a></li>
</ul>
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Account of Indian mound, armory on Tonawanda Island, excerpt (Pioneer History of the Holland Purchase of Western New York, 1849).jpg
Date
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1849
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/0510cb582acfd9840abd02910fe803aa.jpg
7e1a225c61908565d8e9071d7423d1c6
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Early Days of the Tonawandas
Description
An account of the resource
These book excerpts and articles shed light on the earliest days of the Tonawandas, as well as the nearby villages of Martinsville, Sawyer's Station, Gratwick and Ironton that would be incorporated into the city of North Tonawanda in 1897. See our <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/browse?type=11&sort_field=Dublin%20Core,Date">Books</a> for full-length works.
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Early sketch of Tonawanda (Pioneer History of the Holland Purchase of Western New York, 1849).jpg
Date
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1849
Description
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Briefly mentions slow start of the area due to flooding problems, and the importance of the state ditches of 1840. Also: exhaustion of local "fine oak," agricultural prospects, and a new Cleveland investor.
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/b79b818dc8b79bee72472c59d4659490.jpg
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/021e07ba91e909490fba107ebcc70435.jpg
a6b54756cbff867d2f2e0507a10187c7
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Title
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Early Days of the Tonawandas
Description
An account of the resource
These book excerpts and articles shed light on the earliest days of the Tonawandas, as well as the nearby villages of Martinsville, Sawyer's Station, Gratwick and Ironton that would be incorporated into the city of North Tonawanda in 1897. See our <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/browse?type=11&sort_field=Dublin%20Core,Date">Books</a> for full-length works.
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Horatio Jones triumphs over witches in Tonawanda Creek (Pioneer History of the Holland Purchase of Western New York, 1849).jpg
Date
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1849
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/21c981159ef6a010fe8a3c9427900257.png
8c987c62afeea1eb71f9fff769e5982f
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Title
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Hannah Johnson
Description
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(ca. 1799 - 1883) Hannah Johnson is a Black woman who lived with her husband John in the predominantly white township of Wheatfield, near the village of Tonawanda. Popularly known as "Black" or "Aunt" Hannah, she is a reputed fortune-teller (teacup reader) who is visited by ladies of the area to have their future told. She is also said to have sweets and treats at the ready for the local children who visited often.<br /><br />Her obituary says she was born "in bondage" in Albany around 1800. In 1825 the Erie Canal is completed, and in 1827 slavery is abolished in New York State (after a period of "Gradual Emancipation"). It is believed Hannah came to North Tonawanda about this time. <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1049">One later writer relays the recollection of an old-timer</a> that Hannah Johnson is part of a "small colony of blacks" that settles along the banks of Tonawanda Creek. According to this account, the blacks' cabins are burned in a raid by locals, and their belongings thrown into the creek. <br /><br />Another account from resident Brenda Fire Flateau maintains:
<blockquote>My Great Grandfather Zaggel was involved with the Underground Railroad. He took in the slave known as "Black Hannah" until her husband caught up with her. She stayed with him and then in the woods across from his farm, which was his property.</blockquote>
Hannah Johnson lives in a cabin near a medicinal sulphur well in the vicinity of present-day South Meadow Drive, close to East Goundry (see maps in this set). The cabin is on the property of Dr. Jesse F. Locke <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/72518630/jesse-f-locke">(1810-1861)</a>, the area's first resident physician (two Lockes are <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1662">noted in the business directory</a> of this 1860 map). Other blacks, some from the south, appear on census reports. An <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DYZQ-XV2?cc=1401638&wc=95RD-N3D%3A1031313801%2C1034650201%2C1031935201%20:%209%20April%20201">1850 census</a> shows (Farmer) John and Hanna Johanson from NY, black, with Henry Hall from Virginia, Joseph (black, Canada b1812) and Ann Polly (a female "mulatto" from Ireland b1820), and a Stephen Smith (black, Ireland, b1815), all in a frame dwelling. The <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-8BPB-86L?cc=1937366&wc=M6GQ-3P6%3A237409601%2C237515901%20:%2022%20May%202014">1855 census</a> shows Hannah hailing from Albany, John from Washington, and a "Henry Hall" from Maryland. Also says each had been in the city for the last 25 years.<br /><br />Jesse Locke dies March 12, 1861. A farmer by the name of John Chadwick takes ownership of the larger property containing the Johnsons' cabin. Some sources say Mr. Chadwick grants them a life-long lease on the property, but the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage report suggests John Jonson already owned at least some portion of land by 1850, perhaps purchasing directly from Dr. Locke. John Johnson dies sometime before 1870. From 1872 to 1882, a John Fonner who lives nearby challenges Hannah's ownership claim in court, and John Chadwick assists her.<br /><br />Hannah dies in 1883 after an illness of two weeks. It is rumored that non-native flowers grow on the site (unusual red trilliums grew during her lifetime). She is buried in Sweeney Cemetery. <br /><br />Hannah leaves an impression on the imagination of the citizenry, as she figures for decades afterward in its ghost tales, and "Black Hannah's Woods" are whispered to be a haunted realm. Her story is resurrected and recast in a poetic and affecting <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1059">1961 <em>News</em> essay</a> by Elizabeth Wherry. The tale is taken up again in a February 1982 edition of the local historical magazine <em>The Lumber Shover</em>.<br /><br />Although it is not settled, it seems at least possible that Hannah's cabin may have served as a stop on the Underground Railroad for blacks escaping slavery. <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2014">A document on the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Area website</a> (page 192) offers some measured reflections on the subject.<br /><br />A "Hannah Haines" is buried near the Zaggel family in Sweeney Cemetery; A person of the same name is found in the <a href="https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVNJ-GFZ8">1865 state</a> and the <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6X8G-85?cc=1438024&wc=9227-6TP%3A518819101%2C520055301%2C519325001%20:%2014%20June%202019">1870 U.S. Census</a> living in Wheatfield with a "Brown" family (like her, from Maine and New England). However, her grave gives her death as the 1870s (HJ died in 1883), and the census gives her race as white. Obit in Ton Herald 1877-08-28 spelled "Hannah C. Haynes."
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Fonner-Johnson stayed pending Fonner-Chadwick case, article (Buffalo Daily Courier, 1872-06-20).png
Date
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1872-06-20
-
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Title
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Early Days of the Tonawandas
Description
An account of the resource
These book excerpts and articles shed light on the earliest days of the Tonawandas, as well as the nearby villages of Martinsville, Sawyer's Station, Gratwick and Ironton that would be incorporated into the city of North Tonawanda in 1897. See our <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/browse?type=11&sort_field=Dublin%20Core,Date">Books</a> for full-length works.
Article
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North Tonawanda pioneer residents, incorporation and village institutions, lumber, iron, brief sketches of Wheatfield residents, illustrations (excerpt from History of Niagara County, pp 376-381, 1878).jpg
Date
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1878
Source
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<em><a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/606">A History of Niagara County, 1821-1878</a></em>
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/4539cfb50a2d09d39213abdee1956085.jpg
780a43bcb248dea14a453591fe3eb5d8
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Kent's Opera House Grand Opening, article (Tonawanda Herald, 1878-01-17).jpg
Date
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1878-01-17
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/60560ee0cb7dc4261d3a188314fbfb70.png
dba8d18ff9424b442ce09924a7430f48
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Title
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Hannah Johnson
Description
An account of the resource
(ca. 1799 - 1883) Hannah Johnson is a Black woman who lived with her husband John in the predominantly white township of Wheatfield, near the village of Tonawanda. Popularly known as "Black" or "Aunt" Hannah, she is a reputed fortune-teller (teacup reader) who is visited by ladies of the area to have their future told. She is also said to have sweets and treats at the ready for the local children who visited often.<br /><br />Her obituary says she was born "in bondage" in Albany around 1800. In 1825 the Erie Canal is completed, and in 1827 slavery is abolished in New York State (after a period of "Gradual Emancipation"). It is believed Hannah came to North Tonawanda about this time. <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1049">One later writer relays the recollection of an old-timer</a> that Hannah Johnson is part of a "small colony of blacks" that settles along the banks of Tonawanda Creek. According to this account, the blacks' cabins are burned in a raid by locals, and their belongings thrown into the creek. <br /><br />Another account from resident Brenda Fire Flateau maintains:
<blockquote>My Great Grandfather Zaggel was involved with the Underground Railroad. He took in the slave known as "Black Hannah" until her husband caught up with her. She stayed with him and then in the woods across from his farm, which was his property.</blockquote>
Hannah Johnson lives in a cabin near a medicinal sulphur well in the vicinity of present-day South Meadow Drive, close to East Goundry (see maps in this set). The cabin is on the property of Dr. Jesse F. Locke <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/72518630/jesse-f-locke">(1810-1861)</a>, the area's first resident physician (two Lockes are <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1662">noted in the business directory</a> of this 1860 map). Other blacks, some from the south, appear on census reports. An <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DYZQ-XV2?cc=1401638&wc=95RD-N3D%3A1031313801%2C1034650201%2C1031935201%20:%209%20April%20201">1850 census</a> shows (Farmer) John and Hanna Johanson from NY, black, with Henry Hall from Virginia, Joseph (black, Canada b1812) and Ann Polly (a female "mulatto" from Ireland b1820), and a Stephen Smith (black, Ireland, b1815), all in a frame dwelling. The <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-8BPB-86L?cc=1937366&wc=M6GQ-3P6%3A237409601%2C237515901%20:%2022%20May%202014">1855 census</a> shows Hannah hailing from Albany, John from Washington, and a "Henry Hall" from Maryland. Also says each had been in the city for the last 25 years.<br /><br />Jesse Locke dies March 12, 1861. A farmer by the name of John Chadwick takes ownership of the larger property containing the Johnsons' cabin. Some sources say Mr. Chadwick grants them a life-long lease on the property, but the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage report suggests John Jonson already owned at least some portion of land by 1850, perhaps purchasing directly from Dr. Locke. John Johnson dies sometime before 1870. From 1872 to 1882, a John Fonner who lives nearby challenges Hannah's ownership claim in court, and John Chadwick assists her.<br /><br />Hannah dies in 1883 after an illness of two weeks. It is rumored that non-native flowers grow on the site (unusual red trilliums grew during her lifetime). She is buried in Sweeney Cemetery. <br /><br />Hannah leaves an impression on the imagination of the citizenry, as she figures for decades afterward in its ghost tales, and "Black Hannah's Woods" are whispered to be a haunted realm. Her story is resurrected and recast in a poetic and affecting <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1059">1961 <em>News</em> essay</a> by Elizabeth Wherry. The tale is taken up again in a February 1982 edition of the local historical magazine <em>The Lumber Shover</em>.<br /><br />Although it is not settled, it seems at least possible that Hannah's cabin may have served as a stop on the Underground Railroad for blacks escaping slavery. <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2014">A document on the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Area website</a> (page 192) offers some measured reflections on the subject.<br /><br />A "Hannah Haines" is buried near the Zaggel family in Sweeney Cemetery; A person of the same name is found in the <a href="https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVNJ-GFZ8">1865 state</a> and the <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6X8G-85?cc=1438024&wc=9227-6TP%3A518819101%2C520055301%2C519325001%20:%2014%20June%202019">1870 U.S. Census</a> living in Wheatfield with a "Brown" family (like her, from Maine and New England). However, her grave gives her death as the 1870s (HJ died in 1883), and the census gives her race as white. Obit in Ton Herald 1877-08-28 spelled "Hannah C. Haynes."
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Fonner-Johnson judgement affirmed, article (Buffalo Morning Express, 1878-04-20).png
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1878-04-20
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Article
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Buffalo During the War of 1812, book excerpt (Publications of the Buffalo Historical Society, Vol 1. pp 194-209, 1879).jpg
Date
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1879
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https://www.google.com/books/edition/Publications_of_the_Buffalo_Historical_S/pJMDR73E8FwC?hl=en&gbpv=0
Description
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<a href="https://search.lib.buffalo.edu/permalink/01SUNY_BUF/8gn4ce/cdi_hathitrust_hathifiles_coo_31924067077143">Papers Relating to the Burning of Buffalo, and to the Niagara Frontier Prior to and During the War Of 1812 (also book here)</a>
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Early Days of the Tonawandas
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These book excerpts and articles shed light on the earliest days of the Tonawandas, as well as the nearby villages of Martinsville, Sawyer's Station, Gratwick and Ironton that would be incorporated into the city of North Tonawanda in 1897. See our <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/browse?type=11&sort_field=Dublin%20Core,Date">Books</a> for full-length works.
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Description of Village of Tonawanda, book excerpt (Commerce, Manufactures and Resources of Buffalo and Environs, 1880).jpg
Date
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1880
Description
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General progress and development to date. Lumber feet by year. Accounts of Tonawanda Herald and Index, as well as many lumber concerns such as J. A. Bliss, Vincent & Hittel, Cowper & Gregory, P. W. Scribner, J. H. DeGraff, A. G. Kent, Evans & Sons, Smith, Fassett & co., Gratwick, Smith & Fryer, Tonawanda Chair Factory, etc.
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43c4099ccec54a630b6eee1e9f51184f
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Lumber Business of the Tonawandas
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/48.jpg" alt="Map of the Lumber District of the Tonawandas, 1893" /><span class="cover-caption">In the heyday of the Tonawandas' lumber years, practically every available inch of the Niagara riverfront and Tonawanda Island is covered in lumber (shown as lettered, colored portions in the map above). <a href="http://nthistory.com/items/show/1848">1893 Sanborn Insurance map</a>.</span> In the mid-to-late 19th century, vast forests of Midwest timber are cut, dressed and shipped by water to the exploding towns and cities of the east, largely through the Tonawandas. The villages' advantageous location (between the Great Lakes and the Erie Canal) and the natural harbor afforded by Tonawanda Island make it one of the largest lumber ports in the country by 1890. A lock allows small craft to jump between the Niagara River and the Erie Canal via the non-canalized portion of Tonawanda Creek.<br /><br />Scores of lumber comanies spring up here, and their yards vaccum up almost every available inch of real estate along the Niagara River, Tonawanda Creek, and Tonawanda Island. Docks are built over the water, and millions of feet of lumber stored in great blocks are stacked to the sky. They are brought here largely on lake vessels from Lake Erie, where they are moved onto canal boats by lumbershovers and stevedores and hauled by canal boat captains (along with other goods) to points east.<br /><br />The big business means big money, and conflict between the laborers and employers sometimes turns deadly. Articles in this collection describe the lumbershovers strikes of 1892 and 1893, the first of which resulted in the death of a police officer, and both of which required the National Guard to be deployed. A separate collection, "<a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/136">Murder at the Docks</a>," digs into the 1895 double murder of canal boat captain Lorenzo Phillips and his son Charles as the captain attempted to haul a load of lumber from P. W. Scribner's Tonawanda dock in defiance of a boatmen's union agreement.<br /><br />As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past.
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Frederick Smith steam mill on Sweeney, Zacharia Taylor, woodcut and article - (Tonawanda Herald, 1881-12-01).jpg
Date
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1881-12-01
illustration
village
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426b30a08c81b316b643771fa0bfc3e5
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Hannah Johnson
Description
An account of the resource
(ca. 1799 - 1883) Hannah Johnson is a Black woman who lived with her husband John in the predominantly white township of Wheatfield, near the village of Tonawanda. Popularly known as "Black" or "Aunt" Hannah, she is a reputed fortune-teller (teacup reader) who is visited by ladies of the area to have their future told. She is also said to have sweets and treats at the ready for the local children who visited often.<br /><br />Her obituary says she was born "in bondage" in Albany around 1800. In 1825 the Erie Canal is completed, and in 1827 slavery is abolished in New York State (after a period of "Gradual Emancipation"). It is believed Hannah came to North Tonawanda about this time. <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1049">One later writer relays the recollection of an old-timer</a> that Hannah Johnson is part of a "small colony of blacks" that settles along the banks of Tonawanda Creek. According to this account, the blacks' cabins are burned in a raid by locals, and their belongings thrown into the creek. <br /><br />Another account from resident Brenda Fire Flateau maintains:
<blockquote>My Great Grandfather Zaggel was involved with the Underground Railroad. He took in the slave known as "Black Hannah" until her husband caught up with her. She stayed with him and then in the woods across from his farm, which was his property.</blockquote>
Hannah Johnson lives in a cabin near a medicinal sulphur well in the vicinity of present-day South Meadow Drive, close to East Goundry (see maps in this set). The cabin is on the property of Dr. Jesse F. Locke <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/72518630/jesse-f-locke">(1810-1861)</a>, the area's first resident physician (two Lockes are <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1662">noted in the business directory</a> of this 1860 map). Other blacks, some from the south, appear on census reports. An <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DYZQ-XV2?cc=1401638&wc=95RD-N3D%3A1031313801%2C1034650201%2C1031935201%20:%209%20April%20201">1850 census</a> shows (Farmer) John and Hanna Johanson from NY, black, with Henry Hall from Virginia, Joseph (black, Canada b1812) and Ann Polly (a female "mulatto" from Ireland b1820), and a Stephen Smith (black, Ireland, b1815), all in a frame dwelling. The <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-8BPB-86L?cc=1937366&wc=M6GQ-3P6%3A237409601%2C237515901%20:%2022%20May%202014">1855 census</a> shows Hannah hailing from Albany, John from Washington, and a "Henry Hall" from Maryland. Also says each had been in the city for the last 25 years.<br /><br />Jesse Locke dies March 12, 1861. A farmer by the name of John Chadwick takes ownership of the larger property containing the Johnsons' cabin. Some sources say Mr. Chadwick grants them a life-long lease on the property, but the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage report suggests John Jonson already owned at least some portion of land by 1850, perhaps purchasing directly from Dr. Locke. John Johnson dies sometime before 1870. From 1872 to 1882, a John Fonner who lives nearby challenges Hannah's ownership claim in court, and John Chadwick assists her.<br /><br />Hannah dies in 1883 after an illness of two weeks. It is rumored that non-native flowers grow on the site (unusual red trilliums grew during her lifetime). She is buried in Sweeney Cemetery. <br /><br />Hannah leaves an impression on the imagination of the citizenry, as she figures for decades afterward in its ghost tales, and "Black Hannah's Woods" are whispered to be a haunted realm. Her story is resurrected and recast in a poetic and affecting <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1059">1961 <em>News</em> essay</a> by Elizabeth Wherry. The tale is taken up again in a February 1982 edition of the local historical magazine <em>The Lumber Shover</em>.<br /><br />Although it is not settled, it seems at least possible that Hannah's cabin may have served as a stop on the Underground Railroad for blacks escaping slavery. <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2014">A document on the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Area website</a> (page 192) offers some measured reflections on the subject.<br /><br />A "Hannah Haines" is buried near the Zaggel family in Sweeney Cemetery; A person of the same name is found in the <a href="https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVNJ-GFZ8">1865 state</a> and the <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6X8G-85?cc=1438024&wc=9227-6TP%3A518819101%2C520055301%2C519325001%20:%2014%20June%202019">1870 U.S. Census</a> living in Wheatfield with a "Brown" family (like her, from Maine and New England). However, her grave gives her death as the 1870s (HJ died in 1883), and the census gives her race as white. Obit in Ton Herald 1877-08-28 spelled "Hannah C. Haynes."
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Fonner v Johnson order vacating satisfaction of judgement, article (Buffalo Morning Express, 1882).png
Date
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1882
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/24660699f3aebf45d1d62fe6e5e5a4f9.jpg
cc2525d9d7e5eea76f19b29f34ce1c15
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Hannah Johnson
Description
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(ca. 1799 - 1883) Hannah Johnson is a Black woman who lived with her husband John in the predominantly white township of Wheatfield, near the village of Tonawanda. Popularly known as "Black" or "Aunt" Hannah, she is a reputed fortune-teller (teacup reader) who is visited by ladies of the area to have their future told. She is also said to have sweets and treats at the ready for the local children who visited often.<br /><br />Her obituary says she was born "in bondage" in Albany around 1800. In 1825 the Erie Canal is completed, and in 1827 slavery is abolished in New York State (after a period of "Gradual Emancipation"). It is believed Hannah came to North Tonawanda about this time. <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1049">One later writer relays the recollection of an old-timer</a> that Hannah Johnson is part of a "small colony of blacks" that settles along the banks of Tonawanda Creek. According to this account, the blacks' cabins are burned in a raid by locals, and their belongings thrown into the creek. <br /><br />Another account from resident Brenda Fire Flateau maintains:
<blockquote>My Great Grandfather Zaggel was involved with the Underground Railroad. He took in the slave known as "Black Hannah" until her husband caught up with her. She stayed with him and then in the woods across from his farm, which was his property.</blockquote>
Hannah Johnson lives in a cabin near a medicinal sulphur well in the vicinity of present-day South Meadow Drive, close to East Goundry (see maps in this set). The cabin is on the property of Dr. Jesse F. Locke <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/72518630/jesse-f-locke">(1810-1861)</a>, the area's first resident physician (two Lockes are <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1662">noted in the business directory</a> of this 1860 map). Other blacks, some from the south, appear on census reports. An <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DYZQ-XV2?cc=1401638&wc=95RD-N3D%3A1031313801%2C1034650201%2C1031935201%20:%209%20April%20201">1850 census</a> shows (Farmer) John and Hanna Johanson from NY, black, with Henry Hall from Virginia, Joseph (black, Canada b1812) and Ann Polly (a female "mulatto" from Ireland b1820), and a Stephen Smith (black, Ireland, b1815), all in a frame dwelling. The <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-8BPB-86L?cc=1937366&wc=M6GQ-3P6%3A237409601%2C237515901%20:%2022%20May%202014">1855 census</a> shows Hannah hailing from Albany, John from Washington, and a "Henry Hall" from Maryland. Also says each had been in the city for the last 25 years.<br /><br />Jesse Locke dies March 12, 1861. A farmer by the name of John Chadwick takes ownership of the larger property containing the Johnsons' cabin. Some sources say Mr. Chadwick grants them a life-long lease on the property, but the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage report suggests John Jonson already owned at least some portion of land by 1850, perhaps purchasing directly from Dr. Locke. John Johnson dies sometime before 1870. From 1872 to 1882, a John Fonner who lives nearby challenges Hannah's ownership claim in court, and John Chadwick assists her.<br /><br />Hannah dies in 1883 after an illness of two weeks. It is rumored that non-native flowers grow on the site (unusual red trilliums grew during her lifetime). She is buried in Sweeney Cemetery. <br /><br />Hannah leaves an impression on the imagination of the citizenry, as she figures for decades afterward in its ghost tales, and "Black Hannah's Woods" are whispered to be a haunted realm. Her story is resurrected and recast in a poetic and affecting <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1059">1961 <em>News</em> essay</a> by Elizabeth Wherry. The tale is taken up again in a February 1982 edition of the local historical magazine <em>The Lumber Shover</em>.<br /><br />Although it is not settled, it seems at least possible that Hannah's cabin may have served as a stop on the Underground Railroad for blacks escaping slavery. <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2014">A document on the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Area website</a> (page 192) offers some measured reflections on the subject.<br /><br />A "Hannah Haines" is buried near the Zaggel family in Sweeney Cemetery; A person of the same name is found in the <a href="https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVNJ-GFZ8">1865 state</a> and the <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6X8G-85?cc=1438024&wc=9227-6TP%3A518819101%2C520055301%2C519325001%20:%2014%20June%202019">1870 U.S. Census</a> living in Wheatfield with a "Brown" family (like her, from Maine and New England). However, her grave gives her death as the 1870s (HJ died in 1883), and the census gives her race as white. Obit in Ton Herald 1877-08-28 spelled "Hannah C. Haynes."
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Black Hannah Gone, article obituary (Tonawanda Herald, 1883-06-28).jpg
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1883-06-28
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/105f87cf4673bc6425d729e6285503c9.jpg
1ab1150290de758cb5edd7676d66de05
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Goundry Street School
Description
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The Goundry Street School was a stone building constructed in 1866. From <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/606"><em>History of Niagara County 1821-1878</em></a> (1878):
<blockquote>The North Tonawanda Union School has four departments and four teachers. The last winter term averaged 190 scholars and the summer term 125, J. W. Brown is principal, with Libbie M. Pugsley, Hannah Densmore, and Nellie Becker as assistants. The whole number of scholars of school age is 674. The school-house was erected in 1866. The board of education consists of Benjamin F. Felton, president; H. O. Nightingale, clerk; Dr. C. Backer, Giles Schell and John Chadwick. The school building is a substantial stone edifice, located at one of the most pleasant points in the village. The yards in front and play grounds are kept in good condition.</blockquote>
In late 1882 a new addition is built in front of and connected to the original schoolhouse. Another addition is made in 1892. In 1955, after 89 years of educating students, the "bell atop Goundry School...sounds the call to classes for the last time." After some time as a school administration building, the historic old structure is scheduled to be razed on October 27, 1975.
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Goundry, Ironton and Gratwick schools, Annual Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, excerpt (1884).jpg
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1884
gratwick
ironton
martinsville
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/1d52482cd17b5159a2663cf2d507f565.PDF
c905e6f7c1a0f720fd0631f95520b1d4
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Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
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Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
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Tonawanda's Trouble, article (Buffalo News, 1884-05-30).PDF
Date
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1884-05-30
Description
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Serious Dead-Lock In the Canal Traffic. The Organization of Boatmen Against Shippers-Both Sides of the Case. (P. W. Scribner Weighs in)
Depicts the stagnated upper dock, 130 idle ships, restless men. Notes resentment at county officials being called in to keep the peace despite Tonawandas' remarkable record in that area. A. Weston gives a detailed account of the matter, saying there are four or five firms involved in lumber forwarding, and showing how the boat captains get squeezed out and compelled to pay spurious "scalpage" fees, and to hire favored work gangs, or go without. "In consequence of this state of things, the boatmen in February last entered into an organization called the Erie Boatmen's Transportation company."
"P. W. Scribner, who is largely engaged in the shipping business, was referred to for a statement of the other side of the case. He said: "It amounts to this that the Erie Boatmen's Transportation company is endeavoring to boycott our business. We are and always have been willing to treat the boatmen fairly and squarely, but we ask to be allowed to conduct our business in the way we think best. We have a large number of boats engaged for loading and we prefer to use those boats in preference to others that may be thrust upon us. This organisation is simply an association formed for the purpose of dictating what shall be the price of freights on the canal."
Scribner goes on to describe how the association has been putting it out that they will bring the lumber concerns to heel, and that they will have an unfair advantage in fixing rates. He then addresses the threat of violence: "There were symptoms of disturbance before the sherif came here, but since then there has been greater quiet. Before that they went on my docks and endeavored to drive men away from my employ and in some cases threats were used. It was acts of that sort that induced me to have the sheriffs here so that we might have country protection."
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/acbc7e157e3bf134db4725785aec9be0.jpg
6299dfc5c51039db9d438cb425b8dfea
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Allan Herschell Companies
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/files/original/0a8137a27b9978ab2f72819b2bd699cf.jpg" alt="" /> <span class="cover-caption">An 1894 Armitage-Herschell advertisement shows a not-at-all-dangerous-to-children-looking steam boiler and pulleys providing motive power to the company's signature device.</span>
<div>On gilded signs posted at its southern and northern entrances, North Tonawanda introduces itself to visitors as "The Home of the Carrousel." The still-ubiquitous fairground staple was not <em>invented</em> in North Tonawanda (some version of it had been around <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dizzy-history-carousels-begins-knights-180964100">since at least the 12th Century</a>), but thousands were produced here and the highest levels of craftsmanship were attained here under the guidance of Scottish-born Allan Herschell.<br /><br /></div>
In 1872 (<em>Landmarks</em> says 1873), the Armitage-Herschell Co. begins as a small brass and iron foundry on Manhattan Street, comprised of Englishman <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/889">James Armitage</a>, and Scottish brothers <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/880">George</a> and <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/877">Allan Herschell</a>. The firm survives devastating fires in 1874 and 1875, and expands to a location off Oliver Street (whence comes the name, "Mechanic Street"), adding engines and boilers to their specialties. Youngest partner Allan sees a carousel while traveling, and recognizes ways it can be improved. By 1887, his "Improved Steam Riding Gallery" captivates the world, and people from India and France demand the modern amusement. The merry-go-round-makers at first import the accompanying band organs from the old European master-builders of Germany and France, but high tariffs decide them to instead import German organ maker <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/936">Eugene de Kleist</a> from England (de Kleist begins making organs at his <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/24">North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory</a> in 1893). They organize in 1890.<br /><br />James Armitage and George Herschell die in early 1900. The Armitage-Herschell Company is succeeded by Herschell, Spillman & Company, and the Allan Herschell Company. Allan Herschell dies in 1927. The latter company continues making amusements, including miniature trains, boats and airplanes (some of which can be played upon at the <a href="http://www.carrouselmuseum.org">Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum</a> in North Tonawanda) as late as the 1960s.<br /><br />There is a large Herschell family plot in Sweeney Cemetery.
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/607"><em>Landmarks of Niagara County</em> (1897)</a></li>
<li><span class="_Tgc">“<a href="http://carrouselmuseum.org/site/about/allan-herschell">Allen Herschell History</a>.” <em>Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum,</em> 2014.</span></li>
</ul>
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New merry-go-round, article (Buffalo Weekly Express, 1884-09-11).jpg
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1884-09-11
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f46bdc77c21216139f1ceee4592edace
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Hannah Johnson
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(ca. 1799 - 1883) Hannah Johnson is a Black woman who lived with her husband John in the predominantly white township of Wheatfield, near the village of Tonawanda. Popularly known as "Black" or "Aunt" Hannah, she is a reputed fortune-teller (teacup reader) who is visited by ladies of the area to have their future told. She is also said to have sweets and treats at the ready for the local children who visited often.<br /><br />Her obituary says she was born "in bondage" in Albany around 1800. In 1825 the Erie Canal is completed, and in 1827 slavery is abolished in New York State (after a period of "Gradual Emancipation"). It is believed Hannah came to North Tonawanda about this time. <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1049">One later writer relays the recollection of an old-timer</a> that Hannah Johnson is part of a "small colony of blacks" that settles along the banks of Tonawanda Creek. According to this account, the blacks' cabins are burned in a raid by locals, and their belongings thrown into the creek. <br /><br />Another account from resident Brenda Fire Flateau maintains:
<blockquote>My Great Grandfather Zaggel was involved with the Underground Railroad. He took in the slave known as "Black Hannah" until her husband caught up with her. She stayed with him and then in the woods across from his farm, which was his property.</blockquote>
Hannah Johnson lives in a cabin near a medicinal sulphur well in the vicinity of present-day South Meadow Drive, close to East Goundry (see maps in this set). The cabin is on the property of Dr. Jesse F. Locke <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/72518630/jesse-f-locke">(1810-1861)</a>, the area's first resident physician (two Lockes are <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1662">noted in the business directory</a> of this 1860 map). Other blacks, some from the south, appear on census reports. An <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DYZQ-XV2?cc=1401638&wc=95RD-N3D%3A1031313801%2C1034650201%2C1031935201%20:%209%20April%20201">1850 census</a> shows (Farmer) John and Hanna Johanson from NY, black, with Henry Hall from Virginia, Joseph (black, Canada b1812) and Ann Polly (a female "mulatto" from Ireland b1820), and a Stephen Smith (black, Ireland, b1815), all in a frame dwelling. The <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-8BPB-86L?cc=1937366&wc=M6GQ-3P6%3A237409601%2C237515901%20:%2022%20May%202014">1855 census</a> shows Hannah hailing from Albany, John from Washington, and a "Henry Hall" from Maryland. Also says each had been in the city for the last 25 years.<br /><br />Jesse Locke dies March 12, 1861. A farmer by the name of John Chadwick takes ownership of the larger property containing the Johnsons' cabin. Some sources say Mr. Chadwick grants them a life-long lease on the property, but the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage report suggests John Jonson already owned at least some portion of land by 1850, perhaps purchasing directly from Dr. Locke. John Johnson dies sometime before 1870. From 1872 to 1882, a John Fonner who lives nearby challenges Hannah's ownership claim in court, and John Chadwick assists her.<br /><br />Hannah dies in 1883 after an illness of two weeks. It is rumored that non-native flowers grow on the site (unusual red trilliums grew during her lifetime). She is buried in Sweeney Cemetery. <br /><br />Hannah leaves an impression on the imagination of the citizenry, as she figures for decades afterward in its ghost tales, and "Black Hannah's Woods" are whispered to be a haunted realm. Her story is resurrected and recast in a poetic and affecting <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1059">1961 <em>News</em> essay</a> by Elizabeth Wherry. The tale is taken up again in a February 1982 edition of the local historical magazine <em>The Lumber Shover</em>.<br /><br />Although it is not settled, it seems at least possible that Hannah's cabin may have served as a stop on the Underground Railroad for blacks escaping slavery. <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2014">A document on the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Area website</a> (page 192) offers some measured reflections on the subject.<br /><br />A "Hannah Haines" is buried near the Zaggel family in Sweeney Cemetery; A person of the same name is found in the <a href="https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVNJ-GFZ8">1865 state</a> and the <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6X8G-85?cc=1438024&wc=9227-6TP%3A518819101%2C520055301%2C519325001%20:%2014%20June%202019">1870 U.S. Census</a> living in Wheatfield with a "Brown" family (like her, from Maine and New England). However, her grave gives her death as the 1870s (HJ died in 1883), and the census gives her race as white. Obit in Ton Herald 1877-08-28 spelled "Hannah C. Haynes."
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Chadwick arson allegation backfires, Oldenberg sues, article (Buffalo Courier, 1885-09-06).png
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1885-09-06
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/2b6500d21a77b3df01698f985d63f965.jpg
533de4b7e6c46a18ec1ce719d344f3fe
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Backer House (118-124 Webster Street), Backer Alley
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" alt="An 1886 map shows Backer's House and associated outbuildings" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/121.jpg" /><span class="cover-caption">The Backer House on an 1886 map.</span> The long-gone, three-story "Backer House" at the crook of Main and Webster Streets has been called the city's first hotel, purportedly built in 1850 with timber from the Williamsville sawmill owned by John Batt. An 1860 map identifies a "Jackey, Union Hotel" on the site, and no Backer House. The hotel and associated buildings were on a great wooden platform under which ran the state ditch, and stood opposite the former New York Central train depot, where passengers could conveniently become clientele. (A gas station is on the depot site today.) <br /><br /><strong>Owned by the Backer family</strong><br /><br />I haven't learned anything about the first Backer who presumably founded the hotel. But in 1867 (according to a 1929 article), Henry B. Backer becomes the proprietor of the hotel, and will continue until 1891. (Perhaps as a family affair, the hotel enjoyed multiple "proprietors," as we see a different Backer so named below). <br /><br /><strong>A desperate family denied</strong><br /><br />On October 13, 1886, the Backer House is the site of a sensational news story. A traveling Rochester family is returning home when the wife, Julia Trimmer, begins experiencing severe labor pains. The train makes an emergency stop at the New York Central depot opposite the hotel. The husband and wife clamber down the platform and rush across the street to the hotel, desperate for help. They don't find it. <br /><br />The proprietor, Dr. Conrad Backer, refuses to permit Mrs. Trimmer space even on the floor, and the couple is instead "forcibly ejected with profane and abusive language." The distraught family struggles to the nearby Sears House, and although accepted immediately by staff and attended to with great humanity, by then "the child had been born and had died from its brief exposure." The wife brings a $20,000 lawsuit for "personal damages" against the proprietor of the Backer House. She will be awarded a small fraction of that, $600. When Backer refuses to pay even that small fraction, he is jailed. <br /><br /><strong>More Backers</strong><br /><br />In 1891 (according to a 1929 article, which describes a return visit to the area), proprietor Henry B. Backer and his wife leave North Tonawanda for lumber interests in New York City. Before that, he was village clerk, and "took a leading part in the laying out of Thompson, Schenck, Robinson and other streets," donated the land for Live Hose, and founded defunct Alert Hose Company. <br /><br />On October 28, 1892, Dr. Conrad C. Backer dies at 73 and two days, leaving a wife and two children. <br /><br /><strong>Esther at the helm, her secret closet pillaged</strong><br /><br />By 1893, the hotel is being operated by a woman, Esther Backer, her husband having died the year before. The operation arrangement is novel enough for the News to write an article, included in this collection. <br /><br />On November 30, 1896, Mrs. Backer's hotel is again in the news, when she is the victim of robbery and arson. "In a peculiarly formed closet...,Mrs. Backer secretly kept her jewelry and silver plate, which had been in the family for many years." Someone stole these, along with linen, lace curtains and clothing. They then set a fire, seemingly in an effort to cover up the crime. The next day a 25 year-old "tramp" by the name of Walter Kimler is apprehended in West Falls, N. Y., and sent to the penitentiary for 30 days in connection with the burglary. A partner escapes. <br /><br /><strong>1897-1920: The City Hotel, The International Hotel</strong><br /><br />In the summer of 1897 it is renamed the "City Hotel," and by February 6, 1900, it is "The International Hotel." On October 31, 1900, Theodore Roosevelt makes a campaign speech nearby to some 7,000 locals; a historical marker erected in 2021 marks the event. <br /><br /><strong>1920: Simon Marone and the Washington Hotel, deadly fire</strong><br /><br />In 1920 the hotel is sold to Simon Marone, owner of a fruit and candy store on the first floor of the building. <br /><br />July 7, 1924 an item advertises "Hotel and boarding house, 21 rooms, complete sitting room, dance hall place and barber shop, bargain, for quick sale, owner leaving city, inquire 122 Webster Street." <br /><br />By 1924, it is being called the Washington Hotel. In late December, another fire guts the hotel, and claims three lives. <br /><br />In January 1925, proprietor Simon Marone intends to rebuild the interior. The address is given around this time as 122 Webster, and 118-124 Webster. <br /><br /><strong>1930s: The "indecent acts" of Ferris Saffires</strong><br /><br />January 20, 1934, proprietor Ferris Saffire is fined $25 for "permitting disorderly acts in his place of business," after a 24 year-old male and 20 year-old female were arrested and charged with indecency at the hotel. <br /><br />In February, seven of eight people who have been arrested with charges of public intoxication in a "room in the rear of" the hotel are given jail sentences. The eighth, a young woman, beats the charge.<br /><br /><strong>1935: Abraham G. Lewis and the "Lewis Hotel"</strong><br /><br />Somewhere around 1935, Syrian-born Abraham G. Lewis takes over the hotel, and names it in his image, as is often the custom. After the death of his first wife, in 1935 North Tonawanda furnishes him a second, and they are members of Ascension church.<br /><br />April 20, 1946 a boarder (Boleslaus Brodnicki, 58) dies of "heart disease" while on strike from Spaulding Fibre. <br /><br />On May 3, 1952, Lewis dies. A Courier Express claims he has operated the hotel for the last 20 years. The hotel seems to go on in his name for a few years, as in 1955 "Lewis Hotel" is mentioned in ads, and A "Lewis Hotel" (120 Webster) is mentioned in a September 1959 item. <br /><br /><strong>1960s and beyond: Del-Web Inn, demolition, tax sale</strong><br /><br />In 1964 a man is arrested at "Del-Web Inn," 122 Webster, for threatening patrons with a razor. A 1975 item mentions a building permit given to Walter J. Edin for 120 Webster "remodel." In 1978-12-19, 122 Webster is listed in a tax sale auction, with Walter Edin identified. In 1985-11-11 parcel is being auctioned, 120-122 Webster, "including part of abandoned state ditch." <br /><br /><strong>Legacy</strong><br /><br />The alley behind the site is still known as "Backer Alley."
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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A case of unhuman treatment, miscarriage after turned away from Backer House, article (Amherst Bee, 1886-10-21).jpg
Date
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1886-10-21
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/edee239a789b5ac4c49969ce5561a6e6.jpg
30c23936e59784fa5b7e456a701783ee
Dublin Core
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Title
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Backer House (118-124 Webster Street), Backer Alley
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" alt="An 1886 map shows Backer's House and associated outbuildings" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/121.jpg" /><span class="cover-caption">The Backer House on an 1886 map.</span> The long-gone, three-story "Backer House" at the crook of Main and Webster Streets has been called the city's first hotel, purportedly built in 1850 with timber from the Williamsville sawmill owned by John Batt. An 1860 map identifies a "Jackey, Union Hotel" on the site, and no Backer House. The hotel and associated buildings were on a great wooden platform under which ran the state ditch, and stood opposite the former New York Central train depot, where passengers could conveniently become clientele. (A gas station is on the depot site today.) <br /><br /><strong>Owned by the Backer family</strong><br /><br />I haven't learned anything about the first Backer who presumably founded the hotel. But in 1867 (according to a 1929 article), Henry B. Backer becomes the proprietor of the hotel, and will continue until 1891. (Perhaps as a family affair, the hotel enjoyed multiple "proprietors," as we see a different Backer so named below). <br /><br /><strong>A desperate family denied</strong><br /><br />On October 13, 1886, the Backer House is the site of a sensational news story. A traveling Rochester family is returning home when the wife, Julia Trimmer, begins experiencing severe labor pains. The train makes an emergency stop at the New York Central depot opposite the hotel. The husband and wife clamber down the platform and rush across the street to the hotel, desperate for help. They don't find it. <br /><br />The proprietor, Dr. Conrad Backer, refuses to permit Mrs. Trimmer space even on the floor, and the couple is instead "forcibly ejected with profane and abusive language." The distraught family struggles to the nearby Sears House, and although accepted immediately by staff and attended to with great humanity, by then "the child had been born and had died from its brief exposure." The wife brings a $20,000 lawsuit for "personal damages" against the proprietor of the Backer House. She will be awarded a small fraction of that, $600. When Backer refuses to pay even that small fraction, he is jailed. <br /><br /><strong>More Backers</strong><br /><br />In 1891 (according to a 1929 article, which describes a return visit to the area), proprietor Henry B. Backer and his wife leave North Tonawanda for lumber interests in New York City. Before that, he was village clerk, and "took a leading part in the laying out of Thompson, Schenck, Robinson and other streets," donated the land for Live Hose, and founded defunct Alert Hose Company. <br /><br />On October 28, 1892, Dr. Conrad C. Backer dies at 73 and two days, leaving a wife and two children. <br /><br /><strong>Esther at the helm, her secret closet pillaged</strong><br /><br />By 1893, the hotel is being operated by a woman, Esther Backer, her husband having died the year before. The operation arrangement is novel enough for the News to write an article, included in this collection. <br /><br />On November 30, 1896, Mrs. Backer's hotel is again in the news, when she is the victim of robbery and arson. "In a peculiarly formed closet...,Mrs. Backer secretly kept her jewelry and silver plate, which had been in the family for many years." Someone stole these, along with linen, lace curtains and clothing. They then set a fire, seemingly in an effort to cover up the crime. The next day a 25 year-old "tramp" by the name of Walter Kimler is apprehended in West Falls, N. Y., and sent to the penitentiary for 30 days in connection with the burglary. A partner escapes. <br /><br /><strong>1897-1920: The City Hotel, The International Hotel</strong><br /><br />In the summer of 1897 it is renamed the "City Hotel," and by February 6, 1900, it is "The International Hotel." On October 31, 1900, Theodore Roosevelt makes a campaign speech nearby to some 7,000 locals; a historical marker erected in 2021 marks the event. <br /><br /><strong>1920: Simon Marone and the Washington Hotel, deadly fire</strong><br /><br />In 1920 the hotel is sold to Simon Marone, owner of a fruit and candy store on the first floor of the building. <br /><br />July 7, 1924 an item advertises "Hotel and boarding house, 21 rooms, complete sitting room, dance hall place and barber shop, bargain, for quick sale, owner leaving city, inquire 122 Webster Street." <br /><br />By 1924, it is being called the Washington Hotel. In late December, another fire guts the hotel, and claims three lives. <br /><br />In January 1925, proprietor Simon Marone intends to rebuild the interior. The address is given around this time as 122 Webster, and 118-124 Webster. <br /><br /><strong>1930s: The "indecent acts" of Ferris Saffires</strong><br /><br />January 20, 1934, proprietor Ferris Saffire is fined $25 for "permitting disorderly acts in his place of business," after a 24 year-old male and 20 year-old female were arrested and charged with indecency at the hotel. <br /><br />In February, seven of eight people who have been arrested with charges of public intoxication in a "room in the rear of" the hotel are given jail sentences. The eighth, a young woman, beats the charge.<br /><br /><strong>1935: Abraham G. Lewis and the "Lewis Hotel"</strong><br /><br />Somewhere around 1935, Syrian-born Abraham G. Lewis takes over the hotel, and names it in his image, as is often the custom. After the death of his first wife, in 1935 North Tonawanda furnishes him a second, and they are members of Ascension church.<br /><br />April 20, 1946 a boarder (Boleslaus Brodnicki, 58) dies of "heart disease" while on strike from Spaulding Fibre. <br /><br />On May 3, 1952, Lewis dies. A Courier Express claims he has operated the hotel for the last 20 years. The hotel seems to go on in his name for a few years, as in 1955 "Lewis Hotel" is mentioned in ads, and A "Lewis Hotel" (120 Webster) is mentioned in a September 1959 item. <br /><br /><strong>1960s and beyond: Del-Web Inn, demolition, tax sale</strong><br /><br />In 1964 a man is arrested at "Del-Web Inn," 122 Webster, for threatening patrons with a razor. A 1975 item mentions a building permit given to Walter J. Edin for 120 Webster "remodel." In 1978-12-19, 122 Webster is listed in a tax sale auction, with Walter Edin identified. In 1985-11-11 parcel is being auctioned, 120-122 Webster, "including part of abandoned state ditch." <br /><br /><strong>Legacy</strong><br /><br />The alley behind the site is still known as "Backer Alley."
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Title
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A novel action, suit over miscarriage, turned away from Backer house, article (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, 1886-11-24).jpg
Date
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1886-11-24
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/50a99917763cb73624330b4367d65501.jpg
d3a5793c098bb85466b3cc777e144be3
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Backer House (118-124 Webster Street), Backer Alley
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" alt="An 1886 map shows Backer's House and associated outbuildings" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/121.jpg" /><span class="cover-caption">The Backer House on an 1886 map.</span> The long-gone, three-story "Backer House" at the crook of Main and Webster Streets has been called the city's first hotel, purportedly built in 1850 with timber from the Williamsville sawmill owned by John Batt. An 1860 map identifies a "Jackey, Union Hotel" on the site, and no Backer House. The hotel and associated buildings were on a great wooden platform under which ran the state ditch, and stood opposite the former New York Central train depot, where passengers could conveniently become clientele. (A gas station is on the depot site today.) <br /><br /><strong>Owned by the Backer family</strong><br /><br />I haven't learned anything about the first Backer who presumably founded the hotel. But in 1867 (according to a 1929 article), Henry B. Backer becomes the proprietor of the hotel, and will continue until 1891. (Perhaps as a family affair, the hotel enjoyed multiple "proprietors," as we see a different Backer so named below). <br /><br /><strong>A desperate family denied</strong><br /><br />On October 13, 1886, the Backer House is the site of a sensational news story. A traveling Rochester family is returning home when the wife, Julia Trimmer, begins experiencing severe labor pains. The train makes an emergency stop at the New York Central depot opposite the hotel. The husband and wife clamber down the platform and rush across the street to the hotel, desperate for help. They don't find it. <br /><br />The proprietor, Dr. Conrad Backer, refuses to permit Mrs. Trimmer space even on the floor, and the couple is instead "forcibly ejected with profane and abusive language." The distraught family struggles to the nearby Sears House, and although accepted immediately by staff and attended to with great humanity, by then "the child had been born and had died from its brief exposure." The wife brings a $20,000 lawsuit for "personal damages" against the proprietor of the Backer House. She will be awarded a small fraction of that, $600. When Backer refuses to pay even that small fraction, he is jailed. <br /><br /><strong>More Backers</strong><br /><br />In 1891 (according to a 1929 article, which describes a return visit to the area), proprietor Henry B. Backer and his wife leave North Tonawanda for lumber interests in New York City. Before that, he was village clerk, and "took a leading part in the laying out of Thompson, Schenck, Robinson and other streets," donated the land for Live Hose, and founded defunct Alert Hose Company. <br /><br />On October 28, 1892, Dr. Conrad C. Backer dies at 73 and two days, leaving a wife and two children. <br /><br /><strong>Esther at the helm, her secret closet pillaged</strong><br /><br />By 1893, the hotel is being operated by a woman, Esther Backer, her husband having died the year before. The operation arrangement is novel enough for the News to write an article, included in this collection. <br /><br />On November 30, 1896, Mrs. Backer's hotel is again in the news, when she is the victim of robbery and arson. "In a peculiarly formed closet...,Mrs. Backer secretly kept her jewelry and silver plate, which had been in the family for many years." Someone stole these, along with linen, lace curtains and clothing. They then set a fire, seemingly in an effort to cover up the crime. The next day a 25 year-old "tramp" by the name of Walter Kimler is apprehended in West Falls, N. Y., and sent to the penitentiary for 30 days in connection with the burglary. A partner escapes. <br /><br /><strong>1897-1920: The City Hotel, The International Hotel</strong><br /><br />In the summer of 1897 it is renamed the "City Hotel," and by February 6, 1900, it is "The International Hotel." On October 31, 1900, Theodore Roosevelt makes a campaign speech nearby to some 7,000 locals; a historical marker erected in 2021 marks the event. <br /><br /><strong>1920: Simon Marone and the Washington Hotel, deadly fire</strong><br /><br />In 1920 the hotel is sold to Simon Marone, owner of a fruit and candy store on the first floor of the building. <br /><br />July 7, 1924 an item advertises "Hotel and boarding house, 21 rooms, complete sitting room, dance hall place and barber shop, bargain, for quick sale, owner leaving city, inquire 122 Webster Street." <br /><br />By 1924, it is being called the Washington Hotel. In late December, another fire guts the hotel, and claims three lives. <br /><br />In January 1925, proprietor Simon Marone intends to rebuild the interior. The address is given around this time as 122 Webster, and 118-124 Webster. <br /><br /><strong>1930s: The "indecent acts" of Ferris Saffires</strong><br /><br />January 20, 1934, proprietor Ferris Saffire is fined $25 for "permitting disorderly acts in his place of business," after a 24 year-old male and 20 year-old female were arrested and charged with indecency at the hotel. <br /><br />In February, seven of eight people who have been arrested with charges of public intoxication in a "room in the rear of" the hotel are given jail sentences. The eighth, a young woman, beats the charge.<br /><br /><strong>1935: Abraham G. Lewis and the "Lewis Hotel"</strong><br /><br />Somewhere around 1935, Syrian-born Abraham G. Lewis takes over the hotel, and names it in his image, as is often the custom. After the death of his first wife, in 1935 North Tonawanda furnishes him a second, and they are members of Ascension church.<br /><br />April 20, 1946 a boarder (Boleslaus Brodnicki, 58) dies of "heart disease" while on strike from Spaulding Fibre. <br /><br />On May 3, 1952, Lewis dies. A Courier Express claims he has operated the hotel for the last 20 years. The hotel seems to go on in his name for a few years, as in 1955 "Lewis Hotel" is mentioned in ads, and A "Lewis Hotel" (120 Webster) is mentioned in a September 1959 item. <br /><br /><strong>1960s and beyond: Del-Web Inn, demolition, tax sale</strong><br /><br />In 1964 a man is arrested at "Del-Web Inn," 122 Webster, for threatening patrons with a razor. A 1975 item mentions a building permit given to Walter J. Edin for 120 Webster "remodel." In 1978-12-19, 122 Webster is listed in a tax sale auction, with Walter Edin identified. In 1985-11-11 parcel is being auctioned, 120-122 Webster, "including part of abandoned state ditch." <br /><br /><strong>Legacy</strong><br /><br />The alley behind the site is still known as "Backer Alley."
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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A cruel hotel-keeper in jail, article (Buffalo News, 1887-09-02).jpg
Date
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1887-09-02
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/88548b63659b24733693cc16c67b9eb6.pdf
d56e6c8b48b499bcff772bb45e03f948
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Lumber Business of the Tonawandas
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/48.jpg" alt="Map of the Lumber District of the Tonawandas, 1893" /><span class="cover-caption">In the heyday of the Tonawandas' lumber years, practically every available inch of the Niagara riverfront and Tonawanda Island is covered in lumber (shown as lettered, colored portions in the map above). <a href="http://nthistory.com/items/show/1848">1893 Sanborn Insurance map</a>.</span> In the mid-to-late 19th century, vast forests of Midwest timber are cut, dressed and shipped by water to the exploding towns and cities of the east, largely through the Tonawandas. The villages' advantageous location (between the Great Lakes and the Erie Canal) and the natural harbor afforded by Tonawanda Island make it one of the largest lumber ports in the country by 1890. A lock allows small craft to jump between the Niagara River and the Erie Canal via the non-canalized portion of Tonawanda Creek.<br /><br />Scores of lumber comanies spring up here, and their yards vaccum up almost every available inch of real estate along the Niagara River, Tonawanda Creek, and Tonawanda Island. Docks are built over the water, and millions of feet of lumber stored in great blocks are stacked to the sky. They are brought here largely on lake vessels from Lake Erie, where they are moved onto canal boats by lumbershovers and stevedores and hauled by canal boat captains (along with other goods) to points east.<br /><br />The big business means big money, and conflict between the laborers and employers sometimes turns deadly. Articles in this collection describe the lumbershovers strikes of 1892 and 1893, the first of which resulted in the death of a police officer, and both of which required the National Guard to be deployed. A separate collection, "<a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/136">Murder at the Docks</a>," digs into the 1895 double murder of canal boat captain Lorenzo Phillips and his son Charles as the captain attempted to haul a load of lumber from P. W. Scribner's Tonawanda dock in defiance of a boatmen's union agreement.<br /><br />As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past.
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Tonawanda industries, growth of second-largest lumber port, article (Buffalo Courier, 1887-10-07).pdf
Description
An account of the resource
Good general, early description. Earliest settlers seem to only account for south-siders<br />
<ul>
<li>Lock built for Niagara-Creek access.</li>
<li>Cleveland Commercial enterprise draws attention. McGraw opens up lumber business, which starts growing around 1870.</li>
<li>To avoid high shipping costs, William H. Gratwick towed a massive raft full of lumber (3 million feet, or 20 canal boats' worth) from Bay City, Michigan to (North) Tonawanda over two weeks. People in the village marveled to see it. Gratwick paid the men well to see the lumber unloaded, and the incident drew attention to the Tonawandas' natural advantages as a lumber port.</li>
<li>Other lumber firms described</li>
<li>Box factory on Tonawanda Island</li>
</ul>
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1887-10-07
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/5fa336e3801503b1cecfdc19a59266a8.pdf
1c7ac3ae96ab84459a1957adbf2ecac8
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Alexander's Lounge, 46 Sweeney
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" alt="Alexander's, ink and watercolor (Dennis Reed Jr)" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/122.jpg" /><span class="cover-caption">Alexander's, ink and watercolor (Dennis Reed Jr). </span> If you are expecting the current <em>gentlemen's establishment </em>Alexander's Lounge to have a colorful past, you will <em>not</em> be disappointed. <br /><br />Since at least 1882, North Tonawandans have come to this address for entertainment, food, drink, and (in former times) to rent a room. It is hard to say how much, if any, of the building here today is "original." Niagara County parcel records date the current structure is <a href="https://niagaracounty.prosgar.com/PROSParcel/Parcel/12832?swis=291200">built in 1938</a>.<br /><br /><strong>Early Years: The White Star Hotel</strong><br /><br />In <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/files/original/9fa8119fbd4b18cb8dcc48d94502fb48.pdf">1882</a> Captain James Ennis is the proprietor of the White Star Hotel here. Photos in the early 20th Century show a much taller, 3-story building on the site. By 1905 the hotel has changed hands to William Phelps. <br /><br /><strong>Perew years</strong><br /><br />Canadian-born eccentric <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2154">Philip Perew</a> is running the White Star by September 1907. It is likely that some of the "liberties" now associated with the site were already being taken at this early date--Perew owns a dozen or so Goose Island houses of ill repute in his lifetime. Liquor and women was pretty much his business model (and <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/106">questionable inventions</a>, but that's another story.)<br /><br />How eccentric is he? He keeps a "menagerie" of exotic animals with him at the hotel. The collection of poor souls is narrowly evacuted before a disastrous 1909 fire guts the building. Making the evacuation slightly easier is the fact that, as the <em>Tonawanda News</em> reports, "the wildcat and the Russian wolf had been removed to another place some weeks ago." <br /><br />During Prohibition the White Star "Inn" is a recurring target of dry agents. In 1937 (immediately after his Goose Island establishments are shuttered by police) Perew accuses Chief Criminal Deputy Amedeo L. Coppola of shaking him down for $200 a month in bribes, and takes him to court in a trial that is a local sensation. Perew lives here until his death in 1946.<br /><br />By 1950 the building is condemned as "unfit for human habitation," and the remaining lodgers are evicted. <br /><br /><strong>Silver Sail: Saunders years</strong><br /><br />Josephine "Pammy" Saunders purchases the building from Perew.* A large investment in a shiny new restaurant in the basement is made, and the "Silver Sail Restaurant" is up and running. It is advertised in 1952 with Dorothy "Thompson" as proprietor. I am assured by a descendant that no monkey business was happening at 46 Sweeney in this era. (<a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2648">This photograph</a> of John Saunders tending bar in front of a "No Dancing" sign seems to support this claim.) Josephine Saunders is granted a liquor license for the Silver Sail as late as 10/19/1965. She dies 4/29/1966.<br /><br /><strong>Alexander's Lounge: Enter the Vergos (c. 1967)</strong><br /><br />Wild times return to the old haunt with the arrival of the Vergos brothers in our story: the club's namesake "Alex," and Peter. The first time their name appears in print in the Tonawanda News is May 1967 in an ad for a waitress and cook. An August 1969 melee causes brother-owners Alex G. and Peter G. Vergos to be charged by State Liquor Authority with "improper conduct" and "disorder"; In 1972 charges against Alex of sexual abuse of a "go-go dancer" are dropped. In 1979 another disastrous fire strikes the (3-story) building. Perhaps this fire is what results in the shorter building we know today?<br /><br />Alexander G. Vergos dies January 21, 1994.<br /><br />-<br /><br /><em>*This information is from a Saunder family member. Uncertain year - Dorothy Saunders was operating it by 1939. </em>
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James Ennis buys White Star hotel, notice (Buffalo Courier, 1890-03-18).pdf
Date
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1890-03-18
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/440cdf03a07636815374e703e1600ea7.txt
f14ce23190b049e437a5084f133fd872
Article
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Early Tonawandas banks described, excerpt (Tonawanda and North Tonawanda 1891).txt
Date
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1891
bank
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/3b80f23bb083089f4f1d0f83ee34f825.jpg
695baca7b94d839a09c5cdd2f17b1314
https://nthistory.com/files/original/8b8455c23518cee5efe50dec687b3123.jpg
220d4a3deac4630a4d09dda48b128aba
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Early Days of the Tonawandas
Description
An account of the resource
These book excerpts and articles shed light on the earliest days of the Tonawandas, as well as the nearby villages of Martinsville, Sawyer's Station, Gratwick and Ironton that would be incorporated into the city of North Tonawanda in 1897. See our <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/browse?type=11&sort_field=Dublin%20Core,Date">Books</a> for full-length works.
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Gratwick, descriptive sketch (excerpt from the book, North Tonawanda and Tonawanda - The Lumber City, 1891).jpg
Date
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1891-02
gratwick
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/f5fa243381b8825ee607d755f5f4ea59.jpg
7cbacdaed875fb57ac9d71abde2805bc
https://nthistory.com/files/original/e51dd285f55f392c7a11b4df61ce6d63.jpg
76b6bbffb50e66bf0484fb0b9db1944d
https://nthistory.com/files/original/240f53a6b69500f56d3c7960d5359f31.jpg
adfb652b5b199e0e0a4b7979b3b36eca
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Early Days of the Tonawandas
Description
An account of the resource
These book excerpts and articles shed light on the earliest days of the Tonawandas, as well as the nearby villages of Martinsville, Sawyer's Station, Gratwick and Ironton that would be incorporated into the city of North Tonawanda in 1897. See our <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/browse?type=11&sort_field=Dublin%20Core,Date">Books</a> for full-length works.
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Ironton addition, Payne bio, North Tonawanda Land Co., description (excerpt from the book, North Tonawanda and Tonawanda - The Lumber City, 1891).jpg
Date
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1891-03
ironton
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/c57c7ccbb4e73a0f6d7a88380cd00a7d.jpg
c4d1eaaa311d804a10158074f765e202
https://nthistory.com/files/original/03af94423120f1104c84d13036bee71c.jpg
25baf367154c6fe0e6fd0e7ed04f9a8f
https://nthistory.com/files/original/fece0be3676eddc2cec1d72f25949aec.jpg
3ab8cf6c601c0f55d72256c7f25f7c60
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Early Days of the Tonawandas
Description
An account of the resource
These book excerpts and articles shed light on the earliest days of the Tonawandas, as well as the nearby villages of Martinsville, Sawyer's Station, Gratwick and Ironton that would be incorporated into the city of North Tonawanda in 1897. See our <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/browse?type=11&sort_field=Dublin%20Core,Date">Books</a> for full-length works.
Article
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Martinsville and Sawyer's Creek, description (excerpt from the book, North Tonawanda and Tonawanda - The Lumber City, 1891).jpg
Date
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1891-03
martinsville
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/62a48f7be8621bf142cb2e34f45dc4a6.jpg
6f81993e6d529f8dfe1fe38e24710f11
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Lumber Business of the Tonawandas
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/48.jpg" alt="Map of the Lumber District of the Tonawandas, 1893" /><span class="cover-caption">In the heyday of the Tonawandas' lumber years, practically every available inch of the Niagara riverfront and Tonawanda Island is covered in lumber (shown as lettered, colored portions in the map above). <a href="http://nthistory.com/items/show/1848">1893 Sanborn Insurance map</a>.</span> In the mid-to-late 19th century, vast forests of Midwest timber are cut, dressed and shipped by water to the exploding towns and cities of the east, largely through the Tonawandas. The villages' advantageous location (between the Great Lakes and the Erie Canal) and the natural harbor afforded by Tonawanda Island make it one of the largest lumber ports in the country by 1890. A lock allows small craft to jump between the Niagara River and the Erie Canal via the non-canalized portion of Tonawanda Creek.<br /><br />Scores of lumber comanies spring up here, and their yards vaccum up almost every available inch of real estate along the Niagara River, Tonawanda Creek, and Tonawanda Island. Docks are built over the water, and millions of feet of lumber stored in great blocks are stacked to the sky. They are brought here largely on lake vessels from Lake Erie, where they are moved onto canal boats by lumbershovers and stevedores and hauled by canal boat captains (along with other goods) to points east.<br /><br />The big business means big money, and conflict between the laborers and employers sometimes turns deadly. Articles in this collection describe the lumbershovers strikes of 1892 and 1893, the first of which resulted in the death of a police officer, and both of which required the National Guard to be deployed. A separate collection, "<a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/136">Murder at the Docks</a>," digs into the 1895 double murder of canal boat captain Lorenzo Phillips and his son Charles as the captain attempted to haul a load of lumber from P. W. Scribner's Tonawanda dock in defiance of a boatmen's union agreement.<br /><br />As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past.
Article
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Excerpts from "Fixed Bayonets - The New York State National Guard during the era of industrial unrest, 1877–1898" by Ronald Howard Kotlik, 2005.art
Description
An account of the resource
<em>Webmaster's Note: This 2005 dissertation from a UB student examines the seven times the Guard were dispersed between 1877–1898 to mediate local labor disputes. Below are the portions related to the two visits to the Tonawandas, in June of 1892 and June of 1893. Photo: 42nd Separate Company during one of these Tonawanda deployments. Another version <a href="http://nthistory.com/items/show/3419">here</a>.</em><br /><br />The lumber strikes that will be discussed here in Tonawanda and Oswego both involved lumber shovers, men whose main responsibility was to handle the lumber on the docks or decks loading and unloading it from various vessels. It has been argued that shoving was extremely hard for the men especially when the same shovers worked both on the docks and served as crews on the ships. “Down the boards would come end on end on to the schooner’s deck, from the lumber shovers on the piles, to be caught and carried to the hatches, passed down to splinterfilled fists in the hold, and laid along carefully on the floor-ceiling, starting at the bilges and sides, until they mounted up to the deckbeams, like haystraws in a mow.”<br /><br />It has been argued that during the prime period of the lumber industry, roughly from the 1880s to 1907, attempts by lumbermen to either merge or pool their interests ultimately failed leading to abusive competition and falling prices that punished all those involved in the industry.8 This phenomenon had detrimental effects to both workers and management in the industry. “To lower expenses, lumbermen cut wages and reduced their labor force, and in communities where logging and lumber manufacturing dominated local business, there were no other industries to offset layoffs and unemployment.<br /><br />Tonawanda Lumber Strike of 1892<br /><br />The events that resulted in the National Guard being called to Tonawanda in 1892 began with attempts by lumber handlers, whose primary job was to unload barges of lumber, to form a union to gain more control in compensation issues. The men were opposed to the stevedore system in which they were paid by the company on an individual basis per job, or per barge that needed to be unloaded. No long term contracts were involved, which relegated the men to day laborer status. In an open letter by the lumber workers to the Lumbermen’s Association, an organization of lumber mill owners, the lumber workers expressed their grievances. “The union men said they were opposed to the stevedore system of unloading barges, and that they preferred working on the cooperative plan, dividing the fruits of their labor equally among themselves.”<br /><br />The men were willing to concede to work at the same rate as the stevedore system, but asked that their organization be recognized by the Lumbermen’s Association, and claimed it would bring no threat to their interests. The Lumbermen publicly expressed their sympathy with the lumber handlers stating that, “The interest of the lumbermen of Tonawanda and the handlers of lumber are the same.” However, while they claimed to be willing to listen to the lumber handlers’ complaints, they warned them to be wary of outside agitators from Buffalo who were attempting to organize a union for their own interest and not that of the lumber handlers or that of Tonawanda:
<blockquote>We believe that the men have the unquestionable right to select their own bosses or form gangs among themselves, and on this point they will receive the sympathy and support of all lumbermen, but as we firmly believe that, with the condition of business at this port now and in prospect, any such organization or union as now proposed must be unsuccessful, work to the disadvantage of the laboring men, and cause them both loss of wages and other troubles, we must refuse to recognize or support it, and we trust the cool judgment of the worthy workers will lead them to see the difficulties they are attempting to fasten on themselves and on this market, and at once withdraw from the domination of the Buffalo advisors, allowing business to pursue the natural as heretofore. For reasons started we shall feel it in our duty to protect by lawful means, any and all men who desire to work as independent workmen.</blockquote>
These comments by the lumbermen coincide with the historical account of the changing conditions in the lumber industry. During the late nineteenth century lumber production and distribution was decreasing from its highpoint in the northeast during the 1870s. Fierce competition between lumbermen, which resulted in failed attempts to pool their interests, resulted in an extremely volatile lumber market which forced lumbermen to seek different means to post profits despite the failing prices of lumber. It is evident from the events in Tonawanda in 1892, that workers were feeling the strain of economic conditions within the industry and tried to combat them through greater unionization. While the efforts of workers to unionize were discouraged, lumbermen themselves organized through the Lumbermen’s Association to combat the very same market forces that were bearing down upon the interests of their workers. <br /><br />While both the lumber handlers and the lumbermen expressed their willingness to discuss work related issues peacefully, calm and restraint did not prevail. On June 11th, about 300 lumber handlers trying to get union recognition marched to the lumber yards of A. Weston and Son. At the yard, order quickly eroded as the crowd disrupted work within the yards and on the barges in the docks. While initially the men expressed no ill will, clubs and stones began to be thrown at the non-union workers within the yard and on the barges. The police who were stationed within the yard to guard the non-union workers fired into the air to restore order. Someone within the crowd returned fire striking one policemen, John Miller, in the knee while wounding another man, Frank Kinzley, seriously in the abdomen. With the shootings, the eight policeman on duty fled the yard and the non-union men quickly left from their positions while the crowd made its way to neighboring barges and yards of other lumber companies. Non-union workers at Smith, Fassett and Company and at Gregory, and Robinson Brothers Lumber Company were also driven off as, “…several men were quite badly used up by the strikers.”\ Without police protection, non-union men were unable to work, which allowed the strikers to continue pressuring the lumberman for their demands. <br /><br />With control quickly slipping from local law enforcement authorities, Sheriff Nathan Ensign of Lockport asked for assistance from the local company of the National Guard, the Twenty- Fifth Separate Company from within Tonawanda. Brigadier General Peter C. Doyle received word from Sheriff Ensign on June 11th, to make ready for the possibility of “considerable bloodshed and violence” that may occur during a riot on Monday, June 13. Doyle also requested the Forty-Second Separate Company from Niagara Falls to be ready in case of an outbreak of serious violence.16 It is important to note that in this situation, similar to events during the four transportation strikes detailed in the previous chapter, Guardsmen were only activated once local law enforcement was ineffective at preventing violence. The Guard itself did not choose to become involved in this situation, but was activated upon the request of local officials. <br /><br />It is difficult to argue that the Guard was a tool of industry considering that local officials, not industrial interests, were responsible for activating the Guard. Tonawanda Lumber Strike of 1893 During the Tonawanda strike little violence took place, and most of the troops requested encountered no difficulties while on duty. However, a similar conflict between the lumber handlers and the Lumbermen’s Association in Tonawanda erupted again a year later in 1893 which did involve more direct use of Guard forces to restore the peace. Before the peak lumber season commenced during the summer months, speculation was rampant throughout Tonawanda that the Lumbermen’s Association would attempt to break the Lumber Shovers’ Protective Union by trying to use the stevedore system and only employ persons or offer contracts to unload vessels to those they saw fit. In essence the Lumbermen’s Association was threatening to employ the readily available Polish workers to take the place of the lumber shovers within Tonawanda. The shovers did not understand the Lumbermen’s Association’s hard stance against the union. Since the workers were only attempting to organize for their own protection seeking insurance and medical treatment. The shovers vowed that if Polish labor was used all attempts would be made to bring these workers into the union. Polish workers were seen as a threat because it was believed that they would be willing to work for lower wages and through the stevedore system. In addition, many of the Polish workers were recent immigrants who had settled in nearby Buffalo. The Pole’s immigrant status and their Buffalo residence increased the perception, form the point of view of the local Tonawanda lumber shovers, that the Poles were outsiders threatening to take their positions on the docks.<br /><br />As summer approached, the Lumbermen’s Association offered the Tonawanda workers one final chance to abandon their union. If the workers continued with their demands contracts<br />would be given to the non-union men already working. “We individually and severally affirm that we have not changed our view regarding the organization known as the Tonawanda Lumber Shovers’ Protective Union, one iota,” proclaimed William H. Cooper, secretary of the Tonawanda Lumbermen’s Association, “and for the same sufficient reasons heretofore publicly stated and argued. The local organization was formed last year and is not immical to the interests of the entire community, as well as to the lumber and vessel interests, and we cannot recognize it under the circumstances.” Cooper made it known that contracts for the present non-union workers have been withheld in the interests of the Tonawanda men for the Association preferred to make contracts with the local men. However, the Association offered June 14th as the deadline for union men to offer proof of their disassociation with the union and return to work. After that date contracts would be offered to the present workers for the remainder of the season. James Morrisey, spokesmen for the union men offered a strong rejection of the proposal. “I think I represent the views of the majority of the members of the said union when I say that we will not go to work again except as union men.” Local law enforcement was well aware of these developments and anticipated trouble during the upcoming lumber season. In April, Sheriff Ensign of Niagara Country, traveled to Buffalo to confer with National Guard officers over the possibility of needing the Guard to serve in Tonawanda if any violence broke out. It is interesting to note that two months before any violence did occur because of the lumber shover lockout; local law enforcement realized that they would be inadequate to keep the peace if trouble did occur. The sheriff was forced to rely in such events. Law officials, during this strike and others, usually proved to be unable to preserve order within their local communities and constantly relied on the Guard to fulfill this service. The warranting of the use of troops in Tonawanda did not initially occur because of any actions taken directly by the striking lumber shovers, but by grievances expressed by the nonunion Polish laborers who replaced the shovers. The Poles were initially paid forty cents per hour but that wage was eventually reduced to twenty five cents per hour. “The laborers say they could not make as much money at the new rate,” cited the Buffalo Courier, “but the lumbermen say they would make more if they were not lazy.”<br /><br />These remarks in combination with the changes in wages enabled the union shovers to recruit the Poles into the union. The union Poles intimidated any of their fellow countrymen who still attempted to return to work and, “threatened to drive them off the docks if they touched a plank.” On June 16th, the striking Poles gathered at the offices of the Smith and Fassett Company to demand their back wages owed. They were told to be patient for they would have to wait for their wages, “…but many of them were filled up with beer and threatened violence.” As time passed tensions rose as some incendiary speeches were made and stones were thrown at the paymaster’s office. Sheriff Ensign was unable to clear the crowd with his deputies and felt it prudent to call out Tonawanda’s Twenty-Fifth Separate Company of the National Guard. Seventy men under the command of Captain H.M. Fales quickly arrived and cleared the docks and placed guards at the bridge to prevent others from joining the strikers. Later in the day the Twenty-Fifth was reinforced by the Forty-Second Separate Company from Niagara Falls under the command of Colonel S.M. Welch. With the upon Guardsmen when such disorder was threatened. This serves as further evidence that the arrival of over 150 troops the, “…village has quite a war like appearance.” The events in Tonawanda made national news. The New York Times commented, “What has been threatened and expected all season happened today, and Tonawanda is under guard of the militia.” <br /><br />During many of the transportation strikes Guardsmen often demonstrated reluctance in performing police duty and becoming involved in labor-management disputes. This reluctance served as evidence that Guardsmen should not be considered as active supporters of the rights of capital over labor. Rather, the Guard was usually thrust into a labor dispute when local law enforcement authorities were inadequate in preserving the peace. The Guard had little control over its deployment, literally being at the beck and call of local officials fearing outbreaks of mass violence. The Guardsmen called to duty in Tonawanda in 1893 also expressed a similar reluctance. Many of the men of the Twenty-Fifth Separate Company were excited once the Polish workers were paid believing that they would be relieved of duty; however, this feeling was quickly dashed as word circulated that their service would be extended. Many of the men began to scorn the idea of extended strike duty. The Buffalo Courier reported that a, “…majority of them [soldiers] are not overjoyed at the prospect of several days’ guard duty without even a free-for-all fight to break the monotony.” Members of the Forty-Second Company expressed similar feelings of having to stay longer. Many of these Guardsmen blamed the sheriff for not being prepared for the possible conflict between the shovers and the lumbermen and taking necessary steps before having to call in the Guard.<br />..<br /><br />Tonawanda Lumber Strike of 1892 <br /><br />Of the three lumber strikes, the first in Tonawanda in 1892 was by all estimates the most peaceful with no outward violence occurring between strikers and the troops sent to protect private property. Strikers still demanded recognition of their union and an end to the stevedore system that hired men individually without any union support. The strikers looked to remedy the situation through an arbitration board that would come to Tonawanda on June 14th and hopefully end the standoff through negotiation. In addition, the strikers continued to deny their involvement with the shooting of the police officer that occurred when strikers gathered in the lumberyards on June 11th. However, sixteen union men were arrested for involvement in the shooting of the officer.<br /><br />Despite the arrests, no large outbreaks of violence occurred. “The strikers are keeping under cover,” reported the New York Times, “The barge Botaford has been unloaded and the men are engaged in unloading lumber from the Racine as fast as possible. The Guard was a force at the demand of local officials and did not actively seek to become involved Sawyer Lumber Company’s yardmen are at work on the Dan Rogers.”36 Non-union men who were under the watchful eyes of the strikers conducted this work without molestation. Peace was also maintained by the eighty troops of Tonawanda’s Twenty-Fifth Separate Company and by the eighty troops of the Forty-Second Company from Niagara Falls. In addition, the Sixty-Fifth Regiment from Buffalo was also notified to be ready for a call up if any other violence escalated. The troops on duty marched throughout the streets of Tonawanda near the docks expecting trouble from the strikers, because non-union men were unloading barges. However, the troops experienced no resistance from the strikers or the community. The troops also enjoyed a hearty breakfast as the Hotel Sheldon without any interference from strikers or sympathizers. In comparison with the events that transpired in many of the transportation strikes, troops on duty in Tonawanda in 1892 experienced fairly light duty.<br /><br />Even though the troops were received fairly well by the community and the strikers, community support was still firmly behind the strikers’ demands. Out of the over 700 lumber shovers who joined the Protective Union, around 500 of them were property owners within Tonawanda. Most of them were German ethnics who were not transient labors, but tax paying property owners. In addition, one the largest complaints against the stevedore system was that there was no contract given to the men for steady wages since the stevedore set the wages per job. Most of the stevedores were saloonkeepers who paid off their men at the saloons. In most cases the stevedore would hire the men who had accumulated the largest debt at their establishments. The community recognized the corruption within this system and pledged to support the workers who wanted to remain continuing members of the Tonawanda community.<br /><br />On June 14th, state arbitrators arrived in Tonawanda and organized a meeting of the union men, the Lumbermen’s Association, and the Tonawanda Common Council at the Hotel Sheldon. During the meeting a solution was proposed by the Lumbermen’s Association that would allow the lumber shovers to organize in gangs that would be hired directly by the lumbermen or the captains of lumber vessels. The men would receive the current prices for the season, but the captains and the lumbermen had the right to hire union or non-union gangs. The most alluring part of the proposition that attracted the acceptance by the union men was the abolishment of the stevedore system. Reaching a settlement, the lumber shovers agreed to return to work on June 15th. With the return to work of the shovers, the Guard was also disbanded.<br /><br />Tonawanda Lumber Strike of 1893<br /><br />Despite the peaceful end of the Tonawanda Strike of 1892 which involved no direct violence against troops by either strikers or the community, conflict broke out a year later between the same lumber shovers and the Lumbermen’s Association. The Lumbermen’s Association abandoned the settlement reached in June of 1892 and tried to reinstate the stevedore system and completely eliminate the Protective Union as the lumber season approached in the spring of 1893. The Lumbermen’s Association brought in Polish workers from Buffalo to work the docks but were slow in paying the men for their labor. Many of the Polish workers eventually rioted because they were not paid. The Poles’ grievances against the Lumbermen also made them easy recruits for the Protective Union of shovers. With the riot on June 16, the Twenty-Fifth and Forty-Second Separate Companies were once again called to restore order, as was done a year prior in 1892. The Twenty-Fifth Separate Company from within Tonawanda, under the command of Captain H.M. Fales, and the Forty-Second Separate Company from nearby Niagara Falls, under the command of Colonel S.M. Welch, arrived on the scene on June 16th. <br /><br />The troops quickly cleared the yards and established pickets. Guards were also placed on a railway bridge to prevent others from joining the strikers. When the Poles were informed that they would be paid as soon as the payroll was completed, in combination with the presence of armed soldiers, their angry sentiments were quelled. “When the men were informed that the paymaster was ready to receive them they flocked towards the building which he occupied like a flock a sheep,” detailed the Buffalo Courier, “The soldiers, with fixed bayonets, drove them back and put them in line so they would get to the window one at a time. During the excitement one Pole was struck in the left arm near the shoulder but the bayonet scarcely penetrated his clothing.”41 This minor wound was the only injury to either a worker or a soldier during this incident. In contrast to the accounts of the transportation strikes discussed in the previous chapter, both of the Tonawanda lumber strikes were fairly mild events. Perhaps the lack of widespread violence was owing to the speedy arrival of the soldiers to the yards and the local origin of the troops that resulted in more restraint. While this is mere speculation, such conjecture does warrant attention. <br /><br />These events also warranted attention from the national press. The New York Times also believed that the, “quick responses of the soldiers to a call for help prevented bloodshed.” However, despite the optimism expressed by the Times, officers in charge of the troops were still cautious about being overly optimistic. “It is almost impossible to tell what the outcome will be,” remarked Colonel Welch, “We all hope the matter will soon be settled peacefully, but yet there may be bloodshed.” Tensions lessened despite some speeches by the strikers calling for more opposition. Once the Poles were paid, most returned to Buffalo, and outright conflict between strikers and non-union men subsided.<br /><br />Even though the hostilities between strikers and non-union works were quelled, members of the Twenty-Fifth and Forty-Second Companies remained on duty for most of the week of June 18th within Tonawanda. The mayor of Tonawanda, George W. Stanley put the community under martial law as soldiers continued their pickets and guard duty. “While the militia are here I want the lumber shovers to understand the soldiers are not here for fun,” proclaimed Stanley, “but to do the work they were called to do.” Further, Stanley believed that if the troops were removed too soon violence would break out once again. “These union men know we will never recognize their union and they are getting desperate and ugly, and when they know the soldiers are not ready to suppress them they will do something that will shock this end of the state.”44 While Stanley painted the union in a fairly negative light, revealing his sympathies for the Lumbermen’s Association against union efforts, the strikers themselves questioned the use of troops, because they were committed to peacefully settling their grievances. President Cramer of the Protective Union reaffirmed the union’s commitment to their demands of recognition and an end to the stevedore system. Speaking about the riotous actions of the Poles, Cramer denied any union responsibility for inciting their actions. “We have not been threatening these non-union men, and certainly cannot be held accountable for their strike on Friday. I do not see the necessity of ordering out these troops if it is thought violence is feared from our men. I have asked them all to refrain from doing anything unlawful, and they have all promised to do so.” Cramer placed blame for the violence on the Polish workers and argued that troops may be needed to guard against these men, but certainly not his union members. “If the militia were called out to suppress the men they brought down from Buffalo, then that is another thing. We are not going to give up out fight until our union is recognized."<br /><br />Cramer’s comments focus on the union’s determination and willingness to refrain from using violence, and they also reveal that the union expressed no ill will against the soldiers called for duty. In comparison, during many of the transportation strikes strikers openly expressed their hostility toward the troops through violent actions. During this strike the union was less hostile toward the Guard and only verbally protested the need for troops since no violence was enacted by the strikers. Again it can be argued that this peaceful co-existence between strikers and Guardsmen was a result of local troops being used in a localized incident. During the transportation strikes, local troops were always accompanied by out of town regiments and companies. <br /><br />As violence escalated and as the blood of strikers, community residents, and soldiers were spilt, resentment for the use of troops increased. In addition to the peaceful co-existence between the strikers and the Guardsmen, outright community resentment for the soldiers was also not found within the evidence available. When the troops arrived, the president of Tonawanda, George W. Stanley encouraged citizens to remain in their homes until the disputes were settled. Stanley warned against, “…all persons from assembling for unlawful purposes and disturbing the public peace, and command all good citizens to remain at their several homes and to pursue their lawful and useful pursuits in a peaceful and lawful manner.” 46 Stanley, who was well aware of the threat of the lumber dispute spilling over into the larger community, made a concerted effort to prevent loss of life, especially from innocent citizens that usually gathered during such events. During his proclamation, Stanley used the word “law abiding” to describe the citizenry. During the transportation strikes, other community leaders also used this term when referring to those that supported the use of the Guard. Law abiding was also used in reference to the middle and upper class status of those citizens who disliked the spread of violence and welcomed the Guard as a force to restore order.<br /><br />Within the context of the 1893 Tonawanda strike, it is difficult to interpret if Stanley was referring to the same class of citizens during his proclamation. When the strike concluded and troops were sent home, a reference was made in the local newspaper that there was, “…rejoicing among all classes in both villages (referring to the village of Tonawanda and North Tonawanda).” <br />This is the only evidence found that makes a direct comment about the classes of people within the community and their reaction to the events. Taking this example, in conjunction with the other details of striker cooperation with Guardsmen, it can be argued that troops on duty within Tonawanda did not experience the hostilities of the community that were existent in many of the larger transportation strikes. Troops on duty were from within the community, a community that wanted to see the disruption of lumber traffic resolved as quickly as possible. Also, strikers refrained from using violence against the troops, and there was no indication of any outside agitation by individuals who usually congregated during strikes to incite violence. For the remainder of the week the troops on duty continued to guard the lumberyards. No violence was used against the troops, and strikers did not interfere with non-union labor. <br /><br />On Thursday, June 22, more Polish workers arrived from Pittsburgh to work the docks. However, when the train approached the area and when the Poles caught sight of the Guardsmen, several jumped from the cars and tried to find a lawyer in town. Once the Poles realized that the troops were not there to suppress them, but only there to protect private property, they returned to work.<br /><br />With a steady supply of labor available, strike leaders made more attempts to negotiate with the Lumbermen’s Association. Agreements were made between the Protective Union and the<br />Lumbermen’s Association that allowed the workers to return to their jobs as individuals and not as a union, and the Lumbermen’s Association would have control over choosing the foremen to run the labor gangs from the men who returned to work. In return, the men would be given twenty-seven cents per thousand of unloading rather than the previous twenty-three cents.49 President John Robinson of the Lumbermen’s Association thought this was an equitable agreement that catered to both sides. Speaking to the Protective Union, Robinson defended the agreement, “That I will obtain a contract from the Lumbermen’s Association to unload all barges at card rates, as published by the Lumbermen’s Association, and employ so far as possible the men now belonging to your organization on condition that they withdraw from your association and agree not to join any other labor organization during the term of my contract.”<br /><br />With the agreement, the men lost their union but received better wages that the previous stevedore system. The Guard was withdrawn once the workers agreed to the arrangements. There was little commentary following the strike on the effect of the troops on the outcome. Unlike many of the transportation strikes, the strikers conducted themselves in a peaceful manner and there was no evidence of agitation by outsiders against the troops. While the Guard did protect the property and non-union workers in the name of upholding the law, in this circumstance their presence still had an effect on the outcome of the strike. The presence of the Guard allowed the Lumbermen’s Association to have an available workforce to undermine the strikers’ efforts to disrupt their business. While the Guard may have not purposefully sought to weaken the strikers’ position, their very presence benefited management.<br /><br />...<br /><br />During the Tonawanda strike in 1893 the Lumbermen’s Association was firm in its resistance in refusing to recognize the Lumber Shovers Protective Union, even if the holdout lasted the entire season. The Lumbermen’s resolute stand was warranted for they believed they could find all the workers that were needed, but their success with such non-union workers depended heavily on the protection the National Guard provided against abuses by the strikers. President Robinson of the Lumbermen’s Association made the position of the group known in an open statement to the strikers. “We are in this fight to stay and we will hold out as long as our money lasts. We can get all the men we need if we can only insure them protection. That is what we are going to do if we have to call for the entire National Guard of the State.” Robinson believed that events in Tonawanda offered a great test of who had the upper hand in the business, the owners or the shovers. “We have been fooling with the old hands too long. This is the time to see whether we shall run our business as we think best or let those lumber shovers dictate how it shall be run.”<br /><br />...<br /><br />Even though no additional troops were summoned to Tonawanda, and despite the bold proclamation of President Robinson of the Lumbermen’s Association, local business owners in the city were actually pleading with local law enforcement authorities and Mayor Stanley to have the troops recalled. Local business owners circulated a petition asking for the recall of the troops and issued a statement decrying the presence of soldiers within the community. “The presence of an armed body is calculated to bring the citizens and constabulary into disrepute in the eyes of<br />the people of the State and country.” (57 New York Times, 21 June 1893, p. 3, col. 6.) Businessmen within the city believed the expense of having two companies of Guardsmen was unwarranted when adequate protection could be offered by local lawmen. More importantly, businesses worried about losing customers who avoided the city because of all the publicity of an armed presence within their midst. <br /><br />Other histories of the National Guard have argued that businessmen usually allied themselves with the Guard and welcomed their presence during a strike to combat disorder. In this particular circumstance, businessmen in Tonawanda believed the presence of troops was a threat to their very livelihoods. The response of Tonawanda’s businessmen can be contrasted with the reaction of other groups during the transportation strikes. It was noted that during many of the transportation strikes, community leaders, such as businessmen, welcomed the presence of the Guard because it restored order. Those who usually protested the presence of the troops sympathized with the strikers, were outside agitators, or felt directly threatened by a large contingent of armed men.<br /><br />It can be argued that during the Tonawanda strike in 1893, business was certainly not on the side of the National Guard, and despite the bold proclamation of President Robinson of the Lumbermen’s Association about calling out the entire National Guard, only two companies remained on duty during the incident.
Date
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1892
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"Fixed Bayonets - The New York State National Guard during the era of industrial unrest, 1877–1898" by Ronald Howard Kotlik, 2005
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/54bb62ac1dd88b78c02df94397bdb6f8.jpg
8edbfc63217e3720657427801dbc7b49
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Gratwick School
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Opens in 1894, two years after Pine Woods school, and five years after the second public school, Ironton (According to a 1979 News article).
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Meeting to determine Gratwick and Pine Woods Schools, article (1892-01-10, Buffalo Courier).jpg
Date
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1892-01-10
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/5cfccd9737f6c5cbcfe4da6f46e4bb13.jpg
49ea3ffabd507757ee0309d84702ea10
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Title
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Lumber Business of the Tonawandas
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/48.jpg" alt="Map of the Lumber District of the Tonawandas, 1893" /><span class="cover-caption">In the heyday of the Tonawandas' lumber years, practically every available inch of the Niagara riverfront and Tonawanda Island is covered in lumber (shown as lettered, colored portions in the map above). <a href="http://nthistory.com/items/show/1848">1893 Sanborn Insurance map</a>.</span> In the mid-to-late 19th century, vast forests of Midwest timber are cut, dressed and shipped by water to the exploding towns and cities of the east, largely through the Tonawandas. The villages' advantageous location (between the Great Lakes and the Erie Canal) and the natural harbor afforded by Tonawanda Island make it one of the largest lumber ports in the country by 1890. A lock allows small craft to jump between the Niagara River and the Erie Canal via the non-canalized portion of Tonawanda Creek.<br /><br />Scores of lumber comanies spring up here, and their yards vaccum up almost every available inch of real estate along the Niagara River, Tonawanda Creek, and Tonawanda Island. Docks are built over the water, and millions of feet of lumber stored in great blocks are stacked to the sky. They are brought here largely on lake vessels from Lake Erie, where they are moved onto canal boats by lumbershovers and stevedores and hauled by canal boat captains (along with other goods) to points east.<br /><br />The big business means big money, and conflict between the laborers and employers sometimes turns deadly. Articles in this collection describe the lumbershovers strikes of 1892 and 1893, the first of which resulted in the death of a police officer, and both of which required the National Guard to be deployed. A separate collection, "<a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/136">Murder at the Docks</a>," digs into the 1895 double murder of canal boat captain Lorenzo Phillips and his son Charles as the captain attempted to haul a load of lumber from P. W. Scribner's Tonawanda dock in defiance of a boatmen's union agreement.<br /><br />As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past.
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A terrible riot, article (Niagara Falls Gazette, 1892-06-11).jpg
Date
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1892-06-11
Description
An account of the resource
Weston's foreman, William Wood, has a bio in <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/607">Landmarks of Niagara County (1897)</a>:
<blockquote>Wood, W.W. — This representative citizen of North Tonawanda has been connected with its lumber history and business life for the past ten years. He came here in 1887, with A.P. & W.E. Kelly from Chicago, but in 1890 entered the employ of A. Weston & Son, and had charge of the yards for four years. He laid out the second lumberyard at Tonawanda Island, now occupied by A.K. & W.E. Silverthorne, and was active in the interests of his employers during the great strike. In 1894, he went into the hotel business in the Twin City Hotel, but in April 1895, secured his present large place, Union Hotel. Mr. Wood is a prominent Republican and has been active in the interests of his party ever since coming to North Tonawanda; he is an exempt fireman and a member of the Royal Arcanum. He married Velna McMullen, and they have two children, Edward and Peter. Mrs. Wood's father was an old millman of North Tonawanda, and Mr. Wood's parents were Edward and Anna Wood; Edward Wood was long known as the "Lumber King" in Chicago.</blockquote>
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/c80eaa6f95a504ff07ddf848c622cb67.jpg
664fd2932c45cc4d395249fa7d366e74
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Title
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Lumber Business of the Tonawandas
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/48.jpg" alt="Map of the Lumber District of the Tonawandas, 1893" /><span class="cover-caption">In the heyday of the Tonawandas' lumber years, practically every available inch of the Niagara riverfront and Tonawanda Island is covered in lumber (shown as lettered, colored portions in the map above). <a href="http://nthistory.com/items/show/1848">1893 Sanborn Insurance map</a>.</span> In the mid-to-late 19th century, vast forests of Midwest timber are cut, dressed and shipped by water to the exploding towns and cities of the east, largely through the Tonawandas. The villages' advantageous location (between the Great Lakes and the Erie Canal) and the natural harbor afforded by Tonawanda Island make it one of the largest lumber ports in the country by 1890. A lock allows small craft to jump between the Niagara River and the Erie Canal via the non-canalized portion of Tonawanda Creek.<br /><br />Scores of lumber comanies spring up here, and their yards vaccum up almost every available inch of real estate along the Niagara River, Tonawanda Creek, and Tonawanda Island. Docks are built over the water, and millions of feet of lumber stored in great blocks are stacked to the sky. They are brought here largely on lake vessels from Lake Erie, where they are moved onto canal boats by lumbershovers and stevedores and hauled by canal boat captains (along with other goods) to points east.<br /><br />The big business means big money, and conflict between the laborers and employers sometimes turns deadly. Articles in this collection describe the lumbershovers strikes of 1892 and 1893, the first of which resulted in the death of a police officer, and both of which required the National Guard to be deployed. A separate collection, "<a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/136">Murder at the Docks</a>," digs into the 1895 double murder of canal boat captain Lorenzo Phillips and his son Charles as the captain attempted to haul a load of lumber from P. W. Scribner's Tonawanda dock in defiance of a boatmen's union agreement.<br /><br />As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Lumber shovers strike culminates in an ugly riot, article (Buffalo Courier, 1892-06-12).jpg
Date
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1892-06-12
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/cafc4672138fa5764e22c993f6bf5cc8.jpg
92e0fff18058d8e261933c50fd39977c
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Title
A name given to the resource
Lumber Business of the Tonawandas
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/48.jpg" alt="Map of the Lumber District of the Tonawandas, 1893" /><span class="cover-caption">In the heyday of the Tonawandas' lumber years, practically every available inch of the Niagara riverfront and Tonawanda Island is covered in lumber (shown as lettered, colored portions in the map above). <a href="http://nthistory.com/items/show/1848">1893 Sanborn Insurance map</a>.</span> In the mid-to-late 19th century, vast forests of Midwest timber are cut, dressed and shipped by water to the exploding towns and cities of the east, largely through the Tonawandas. The villages' advantageous location (between the Great Lakes and the Erie Canal) and the natural harbor afforded by Tonawanda Island make it one of the largest lumber ports in the country by 1890. A lock allows small craft to jump between the Niagara River and the Erie Canal via the non-canalized portion of Tonawanda Creek.<br /><br />Scores of lumber comanies spring up here, and their yards vaccum up almost every available inch of real estate along the Niagara River, Tonawanda Creek, and Tonawanda Island. Docks are built over the water, and millions of feet of lumber stored in great blocks are stacked to the sky. They are brought here largely on lake vessels from Lake Erie, where they are moved onto canal boats by lumbershovers and stevedores and hauled by canal boat captains (along with other goods) to points east.<br /><br />The big business means big money, and conflict between the laborers and employers sometimes turns deadly. Articles in this collection describe the lumbershovers strikes of 1892 and 1893, the first of which resulted in the death of a police officer, and both of which required the National Guard to be deployed. A separate collection, "<a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/136">Murder at the Docks</a>," digs into the 1895 double murder of canal boat captain Lorenzo Phillips and his son Charles as the captain attempted to haul a load of lumber from P. W. Scribner's Tonawanda dock in defiance of a boatmen's union agreement.<br /><br />As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Union Riot at Tonawanda, New York Herald, article (1892-06-12).jpg
Date
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1892-06-12
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/917ab11559724273cc11451055b92f13.pdf
f8f98e94826a210404834462819153a6
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Title
A name given to the resource
Lumber Business of the Tonawandas
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/48.jpg" alt="Map of the Lumber District of the Tonawandas, 1893" /><span class="cover-caption">In the heyday of the Tonawandas' lumber years, practically every available inch of the Niagara riverfront and Tonawanda Island is covered in lumber (shown as lettered, colored portions in the map above). <a href="http://nthistory.com/items/show/1848">1893 Sanborn Insurance map</a>.</span> In the mid-to-late 19th century, vast forests of Midwest timber are cut, dressed and shipped by water to the exploding towns and cities of the east, largely through the Tonawandas. The villages' advantageous location (between the Great Lakes and the Erie Canal) and the natural harbor afforded by Tonawanda Island make it one of the largest lumber ports in the country by 1890. A lock allows small craft to jump between the Niagara River and the Erie Canal via the non-canalized portion of Tonawanda Creek.<br /><br />Scores of lumber comanies spring up here, and their yards vaccum up almost every available inch of real estate along the Niagara River, Tonawanda Creek, and Tonawanda Island. Docks are built over the water, and millions of feet of lumber stored in great blocks are stacked to the sky. They are brought here largely on lake vessels from Lake Erie, where they are moved onto canal boats by lumbershovers and stevedores and hauled by canal boat captains (along with other goods) to points east.<br /><br />The big business means big money, and conflict between the laborers and employers sometimes turns deadly. Articles in this collection describe the lumbershovers strikes of 1892 and 1893, the first of which resulted in the death of a police officer, and both of which required the National Guard to be deployed. A separate collection, "<a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/136">Murder at the Docks</a>," digs into the 1895 double murder of canal boat captain Lorenzo Phillips and his son Charles as the captain attempted to haul a load of lumber from P. W. Scribner's Tonawanda dock in defiance of a boatmen's union agreement.<br /><br />As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Lumber shovers strike culminates in an ugly riot, article (Buffalo Courier, 1892-06-12).pdf
Date
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1892-06-12
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/e87026bb1ddaf695004441af54e0a4e0.jpg
fde67edb77a42a8626da0abdc4977ed5
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Title
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Lumber Business of the Tonawandas
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/48.jpg" alt="Map of the Lumber District of the Tonawandas, 1893" /><span class="cover-caption">In the heyday of the Tonawandas' lumber years, practically every available inch of the Niagara riverfront and Tonawanda Island is covered in lumber (shown as lettered, colored portions in the map above). <a href="http://nthistory.com/items/show/1848">1893 Sanborn Insurance map</a>.</span> In the mid-to-late 19th century, vast forests of Midwest timber are cut, dressed and shipped by water to the exploding towns and cities of the east, largely through the Tonawandas. The villages' advantageous location (between the Great Lakes and the Erie Canal) and the natural harbor afforded by Tonawanda Island make it one of the largest lumber ports in the country by 1890. A lock allows small craft to jump between the Niagara River and the Erie Canal via the non-canalized portion of Tonawanda Creek.<br /><br />Scores of lumber comanies spring up here, and their yards vaccum up almost every available inch of real estate along the Niagara River, Tonawanda Creek, and Tonawanda Island. Docks are built over the water, and millions of feet of lumber stored in great blocks are stacked to the sky. They are brought here largely on lake vessels from Lake Erie, where they are moved onto canal boats by lumbershovers and stevedores and hauled by canal boat captains (along with other goods) to points east.<br /><br />The big business means big money, and conflict between the laborers and employers sometimes turns deadly. Articles in this collection describe the lumbershovers strikes of 1892 and 1893, the first of which resulted in the death of a police officer, and both of which required the National Guard to be deployed. A separate collection, "<a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/136">Murder at the Docks</a>," digs into the 1895 double murder of canal boat captain Lorenzo Phillips and his son Charles as the captain attempted to haul a load of lumber from P. W. Scribner's Tonawanda dock in defiance of a boatmen's union agreement.<br /><br />As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Title
A name given to the resource
It is a lockout now, article (Buffalo Courier, 1892-06-13).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1892-06-13
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/5455c0782750369da7304205e0dc490a.jpg
af2cdede1ce0dc876d88a92a214f340c
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Title
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Gillie, Goddard and Company, (etc).
Description
An account of the resource
William M. Gillie's main foundry and plant is located on Goose Island at Tonawanda and Chestnut. In September 1892 a massive fire destroys some of Gillie's plant, and the nearby Gillie, Goddard and Company "whirligig" production facilities--the third time the latter had burned. Apparently they are fed up, and erect a new factory in North Tonawanda (around present-day 15th Ave, but west of Oliver) to manufacture merry-go-rounds and, when demand wanes, bicycles. They are prospering when, on June 6, 1896, another disastrous fire strikes, with flames so high the fire "seemed to lick the very clouds above." The plant was woefully underinsured. By October an even larger building is completed on the spot, and also houses Gillie, Goddard and Drury and the Tonawanda Cycle Company.<br /><br />From <em>Landmarks of Niagara County</em>, New York (1897):
<blockquote>Gillie, William M., was born in Scotland in 1852...and came to America with his parents in 1854. He learned the blacksmith trade and was in that business for himself for 11 years, when he branched out into the machinery business and finally formed the stock company of Gillie, Goddard & Co. They manufacture merry-go-rounds, bicycles, etc., and also have a foundry. Their trade extends all over this country, Canada, Mexico and other points such as Buenos Ayres, New Brunswick, etc. Mr. Gillie has been a trustee of the village for two years and was re-elected in the spring of 1896. He is a member of the Odd Fellows and A. O. U. W. He married Mary Campbell, and their children are Harold, James, Agnes and Jean.</blockquote>
From <em>Tonawanda and North Tonawanda</em> (1891):
<blockquote>A native of Scotland, Mr. Gillie, emigrated to this place thirty-seven years ago, learned the machinists trade in boyhood, and a dozen years since erected the slips adjoining the creek at the corner of Tonawada and Chestnut streets. The machine shop is 30x70 feet, equipped with lathes of all necessary dimensions, and other iron devices for making new work or doing any kind of repairs. The foundry is 40x60 feet, where all kinds of castings are turned out; and with direct connections to the Niagara Furnace of this city, iron of the requisite grade is secured better and cheaper than formerly, with a complete saving of time and freights. The engine and boiler room is fitted with the necessary power producing apparatus for the successful conduct of the work. A specialty is made in steering wheels and other boat castings, water works pipe, builders' columns, etc. Although as before said, any kind of casting is produced lo the order of customers, or machinery made to special pattern. Twenty to twenty-five skilled mechanics find employment here, and, as Tonawanda develops into a manufacturing city, Mr. Gillie's shops and other like concerns will doubtless be compelled to enlarge their sphere of action. The plant recently purchased by J. Bordman, and under the super- intendence of W. A. Hartwig, is also fitted up as a foundry and machine shop.</blockquote>
In 1895 partner Goddard<a href="http://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/highlight-for-xml?altUrl=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252011%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2520-%25200055.pdf%23xml%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffff9a0f1cc2%26DocId%3D5659519%26Index%3DZ%253a%255cIndex%2520U%252dF%252dP%26HitCount%3D11%26hits%3D52%2Ba3%2Ba5%2Ba6%2B18c%2B1b7%2B1f6%2B217%2B350%2Be1f%2Be8a%2B%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf&uri=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252011%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2520-%25200055.pdf&xml=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffff9a0f1cc2%26DocId%3D5659519%26Index%3DZ%253a%255cIndex%2520U%252dF%252dP%26HitCount%3D11%26hits%3D52%2Ba3%2Ba5%2Ba6%2B18c%2B1b7%2B1f6%2B217%2B350%2Be1f%2Be8a%2B%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf"> is reported</a> implicated in a murder.<br /><br />The Gillie Machine Co. is formed in 1907. At some point W. M. Gillie's son, James enters the family business (A "J. B. Gillie" is identified as the company's president and manager in the 1923 ad in this collection). The Tonawanda concern is later purchased by Alfred Schwartz, who names it Tonawanda Engineering Company. Clarence A. Hackett purchases it in 1947, and it's relocated to Military Rd. in 1957 when the Seymour Street bridge is built across the creek.<br /><br />
Article
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Fires at Tonawanda, Gillie, Goddard, Schwinger destroyed, article (Buffalo Courier, 1892-09-05).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1892-09-05
fire
gooseisland
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/ebf454ff01f1fd4609467eef0b0e9195.pdf
3efef23c6cef5e5cf2406680e38c173b
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Title
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Lumber Shovers in Angry Mood - Assail Non-Union Poles, article (New York Times, 1893-05-18).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1893-05-18
labor
lumber
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/2c543820f5c4a325693738a67785f0d8.pdf
712297cd0a48289704eccc4080c65b42
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Title
A name given to the resource
Lumber Business of the Tonawandas
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/48.jpg" alt="Map of the Lumber District of the Tonawandas, 1893" /><span class="cover-caption">In the heyday of the Tonawandas' lumber years, practically every available inch of the Niagara riverfront and Tonawanda Island is covered in lumber (shown as lettered, colored portions in the map above). <a href="http://nthistory.com/items/show/1848">1893 Sanborn Insurance map</a>.</span> In the mid-to-late 19th century, vast forests of Midwest timber are cut, dressed and shipped by water to the exploding towns and cities of the east, largely through the Tonawandas. The villages' advantageous location (between the Great Lakes and the Erie Canal) and the natural harbor afforded by Tonawanda Island make it one of the largest lumber ports in the country by 1890. A lock allows small craft to jump between the Niagara River and the Erie Canal via the non-canalized portion of Tonawanda Creek.<br /><br />Scores of lumber comanies spring up here, and their yards vaccum up almost every available inch of real estate along the Niagara River, Tonawanda Creek, and Tonawanda Island. Docks are built over the water, and millions of feet of lumber stored in great blocks are stacked to the sky. They are brought here largely on lake vessels from Lake Erie, where they are moved onto canal boats by lumbershovers and stevedores and hauled by canal boat captains (along with other goods) to points east.<br /><br />The big business means big money, and conflict between the laborers and employers sometimes turns deadly. Articles in this collection describe the lumbershovers strikes of 1892 and 1893, the first of which resulted in the death of a police officer, and both of which required the National Guard to be deployed. A separate collection, "<a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/136">Murder at the Docks</a>," digs into the 1895 double murder of canal boat captain Lorenzo Phillips and his son Charles as the captain attempted to haul a load of lumber from P. W. Scribner's Tonawanda dock in defiance of a boatmen's union agreement.<br /><br />As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Tonawanda Labor Troubles - Troops Quell Lumber Hands, article (New York Times, 1893-06-16).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1893-06-16
labor
lumber
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/5d96dcdd0205caa95cfc4f2a27f8dd8c.jpg
540aafbaa97d33def783cc0eb9345d64
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Title
A name given to the resource
Lumber Business of the Tonawandas
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/48.jpg" alt="Map of the Lumber District of the Tonawandas, 1893" /><span class="cover-caption">In the heyday of the Tonawandas' lumber years, practically every available inch of the Niagara riverfront and Tonawanda Island is covered in lumber (shown as lettered, colored portions in the map above). <a href="http://nthistory.com/items/show/1848">1893 Sanborn Insurance map</a>.</span> In the mid-to-late 19th century, vast forests of Midwest timber are cut, dressed and shipped by water to the exploding towns and cities of the east, largely through the Tonawandas. The villages' advantageous location (between the Great Lakes and the Erie Canal) and the natural harbor afforded by Tonawanda Island make it one of the largest lumber ports in the country by 1890. A lock allows small craft to jump between the Niagara River and the Erie Canal via the non-canalized portion of Tonawanda Creek.<br /><br />Scores of lumber comanies spring up here, and their yards vaccum up almost every available inch of real estate along the Niagara River, Tonawanda Creek, and Tonawanda Island. Docks are built over the water, and millions of feet of lumber stored in great blocks are stacked to the sky. They are brought here largely on lake vessels from Lake Erie, where they are moved onto canal boats by lumbershovers and stevedores and hauled by canal boat captains (along with other goods) to points east.<br /><br />The big business means big money, and conflict between the laborers and employers sometimes turns deadly. Articles in this collection describe the lumbershovers strikes of 1892 and 1893, the first of which resulted in the death of a police officer, and both of which required the National Guard to be deployed. A separate collection, "<a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/136">Murder at the Docks</a>," digs into the 1895 double murder of canal boat captain Lorenzo Phillips and his son Charles as the captain attempted to haul a load of lumber from P. W. Scribner's Tonawanda dock in defiance of a boatmen's union agreement.<br /><br />As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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At Tonawanda, Scribner pleads with governor for protection, article (Jamestown Journal, 1893-06-22).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1893-06-22
Description
An account of the resource
Two years before the double murder, P. W. Scribner of the Eastern Lumber Company sends a telegram to Governor Flower on behalf of the area lumber dealers. He complains that neither the sherifs nor village authorities will provide protection for them to unload vessels on their docks in Tonawanda. North Tonawanda / Niagara County is currently "protected by military," so they have been "obliged" to transfer vessels to that county to unload. He asks for military protection.
Flower telegrams back that the call is the Erie County Sherif's to make, not his, and lists the powers the sherif has (posse, National Guard, other counties). The governor also telegrams the sherif and says he expects him to do his duty, and that "peace and good order must be maintained at any cost."
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/38323afeb5c793bb990e670c2eef3f6c.jpg
8a29859ec241e98c71adc2329c5e8b36
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Title
A name given to the resource
Lumber Business of the Tonawandas
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/48.jpg" alt="Map of the Lumber District of the Tonawandas, 1893" /><span class="cover-caption">In the heyday of the Tonawandas' lumber years, practically every available inch of the Niagara riverfront and Tonawanda Island is covered in lumber (shown as lettered, colored portions in the map above). <a href="http://nthistory.com/items/show/1848">1893 Sanborn Insurance map</a>.</span> In the mid-to-late 19th century, vast forests of Midwest timber are cut, dressed and shipped by water to the exploding towns and cities of the east, largely through the Tonawandas. The villages' advantageous location (between the Great Lakes and the Erie Canal) and the natural harbor afforded by Tonawanda Island make it one of the largest lumber ports in the country by 1890. A lock allows small craft to jump between the Niagara River and the Erie Canal via the non-canalized portion of Tonawanda Creek.<br /><br />Scores of lumber comanies spring up here, and their yards vaccum up almost every available inch of real estate along the Niagara River, Tonawanda Creek, and Tonawanda Island. Docks are built over the water, and millions of feet of lumber stored in great blocks are stacked to the sky. They are brought here largely on lake vessels from Lake Erie, where they are moved onto canal boats by lumbershovers and stevedores and hauled by canal boat captains (along with other goods) to points east.<br /><br />The big business means big money, and conflict between the laborers and employers sometimes turns deadly. Articles in this collection describe the lumbershovers strikes of 1892 and 1893, the first of which resulted in the death of a police officer, and both of which required the National Guard to be deployed. A separate collection, "<a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/136">Murder at the Docks</a>," digs into the 1895 double murder of canal boat captain Lorenzo Phillips and his son Charles as the captain attempted to haul a load of lumber from P. W. Scribner's Tonawanda dock in defiance of a boatmen's union agreement.<br /><br />As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Tonawanda strike over, article (New York Times, 1893-06-24).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1893-06-24
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/0a2b65bc564774be969e94f773ecfd8e.pdf
b65c41aa94db2c97ffd73c02a5525740
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Title
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Lumber Business of the Tonawandas
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/48.jpg" alt="Map of the Lumber District of the Tonawandas, 1893" /><span class="cover-caption">In the heyday of the Tonawandas' lumber years, practically every available inch of the Niagara riverfront and Tonawanda Island is covered in lumber (shown as lettered, colored portions in the map above). <a href="http://nthistory.com/items/show/1848">1893 Sanborn Insurance map</a>.</span> In the mid-to-late 19th century, vast forests of Midwest timber are cut, dressed and shipped by water to the exploding towns and cities of the east, largely through the Tonawandas. The villages' advantageous location (between the Great Lakes and the Erie Canal) and the natural harbor afforded by Tonawanda Island make it one of the largest lumber ports in the country by 1890. A lock allows small craft to jump between the Niagara River and the Erie Canal via the non-canalized portion of Tonawanda Creek.<br /><br />Scores of lumber comanies spring up here, and their yards vaccum up almost every available inch of real estate along the Niagara River, Tonawanda Creek, and Tonawanda Island. Docks are built over the water, and millions of feet of lumber stored in great blocks are stacked to the sky. They are brought here largely on lake vessels from Lake Erie, where they are moved onto canal boats by lumbershovers and stevedores and hauled by canal boat captains (along with other goods) to points east.<br /><br />The big business means big money, and conflict between the laborers and employers sometimes turns deadly. Articles in this collection describe the lumbershovers strikes of 1892 and 1893, the first of which resulted in the death of a police officer, and both of which required the National Guard to be deployed. A separate collection, "<a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/136">Murder at the Docks</a>," digs into the 1895 double murder of canal boat captain Lorenzo Phillips and his son Charles as the captain attempted to haul a load of lumber from P. W. Scribner's Tonawanda dock in defiance of a boatmen's union agreement.<br /><br />As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past.
Article
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An Agreement, lumber labor trouble, article (Buffalo News, 1893-06-26).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1893-06-26
Description
An account of the resource
The National Guard has been stationed at the bridge to the Little Island. Via the Citizens Committee of Tonawanda, unionized lumber shovers ask that John E. Oelkers (ex-village president) be appointed "chief stevedore" instead of President Robinson of the Lumbermen's Association. Companies from the National Guard are positioned at the swing bridge onto Little (Tonawanda) Island.
"There are new soldiers guarding the lumber docks, the lumber piles and the bridge that connects North Tonawanda with the Little Island, today.
Companies A, B, 0 and F, of the 65th Regiment have left the village and their places have been filled by Companies C, O, and I of the same regiment. The change took place late yesterday afternoon. The troops which so splendidly guarded the Island last week were glad to get back
home. They did their work in a manner that reflected the greatest credit upon them...'Your men have worked splendidly,' said Mr. T. S. Fassett to Gen. Doyle."
"The four new companies arrived shortly after 1 o'clock. They marched from the train to Little Island where the guards were changed in front of Smith, Fassett & Co,'s office. The troops in Companies A, B, D and F had their things all packed up and ready to break camp as soon as the new men arrived and when the second battalion reached Camp Haunted the first marched to the train.
"Crowds of Tonawanda people, were prsent to see them depart and as the car pulled out they loudly cheered them."
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/edf63e0992176cdee0cdf2389422b7ef.pdf
58e5e86dc2c5c3ac94de11594924fbc9
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Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
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The Situation at Tonawanda, article (New York Times, 1893-07-06).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1893-07-06
Description
An account of the resource
Soldiers have withdrawn, all is still quiet. 28 deputized to keep the peace. "About the usual number" of Poles have come down from Buffalo to work. It appears the (shovers?) union has been locked out: 200 were at work paving streets in the south side, while some 300 northern men were refused the paving work, and may break ranks and return to work on the docks.
labor
lumber
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/9b4829c63576169db271f8b78c2f0d40.pdf
ba7c2b5cb4f320abac64b1d4505e3f29
https://nthistory.com/files/original/3363187fb283ade64c317bb96a158e72.pdf
519cc8458338165d00d7029599ccda90
https://nthistory.com/files/original/c23eb2820d6c31dc43ef6a5ffdc072be.pdf
455622cb7e65fd6b4b27fbb09e6854bf
https://nthistory.com/files/original/c1726ce669585b9c06a660a25fd7c501.pdf
4fcf7b86c55a6532ea306fe7dcf74a62
https://nthistory.com/files/original/4d4f1ffb1e7f651d0a08d3659344c849.pdf
5bfb9f719618164650379cd145ac603d
https://nthistory.com/files/original/f9b793dec72bb75e6da0b9c4cea362ef.pdf
08927dfe4a54e7d56b1b55e90380bc04
https://nthistory.com/files/original/258275afa18144817a6f2a974c1b5d61.pdf
48bf8be048c71e5bcc183fa1fc33863f
https://nthistory.com/files/original/8a2fc9aae449ced11682339317b2fe4e.pdf
58f1d31c30e7f53ffb7252a202153067
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Illustrated Industrial Edition, featuring many detailed business profiles; eight pages (Tonawanda News 1893-08-05).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1893-08-05
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/a7076915198c76671b035410162e5852.pdf
dda5e0eba2033123628383898a30a9f2
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Buffalo Pumps
Description
An account of the resource
A general early description of the plant my be found at fultonhistory.com: <a href="http://fultonhistory.com/Newspaper%2011/North%20Tonawanda%20NY%20Evening%20News/North%20Tonawanda%20NY%20Evening%20News%201893%20Jul-Jul%201894%20Grayscale/North%20Tonawanda%20NY%20Evening%20News%201893%20Jul-Jul%201894%20Grayscale%20-%200097.pdf">"The Pump Works." <em>Tonawanda News</em>, August 24, 1893</a>.
Article
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The Pump Works, article (Tonawanda News, 1893-08-21).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1893-08-21
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/093087476afd074ac23e0fe817aa8ba2.jpg
8125d05193157b33d4d0cdf6702e4e75
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Title
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Buffalo Pumps
Description
An account of the resource
A general early description of the plant my be found at fultonhistory.com: <a href="http://fultonhistory.com/Newspaper%2011/North%20Tonawanda%20NY%20Evening%20News/North%20Tonawanda%20NY%20Evening%20News%201893%20Jul-Jul%201894%20Grayscale/North%20Tonawanda%20NY%20Evening%20News%201893%20Jul-Jul%201894%20Grayscale%20-%200097.pdf">"The Pump Works." <em>Tonawanda News</em>, August 24, 1893</a>.
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Text appearing in a newspaper.
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The Pump Works, article (Tonawanda News, 1893-08-24).jpg
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1893-08-24
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/54a3069e8d4f4bce9e7ad544d5699a4f.jpg
36958f3f2d2366b9cde7b7d7ae16d1b8
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Backer House (118-124 Webster Street), Backer Alley
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" alt="An 1886 map shows Backer's House and associated outbuildings" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/121.jpg" /><span class="cover-caption">The Backer House on an 1886 map.</span> The long-gone, three-story "Backer House" at the crook of Main and Webster Streets has been called the city's first hotel, purportedly built in 1850 with timber from the Williamsville sawmill owned by John Batt. An 1860 map identifies a "Jackey, Union Hotel" on the site, and no Backer House. The hotel and associated buildings were on a great wooden platform under which ran the state ditch, and stood opposite the former New York Central train depot, where passengers could conveniently become clientele. (A gas station is on the depot site today.) <br /><br /><strong>Owned by the Backer family</strong><br /><br />I haven't learned anything about the first Backer who presumably founded the hotel. But in 1867 (according to a 1929 article), Henry B. Backer becomes the proprietor of the hotel, and will continue until 1891. (Perhaps as a family affair, the hotel enjoyed multiple "proprietors," as we see a different Backer so named below). <br /><br /><strong>A desperate family denied</strong><br /><br />On October 13, 1886, the Backer House is the site of a sensational news story. A traveling Rochester family is returning home when the wife, Julia Trimmer, begins experiencing severe labor pains. The train makes an emergency stop at the New York Central depot opposite the hotel. The husband and wife clamber down the platform and rush across the street to the hotel, desperate for help. They don't find it. <br /><br />The proprietor, Dr. Conrad Backer, refuses to permit Mrs. Trimmer space even on the floor, and the couple is instead "forcibly ejected with profane and abusive language." The distraught family struggles to the nearby Sears House, and although accepted immediately by staff and attended to with great humanity, by then "the child had been born and had died from its brief exposure." The wife brings a $20,000 lawsuit for "personal damages" against the proprietor of the Backer House. She will be awarded a small fraction of that, $600. When Backer refuses to pay even that small fraction, he is jailed. <br /><br /><strong>More Backers</strong><br /><br />In 1891 (according to a 1929 article, which describes a return visit to the area), proprietor Henry B. Backer and his wife leave North Tonawanda for lumber interests in New York City. Before that, he was village clerk, and "took a leading part in the laying out of Thompson, Schenck, Robinson and other streets," donated the land for Live Hose, and founded defunct Alert Hose Company. <br /><br />On October 28, 1892, Dr. Conrad C. Backer dies at 73 and two days, leaving a wife and two children. <br /><br /><strong>Esther at the helm, her secret closet pillaged</strong><br /><br />By 1893, the hotel is being operated by a woman, Esther Backer, her husband having died the year before. The operation arrangement is novel enough for the News to write an article, included in this collection. <br /><br />On November 30, 1896, Mrs. Backer's hotel is again in the news, when she is the victim of robbery and arson. "In a peculiarly formed closet...,Mrs. Backer secretly kept her jewelry and silver plate, which had been in the family for many years." Someone stole these, along with linen, lace curtains and clothing. They then set a fire, seemingly in an effort to cover up the crime. The next day a 25 year-old "tramp" by the name of Walter Kimler is apprehended in West Falls, N. Y., and sent to the penitentiary for 30 days in connection with the burglary. A partner escapes. <br /><br /><strong>1897-1920: The City Hotel, The International Hotel</strong><br /><br />In the summer of 1897 it is renamed the "City Hotel," and by February 6, 1900, it is "The International Hotel." On October 31, 1900, Theodore Roosevelt makes a campaign speech nearby to some 7,000 locals; a historical marker erected in 2021 marks the event. <br /><br /><strong>1920: Simon Marone and the Washington Hotel, deadly fire</strong><br /><br />In 1920 the hotel is sold to Simon Marone, owner of a fruit and candy store on the first floor of the building. <br /><br />July 7, 1924 an item advertises "Hotel and boarding house, 21 rooms, complete sitting room, dance hall place and barber shop, bargain, for quick sale, owner leaving city, inquire 122 Webster Street." <br /><br />By 1924, it is being called the Washington Hotel. In late December, another fire guts the hotel, and claims three lives. <br /><br />In January 1925, proprietor Simon Marone intends to rebuild the interior. The address is given around this time as 122 Webster, and 118-124 Webster. <br /><br /><strong>1930s: The "indecent acts" of Ferris Saffires</strong><br /><br />January 20, 1934, proprietor Ferris Saffire is fined $25 for "permitting disorderly acts in his place of business," after a 24 year-old male and 20 year-old female were arrested and charged with indecency at the hotel. <br /><br />In February, seven of eight people who have been arrested with charges of public intoxication in a "room in the rear of" the hotel are given jail sentences. The eighth, a young woman, beats the charge.<br /><br /><strong>1935: Abraham G. Lewis and the "Lewis Hotel"</strong><br /><br />Somewhere around 1935, Syrian-born Abraham G. Lewis takes over the hotel, and names it in his image, as is often the custom. After the death of his first wife, in 1935 North Tonawanda furnishes him a second, and they are members of Ascension church.<br /><br />April 20, 1946 a boarder (Boleslaus Brodnicki, 58) dies of "heart disease" while on strike from Spaulding Fibre. <br /><br />On May 3, 1952, Lewis dies. A Courier Express claims he has operated the hotel for the last 20 years. The hotel seems to go on in his name for a few years, as in 1955 "Lewis Hotel" is mentioned in ads, and A "Lewis Hotel" (120 Webster) is mentioned in a September 1959 item. <br /><br /><strong>1960s and beyond: Del-Web Inn, demolition, tax sale</strong><br /><br />In 1964 a man is arrested at "Del-Web Inn," 122 Webster, for threatening patrons with a razor. A 1975 item mentions a building permit given to Walter J. Edin for 120 Webster "remodel." In 1978-12-19, 122 Webster is listed in a tax sale auction, with Walter Edin identified. In 1985-11-11 parcel is being auctioned, 120-122 Webster, "including part of abandoned state ditch." <br /><br /><strong>Legacy</strong><br /><br />The alley behind the site is still known as "Backer Alley."
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Backer House - A popular hotel run by a woman, article (Tonawanda News, 1893-11-30).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1893-11-30
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/06f7df130b18423ee03a1a3e5e011060.jpg
a7a7e22418cb059ec16f7badd4fa4fb6
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Gillie, Goddard and Company, (etc).
Description
An account of the resource
William M. Gillie's main foundry and plant is located on Goose Island at Tonawanda and Chestnut. In September 1892 a massive fire destroys some of Gillie's plant, and the nearby Gillie, Goddard and Company "whirligig" production facilities--the third time the latter had burned. Apparently they are fed up, and erect a new factory in North Tonawanda (around present-day 15th Ave, but west of Oliver) to manufacture merry-go-rounds and, when demand wanes, bicycles. They are prospering when, on June 6, 1896, another disastrous fire strikes, with flames so high the fire "seemed to lick the very clouds above." The plant was woefully underinsured. By October an even larger building is completed on the spot, and also houses Gillie, Goddard and Drury and the Tonawanda Cycle Company.<br /><br />From <em>Landmarks of Niagara County</em>, New York (1897):
<blockquote>Gillie, William M., was born in Scotland in 1852...and came to America with his parents in 1854. He learned the blacksmith trade and was in that business for himself for 11 years, when he branched out into the machinery business and finally formed the stock company of Gillie, Goddard & Co. They manufacture merry-go-rounds, bicycles, etc., and also have a foundry. Their trade extends all over this country, Canada, Mexico and other points such as Buenos Ayres, New Brunswick, etc. Mr. Gillie has been a trustee of the village for two years and was re-elected in the spring of 1896. He is a member of the Odd Fellows and A. O. U. W. He married Mary Campbell, and their children are Harold, James, Agnes and Jean.</blockquote>
From <em>Tonawanda and North Tonawanda</em> (1891):
<blockquote>A native of Scotland, Mr. Gillie, emigrated to this place thirty-seven years ago, learned the machinists trade in boyhood, and a dozen years since erected the slips adjoining the creek at the corner of Tonawada and Chestnut streets. The machine shop is 30x70 feet, equipped with lathes of all necessary dimensions, and other iron devices for making new work or doing any kind of repairs. The foundry is 40x60 feet, where all kinds of castings are turned out; and with direct connections to the Niagara Furnace of this city, iron of the requisite grade is secured better and cheaper than formerly, with a complete saving of time and freights. The engine and boiler room is fitted with the necessary power producing apparatus for the successful conduct of the work. A specialty is made in steering wheels and other boat castings, water works pipe, builders' columns, etc. Although as before said, any kind of casting is produced lo the order of customers, or machinery made to special pattern. Twenty to twenty-five skilled mechanics find employment here, and, as Tonawanda develops into a manufacturing city, Mr. Gillie's shops and other like concerns will doubtless be compelled to enlarge their sphere of action. The plant recently purchased by J. Bordman, and under the super- intendence of W. A. Hartwig, is also fitted up as a foundry and machine shop.</blockquote>
In 1895 partner Goddard<a href="http://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/highlight-for-xml?altUrl=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252011%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2520-%25200055.pdf%23xml%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffff9a0f1cc2%26DocId%3D5659519%26Index%3DZ%253a%255cIndex%2520U%252dF%252dP%26HitCount%3D11%26hits%3D52%2Ba3%2Ba5%2Ba6%2B18c%2B1b7%2B1f6%2B217%2B350%2Be1f%2Be8a%2B%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf&uri=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252011%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2520-%25200055.pdf&xml=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffff9a0f1cc2%26DocId%3D5659519%26Index%3DZ%253a%255cIndex%2520U%252dF%252dP%26HitCount%3D11%26hits%3D52%2Ba3%2Ba5%2Ba6%2B18c%2B1b7%2B1f6%2B217%2B350%2Be1f%2Be8a%2B%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf"> is reported</a> implicated in a murder.<br /><br />The Gillie Machine Co. is formed in 1907. At some point W. M. Gillie's son, James enters the family business (A "J. B. Gillie" is identified as the company's president and manager in the 1923 ad in this collection). The Tonawanda concern is later purchased by Alfred Schwartz, who names it Tonawanda Engineering Company. Clarence A. Hackett purchases it in 1947, and it's relocated to Military Rd. in 1957 when the Seymour Street bridge is built across the creek.<br /><br />
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Gillie, Goddard and Co, Gratwick notice (Tonawanda News, 1894).jpg
Date
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1894
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/ab42654dceb43c4844847f4dab44006f.pdf
85a5af3633cfdfff7f8a3575d063b5e4
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Gratwick School
Description
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Opens in 1894, two years after Pine Woods school, and five years after the second public school, Ironton (According to a 1979 News article).
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A History of the Establishment and Development of Gratwick Elementary School, North Tonawanda, New York, 1894-1949 (Marjorie Crosby, 1949).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1894
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/768a5580fbc0da0094ceed64789050b9.jpg
7e50d2c63bf7ea9bbb50e929e4999212
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North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory (1893-1903)
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/24d.jpg" alt="North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory, 1893 (colorized by webmaster)" /><span class="cover-caption">Nucleus of Wurlitzer: The North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory in 1893. It still stands in 2023.</span>
<p class="intro">The first of its kind in America, the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory makes automatic musical instruments to provide music for Allan Herschell's world-famous carousels. Led by the fiery Prussian gentleman-genius Eugene de Kleist, the firm survives an early national Depression to succeed beyond its wildest expectations with the help of a musical family from Ohio named the "Wurlitzers."</p>
<div class="img-caption-container"><img src="http://nthistory.com/files/square_thumbnails/cc9e0bcd6b738bbe4ed82bac5ef50e91.jpg" alt="Image description" />
<div class="caption">De Kleist band organ, c.1900.</div>
</div>
<b>Portable music of another era<br /><br /></b>Before the phonograph and radio, the next best thing to a live orchestra or marching band is a "band organ" or "orchestrion." Essentially giant music boxes with drums, pipe organs, brass horns and more, these devices are popular in Europe for centuries before being produced in the New World in 1893 with the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory. <br /><br />The factory is built in the spring of 1893 by local merry-go-round makers the <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/73">Armitage-Herschell Company</a> in the Sawyer's Creek / Martinsville area in the northeast of the recently incorporated City of North Tonawanda. To oversee operations, Armitage-Herschell recruits a German organ maker from London with whom they have been acquainted: the talented <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/936">Eugene de Kleist</a>. With a small crew of workers culled from England and the surrounding Martinsville farms, the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory also makes organs for churches, offers repairs on existing organs, and makes the pinned barrels that contain the music the organs play. After about a year, Armitage-Herschell sign ownership of the enterprise over to their capable superintendent.<br /><br /><strong>Meet the Wurlitzers</strong><br /><br />Business is middling until 1897, when de Kleist meets a decades-old musical retail concern from Cincinnati that will prove a valuable partner: the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company. The story goes that de Kleist was looking to interest the U. S. Army in buying his bugles, which were made as part of many of his band organs. de Kleist is told that the Wurlitzer company already has that business, so he approaches Wurlitzer, and is able to sell them some of his bugles. He also tries to interest Wurlitzer in his band organs, but they ask if he coud instead produce a coin-operated piano for use in taverns and restaurants. After over a year in development, the first "Tonophones" are ready in 1898, and are an immediate success. (Hear <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1023">Farny Wurlitzer</a> tell this story himself <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5dXbpPM7T0&t=5m29s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in this remarkable speech from 1964</a>).<br /><br />Similiar instruments, such as the Pianino, follow, and the small factory begins to grow, and over the next few years establishes the northwest corner of the massive Wurlitzer plant still standing in North Tonawanda today.
<p><strong>The de Kleist Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company</strong></p>
In 1903, the Barrel Organ Factory incorporates as the de Kleist Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company, with investment from banker James Thompson and some new top brass. Wurlitzer's interest in the North Tonawanda plant increases as Eugene de Kleist's seems to wane (<a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/936">see de Kleist's bio</a> for more on this). In 1905 a group of workers leaves to form the <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/75">Niagara Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company</a>; within a year another wave of defectors forms the <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/10">North Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works</a>. <br /><br />1908 begins auspiciously: in January, de Kleist (now mayor of North Tonawanda) lavishly fetes 700 employees and their families in the new music department building. His superintendent, Paul Von Rohl, delivers a speech in his honor, and they dance and carouse until morning light begins filtering over Sawyer's Creek.<br /><br />The following months will not be as good. de Kleist files a $50,000 infringement lawsuit against the aforementioned Instrument Works, but loses. In March, he leaves the aforementioned Paul Von Rohl in charge of the factory while he is off racing powerboats in Florida. de Kleist returns to suspect there has been rampant theft in his absence, and brings charges of grand larceny against Von Rohl, which are dropped, replaced by petit larceny charges, and then found unproved by a jury. In April, Mayor de Kleist accuses eight employees of stealing valuable machinery and plans from his factory, and of conspiring to start another rival factory. The summer brings more powerboating and politicking.<br /><br />Perhaps fearing for the security of their investment, Wurlitzer buys Eugene de Kleist out. <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/52">The Rudolph Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company</a> is organized in December of 1908 with $1,000,000 capital.
Article
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Land deeded to De Kleist on January 1st 1894, foreclosure sale notice (Tonawanda News, 1902-10-18).jpg
Date
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1894-01-01
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/09ce2f919629e060561cc0f5439eed44.jpg
a35a64db6862effc9ce737b1757f12b9
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North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory (1893-1903)
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/24d.jpg" alt="North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory, 1893 (colorized by webmaster)" /><span class="cover-caption">Nucleus of Wurlitzer: The North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory in 1893. It still stands in 2023.</span>
<p class="intro">The first of its kind in America, the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory makes automatic musical instruments to provide music for Allan Herschell's world-famous carousels. Led by the fiery Prussian gentleman-genius Eugene de Kleist, the firm survives an early national Depression to succeed beyond its wildest expectations with the help of a musical family from Ohio named the "Wurlitzers."</p>
<div class="img-caption-container"><img src="http://nthistory.com/files/square_thumbnails/cc9e0bcd6b738bbe4ed82bac5ef50e91.jpg" alt="Image description" />
<div class="caption">De Kleist band organ, c.1900.</div>
</div>
<b>Portable music of another era<br /><br /></b>Before the phonograph and radio, the next best thing to a live orchestra or marching band is a "band organ" or "orchestrion." Essentially giant music boxes with drums, pipe organs, brass horns and more, these devices are popular in Europe for centuries before being produced in the New World in 1893 with the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory. <br /><br />The factory is built in the spring of 1893 by local merry-go-round makers the <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/73">Armitage-Herschell Company</a> in the Sawyer's Creek / Martinsville area in the northeast of the recently incorporated City of North Tonawanda. To oversee operations, Armitage-Herschell recruits a German organ maker from London with whom they have been acquainted: the talented <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/936">Eugene de Kleist</a>. With a small crew of workers culled from England and the surrounding Martinsville farms, the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory also makes organs for churches, offers repairs on existing organs, and makes the pinned barrels that contain the music the organs play. After about a year, Armitage-Herschell sign ownership of the enterprise over to their capable superintendent.<br /><br /><strong>Meet the Wurlitzers</strong><br /><br />Business is middling until 1897, when de Kleist meets a decades-old musical retail concern from Cincinnati that will prove a valuable partner: the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company. The story goes that de Kleist was looking to interest the U. S. Army in buying his bugles, which were made as part of many of his band organs. de Kleist is told that the Wurlitzer company already has that business, so he approaches Wurlitzer, and is able to sell them some of his bugles. He also tries to interest Wurlitzer in his band organs, but they ask if he coud instead produce a coin-operated piano for use in taverns and restaurants. After over a year in development, the first "Tonophones" are ready in 1898, and are an immediate success. (Hear <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1023">Farny Wurlitzer</a> tell this story himself <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5dXbpPM7T0&t=5m29s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in this remarkable speech from 1964</a>).<br /><br />Similiar instruments, such as the Pianino, follow, and the small factory begins to grow, and over the next few years establishes the northwest corner of the massive Wurlitzer plant still standing in North Tonawanda today.
<p><strong>The de Kleist Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company</strong></p>
In 1903, the Barrel Organ Factory incorporates as the de Kleist Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company, with investment from banker James Thompson and some new top brass. Wurlitzer's interest in the North Tonawanda plant increases as Eugene de Kleist's seems to wane (<a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/936">see de Kleist's bio</a> for more on this). In 1905 a group of workers leaves to form the <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/75">Niagara Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company</a>; within a year another wave of defectors forms the <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/10">North Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works</a>. <br /><br />1908 begins auspiciously: in January, de Kleist (now mayor of North Tonawanda) lavishly fetes 700 employees and their families in the new music department building. His superintendent, Paul Von Rohl, delivers a speech in his honor, and they dance and carouse until morning light begins filtering over Sawyer's Creek.<br /><br />The following months will not be as good. de Kleist files a $50,000 infringement lawsuit against the aforementioned Instrument Works, but loses. In March, he leaves the aforementioned Paul Von Rohl in charge of the factory while he is off racing powerboats in Florida. de Kleist returns to suspect there has been rampant theft in his absence, and brings charges of grand larceny against Von Rohl, which are dropped, replaced by petit larceny charges, and then found unproved by a jury. In April, Mayor de Kleist accuses eight employees of stealing valuable machinery and plans from his factory, and of conspiring to start another rival factory. The summer brings more powerboating and politicking.<br /><br />Perhaps fearing for the security of their investment, Wurlitzer buys Eugene de Kleist out. <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/52">The Rudolph Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company</a> is organized in December of 1908 with $1,000,000 capital.
Article
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Title
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The Realm of Music, North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory, article and transcriptions (Tonawanda News, 1894-01-04).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1894-01-04
Description
An account of the resource
Transcription by Dana Johnson:
<blockquote>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><strong><span> </span>The Realm Of Music</strong></p>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>Where harmony producing instruments are manufactured</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>Home of the organ works</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>Only industry of this kind established in the United States</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>Everything About the Institution Known - …the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>Now Located at East Avenue – How This Novel Industry Came to Be Added to City’s Attractions - The Well-Known Firm of Armitage, Herschell & Co. Projected the Enterprise - … Brought It to a Successful Completion - A Brilliant Future Before It.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span> </span>__st on the outskirts of North Tonawanda awaiting with confident expectation the onward march of time to raise from a little hamlet to more pretentious Proportions, stands the pretty suburb of _?_ city, Sawyer Creek or more properly East avenue, and here, like a pioneer on the edge of civilization is located an elegant three story brick structure of hansom appearance over which the stars and stripes float gaily on the -breeze. The com_?_lous home of an industry comparatively unfamiliar to the great majority of citizens, but already attaining a world wide reputation under the name of the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory. </p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span> Although but a few months have passed ___ this novel enterprise was projected _?_ placed in operation under the _?_ management of Mr. E DeKleist it has become one of the most important important industries of our growing city, and with the markets of the whole world in which to dispose of it's products it is destined to achieve an unprecedented success, and make it's name, and consequently the name of North Tonawanda known throughout the civilized globe.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>No place in the United States is there another industry of this kind, and no place in the world is there one that uses its methods of production which enables this institution to compete successfully with the barrel organ factories of the countries across the sea. Its modus operundi is exclusively its own -- rendered so by the genius and talents of its manager, a large part of the machinery in use being the inventions of his fertile mind.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>The building which is the home of this current enterprise was erected at a cost of </span>$40,000 by the firm of Armitage, Herschell-& Co., to whose influence and energy is due the establishment of a barrel organ factory at North Tonawanda. Ever on the lookout for means by which to promote the growth and prosperity of the city, these gentleman evolved the scheme which has proven such a distinct triumph and taking the matter in hand with their characteristic activity, carried it to a successful completion. To Armitage, Herschell & Co., therefore, in conjunction with Mr. DeKleist, belongs the credit for adding the barrel organ factory to North Tonawanda's large list of manufacturies, and this fact alone is one of which they may feel justifiably proud.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><strong> A Sketch of the Presiding genius.</strong></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>Mr. E. DeKleist, who controls the destinies of this enterprise as proprietor and general manager, in a genial open-hearted, wholesouled individual - a typical German gentleman, whom it is a pleasure to know. Under his excellent guidance 'The News” representatives spent a most enjoyable hour surveying the wonders contained in the building and received valuable instruction regarding the work of such musical instruments.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>Mr. DeKleist's genius for inventing has given him much labor-saving machinery and thereby placed him in a position to compete with similar factories of the old countries. The first two organs he constructed have sailed across the water - the first to Bombay. India, and the second to Austria.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>Born in in Germany in the year 1853, Mr. DeKleist grew to maturity on the shores of the Fatherland. He received a thorough education at the Gymnasium Royal, where he imbibed those principals which have fitted him for a worthy manhood. From this institution of learning he entered the Royal Military School at Berlin and afterwards served sometime in the French and German Armies.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>In 1885 he first entered into mercantile pursuits and it was then that he laid the foundation for what has been a successful business career. His first venture was with the famous manufacturers of musical instruments, Limonaire Bros., of Paris, and he continued with them for several years, part of which were spent in London, where he conducted a branch store for this firm. In 1892 he came to America as their representative and has since made his home in the United States.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>He was married to Miss Charlotte Chelius of Lunberg, Germany in 1878 Mr. and Mrs. DeKleist have an interesting little family of four children and a cozy home at East Ave.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><strong>How It Came About</strong></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span> </span>One of the most important department of Armitage, Herschell & Co's works for a long period has been the manufacturing of pleasure machines know as “merry-go-rounds”. Those turned out by this firm have achieved an enviable reputation for being the most perfect, and durable to be obtained, and the consequent demand for them has been very extensive.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>As well known to those who enjoy the dizzy delights of merry-go-rounds, their revolutions are accompanied by musical harmonies produced by a barrel organ attached to the machinery. This fact made Armatige, Herschell & Co. customers for these instruments and when Mr. DeKleist came to America in 1892 representing the French manufacturers, he sold to this firm barrels organs to the amount of $ 25,000.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>It was about this time that the idea suggested itself to Armitage, Herschell & Co., that the organs might be manufactured in this country at a much more advantageous figure than that which the transatlantic instruments could be purchased, and in accordance with this idea negotiations were entered into with Mr. DeKleist which finally resulted in the establishment of The North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Works.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>Mr. DeKleist arrived in North Tonawanda in November 1892, and active preparations for the erection of a buildings and procuring machinery were at once begun. The preliminaries involved seven months time, but at last, when June 1893 arrived everything was in readiness for operation. A commodious brick building was erected by Armitage, Herschell & Co., at the cost of $40,000, all necessary adjuncts to the manufactory were in place, and Mr. DeKleist proceeded to build his first barrel organ.</span> </p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><strong>The Home of the Enterprise</strong></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>The factory is pleasantly located at East Ave. surrounded by a stretch of inviting country. It is in constant operation, and it's activity is attended to by clouds of smoke whirling skyward, and the busy whir of machinery within. To an individual who possesses a desire for the novel, it is replete with interest from the entrance to the top of the floor, and much useful knowledge may be gleaned from an hours visit.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>The whole affair is under the personal supervision of Mr. DeKleist, while under him is an intelligent foreman, and an able corps of assistants. Mr. Charles Nilson occupies this position of general foreman with an efficient lieutenant in the person of Mr. Edward Rack. The heads of various departments are: John Wymann, engineer;</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>W. Schwencke, wood-turner; Charles Fehrmann, voicer; M. Mathemm, finisher; </span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>Albert F. Klemer, and Christ Maerien, pipe makers; Wm. Jaenecke, carpenter and joiner.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>The factory at present employs about 30 hands and turns out one organ per week.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>During the Summer, however, Mr. DeKleist expects to run to its full capacity and produce an organ complete every day. These are worth on an average of $ 500 each.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><strong>The First Floor</strong></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>Upon entering the building the first to claim attention is the engine room at the north end. This is 70 x 40 feet in area and contains a 45-horsepower engine and boiler, manufactured by the Armitage, Herschell & Co., which furnishes the motive power for the establishment. From it runs a single 6-inch pipe by which the entire building is heated. A small Westinghouse dynamo produces electric light. This was placed in position by Wilson & Wilson, well known electricians in North Tonawanda.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>From here the main room is entered and a network of shafts and belting greats the eye. The machinery contained in this room consists of 2 circular saws, a cut-off saw, 2 band saws, 1 scroll saw, 2 large boring machines, 1 emory machine for polishing, wood-toothing machine, a stop manufacturing machine for making brass organ pins, 2 large iron lathes, a wood-turning machine. This room is 40 x 100 feet in dimensions.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>At the south end of the building is the office, nicely furnished with office fixtures.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span> </span><strong>The Second Floor</strong></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>The most interesting part of the building is the second story. Here is where organ cylinders are marked for the insertion of brass pins, where these pins are deftly inserted by nimble fingered girls, where the cases are made and where the organs are put together.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>It is in this department that some of the machines invented by Mr. DeKleist are used and their efficiency when explained by the inventor becomes clearly apparent.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span> </span>Twenty-two employed are kept busy here at the different machines and is the casing room.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><strong>The Third Floor</strong></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>The third story is occupied by the finishing and voicing, or tuning departments, and storage rooms</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>The voicing room contains a machine for manufacturing organ reeds and the tuning is also done by machinery.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><strong>Music's Realm</strong></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>Having once more reached the first floor the “News” representatives were treated to a sort of impromptu concert, furnished by one of the organs manufactured at this establishment. As the delicious strains paraded the building, and well known airs greeted the visitors ears, they unanimously decided that the manufacture of such harmony-producing instruments was an art still beyond their ken, and that its mysteries were but slightly elucidated by the superficial insight they had been given by Mr. DeKleist.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><strong>Looking Ahead</strong></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>There is certainly a great future in store for the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Works and it can only be question of a few years until the present capacity of the plant will need to be doubled to meet the increasing demand for the instrument.</span></p>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
There is a later version of this article from June 4 of 1894. Here is my transcription of that:
<blockquote>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><strong><span> </span></strong></p>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><strong>MUSIC'S REALM:</strong></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>The Organ Works at North Tonawanda</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>One of the Big Industries</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>The Only Establishment of the Kind in the United States - Where Harmony Producing Instruments are Manufactured-Sketch of Mr. De Kleist, the Proprietor and Manager.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>In a pretty suburb of this city, named Sawyer's Creek, there is situated the only barrel organ and orchestra manufactory in the United States. it is owned and managed by one of the best business men in America, Mr. E. DeKleist. The gentleman is a thorough musician, and the instruments that he manufactures have a reputation for their sweetness of tone and excellent manner in which they are constructed. Mr. DeKleist, recognizing the fact that durability is an essential feature in the manufacture of all kinds of goods, selects nothing but the very best kind of materials for his use, and as a consequence every organ that goes out of his shop is a splendid advertisement for him. In all things this genial, ambitious German is business-like, and it is no wonder that he succeeds in his business. Mr. DeKleist, since he moved to North Tonawanda, has been one of the foremost of our citizens in the work of advancing the interests of the twin cities.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span> </span>The following is a description of the organ manufactory at Sawyer's Creek.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><strong>The First Floor</strong></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>Upon entering the building the first to claim attention is the engine room at the north end. This is [unclear text; 41x40?] feet in area and contains a 45-horsepower engine and boiler, manufactured by Armitage, Herschell & Co., which furnishes the motive power for the establishment. From it runs a single 6-inch pipe, by which the entire building is heated. A small Westinghouse dynamo produces electric light. This was placed in position by Wilson & Wilson, well-known electricians of North Tonawanda.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>From here the main room in (sic) entered, and a network of shafts and belting greets the eye. the machinery contained in this room consists of 3 circular saws, a cut off saw, 2 band saws, 1 scroll [?] saw, 2 large boring machines, 1 emory machine for polishing, wood-toothing machine, a stop manufacturing machine, for making brass organ pins, 2 large iron lathes, a wood-turning machine. This room is 40x 100 feet in dimensions.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>At the south end of the building is the business office, nicely furnished with fixtures.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><strong>The Second Floor</strong></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>The most interesting part of the building is the second story. Here is where organ cylinders are marked for the insertion of brass pins, where these pins are deftly inserted by nimble-fingered girls, where the cases are made and where the organs are put together.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>It is in this department that some of the machines invented by Mr. DeKleist are used and their efficiency when explained by the inventor becomes clearly apparent.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>A large number of employees are kept busy here at the different machines and in the casing room.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><strong> The Third Floor</strong></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>The third story is occupied by the finishing and voicing, or tuning departments, and storage rooms.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>The voicing room contains a machine for manufacturing organ reeds and the tuning is also done by machinery.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="yiv2960390348ydp7787dd0byiv9916097913MsoNormal"><span>Mr. DeKleist has lately added a lumber storehouse and [dry?] kiln, and the manufactory will have to be enlarged within the year, owing to the rapidly increasing demand for the organs.</span></p>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
factory
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/c3f2f5bac27468da5e959966ede3b1ec.jpg
7c74024996cd9a1f031457823e0fcc7d
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory (1893-1903)
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/24d.jpg" alt="North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory, 1893 (colorized by webmaster)" /><span class="cover-caption">Nucleus of Wurlitzer: The North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory in 1893. It still stands in 2023.</span>
<p class="intro">The first of its kind in America, the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory makes automatic musical instruments to provide music for Allan Herschell's world-famous carousels. Led by the fiery Prussian gentleman-genius Eugene de Kleist, the firm survives an early national Depression to succeed beyond its wildest expectations with the help of a musical family from Ohio named the "Wurlitzers."</p>
<div class="img-caption-container"><img src="http://nthistory.com/files/square_thumbnails/cc9e0bcd6b738bbe4ed82bac5ef50e91.jpg" alt="Image description" />
<div class="caption">De Kleist band organ, c.1900.</div>
</div>
<b>Portable music of another era<br /><br /></b>Before the phonograph and radio, the next best thing to a live orchestra or marching band is a "band organ" or "orchestrion." Essentially giant music boxes with drums, pipe organs, brass horns and more, these devices are popular in Europe for centuries before being produced in the New World in 1893 with the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory. <br /><br />The factory is built in the spring of 1893 by local merry-go-round makers the <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/73">Armitage-Herschell Company</a> in the Sawyer's Creek / Martinsville area in the northeast of the recently incorporated City of North Tonawanda. To oversee operations, Armitage-Herschell recruits a German organ maker from London with whom they have been acquainted: the talented <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/936">Eugene de Kleist</a>. With a small crew of workers culled from England and the surrounding Martinsville farms, the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory also makes organs for churches, offers repairs on existing organs, and makes the pinned barrels that contain the music the organs play. After about a year, Armitage-Herschell sign ownership of the enterprise over to their capable superintendent.<br /><br /><strong>Meet the Wurlitzers</strong><br /><br />Business is middling until 1897, when de Kleist meets a decades-old musical retail concern from Cincinnati that will prove a valuable partner: the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company. The story goes that de Kleist was looking to interest the U. S. Army in buying his bugles, which were made as part of many of his band organs. de Kleist is told that the Wurlitzer company already has that business, so he approaches Wurlitzer, and is able to sell them some of his bugles. He also tries to interest Wurlitzer in his band organs, but they ask if he coud instead produce a coin-operated piano for use in taverns and restaurants. After over a year in development, the first "Tonophones" are ready in 1898, and are an immediate success. (Hear <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1023">Farny Wurlitzer</a> tell this story himself <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5dXbpPM7T0&t=5m29s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in this remarkable speech from 1964</a>).<br /><br />Similiar instruments, such as the Pianino, follow, and the small factory begins to grow, and over the next few years establishes the northwest corner of the massive Wurlitzer plant still standing in North Tonawanda today.
<p><strong>The de Kleist Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company</strong></p>
In 1903, the Barrel Organ Factory incorporates as the de Kleist Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company, with investment from banker James Thompson and some new top brass. Wurlitzer's interest in the North Tonawanda plant increases as Eugene de Kleist's seems to wane (<a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/936">see de Kleist's bio</a> for more on this). In 1905 a group of workers leaves to form the <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/75">Niagara Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company</a>; within a year another wave of defectors forms the <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/10">North Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works</a>. <br /><br />1908 begins auspiciously: in January, de Kleist (now mayor of North Tonawanda) lavishly fetes 700 employees and their families in the new music department building. His superintendent, Paul Von Rohl, delivers a speech in his honor, and they dance and carouse until morning light begins filtering over Sawyer's Creek.<br /><br />The following months will not be as good. de Kleist files a $50,000 infringement lawsuit against the aforementioned Instrument Works, but loses. In March, he leaves the aforementioned Paul Von Rohl in charge of the factory while he is off racing powerboats in Florida. de Kleist returns to suspect there has been rampant theft in his absence, and brings charges of grand larceny against Von Rohl, which are dropped, replaced by petit larceny charges, and then found unproved by a jury. In April, Mayor de Kleist accuses eight employees of stealing valuable machinery and plans from his factory, and of conspiring to start another rival factory. The summer brings more powerboating and politicking.<br /><br />Perhaps fearing for the security of their investment, Wurlitzer buys Eugene de Kleist out. <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/52">The Rudolph Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company</a> is organized in December of 1908 with $1,000,000 capital.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
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Music's Realm, article, detail (Tonawanda News, 1894-06-04).jpg
Date
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1894-06-04
portrait
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/032b1270a32c7cf407f918cc0ce7abef.jpg
14fead2ff91c5d841354ae911ae817ee
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Hannah Johnson
Description
An account of the resource
(ca. 1799 - 1883) Hannah Johnson is a Black woman who lived with her husband John in the predominantly white township of Wheatfield, near the village of Tonawanda. Popularly known as "Black" or "Aunt" Hannah, she is a reputed fortune-teller (teacup reader) who is visited by ladies of the area to have their future told. She is also said to have sweets and treats at the ready for the local children who visited often.<br /><br />Her obituary says she was born "in bondage" in Albany around 1800. In 1825 the Erie Canal is completed, and in 1827 slavery is abolished in New York State (after a period of "Gradual Emancipation"). It is believed Hannah came to North Tonawanda about this time. <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1049">One later writer relays the recollection of an old-timer</a> that Hannah Johnson is part of a "small colony of blacks" that settles along the banks of Tonawanda Creek. According to this account, the blacks' cabins are burned in a raid by locals, and their belongings thrown into the creek. <br /><br />Another account from resident Brenda Fire Flateau maintains:
<blockquote>My Great Grandfather Zaggel was involved with the Underground Railroad. He took in the slave known as "Black Hannah" until her husband caught up with her. She stayed with him and then in the woods across from his farm, which was his property.</blockquote>
Hannah Johnson lives in a cabin near a medicinal sulphur well in the vicinity of present-day South Meadow Drive, close to East Goundry (see maps in this set). The cabin is on the property of Dr. Jesse F. Locke <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/72518630/jesse-f-locke">(1810-1861)</a>, the area's first resident physician (two Lockes are <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1662">noted in the business directory</a> of this 1860 map). Other blacks, some from the south, appear on census reports. An <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DYZQ-XV2?cc=1401638&wc=95RD-N3D%3A1031313801%2C1034650201%2C1031935201%20:%209%20April%20201">1850 census</a> shows (Farmer) John and Hanna Johanson from NY, black, with Henry Hall from Virginia, Joseph (black, Canada b1812) and Ann Polly (a female "mulatto" from Ireland b1820), and a Stephen Smith (black, Ireland, b1815), all in a frame dwelling. The <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-8BPB-86L?cc=1937366&wc=M6GQ-3P6%3A237409601%2C237515901%20:%2022%20May%202014">1855 census</a> shows Hannah hailing from Albany, John from Washington, and a "Henry Hall" from Maryland. Also says each had been in the city for the last 25 years.<br /><br />Jesse Locke dies March 12, 1861. A farmer by the name of John Chadwick takes ownership of the larger property containing the Johnsons' cabin. Some sources say Mr. Chadwick grants them a life-long lease on the property, but the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage report suggests John Jonson already owned at least some portion of land by 1850, perhaps purchasing directly from Dr. Locke. John Johnson dies sometime before 1870. From 1872 to 1882, a John Fonner who lives nearby challenges Hannah's ownership claim in court, and John Chadwick assists her.<br /><br />Hannah dies in 1883 after an illness of two weeks. It is rumored that non-native flowers grow on the site (unusual red trilliums grew during her lifetime). She is buried in Sweeney Cemetery. <br /><br />Hannah leaves an impression on the imagination of the citizenry, as she figures for decades afterward in its ghost tales, and "Black Hannah's Woods" are whispered to be a haunted realm. Her story is resurrected and recast in a poetic and affecting <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1059">1961 <em>News</em> essay</a> by Elizabeth Wherry. The tale is taken up again in a February 1982 edition of the local historical magazine <em>The Lumber Shover</em>.<br /><br />Although it is not settled, it seems at least possible that Hannah's cabin may have served as a stop on the Underground Railroad for blacks escaping slavery. <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2014">A document on the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Area website</a> (page 192) offers some measured reflections on the subject.<br /><br />A "Hannah Haines" is buried near the Zaggel family in Sweeney Cemetery; A person of the same name is found in the <a href="https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVNJ-GFZ8">1865 state</a> and the <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6X8G-85?cc=1438024&wc=9227-6TP%3A518819101%2C520055301%2C519325001%20:%2014%20June%202019">1870 U.S. Census</a> living in Wheatfield with a "Brown" family (like her, from Maine and New England). However, her grave gives her death as the 1870s (HJ died in 1883), and the census gives her race as white. Obit in Ton Herald 1877-08-28 spelled "Hannah C. Haynes."
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John Chadwick ordered to pay for assault on Mrs. Pryor producing miscarriage, article (1895).jpg
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1895
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Perew's Electric Man and Other Inventions
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<img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/106.jpg" alt="The Electric Man appears to draw a car" /><span class="cover-caption">Perew's most famous invention, a patented, giant automaton known variously as the "Electric Man," "Peter the Great," "Christopher," and the "Frankenstein of Tonawanda," appeared to draw a car but was actually pushed by it. Photo: Granger Collection, c1900.</span> Louis Philip Perew (1862-1946) came to the Tonawandas at 17 in 1879 from Quebec. He came with his brothers and his father, a lake boat captain who settled on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a>. <br /><br />He was a boat captain like his father, but was best known as an inventor. In addition to his Electric Man (which underwent many changes over the years as he refined the technology and sought a market), Perew is credited with developing anti-torpedo technology, a <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/867">canal electric trolley system</a>, a cigar lighter, and a <a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US499800?oq=499800">new merry-go-round system</a>. His inventions met with varying degrees of sucess.<br /><br />He was associated with local merry-go-round makers <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/100">Gillie, Goddard and Company</a>. He and Goddard were implicated in one of the most horrific events in the Tonawandas history: the double murder by a mob of a canal boat captain and his son over a labor dispute in October of 1895. Neither was ultimately convicted.<br /><br />In 1909 he is proprietor of the White Star Hotel. Perew was an avid boat racer and builder, and owned a gasoline cruiser and a yacht in 1910s. In 1916, after the Webster Street bridge was destroyed by ice, he was hired to construct a temporary pontoon bridge while the bascule bridge was being built. In 1925 he has a store at 152 North Niagara Street in Tonawanda. He is said to have had a "private zoo" with a "Russian wolf."<br /><br />Perew also owned several "disorderly houses" on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a> (he claims in the Cappola trial he bought them from a bank and had no idea they were disorderly). He runs afoul of the law quite often during Prohibition, and is involved in a very public bribery case against local police. Goose Island's bordellos and taverns would finally be closed down in the late 1930s. Perew lives all the way until 1946 at the White Star Hotel. The hotel's entertainments include square dancing nights and "Spanish dancing" girls. The address of the White Star Hotel? 46 Sweeney Street in North Tonawanda: the site of the present-day Alexander's Gentleman's Lounge.
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<ul>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/TheStrandMagazineAnIllustratedMonthly/page/n6">An Electric Man, Strand Magazine (1900) - archive.org</a></li>
<li><a href="http://cyberneticzoo.com/walking-machines/1894-1914-electric-man-perew-american/">1894-1914 – Electric Man – Perew - cyberneticzoo.com</a></li>
<li><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=NXOdDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PT67&ots=h__RbBghkS&dq=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&pg=PT66#v=onepage&q=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&f=false"><em>Robots in American Popular Culture</em> (pp 60-62).</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.buffalohistorygazette.net/2010/09/the-man-of-tonawanda.html">The Automatic Man of Tonawanda! Buffalo History Gazette</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew</a></li>
</ul>
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Tonawanda merry-go-round firm making electric men, transcribed article (Buffalo Express, 1895-07-26).jpg
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1895-07-26
Description
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They can be made any size and they are to pull advertising carts after them - Inventor hopes to improve his present model
In a short time a Tonawanda firm will be prepared to furnish to the world men of any stature and ? of any temperament or ?. To be sure they will be automatic, but that will but increase their life and durability. They have no reasoning powers but that is, of course, something to be desired. They will not get drunk and they will not strike. Electricity is their motive power, and they are all constructed with phonographs.
It is somewhat over a year since Philip Perew, a member of the well-known Gilbert, Goddard & Co., conceived the practicability? of manufacturing an automaton in the form of a human being which could run about and pull a cart. So he set to work. He studied the work of Hermes, T? and Caglestro?. He read with ? mary Wollstonecraft's novel "Frankenstein." But he found no inspirations. Indeed?, he found no directions in all the Caballa how to make springs at the hips into the legs naturally, or raise the feet with nicety.
But ? will tell, and the ingenuity of Yankees cannot be circumvented by each small things. No, at the present day, there is a patent obtained and recorded in the Patent Office at Washing ton to this Mr. Perew for the exclusive construction of electric men.
Gillie, Godard & Co. are manufacturers of merry-go-rounds. The step from a merry-go-round to an electric man is perfectly logical and natural. Now that the model has proved itself efficacious, the firm will begin the manufacture of men at once.
The idea is by no means perfected. At present all the man is good for is to pull a cart about the streets of a city. The model that has been exhibited in Tonawanda to the delight of the populace and the honor of a certain soup? us but a crude thing. The man clothed in Continental uniform drags a bea? cart with some ease, while on the sides of the cart boring? signa exalt the glory of soup? or pills, as the case may be. The model has been on the streets of Tonawanda, and it worked well. It was so alluring that the small boy flocked in such dense swarms that the policeman was summoned to chase him away. The man is about seven feet tall, and was modeled after William H. Sherhas? The cerulean of its eyes matches that of its famous counterpart exactly.
The men, though, that the ?arm will make will be run by storage batteries, and have a phonograph. The phonograph can say whatever is desired. It can expound the virtues of patent medicine, or be used for political campaigns. So, at present, the only form of labor threatened by the invention is that of the sandwich man, and that of the campaign speaker. The men and carts that are used to extol medicines will be very fine pieces of mechanism, and can be geared to go as fast as anyone desires. By simply turning on a current, the man, his eyes still fixed on eternity, can hump down the street at a rate far exceeding any bicycle.
For campaign speeches some 600 men can be spoken to at once, and then distributed in doubtful parts of the country, and turned loose. This will make things much easier for the candidate.
The limit has not been reached. In course of time it may be that men can be constructed to do almost anything, and the laboring man can sit around and smoke 25-cent cigars while a multitude of electric men do all the work. This will not occur for some years yet, but when the progress of the invention is carries to its final extremity, no on can say where it will stop.
The present machine is run by a man inside the cart who turns a crank. This is bulky and crude. But a member of the firm assured an Express reporter that the ones with storage batteries and phonographs will be very different. They will be made light, out of papier mache, and the body of the automaton out of wire. the present one weighs, with the cart, over 800 pounds, but the projected ones will hardly reach that of a real eight-stone man. They are steered by means of a rear wheel, after the manner of the ice-boat.
The affair walks with a large step, somewhat like a person on (?). the great feature in this creation is the way by which a step was obtained. The creation can step six inches high, and certainly has a (?), independent (?), if not exactly graceful.
It now reposes in a store, and is viewed by the small boy in great amaze. It has been out on the street only a few times, but it has made a great sensation. The plans of the projectors and manufacturers at present are to make these men and sell them to large advertisers. Especially in country towns it will create no end of excitement. A certain firm will be given the exclusive rights for a specified district. Then they will have them man chase about regularly with vari-colored announcements of their goods. It is known as the "Electric Advertising man" at the Patent Office.
Mr. Perew has great hopes of the success of his invention. He tried to make a dancing man for use at summer resorts, but could not get the springs geared right. A dancing man with a phonograph full of quotations from Laura Jean Libbey would have great vogue. As was explained, the advent of the Electric Man is likely to cause a revolution both in the social and the commercial world. His ? is large and comprehensive. With a little improvement, electric men with faces like ? ? could be obtained and deliver popular plays to delighted audiences. But at present his use will be confined to driving the sandwich-man out of business, and dragging in his wake a candy cart with painted signs.
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Erie Canal
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The Erie Canal in North Tonawanda followed the existing Tonawanda Creek from Pendleton. The first work done locally was the 1823 construction of a wooden dam near present-day Gateway Park to raise the level of the creek four feet. In 1918 this dam was removed when the length of the Erie was re-engineered to become the Erie Barge Canal. The Tonawanda and Buffalo portions of the canal were abandoned at that time, making North Tonawanda the canal's new western terminus. In 1923 Tonawanda began filling in the old canal. The work was not yet complete in 1929.
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Electric Canal Boats, article (The Electrical World, 1895-08-10).jpg
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1895-08-10
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/bf59cf1d76f3e13861f395d82e82204f.PDF
50e48e63ef641d167f20052d9da0db91
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Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
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Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
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Big Riot, article (Buffalo Express, 1895-10-07).PDF
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1895-10-07
Description
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Captain loading out of turn at Scriber's dock. 12:30 a.m. 150 boatmen assembled. Took two bullets, sun clubbed, boats cut adrift. Phillips's boats the John Graft and the May. Phillips "shot in the head and the body as he stood upon his boat." "Young Phillips struck on the head with a club." Had brought his boats from Buffalo two days ago. Was suspected he would load and return to Buffalo before morning. Tonawanda boatmen claim Phillips fired at them first, five shots fired in all. The lines of the two boats were cut. Police arrive at dock to find boats and men gone. The boats were overtaken at Tonawanda Island, just below the swing bridge. NT police had been notified by telephone to watch for the boats, and were soon upon their decks. Captain Phillips stretched out on deck, dead. Physicians summoned, conclude son will succumb to his injuries. No mention of Flora.
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/3345dbeabd4ca5ea86e18ad94d0c7341.pdf
1b5398d36a9d63e9523b5b787c5828a8
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Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
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Horrible Work of a Mob, article, partial transcription (Tonawanda News, 1895-10-07).pdf
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1895-10-07
Description
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Captain Phillips and His Son Charles Brutally Murdered.
Mob of Frenzied Men Shed Blood in Tonawanda After the Midnight Hour -Pistols and Stones Freely Used in the Murderous Work - Flora Phillips Had One of the Most Terrible Experiences that Ever Fell to the Lot of a Young Girl.
Boats John Graff and May. Other boatmen had tried to convince Phillips to wait his turn, "But entreaties had no effect...He said that his family were in need of the money and that his boats must work to get it for them."
Mutterings all day of impending violence. Men assembled between 12:30 and 1. Some called Captain names. Boats cut first? Someone fired a shot. Then more followed, Captain slain, son hit with a rock.
Tonawanda police arrive, men scatter. Officers Kumro and Graff (?) sent for medical assistance. Coronor Helwig in Martinsville. The boats discovered "drifted against the docks right at the swing bridge."
4:30 a.m. canal barns raided and suspicious men arrested. By 6:30 a.m. the Tonawanda "coop" (jail) was full, and still arrests were being made. Some pled innocence but most kept their mouths shut and refused to answer questions.
Many accounts circulating: Phillips not only loaded out of turn, but undercut price of boatmen's association. Some disputed his claim that he was poor by pointing out "he owns the two boats, the May and John Graff, and also a large farm and other property near Clyde in the central part of the State. The story is contradicted. Men who know Phillips say his property was encumbered, and it was necessary for him to have money to make an immediate payment to save his property from the sheriff. "
Co. Helwig to summon jurors and hold an inquest today.
"It is said by a boatmen that a good-sized delegation of Buffalo men came here yesterday with the sole purpose of causing an insurrection, and that this desire was inflamed by a free use of intoxicants. Bu t like all the other
stories floating about, this is denied by some, it is said that the boatmen did not go to the Scribner yards to do murder, but they went there to quietly talk over the matter with Captain Phillips and get him to join them and live up to the agreements entered into by his fellows. It is also said by some of the boatmen that no trouble would have resulted if a shot had not been fired from the boat at them. This angered them and brought about the
conflict."
18 arrests by 9 a.m., "Nicholas Wendell, Edward Dunn, Jame S. Riley, Edward Munger, George Hyde, Joseph Dickerson, Frederick Oderkirk, Ervin Collins, Robert Rhinehart, John Lasher, John Stevens, Michael Cohe, Abraham Wheeler, Edward Leonard, Archibald Dow, Bonnie Warren, Edward Lawrence. To be arraigned on charge for murder.
U.S. Marshall Smearing witnessed all from the bow of Phillips's boat when the latter was struck. Phillips and son standing at stern. Previous two nights of bright moonlight now overtaken by heavy gloom in which all were indistinct. Smearing said he heard chains, and then saw a revolver covering him. Estimates 40-60 men, intending ill. Leader of medium build, had them men under control and a plan at work. Boats cut adrift, then a shot in Phillips head and heart.
"Following the shots came a volley of stones, clubs and missiles of-every description. The son of the Captain received a crushing blow in the back of the head just as he was turning to reach his dead father and fell to the deck with a deep moan. This morning the deck was covered with the missiles and the woodwork, splintered and dented, showed with what murderous force the volley had been hurled by the mob. The boat was less than five feet
from the shore when this occurred. The mob instantly scattered in every direction, evidently satisfied that they had accomplished their purpose. Marshal Smearing is positive that there were only two shots fired." Did not intervene because the odds were against him, and more bloodshed would have resulted.
Daughter asleep in cabin of the other boat. Phillips's revolver chambers all full, coroner has the gun.
"Lying on a lounge in Martin Wattengel's house on Webster street, with her head bandaged and Mrs. Wattengel soothing her, this morning was Flora Phillip, the daughter of the murdered captain. The
girl is but 20 years of age, and she worked aboard her father's boats, doing the cooking and other household duties. She had passed a terrible night, and the poor child shuddered when she thought of her
father lying dead in the undertaking rooms, within half a block of her. TH E NEW S asked her if she felt well enough to talk about the terrible affair and she answered in the affirmative. In reply to questions she said: "My home is at Constantia, N. Y. At that place the entire family, father, mother, three brothers and one sister beside myself, live during the winter. In the summer my mother and a sister 15 years of age and two brothers, aged 10 and 5 years respectively stay, while my father, my oldest brother and myself live aboard the boats. Yesterday there was no trouble about the boats. No men came there and tried to induce my father to leave. Early in the evening I
went to bed, the men remaining up. I was soon in a sound sleep, from which I was rudely awakened by the falling of stones on top of the cabin. Hardly had I got my eyes open before a big piece of rock struck the cabin windows demolishing them and scattering the glass all about me. I was terrified at that, but when my brother dashed down the stairs a moment later with blood streaming from his head, followed by a large number of pieces of rock, I fled into the inner cabin for safety. The fusilade was kept u p for several
minutes and when it stopped I ascertained that we were afloat on the river. No tug came to our assistance and I momentarily expected to be drowned, when I felt the boat come to stop. I looked out of the
cabin and thanked God when I saw that the lumber on the boat had caught on the bridge and were saved. Five minutes afterward the police came aboard the boat, and made it fast to the pier; where
we remained until nine o'clock this 'morning. Then the boats were towed ...and I was brought here." The girl is completely prostrated and lies in a serious condition.
"She did not know that her father was dead, until she was taken to Mr.
Wattengel's." Mother coming for her today.
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"Officers Kumro and Duffy who alone were at the yards during the excitement had a thrilling experience. They were surrounded by at least 150 frenzied men, all of whom were clamoring for blood." "So
they bided their time, carefully looking over the men, and taking their names; the result of this being that it was not a hard matter to locate them when they dispersed and arrest them." Officers soothe crowd who wants to lynch Smearing.
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T H E NEWS interviewed James Scribner of the Scribner Lumber Company this morning, who seemed deeply affected by the terrible murder that had taken place at his lumber yard. He said that he had
known Captain Phillips for fifteen years past and that he had every reason to respect and honor him as a man. He was originally a farmer and was the owner of a farm in the central part of the state at Constantia where he lived when the canal season was over. He had been taking loads from the Scribner Lumber company during all this period and they considered him an excellent boatman and reliable
man. Phillips, Scribner said, had considered the matter of joining the Canal Boatmen's Union, but when he found that 150 boats were tied up here waiting the load-in-turn arrangement he felt that he could not subject himself to the conditions imposed. He had a $300 mortgage on his farm coming due next month and knew that if he simply took his turn he would not get underway until late in the season if at all. Loading
at once meant $300 for him and in time to take care of his mortgage. He would not underbid the other boatmen but he would take the load offered him and get out at once." The Marshal had been provided by Scribner, came from Buffalo. (He claims at one point at least six revolvers were pointed at him).
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THE NEWS visits the men in jail. When informed the son is dead too, "the face of the spokesman blanched."
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Charles dies about 12:45 p.m. next day. Both stored in "the undertaking rooms of Wattengel & Reed in the Real Estate Exchange in North Tonawanda." As of 3 p.m. Flora, who seemed to have rallied when informed he could live, had not been told of his death.
The only non-family on the boats were drivers John Murphy and Steve Showers, according to Flora.
DA insists Tonawanda prisoners be taken to Buffalo, with the assistance of entire T police force.
transcription
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/4c5e0f93b4922aefc25d8b2fa9252199.pdf
8b898db701d804e854d6903091697e73
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Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
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Two Killed, article (Buffalo News, 1895-10-07, 7th edition).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1895-10-07
Description
An account of the resource
Substantially the same account, background added:
"The original contention resulting in last night's riot dates back to the formation of a brokers' office by William Godard and Ira M. Rose, both of this village. P. W. Scribner & Co....the boatmen say, declined to apply for boats through the brokers' office and signified his intention of taking care of his shipping independently.
"This served to create considerable ill feeling between Scribner and the boatmen and it appears that numerous schemes were devised to hamper Scribner In obtaining boats to carry his lumber. Nearly all of the boatmen signed contracts with Godard and Rose of the brokers' office."
"Scribner, for some reason, would not go into the deal and he did not hesitate to say so. He preferred to act Independently, even If obliged to pay a rate in excess of $2 to New York and $1.50 to Albany, the rate paid through the broker's office."
"Godard says he went to Scribner on Friday and tried to effect a conciliation, but according to his story Scribner was obstinate and refused to have anything to do with Godard or anyone connected with the brokers' office. The canal men say that Scribner's obstinacy inspired
them with desperation and last night while brooding over the affair they congregated and went to his docks, little thinking that It would result In the murder of one man. possibly two. Now that they have done their worst they feel penitent. Some of the canal men try to find consolation by saying that Scribner is Indirectly to blame for the whole affair. The canal men have no union here."
Charles unconscious from time of injury, never leaves the deck.
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/35aeca46a1eae0ae546f6160f7431f1d.pdf
4c959377fd2b29a9c36a6ef6ce5cd659
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Title
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Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
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Vicious Melee, article (Buffalo News, 1895-10-07, 6th edition).pdf
Date
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1895-10-07
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/e5034d17d8e1dcc9c994f0633ccc853c.pdf
4af1f3bd49fb753a97cf1fe0156c3a6b
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Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
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All Brutes, article, partial transcription (Buffalo News, 1895-10-08, 5th edition).pdf
Date
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1895-10-08
Description
An account of the resource
<div style="text-align: left;"><strong>Two Policemen and a Deputy Stood by Helpless While the Cowards Ran Riot.</strong></div>
<br />Arrested now number 16: Nick Waudle, Ed. Dunn, James Reilly, Ed. Mulligan, George Hyde, Bonnie Warren, Joseph Dixon, Fred Oderkirk, John Lasher, John Stevens, Michael Kohn, Abe Wheeler, James Dixon, Art Lauw, Philip Perew and Ed. Lawrence.<br /><br />Autopsy of Phillips showed a single bullet wound, left breast, 2: to left of nipple. Phillips a slight man of 5'6", 45, 150 pounds. 38 caliber bullet recovered. Deputy Marshal George A. Smearing inquest testimony a "striking confession of helplessness, in fact, absolute uselessness." <br /><br /><strong>Testimony of Deputy Marshal George A. Smearing (Coronor's Inquest)</strong><br /><br />"I arrived here Friday afternoon and staid on the boats that night. I had been told about the association of boat owners in Tonawanda and understood that they did not take freight except under certain conditions and rules. According to stories that came to my ears Phillips came here and got a load ahead of men who had been waiting five or six weeks and they said there was likely to be trouble. I was on the boats all the while except a few hours Sunday, when I went to Buffalo. No one called upon Phillips or made any demands upon him to my knowledge. <br /><br />Last night about 12:30 o'clock about 80 men came down to the boat. I heard the noise and walking up on a pile of lumber saw the men coming down the tow-path in groups of twos, threes and fours. When they were about 150 feet from the boat I left the lumber pile and returned to the boat. The crowd then got up on the lumber pile. Someone yelled: 'Anybody aboard who wishes to go ashore?"<br /><br />"I replied. 'No one.'<br /><br />"This was repeated and they received the same answer. One of the men yelled, Well, let's set her adrift.' Then as a marshal of the United States, I called upon them not to take the law into their own hands. They paid no attention to me and started to come aboard. I warned them again and for a moment they hesitated and talked among themselves. Then they separated and jumped aboard. <br /><br />Capt. Phillips yelled, 'Keep off; my life is my own and I will protect my property.'<br /><br />"He stood beside me on the boat John Graff. He had a piece of wood in his hand. When the mob jumped on the boat Phillips went back to the stern. As the men came over the side I tried to [count] the men, but could not. In the midst of the scramble and without any preliminary violence a shot was fired. Then another and I saw the captain fall. One of the men pointed a gun at me and I did nothing. I did not see the captain strike a blow. <br /><br />After the shots were fired the men jumped ashore and cut the ropes and I followed them to the dock, I hurried for a doctor— Dr. Edmunds. We found the two boats at the bridge."<br /><br />"Did you see the son?" asked Mr. Penney.<br /><br />"Young Phillips had his head half way out of the hatch of the boat May when the men charged. I don't know how he was injured. I did not see him on the John Graff. I had a 31 caliber revolver, but did not use it."<br /><br />"Did not Perew tell you to lay low?" Smearing was asked by Foreman Smith. After some hesitancy he replied, "no."<br /><br /><br /><strong>Testimony of Murphy, Phillips's driver, aged 20 (Coronor's Inquest)</strong><br /><br />"I was asleep in the cabin of the Graff when the mob came," he said. "I was awakened by the sound of voices and the tramping of feet. It sounded as if they were un the Graff. It sounded as if all of the orders were given by one man. I heard this unknown give orders to let go the stern line and I heard lumber thrown, and stones clattered on the boat. The windows were smashed in the cabin. After piling lumber against the door to keep me in they paid no more attention to me. <br /><br />They followed the boats after they were cut adrift, throwing stones and lumber, trying to hit the girl, Capt. Phillips' daughter. I crawled out of the window after the boats were sent adrift and reached the cabin of the May. Young Phillips was lying on the floor with a big wound in his head. His sister was bathing his head. <br /><br />The other driver and myself got the boards away from the windows in order to get into the cabin. I looked at the clock. It was 2:30. The mob had been there two hours. After helping the girl with her brother I tried to get a line ashore. I found Capt. Phillips on the deck of the May, about the center of the boat. He way lying face downward, in a position as if he had fallen away from the dock. I felt of his pulse and found he was dead. We turned his body over and put a coat under his head. Meantime young Phillips was madly delirious, and the girl called for us to help hold him. We were holding him when we came to the bridge."<br /><br /><strong>Testimony of Stephen Shover, Phillips's driver, age 19 (Coronor's Inquest)<br /><br /></strong>"Stephen Shover was the next Witness. He is 19 years old and lives in West Troy. He is also a driver. He testified: <br /><br />"I was called just before the row began; was In the cabin of the May when I heard a lot of fierce yells; looked out and law a lot of men on the boat. One of the men yelled, 'Come on; if there are any good men among you, come on.' <br /><br />Then I saw a man jump on Capt. Phillips. I saw Capt. Phillips raise his stick. Immediately two shots were fired by a man who stood close by the captain. I did not know any of the men. <br /><br />When the men first came aboard I heard Capt, Phillips say, 'Men. I have got to do this to keep myself and children from starving.' Soon after Capt. Phillips was shot I saw a fellow hit his son and knock him down in a corner. Then I ran for the cabin because I was afraid they would kill me. Next thing I saw the son when he staggered into the cabin. <br /><br />The men were then jumping off the boat. 'Father's dead,' he said to his sister. The blood was pouring down his face. Then he fell on the floor, crying and yelling. I am sure the captain fired no shots, I saw no one have a revolver. <br /><br />I heard the marshal say, 'Don't come on here; obey the law.' The mob yelled, 'We'll take State's Prison to kill that man.' "<br /><br />Shover's testimony corroborated that of Murphy. Murphy and Shover identified a revolver found on the deck on the left side of the captain. It...<br /><br /><strong>[Policeman] Christ Kumro</strong> was a witness. He is one of the two policemen who saw the whole affair. He is a very "husky"man. He said:<br /><br />"I have special instructions on Sunday night to protect Scribner's dock. The mob put in an appearance at 12:40. There were from 50 to 75 men in the party. Some were on the dock and a lot more were on the lumber. <br /><br />'Come on, men; don't be cowards, get aboard,' yelled some one of the men on the lumber pile to those on the dock. <br /><br />'Stay oft,' Capt. Phillips cried, 'I am on my own boat; my life is my own. I will, shoot the first man that comes aboard." <br /><br />I ordered the men away. They grabbed me and thrust me aside. 'Kill him; kill the cop,' someone hollered. 'If he lays another hand on you shoot him.' They were too much for me, and I was ready to quit. <br /><br />The two shots came soon afterward. I saw the flash and saw the captain drop. The moon was shining but a lumber pile threw a shadow oh the boat so I could not distinguish the face of the man who fired the shot. He was within four feet of the captain. I did not see the boy. <br /><br />Then I heard the order, 'Let go the line,' and saw the mob jump ashore. They threw lumber and stones at the boat as it floated down stream. I knew some of the men by name. I arrested three of them today, Perew, Mulligan and Wheeler. I am positive they were there. I arrested another man this morning whose name I cannot remember. I know his face well."<br /><br /><strong>Policeman Duffy</strong> was the next witness: "The mob came from the east as if from the bridge," he said. "When they put in appearance I was talking with the Deputy Marshal. He then got on the boat and stood beside the captain. <br /><br />The mob stopped on the way picking up stones and clubs. I saw Wheeler and another man whom I know and whose name I cannot recall as they jumped on the lumber pile. I also saw Perew there. <br /><br />They called the captain a lot of vile names and ordered him to get off the boat. 'Gentlemen,' said the captain, "I knew what I was going to do when I left Rochester and I am going to do it." <br /><br />They yelled that he was robbing them of their job and urged their companions forward. The captain said he would shoot the first man who boarded the boat. Two shots and a big fight followed. Then the bow lines were cut, the mob jumped off and the boat swung into the stream. <br /><br />I recognized Wandel, Jim Riley and Abe Wheeler. They are locked up. I recognized another man whose name I cannot remember. He Is also under arrest. I then went away with Kumro. His story as told on the stand is substantially correct."<br /><br />Mr. Penney called <strong>Abe Wheeler</strong>, who is one of the prisoners. He is a square-jawed, brutal-faced fellow over six feet tall and weighs at least 200 pounds. Mr. Penney told him he need not answer any questions which might Incriminate himself, unless so disposed. "I refuse to testify," said Wheeler.<br /><br />Coroner Hill then adjourned the Inquest until 9 o'clock this morning. After the Inquest Is concluded a jury will be empanelled to sit upon the son. Charles L. Phillips. Upon the evidence brought out at the inquest Justice Wallenmeier, Jr., will decide whether to hold the prisoners for the action of the grand Jury, After the Coroner's verdict the case goes into the hands of District Attorney Kenefleck.<br /><br />In the eyes of the law every man in the mob is equally guilty with the man who fired he shot or delivered the fatal blow to young Phillips.<br /><br />Miss Florence Phillips, the captain's daughter, who was nearly prostrated by the terrible affair, was taken to the home of Mrs. Wattengel and is somewhat recovered.<br /><br />Henry Reynolds, accompanied by Mrs. Phillips, arrived at Tonawanda on the 12:09 train last night, When informed of her son's death at the station she nearly broke down. The meeting between Mrs. Phillips and her daughter at the house of Martin Wattengel was almost heartrending.<br /><br />Capt. Charles Lorenzo Phillips was a canal boatman, 48 years old. He lived in Constantantia, N. Y. He had a little home, a plot of land there. His family consisted of his wife, his son Charles, 23 years old; his daughter Flora, 20 years old; another daughter, I5 years old, and two sons, 10 years old and 5 years old respectively. He owned two canal boats, the John Graff and the May, and last fall bought a [18?]-acre farm at Constantia for $5000, making a small payment on It. The boats were paid for in full. "<br /><br />Then interviews with Godard and Rose, who insist they had no union.
transcription
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/eb760ee57e8fa05bfd8f04f1f1d5edb8.pdf
9666a83b95d4bce735d6468caea238a3
Dublin Core
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Title
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Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
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At Tonawanda, article (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, 1895-10-08).pdf
Date
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1895-10-08
Description
An account of the resource
Says Lorenzo Phillips was captain of "Jennie Graft," Charles of "May." Says he fired a shot over his head, and was immediately fired on. Drifting boats intercepted by a tug at Little Island. Boatmen "like a pack of maddened wolves." Daughter knocked down. Son "beaten almost to a jelly." Blotches of blood where the son had crawled to the cabin.
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/80c92e4303244fe0af0814f062484c22.pdf
59ceb37882a7774ae7fd44e19bff5733
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Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
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Behind bars, article (Tonawanda News, 1895-10-08ish).pdf
Date
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1895-10-08
Description
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Rhineheart, owner of boats Hoff and Riley, arrested. Will be taken to Buffalo. Police complain tipsters repudiate. Goddard has "no statement" but goes onto say the newspapers have treated him harshly, that when facts come out they will realize their wrong, he had been a businessman for years and those who know him know his innocence,.
NEWS crows that their coverage is receiving compliments and that the AP is using it (BN "only made liberal use").
Rose will give a statement tomorrow.
An article on the same page says Citizens of the Tonawandas will hold a general meeting to discuss the tragedy.
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/87c82340d8d8f8c5d4d73c2540c04fed.pdf
87e720e2f6b8e6b70e93a0dde8056e84
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Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
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Double murder on a canal boat, article (New York Herald 1895-10-08).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1895-10-08
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/34a27ea5bfaf9dcf5788b481d06c836b.pdf
6c77c6f050723cabf4af5f450220ab95
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Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
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Ended in Murder (Buffalo Courier, 1895-10-08).pdf
Date
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1895-10-08
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/3e851b0a1eb80daeaed33d0af5637823.pdf
9ce9b91e32572fd2bd39e635ecb4edfc
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Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
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Inquest resumed, article (Buffalo News, 1895-10-08).pdf
Date
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1895-10-08
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/f31a847e81ba717b3398c9e99df00e57.pdf
b526dc06792c5bdda6ed0267b287aebd
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Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
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Jury's Report, article (Tonawanda News, 1895-10ish, 0361).pdf
Date
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1895-10-08
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/946285814086d8bce0f393a400671d30.pdf
62022c99bfdf802c7a9489ff3dfe82c8
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Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
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One more - Slattery arrested, article (Tonawanda News, 1895-10-08ish).pdf
Date
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1895-10-08
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/6b822cd218eb432ce4c8045fe99fd940.pdf
e5af4afbfdff9382dc171149d3e42e94
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Title
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Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
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Story of the Crime, article (Niagara Falls Gazette, 1895-10-08).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1895-10-08
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/60be56083e0ec2a165ee8ed17a3c23b2.pdf
e44c474cf7bc3ab168724641e8517552
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Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
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The Tragedy, article (Tonawanda News, 1895-10-08).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1895-10-08
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/b9a13246f6041be28dca75b456349a78.pdf
be9fd072a3d37c03f4a5027fa8658228
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Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
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To the Point, condemnatory resolution, article (Tonawanda News, 1895-10-08ish).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1895-10-08
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/c96dff412b00d63c3bc9659687a547a8.PDF
af861b2121dab190e2123c47d751d408
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Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
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Who Did It?, article, some illegible (Buffalo Express, 1895-10-08).PDF
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1895-10-08
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/2838d7ae0158ef3e62cdaf951ad63840.pdf
117da99ac4f23dfbc4aa2dc693cc2db1
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Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
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A Midnight Secret Session! article, partial transcription (Tonawanda News, 1895-10-09ish).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1895-10-09
Description
An account of the resource
<p>(Not sure of the date of this article, day or two after first inquest).<br /><br /><strong>Only A Half Hour Before the Murders Are Committed the Boatmen Meet in Secret Session in Their Hall in the Post Office Buildings<br /><br /></strong>Beginning to look like a conspiracy. Prominent local businessman and "one of the officials of the Boatmen's Union" William Goddard likely to be arrested. Evidence against "other prominent residents of the Twin Cities" also being mulled. From the article:<br /><br />"The Secret Meeting. The most startling piece of evidence that is yet become thoroughly established was given to the public for the first time in THE NEWS. The canal men and at least one of the officers were in secret session in the Post-office block Sunday night at midnght, only a half hour before the murders were committed. They left the hall at midnight and by twos and threes gathered quietly at the Scribner docks where the boats of Capt. Phillips were lying. The murders that followed can be traced directly to the deliberations of that secret meeting."<br /><br />Goddard spotted leaving the hall. He had maintained he knew nothing about the event until his wife told him the next morning, even though he was in the company of Reech until 1 a.m., and had been told of the attacks.<br /><br />The article also reveals an earlier meeting of the boatmen:<br /><br />"This was not the only meeting that was held, however. It is said that there was a secret meeting held on Thursday night last after Phillips landed in Tonawanda with his boats. The meeting was fully attended by the leading canal boatmen interested in maintaining the association of canal men with its strict rules. This meeting was called for the express purpose of arranging some plan to get Capt. Phillips out of Tonawanda. It was decided, it is said, to bribe him."<br /><br />If that didn't work, threaten him. It was crucial that he not load, as it could "crush their association agreement." DA has proof that on Friday Phillips was offered $200 to cut his lines and walk away. According to this account, the captain listened patiently but firmly refused. The men returned. The captain still refused. <br /><br />At this point in the article, the inquest testimony is given again, beginning with <strong>Deputy Smearing</strong>. Different details / format than appears in the <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/3080">Buffalo News article</a>:<br /><br />"Where were you at the time when this started? I was standing on the boats.</p>
<p>And what time was this? I think was between 11 and 12 o'clock.<br /><br />Where did you first see the gang of men? I saw some people come up the tow-path.<br /><br />You saw them talking together ? Yes sir.<br /><br />Where were the shots fired at? Towards the boat.<br /><br />Did you see the captain? Yes sir.<br /><br />Was there a pistol pointed at you? Yes sir.<br /><br />Was there a pistol pointed at Mr. Phillips? Yes sir.<br /><br />How far away from him was the man who pointed the pistol at this man Phillips? About three feet.<br /><br />Did you see the man? Yes sir.<br /><br />How was he dressed? He had on ordinary clothes and a slouch hat on his head.<br /><br />After the pistol was put in your face, what did you say ? I did not say anything.<br /><br />Did you hear auy remarks? Yes sir, but I could not tell you the exact words; the only person that I knew was Philip Perew who came up to me and said that I had better look out for this was a determined crowd.<br /><br />What did you do? I told him to keep away or he might get hurt.<br /><br />Wheree did he stand on? On a lumber pile. <br /><br />What else did you see? And what can you tell us about them? I saw two men talking together but did not understand what they were talking about.<br /><br />How far apart were those two men? About two feet.<br /><br />What happened next? The boats were cut loose and drifted down the river.<br /><br />What did you find? I found Mr. Phillips lying on the boat and dead.<br /><br />How was he lying? He was lying with his face on the boards and back up.<br /><br />Was he dead? So the doctors said.<br /><br />What did you do next? I went into the cabin.<br /><br />What did you find? I found two men, the daughter and the boy.<br /><br />Did you see that the boy's head was battered? Yes sir, he was bleeding.<br /><br />How many men were there that came down onto the dock? I should judge about 50 or more.<br /><br />Do you kuow any by sight? I know one by sight.<br /><br />Have you met him since that time? No sir.<br /><br />Did you recognize any of the other men there? No sir.<br /><br />From the time that you were on the boat did you see any person there? Yes sir.<br /><br />Who was he? I haven't any idea who he was.<br /><br />What did the captain say when he saw the crew coming? He pulled off his coat and said, "My life is my own and I shall protect my property."<br /><br /><strong>Murphy and Shover</strong> testify much the same (latter extra detail about boy trying to get up and being beaten again).<br /><br /><strong>William Goddard</strong>'s testimony, the NEWS says, shows a "surprising lack of memory." Says he does not think the boatmen's association has any officers, does not know who pays their hall rent. Association in existence for five weeks. No meetings. Contracts made by "Root the lawyer and myself." He does admit to trying to persuade Phillips to load his boats in turn, but clais he thought no violence would come. Was at Rech's saloon Sunday night. Knows Perew: "He was in company with me in the merry-go-round business."<br /><br /><strong>Ira M. Rose</strong> gave testimony as printed in the previous day's NEWS.<br /><br /><strong>Deposition of Flora Phillips</strong><br /><br />"Flora Phillips was not able to be put upon the witness stand, so her starment was read. It was in the main as printed in<br />THE NEWS on Monday. The girl told of her brother coming down into the cabin wounded and bleeding; how she dressed his wounds and cared for him unil she was prostrated and removed from the boat to Mr. Wattengels', and how the cabins of the boat were riddled with stones and pieces of boards. She told how her father had been approached by boatmen and requested to leave Tonawanda without taking a load from Scribner's, and said that neither her brother or her father carried revolvers, and that they had committed no act that called for their murder."<br /><br /><strong>"Today's Proceedings</strong><br /><br />The inquest was resumed this morning at 11 o'clock. Officers Duffy and Kumro gave much more sensational testimony than on the first inquest. The following are the examinations in full. <strong>Officer Duffy</strong> was examined first."<br /><br />Duffy says he was assigned to protect the boats, was there from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. When the gang arrived he was standing on "the boat," and the May was closest to the dock. He tried to talk to the men to slow them down but they paid no mind. Some standing on a pile of lumber called to others on the towpath to come on down and not be "coward."<br /><br />Duffy heard the men say to "Kill the -----". Heard two shots. Saw only the marshal, the captain, the captain's son, and Philip Perew on the boat. Also saw Wheeler and Riley. Then the gang spread in all directions except Perew and Smearing. Duffy went in search of a doctor.<br /><br />When he returns he finds captain on the May; in cabin, Flora nursing Charles.<br /><br />According to <strong>Officer Kumro</strong>'s testimony, he does not arrive until about 12:50 a.m. IDs Wheeler, Perew, Munger and Lowe. Quotes Phillips "My life is my own, and if any man touches these lines he will get shot." Sees Smearing talking with Perew. Tries to shove the men back, but they say "Let's kill the Dutch -----." 12 men jumped abpard. Saw by flash that the man who shot Phillips was about four feet away from him. The men cut all the lines. Kumro follows the boats. At the swingbridge he finds on the boat "Perew, the Marshal, [Doctor] Edmonds, the Captain and the girl. This was when the boat was tied up at the swing bridge." <br /><br />"What else did you see being done to the boy? They had been kicking the boy with their feet."<br /><br />"Could you tell the man that did the shooting? No sir, I could not tell, because it was too dark, while the moon was in the opposite direction of the boat, and a high lumber pile between the two, throwing a shadow on the boat."<br /><br />Cause of son's death at this inquest given as "resulting from the blow of a pistol and some blunt instrument."<br /><br /><strong>Why He Joined the Union</strong><br /><br />"Citizens generally have little idea of the methods that have been used to induce or compel some of the boatmen to join the union. As one of them stated to Mr. F. A. McCoy only two weeks ago,"he did not want to join the Union, but he knew that if he did not that his property would be in hourly danger. Either his boats would burned or his horses and mules would be poisoned. If he went into the Union he knew his "turn" would not come the balance of the season, but he did not dare refuse." Is this a civilized community, or is it ruled by an organized mob of cutthroats? If a Mafia is ruling matters<br />with such a high hand it is time for the people of the Twin Cities to arouse at once and crush it out."<br /><br /><strong>District Attorney Penney</strong> laments the "surprising reluctance" of the citizenry to come forth with evidence.<br /><br />Findings of the inquest, and names of suspect related.<br /><br /><strong>A Sad Procession</strong><br /><br />"At 7 o'clock this morning the bodies of Captain Phillips and his son were started for Constantia. Mrs. Phillips, her brother Mr. Reynolds, and her daughter Flora accompanied the remains. Mr. and Mrs. Watteugel and a few other sympathizing friends accompanied the remains as far as Buffalo. Before departing Mrs. Phillips with tears in her eyes thanked Mrs. Wattengel for her kindness to her sick child, and the mother's heart went out in full to the kind Tonawanda mother who let her light and love buoy up a poor stricken child in affliction and distress. Others besides Mrs. Phillips accorded praise to Mrs. Wattengel for her splendid exhibition of motherhood.<br /><br />Newspaper opinions: <br /><br /><em>Times</em> calls policeman of Tonawanda "a weak set" and calls for their prosecution in their failure to protect Phillips.<br /><br /><em>Express</em> calls it more of a lynching, in the barbaric style of the South.<br /><br /><br /><br /></p>
transcription
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/fbf34af90b159b61a59802c4a8d16173.pdf
2c775700fd31c6928f1a87faec244dd1
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
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Did They Plan to Kill Him?, article, Goddard testimony, contract language (Buffalo News, 1895-10-09).pdf
Date
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1895-10-09
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/83a41e9d572ee1856671baeec48f596d.pdf
5ae45b4f500b0ca0e6011cfa1522146a
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Title
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Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
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Tonawanda Tragedy, article (Buffalo Courier 1895-10-09).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1895-10-09
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/b4b9b03583455aaf87842b2d52feed85.PDF
7e7fa6de6cd0a025ccb0cfc6e2994eb5
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Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
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Was He Warned?, article (Buffalo Express, 1895-10-09).PDF
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1895-10-09
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/f0475472eb7f7465c125191ce2c2c260.pdf
178e2a65ce7b31c5591cb5e240b727c9
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Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
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Was It a Plot?, article (Niagara Falls Gazette, 1895-10-09).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1895-10-09
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/fe2dd9b75275280b943eb83439ae7447.pdf
f4ec8db79b7271888010ca3604a4347f
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Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
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Buffalo Boatmen Roped In, article (Buffalo News, 1895-10-10).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1895-10-10
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/7b34884dfb2d8bdda873c5202560ea8e.pdf
4740368499e52c71918b1b1391e43bf1
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The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
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Deliberate murder, article (Buffalo Courier, 1895-10-10).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1895-10-10
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/6089526f4f95236e04dc6a88c272d552.pdf
1b05e08209a826fe348175107dedc817
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The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Title
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Indictments, article (Tonawanda News, 1895-10-10ish).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1895-10-10
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/999bbd150d56fd445f3a9aba12ec5e39.jpg
b6ba2f1aa8b476117f02db2cfd1ce194
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Title
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Captain Phillips's slayer, article (Buffalo News, 1895-10-12).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1895-10-12
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/139c8e83214de7719376e179c1b0713e.pdf
826e12f35fbc36a33370de768e4f3186
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Title
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Phillips' Slayer, article (Buffalo News, 1895-10-12).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1895-10-12
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/4a7c046d11b5f7f8ef4ca73a6dbdbeea.pdf
72a719b1e01e624cf75c9f6f173885dd
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Title
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Murdered by a mob, article (Elmira Dailyy Telegram, 1895-10-13).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1895-10-13
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/ca8793fac891f8937f29b914451d0995.PDF
a04c666e254c4ca5f2968bd690557b95
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Title
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The Tragedy at Tonawanda, photo article, 3311a (2922) (Buffalo Express, 1895-10-20).PDF
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1895-10-20
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/71bedab0e2ccbcd25b7a5b3c08288ab7.pdf
becbc6d98ef1475764d5628ceb48ceed
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Title
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It wouldnt do, Mr Keneflek declines to release riot witnesses, article (Buffalo News, 1895-10-24).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1895-10-24
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/7dd3d42d554eabbc94e9e64d377c8769.jpg
e9b7aec29e0a439ad60aa736662c7253
https://nthistory.com/files/original/8d85f9026ab49cdc3552174f5eaa05ea.jpg
abb59be4af15d164d9b80fdec12b5c8d
https://nthistory.com/files/original/4cf99436bf5d3c4605e2438051239397.jpg
3cddaf92ecfb91da7d2112fc65a1dec4
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
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Title
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The Carborundum Plant at Niagara, article (The Electrical World, 1895-10-26).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1895-10-26
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/5413567194e4a9c2f7f40283f47c749e.pdf
625e0196807e23ea835d767de889e131
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Feeling Is Bitter, article (Buffalo Courier, 1895-10-29).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1895-10-29
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/e36e2ddb76293aeb64658ea34caad5fd.pdf
3bb5d1a88aa45ca5a3fff06e43a9d94c
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Title
A name given to the resource
Still A-Rowing, article (Buffalo News, 1895-10-29).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1895-10-29
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/ceaa4eb804da3ebd7ea7b0cc244ae1db.jpg
8d36ea91224cd5be707fe3f5bf6f5c27
https://nthistory.com/files/original/e7304618a7d8f4340cdf104be37c3d39.jpg
f038b5d39373436f7fd4ba2f21d4e0b8
https://nthistory.com/files/original/2f7503deb3dc45216c05d16b516151bb.jpg
d5ac27f5430d218fe308a49c92d300f0
Dublin Core
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Title
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Erie Canal
Description
An account of the resource
The Erie Canal in North Tonawanda followed the existing Tonawanda Creek from Pendleton. The first work done locally was the 1823 construction of a wooden dam near present-day Gateway Park to raise the level of the creek four feet. In 1918 this dam was removed when the length of the Erie was re-engineered to become the Erie Barge Canal. The Tonawanda and Buffalo portions of the canal were abandoned at that time, making North Tonawanda the canal's new western terminus. In 1923 Tonawanda began filling in the old canal. The work was not yet complete in 1929.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Title
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Electricity on Canals, article (The Electrical World, 1895-11-02).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1895-11-02
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/515b5da647a4507f701802fcda92f014.jpg
edde2ac044e4cad10488cc47a71581a6
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
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Title
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Good News - Falls Power Coming, article (Tonawanda News, 1896-02-17).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-02-17
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/8d5d7f70e7c7f478450c8524b8da0e20.pdf
beba33041216646d8079ac169256967a
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Jurors Selected, backstory, article (Rome Sentinel, 1896-03).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-03
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/ffe49fbcd55e77a02fbcd1271932ff11.jpg
392695877f52e1b4dce1df6b92511aba
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
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Edgewater Hotel Burns, article (Tonawanda News, 1896-03-10).jpg
Description
An account of the resource
Opposite Gratwick, on Grand Island.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-03-10
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/fd99da264c2a6157345cae40b4e07c1b.jpg
7561c712bf60fd471bc5bfa1b7a67631
Dublin Core
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Title
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Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Title
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Canalboat murderers to be tried, article (NY Daily Tribune, 1896-03-16).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-03-16
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/04c75e764658b1af742fc4936cd97aa2.pdf
8de1a90dfc6eade0845baaa943f8ec4d
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Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Title
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Hyde in Court, article (Buffalo News, 1896-03-19).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-03-19
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/2504f62961e910fe9f4d7f212edaff63.jpg
35a8c58e8907f5615b45a3dea0f501ed
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Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Title
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Mrs. Lorenzo Phillips in town for trial, guest of Mrs. M.J. Wattengal, notice (Buffalo Courier, 1896-03-19).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-03-19
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/4c82e53c905c507dada03c43736acddf.PDF
46f1d68e5c9d75cb123e297289d4cfec
Dublin Core
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Title
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Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Title
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Capt. Hyde on Trial, article (Buffalo Express, 1896-03-20).PDF
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-03-20
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/1a26318c204214c04b6cade99c57a112.pdf
72177d40c4da17941f1b63cfe01bdaf4
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Title
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The Jurors, article (Tonwanda News, 1896-03-24).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-03-24
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/b36174789c71b758b7c5cd4fa2234055.pdf
145d53d5cc238743998a0847d87a3052
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
A Midnight Attack (Buffalo Courier 1896-03-25).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-03-25
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/687dee194b948956841b8456aa362306.pdf
11c1c6a322c0780e4c07adf2ec8060d6
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Evidence being submitted, article (Tonawanda News, 1896-03-25).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-03-25
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/a67029a8681c0da2ffe30d2bd459711e.pdf
46cea6a3bdac25173face73ec25a6249
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Her Sad Story (Buffalo News, 1896-03-25).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-03-25
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/93dcd36be0c9154c703f6e2fa3171713.pdf
3aa058ffa031fcb169a9347d998d4541
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Miss Phillips's Tale, article (Buffalo News, 1896-03-25).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-03-25
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/901be653ae0a1e12e4c7439655fb94cd.pdf
9552b2d11da32da43971580ca97de914
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Trial Underway, article (Buffalo News, 1896-03-25).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-03-25
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/e461af576b588f474d3428b6869a5ae2.pdf
fe31379b62eedaaf95b851411a6e3260
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Heard the Shots - But Who Saw the Slayer of Captain Phillips? (Buffalo Courier 1896-03-26).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-03-26
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/6d709338aa2c63c7571b8f4b8e7a5b74.pdf
ec08ab08a1a8331c4f2ba9781b97a51a
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Her Sad Story (Buffalo News, 1896-03-26).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-03-26
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/38fc318a64ac45f53c43e1fd01df72cb.pdf
316f46051b003b70ef090d3da803cab4
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Looks bad for Hyde, article (Buffalo Courier 1896-03-28).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-03-28
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/e229b612fc443eea9220fbec3362273e.jpg
c90fcbc4d4d2dc528c0fcd9dc720be6c
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Early Days of the Tonawandas
Description
An account of the resource
These book excerpts and articles shed light on the earliest days of the Tonawandas, as well as the nearby villages of Martinsville, Sawyer's Station, Gratwick and Ironton that would be incorporated into the city of North Tonawanda in 1897. See our <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/browse?type=11&sort_field=Dublin%20Core,Date">Books</a> for full-length works.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Twin Cities Flooded, article (Tonawanda News, 1896-03-30).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-03-30
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/79729fe8b678ab71a5a7c30e75322c2c.pdf
14094f5947d1e0b4e5a8d9c63f384ed2
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Is It Hyde or Jekyll?, article, illustrated (Buffalo Courier 1896-03-31).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-03-31
illustration
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/19173c5fa0c03eee5ddc30002db106d4.pdf
31eaf699bafdcb27ca5baa1380125c43
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Captain Hyde's Fate, article, illustrations (Buffalo Courier 1896-04-01).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-04-01
illustration
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/e3a074a74c48cf68333b76d88d11758c.jpg
35f8d4dba822f7dabb1de39b74a25db0
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Jury came in, article (Buffalo News, 1896-04-01).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-04-01
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/76f8ae463793dc998a632bca6169af31.jpg
6dcb425c7933a1321210d7ce04d2aaf3
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Buffalo Pumps
Description
An account of the resource
A general early description of the plant my be found at fultonhistory.com: <a href="http://fultonhistory.com/Newspaper%2011/North%20Tonawanda%20NY%20Evening%20News/North%20Tonawanda%20NY%20Evening%20News%201893%20Jul-Jul%201894%20Grayscale/North%20Tonawanda%20NY%20Evening%20News%201893%20Jul-Jul%201894%20Grayscale%20-%200097.pdf">"The Pump Works." <em>Tonawanda News</em>, August 24, 1893</a>.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Title
A name given to the resource
Good News - Buffalo Steam Pump, article (Tonawanda News, 1896-04-02).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-04-02
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/c268372a3807eec06a81d76e7cc1c396.jpg
cd41d36683c78faf1e09e2d3fc34fb6d
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Perew will fight, article excerpt (Buffalo News, 1896-04-07).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-04-07
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/f83f7059a376d57babe2959f8e46f025.pdf
b6db367779f990b465b8141530ae6bcf
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Pleads guilty, article (Buffalo News, 1896-04-07).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-04-07
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/929e4387d867b30b7b00a77db43f6332.pdf
d27be63d3d25b96aaf0b2916d3c6b532
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Sentenced, article (Tonwanda News, 1896-04-10).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-04-10
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/d938dd41ba783aafa53bac3fe03507c8.pdf
69d894fdb5d4135bf92ab8665a0a454b
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
To a living tomb, article (Buffalo Courier, 1896-04-11).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-04-11
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/6a0d56280547b9dc79ff3298206bc48d.jpg
f84e55af8fe1799453883225ae02e8ed
https://nthistory.com/files/original/93261a02aa237a3e2fae9e577e937661.jpg
a3d8107dd4a0aa6be95573434044e783
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
50 Percent Increase, article about local industry (Tonawanda News, 1896-04-18).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-04-18
Description
An account of the resource
The number of employees in local factories is said to double in one year. A list gives figures for all the major local industries, including Armitage-Herschell, de Kleist, and others.
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/741daa7266cba49096ea3d307e983e67.pdf
d5670fe71d13c11483d81dca6897965d
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Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
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The Story of the Phillips Murders as Told by Jack Quirk, article (Tonwanda News, 1896-04-27).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-04-27
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/43fc1eed113859d182d4fe69adc80d7d.pdf
9c4ad38296b411b044252aedc420ca5b
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Title
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Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
An account of the resource
Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
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Told by Quirk (Buffalo Courier, 1896-04-27).pdf
Date
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1896-04-27
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/1b3ea40b6bf2c5d35e5654faad4925cb.jpg
712b450bc2ba219113c27619f60cb907
https://nthistory.com/files/original/20acc1a65036c02368dbd84afffe94fe.jpg
1431a2fc4e2bf4493b16834c7f1cca95
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Title
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Perew's Electric Man and Other Inventions
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/106.jpg" alt="The Electric Man appears to draw a car" /><span class="cover-caption">Perew's most famous invention, a patented, giant automaton known variously as the "Electric Man," "Peter the Great," "Christopher," and the "Frankenstein of Tonawanda," appeared to draw a car but was actually pushed by it. Photo: Granger Collection, c1900.</span> Louis Philip Perew (1862-1946) came to the Tonawandas at 17 in 1879 from Quebec. He came with his brothers and his father, a lake boat captain who settled on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a>. <br /><br />He was a boat captain like his father, but was best known as an inventor. In addition to his Electric Man (which underwent many changes over the years as he refined the technology and sought a market), Perew is credited with developing anti-torpedo technology, a <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/867">canal electric trolley system</a>, a cigar lighter, and a <a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US499800?oq=499800">new merry-go-round system</a>. His inventions met with varying degrees of sucess.<br /><br />He was associated with local merry-go-round makers <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/100">Gillie, Goddard and Company</a>. He and Goddard were implicated in one of the most horrific events in the Tonawandas history: the double murder by a mob of a canal boat captain and his son over a labor dispute in October of 1895. Neither was ultimately convicted.<br /><br />In 1909 he is proprietor of the White Star Hotel. Perew was an avid boat racer and builder, and owned a gasoline cruiser and a yacht in 1910s. In 1916, after the Webster Street bridge was destroyed by ice, he was hired to construct a temporary pontoon bridge while the bascule bridge was being built. In 1925 he has a store at 152 North Niagara Street in Tonawanda. He is said to have had a "private zoo" with a "Russian wolf."<br /><br />Perew also owned several "disorderly houses" on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a> (he claims in the Cappola trial he bought them from a bank and had no idea they were disorderly). He runs afoul of the law quite often during Prohibition, and is involved in a very public bribery case against local police. Goose Island's bordellos and taverns would finally be closed down in the late 1930s. Perew lives all the way until 1946 at the White Star Hotel. The hotel's entertainments include square dancing nights and "Spanish dancing" girls. The address of the White Star Hotel? 46 Sweeney Street in North Tonawanda: the site of the present-day Alexander's Gentleman's Lounge.
Source
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<ul>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/TheStrandMagazineAnIllustratedMonthly/page/n6">An Electric Man, Strand Magazine (1900) - archive.org</a></li>
<li><a href="http://cyberneticzoo.com/walking-machines/1894-1914-electric-man-perew-american/">1894-1914 – Electric Man – Perew - cyberneticzoo.com</a></li>
<li><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=NXOdDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PT67&ots=h__RbBghkS&dq=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&pg=PT66#v=onepage&q=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&f=false"><em>Robots in American Popular Culture</em> (pp 60-62).</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.buffalohistorygazette.net/2010/09/the-man-of-tonawanda.html">The Automatic Man of Tonawanda! Buffalo History Gazette</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew</a></li>
</ul>
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Title
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Perfected is the work on Philip Perew's invention, article (Tonawanda News, 1896-05-11).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-05-11
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/b30e479a6694e7236a938f87d87e528a.jpg
5ca5c5e381fe23cd43a1a0a3e46685dc
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Violators of Raines Law, article (Tonawanda News, 1896-05-16).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-05-16
Description
An account of the resource
New "hotels" go up in the Tonawandas, allegedly to evade recent Raines laws.
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/d1dcc0f4e285e3cfdfaa3588da1d4c95.jpg
ac59d1c57a4b2b3e38f5f397a1c8882d
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Title
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Early Days of the Tonawandas
Description
An account of the resource
These book excerpts and articles shed light on the earliest days of the Tonawandas, as well as the nearby villages of Martinsville, Sawyer's Station, Gratwick and Ironton that would be incorporated into the city of North Tonawanda in 1897. See our <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/browse?type=11&sort_field=Dublin%20Core,Date">Books</a> for full-length works.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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He Called, William Jennings Bryan visits Tonawandas, article (Tonawanda News, 1896-05-16).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-05-16
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/fb5dae421961aeb2a5be1b6a3bd275ca.pdf
e3b7c8ae2e6e941f8f3cc15607ce3d2d
https://nthistory.com/files/original/eedeebee78735c69d994b4508730a385.pdf
e01410826b7b5ce9b5ba0af45d17055a
https://nthistory.com/files/original/652d5c886bf52418036be2df231a1755.pdf
0cbe9b43e178bcd94391e6402bf1fe01
https://nthistory.com/files/original/8dc10865d21f66cb6d62d4f63eb9129b.pdf
3f6db3b657920dbad39a6e9151853b63
https://nthistory.com/files/original/10678495e466b847a9f1f9e68c5df5da.pdf
817a8f8d91336311fa2fb9ee7c41700f
https://nthistory.com/files/original/47ae2474f93f2ccdeba3a08858372e0c.pdf
95eafdca74fcc62cc9394a76d7ccc84d
https://nthistory.com/files/original/107791bbdf1110cbd4ac74db64aeb517.pdf
fe263be7fcc7b03e0c4bd289e280e810
https://nthistory.com/files/original/88a21e4d0494e75be0ef92f2be39191f.pdf
bdbf2d56e15bcae7afb68de4f0983a69
https://nthistory.com/files/original/1bfa1ce9dcf33ddd2609205483863d36.pdf
0b72e25c469e0561d83358219f9216be
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Title
A name given to the resource
Early Days of the Tonawandas
Description
An account of the resource
These book excerpts and articles shed light on the earliest days of the Tonawandas, as well as the nearby villages of Martinsville, Sawyer's Station, Gratwick and Ironton that would be incorporated into the city of North Tonawanda in 1897. See our <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/browse?type=11&sort_field=Dublin%20Core,Date">Books</a> for full-length works.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Tonawanda News, full paper (1896-06-01).pdf
Description
An account of the resource
After this date, the microfilm record of the paper is silent until November 1st, and the (remote) lighting of the "New Niagara Furnace" at the Tonawanda Iron Works by President-Elect William McKinley.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-06-01
article
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/222c985785b8f8dfdab832a2969535c4.jpg
4a2ff7665c41dce30b50b6b2898a0f61
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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A Disastrous Blaze, Tonawanda Bicycle Company, article (Tonawanda News, 1896-06-06).jpg
Description
An account of the resource
A lively description of the Tonawanda Bicycle Company's "mammoth" building burning to the ground. Night watchman Boss fought valiantly. All of Gratwick turned out to to see the blaze. "So searching were the flames that it was for a time feared that the buildings of the Buffalo Steam Pump company would take fire [50 yards away].
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-06-06
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/b4460e92d2be95e93a45a6c912deae75.jpg
10084bebac77d3a8d7fd369c7d3f98c1
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Gillie, Goddard and Company, (etc).
Description
An account of the resource
William M. Gillie's main foundry and plant is located on Goose Island at Tonawanda and Chestnut. In September 1892 a massive fire destroys some of Gillie's plant, and the nearby Gillie, Goddard and Company "whirligig" production facilities--the third time the latter had burned. Apparently they are fed up, and erect a new factory in North Tonawanda (around present-day 15th Ave, but west of Oliver) to manufacture merry-go-rounds and, when demand wanes, bicycles. They are prospering when, on June 6, 1896, another disastrous fire strikes, with flames so high the fire "seemed to lick the very clouds above." The plant was woefully underinsured. By October an even larger building is completed on the spot, and also houses Gillie, Goddard and Drury and the Tonawanda Cycle Company.<br /><br />From <em>Landmarks of Niagara County</em>, New York (1897):
<blockquote>Gillie, William M., was born in Scotland in 1852...and came to America with his parents in 1854. He learned the blacksmith trade and was in that business for himself for 11 years, when he branched out into the machinery business and finally formed the stock company of Gillie, Goddard & Co. They manufacture merry-go-rounds, bicycles, etc., and also have a foundry. Their trade extends all over this country, Canada, Mexico and other points such as Buenos Ayres, New Brunswick, etc. Mr. Gillie has been a trustee of the village for two years and was re-elected in the spring of 1896. He is a member of the Odd Fellows and A. O. U. W. He married Mary Campbell, and their children are Harold, James, Agnes and Jean.</blockquote>
From <em>Tonawanda and North Tonawanda</em> (1891):
<blockquote>A native of Scotland, Mr. Gillie, emigrated to this place thirty-seven years ago, learned the machinists trade in boyhood, and a dozen years since erected the slips adjoining the creek at the corner of Tonawada and Chestnut streets. The machine shop is 30x70 feet, equipped with lathes of all necessary dimensions, and other iron devices for making new work or doing any kind of repairs. The foundry is 40x60 feet, where all kinds of castings are turned out; and with direct connections to the Niagara Furnace of this city, iron of the requisite grade is secured better and cheaper than formerly, with a complete saving of time and freights. The engine and boiler room is fitted with the necessary power producing apparatus for the successful conduct of the work. A specialty is made in steering wheels and other boat castings, water works pipe, builders' columns, etc. Although as before said, any kind of casting is produced lo the order of customers, or machinery made to special pattern. Twenty to twenty-five skilled mechanics find employment here, and, as Tonawanda develops into a manufacturing city, Mr. Gillie's shops and other like concerns will doubtless be compelled to enlarge their sphere of action. The plant recently purchased by J. Bordman, and under the super- intendence of W. A. Hartwig, is also fitted up as a foundry and machine shop.</blockquote>
In 1895 partner Goddard<a href="http://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/highlight-for-xml?altUrl=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252011%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2520-%25200055.pdf%23xml%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffff9a0f1cc2%26DocId%3D5659519%26Index%3DZ%253a%255cIndex%2520U%252dF%252dP%26HitCount%3D11%26hits%3D52%2Ba3%2Ba5%2Ba6%2B18c%2B1b7%2B1f6%2B217%2B350%2Be1f%2Be8a%2B%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf&uri=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252011%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2520-%25200055.pdf&xml=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffff9a0f1cc2%26DocId%3D5659519%26Index%3DZ%253a%255cIndex%2520U%252dF%252dP%26HitCount%3D11%26hits%3D52%2Ba3%2Ba5%2Ba6%2B18c%2B1b7%2B1f6%2B217%2B350%2Be1f%2Be8a%2B%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf"> is reported</a> implicated in a murder.<br /><br />The Gillie Machine Co. is formed in 1907. At some point W. M. Gillie's son, James enters the family business (A "J. B. Gillie" is identified as the company's president and manager in the 1923 ad in this collection). The Tonawanda concern is later purchased by Alfred Schwartz, who names it Tonawanda Engineering Company. Clarence A. Hackett purchases it in 1947, and it's relocated to Military Rd. in 1957 when the Seymour Street bridge is built across the creek.<br /><br />
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Title
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Big Fire at Tonawanda, Gillie Goddard destroyed, article (Democrat and Chronicle, 1896-06-06).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-06-06
fire
gratwick
ironton
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/c08a4408e1e12db4d0e593bfbf4dc560.jpg
4a2ff7665c41dce30b50b6b2898a0f61
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Gillie, Goddard and Company, (etc).
Description
An account of the resource
William M. Gillie's main foundry and plant is located on Goose Island at Tonawanda and Chestnut. In September 1892 a massive fire destroys some of Gillie's plant, and the nearby Gillie, Goddard and Company "whirligig" production facilities--the third time the latter had burned. Apparently they are fed up, and erect a new factory in North Tonawanda (around present-day 15th Ave, but west of Oliver) to manufacture merry-go-rounds and, when demand wanes, bicycles. They are prospering when, on June 6, 1896, another disastrous fire strikes, with flames so high the fire "seemed to lick the very clouds above." The plant was woefully underinsured. By October an even larger building is completed on the spot, and also houses Gillie, Goddard and Drury and the Tonawanda Cycle Company.<br /><br />From <em>Landmarks of Niagara County</em>, New York (1897):
<blockquote>Gillie, William M., was born in Scotland in 1852...and came to America with his parents in 1854. He learned the blacksmith trade and was in that business for himself for 11 years, when he branched out into the machinery business and finally formed the stock company of Gillie, Goddard & Co. They manufacture merry-go-rounds, bicycles, etc., and also have a foundry. Their trade extends all over this country, Canada, Mexico and other points such as Buenos Ayres, New Brunswick, etc. Mr. Gillie has been a trustee of the village for two years and was re-elected in the spring of 1896. He is a member of the Odd Fellows and A. O. U. W. He married Mary Campbell, and their children are Harold, James, Agnes and Jean.</blockquote>
From <em>Tonawanda and North Tonawanda</em> (1891):
<blockquote>A native of Scotland, Mr. Gillie, emigrated to this place thirty-seven years ago, learned the machinists trade in boyhood, and a dozen years since erected the slips adjoining the creek at the corner of Tonawada and Chestnut streets. The machine shop is 30x70 feet, equipped with lathes of all necessary dimensions, and other iron devices for making new work or doing any kind of repairs. The foundry is 40x60 feet, where all kinds of castings are turned out; and with direct connections to the Niagara Furnace of this city, iron of the requisite grade is secured better and cheaper than formerly, with a complete saving of time and freights. The engine and boiler room is fitted with the necessary power producing apparatus for the successful conduct of the work. A specialty is made in steering wheels and other boat castings, water works pipe, builders' columns, etc. Although as before said, any kind of casting is produced lo the order of customers, or machinery made to special pattern. Twenty to twenty-five skilled mechanics find employment here, and, as Tonawanda develops into a manufacturing city, Mr. Gillie's shops and other like concerns will doubtless be compelled to enlarge their sphere of action. The plant recently purchased by J. Bordman, and under the super- intendence of W. A. Hartwig, is also fitted up as a foundry and machine shop.</blockquote>
In 1895 partner Goddard<a href="http://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/highlight-for-xml?altUrl=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252011%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2520-%25200055.pdf%23xml%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffff9a0f1cc2%26DocId%3D5659519%26Index%3DZ%253a%255cIndex%2520U%252dF%252dP%26HitCount%3D11%26hits%3D52%2Ba3%2Ba5%2Ba6%2B18c%2B1b7%2B1f6%2B217%2B350%2Be1f%2Be8a%2B%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf&uri=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252011%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2520-%25200055.pdf&xml=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffff9a0f1cc2%26DocId%3D5659519%26Index%3DZ%253a%255cIndex%2520U%252dF%252dP%26HitCount%3D11%26hits%3D52%2Ba3%2Ba5%2Ba6%2B18c%2B1b7%2B1f6%2B217%2B350%2Be1f%2Be8a%2B%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf"> is reported</a> implicated in a murder.<br /><br />The Gillie Machine Co. is formed in 1907. At some point W. M. Gillie's son, James enters the family business (A "J. B. Gillie" is identified as the company's president and manager in the 1923 ad in this collection). The Tonawanda concern is later purchased by Alfred Schwartz, who names it Tonawanda Engineering Company. Clarence A. Hackett purchases it in 1947, and it's relocated to Military Rd. in 1957 when the Seymour Street bridge is built across the creek.<br /><br />
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Title
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A Disastrous Blaze, Gillie, Goddard destroyed, article (Tonawanda News, 1896-06-06).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-06-06
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/936b65d3955d2567d448dd84fe036c12.jpg
ec10708e7f120d27638dd0f58cb23545
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Gillie, Goddard and Company, (etc).
Description
An account of the resource
William M. Gillie's main foundry and plant is located on Goose Island at Tonawanda and Chestnut. In September 1892 a massive fire destroys some of Gillie's plant, and the nearby Gillie, Goddard and Company "whirligig" production facilities--the third time the latter had burned. Apparently they are fed up, and erect a new factory in North Tonawanda (around present-day 15th Ave, but west of Oliver) to manufacture merry-go-rounds and, when demand wanes, bicycles. They are prospering when, on June 6, 1896, another disastrous fire strikes, with flames so high the fire "seemed to lick the very clouds above." The plant was woefully underinsured. By October an even larger building is completed on the spot, and also houses Gillie, Goddard and Drury and the Tonawanda Cycle Company.<br /><br />From <em>Landmarks of Niagara County</em>, New York (1897):
<blockquote>Gillie, William M., was born in Scotland in 1852...and came to America with his parents in 1854. He learned the blacksmith trade and was in that business for himself for 11 years, when he branched out into the machinery business and finally formed the stock company of Gillie, Goddard & Co. They manufacture merry-go-rounds, bicycles, etc., and also have a foundry. Their trade extends all over this country, Canada, Mexico and other points such as Buenos Ayres, New Brunswick, etc. Mr. Gillie has been a trustee of the village for two years and was re-elected in the spring of 1896. He is a member of the Odd Fellows and A. O. U. W. He married Mary Campbell, and their children are Harold, James, Agnes and Jean.</blockquote>
From <em>Tonawanda and North Tonawanda</em> (1891):
<blockquote>A native of Scotland, Mr. Gillie, emigrated to this place thirty-seven years ago, learned the machinists trade in boyhood, and a dozen years since erected the slips adjoining the creek at the corner of Tonawada and Chestnut streets. The machine shop is 30x70 feet, equipped with lathes of all necessary dimensions, and other iron devices for making new work or doing any kind of repairs. The foundry is 40x60 feet, where all kinds of castings are turned out; and with direct connections to the Niagara Furnace of this city, iron of the requisite grade is secured better and cheaper than formerly, with a complete saving of time and freights. The engine and boiler room is fitted with the necessary power producing apparatus for the successful conduct of the work. A specialty is made in steering wheels and other boat castings, water works pipe, builders' columns, etc. Although as before said, any kind of casting is produced lo the order of customers, or machinery made to special pattern. Twenty to twenty-five skilled mechanics find employment here, and, as Tonawanda develops into a manufacturing city, Mr. Gillie's shops and other like concerns will doubtless be compelled to enlarge their sphere of action. The plant recently purchased by J. Bordman, and under the super- intendence of W. A. Hartwig, is also fitted up as a foundry and machine shop.</blockquote>
In 1895 partner Goddard<a href="http://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/highlight-for-xml?altUrl=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252011%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2520-%25200055.pdf%23xml%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffff9a0f1cc2%26DocId%3D5659519%26Index%3DZ%253a%255cIndex%2520U%252dF%252dP%26HitCount%3D11%26hits%3D52%2Ba3%2Ba5%2Ba6%2B18c%2B1b7%2B1f6%2B217%2B350%2Be1f%2Be8a%2B%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf&uri=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252011%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2520-%25200055.pdf&xml=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffff9a0f1cc2%26DocId%3D5659519%26Index%3DZ%253a%255cIndex%2520U%252dF%252dP%26HitCount%3D11%26hits%3D52%2Ba3%2Ba5%2Ba6%2B18c%2B1b7%2B1f6%2B217%2B350%2Be1f%2Be8a%2B%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf"> is reported</a> implicated in a murder.<br /><br />The Gillie Machine Co. is formed in 1907. At some point W. M. Gillie's son, James enters the family business (A "J. B. Gillie" is identified as the company's president and manager in the 1923 ad in this collection). The Tonawanda concern is later purchased by Alfred Schwartz, who names it Tonawanda Engineering Company. Clarence A. Hackett purchases it in 1947, and it's relocated to Military Rd. in 1957 when the Seymour Street bridge is built across the creek.<br /><br />
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They Will Rebuild - Gillie, Goddard and Co., will not quit business, article (Buffalo Courier, 1896-06-07).jpg
Date
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1896-06-07
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/691e8e42ae57a3ea56aa19927cf2b924.jpg
0be9d39de57f564ce5cd5dd97378f7c7
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Tonawanda Iron and Steel
Description
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You wouldn't know it from the site today, but the massive plant of the Tonawanda Iron and Steel Company once occupied all the land along the Niagara River from Wheatfield Street to present-day Fisherman's Park. <br /><br />Iron is first produced on this site in 1872 by the Niagara Furnace Company. After about a year, production stops. In 1889, Tonawanda Iron & Steel buys and modernizes the plant. President McKinley fires up its mighty Furnace B with great ceremony and the flip of a switch from his home in Ohio in 1895. <br /><br />The iron plant draws workers to the area, many Hungarian and Polish, who settle in a village called "<a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/83">Ironton</a>," just north of North Tonawanda proper. <br /><br />Somewhere around 1912 poor management and a poor economy stop the furnaces again. The plant lies unused until purchased by Tonawanda Iron Corp. in 1922.<br /><br />By 2017, the site has been cleared and converted into a small medical park and Fisherman's Park.
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"Tonawanda Iron Corp., Is One of Largest Manufacturers of Pig Iron." Tonawanda News, 1929 (in this collection).
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A Monster - New Engine for Iron Works, article (Tonawanda News, 1896-06-29).jpg
Date
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1896-06-29
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/4b824b53e27a049b9f0f301bb37f2288.jpg
d614b04ee3baeefa2747dcf9cad67704
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Healthy - Sanitary Conditions, article (Tonawanda News, 1896-07-30).jpg
Date
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1896-07-30
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/5eff0c2eddc4272f6ce4c1141c466b28.jpg
5a3be040371d88dac1f3a22829c4b5c5
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Title
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Boulton Carbon Manufacturing Company
Description
An account of the resource
W. H. Boulton's Cleveland company manufactured carbons used in arc lighting. From <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boulton_Carbon_Company">Wikipedia</a>:
<blockquote><span>By 1894, he had formed the Boulton & Crown Carbon Company with a factory on </span>17th Street in North Tonawanda, New York. That factory closed, reportedly due to poor quality product, in the spring of 1896. For a brief time in 1896, Boulton went to work for the Prudential Life Insurance Company to make ends meet. In August 1896, his second eldest son, Frank, died of a sunstroke. Destitute and now despondent from the death of his son, Boulton attempted to commit suicide on September 9, 1896 with a combination of a morphine overdose and chloroform. The attempt happened in Prospect Park in Buffalo. When found by the police, Boulton had a note in his pocket that read: "I have swallowed 20 grains of morphine and have put myself to sleep with chloroform. If I ever wake up again, I will cut my throat with a razor that I have in my pocket, as I am determined to commit suicide. P.S. – If anyone finds me before I am dead, I hope that they will not bring me back to consciousness, as I don't want to live." There is no information available on W. H. Boulton after that date.</blockquote>
Article
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Madness - A bankrupt business man takes morphine, article (Tonawanda News, 1896-09-10).jpg
Description
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Boulton
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896-09-10
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/9d974e4452fce079aba1670b49aed9f1.jpg
2c389b13e4e3143022f6f244508a61c9
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Gillie, Goddard and Company, (etc).
Description
An account of the resource
William M. Gillie's main foundry and plant is located on Goose Island at Tonawanda and Chestnut. In September 1892 a massive fire destroys some of Gillie's plant, and the nearby Gillie, Goddard and Company "whirligig" production facilities--the third time the latter had burned. Apparently they are fed up, and erect a new factory in North Tonawanda (around present-day 15th Ave, but west of Oliver) to manufacture merry-go-rounds and, when demand wanes, bicycles. They are prospering when, on June 6, 1896, another disastrous fire strikes, with flames so high the fire "seemed to lick the very clouds above." The plant was woefully underinsured. By October an even larger building is completed on the spot, and also houses Gillie, Goddard and Drury and the Tonawanda Cycle Company.<br /><br />From <em>Landmarks of Niagara County</em>, New York (1897):
<blockquote>Gillie, William M., was born in Scotland in 1852...and came to America with his parents in 1854. He learned the blacksmith trade and was in that business for himself for 11 years, when he branched out into the machinery business and finally formed the stock company of Gillie, Goddard & Co. They manufacture merry-go-rounds, bicycles, etc., and also have a foundry. Their trade extends all over this country, Canada, Mexico and other points such as Buenos Ayres, New Brunswick, etc. Mr. Gillie has been a trustee of the village for two years and was re-elected in the spring of 1896. He is a member of the Odd Fellows and A. O. U. W. He married Mary Campbell, and their children are Harold, James, Agnes and Jean.</blockquote>
From <em>Tonawanda and North Tonawanda</em> (1891):
<blockquote>A native of Scotland, Mr. Gillie, emigrated to this place thirty-seven years ago, learned the machinists trade in boyhood, and a dozen years since erected the slips adjoining the creek at the corner of Tonawada and Chestnut streets. The machine shop is 30x70 feet, equipped with lathes of all necessary dimensions, and other iron devices for making new work or doing any kind of repairs. The foundry is 40x60 feet, where all kinds of castings are turned out; and with direct connections to the Niagara Furnace of this city, iron of the requisite grade is secured better and cheaper than formerly, with a complete saving of time and freights. The engine and boiler room is fitted with the necessary power producing apparatus for the successful conduct of the work. A specialty is made in steering wheels and other boat castings, water works pipe, builders' columns, etc. Although as before said, any kind of casting is produced lo the order of customers, or machinery made to special pattern. Twenty to twenty-five skilled mechanics find employment here, and, as Tonawanda develops into a manufacturing city, Mr. Gillie's shops and other like concerns will doubtless be compelled to enlarge their sphere of action. The plant recently purchased by J. Bordman, and under the super- intendence of W. A. Hartwig, is also fitted up as a foundry and machine shop.</blockquote>
In 1895 partner Goddard<a href="http://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/highlight-for-xml?altUrl=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252011%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2520-%25200055.pdf%23xml%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffff9a0f1cc2%26DocId%3D5659519%26Index%3DZ%253a%255cIndex%2520U%252dF%252dP%26HitCount%3D11%26hits%3D52%2Ba3%2Ba5%2Ba6%2B18c%2B1b7%2B1f6%2B217%2B350%2Be1f%2Be8a%2B%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf&uri=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252011%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2520-%25200055.pdf&xml=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffff9a0f1cc2%26DocId%3D5659519%26Index%3DZ%253a%255cIndex%2520U%252dF%252dP%26HitCount%3D11%26hits%3D52%2Ba3%2Ba5%2Ba6%2B18c%2B1b7%2B1f6%2B217%2B350%2Be1f%2Be8a%2B%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf"> is reported</a> implicated in a murder.<br /><br />The Gillie Machine Co. is formed in 1907. At some point W. M. Gillie's son, James enters the family business (A "J. B. Gillie" is identified as the company's president and manager in the 1923 ad in this collection). The Tonawanda concern is later purchased by Alfred Schwartz, who names it Tonawanda Engineering Company. Clarence A. Hackett purchases it in 1947, and it's relocated to Military Rd. in 1957 when the Seymour Street bridge is built across the creek.<br /><br />
Article
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Their Plant Seized - Gillie, Goddard and Co., on Fillmore, article (Tonawanda News, 1896-09-30).jpg
Date
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1896-09-30
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/445c5f511673a2bd23a4cc9bb7e7fd7b.pdf
84e053e4d46dd30915e1eb168d324d55
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Murder on the Docks (October 7, 1895)
Description
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Articles relating to the murder of Captain Lorenzo Philips and his son Charles at the Scribner docks in Tonawanda, and the subsequent trials.
"Pleads Guilty," Buffalo Evening News, 4/7/1896. George Hyde has been convicted. Unnerved, Captain Jesse T. Graves reverses and pleads guilty to first degree manslaughter and rioting. Quirk and Collins considered the same. Maximum sentence would be 20 years, just over 12 with good behavior. Perew was determined to stand trial, insisting (through his attorneys) he only came by to see what all the fuss was about, and never had a stake in canal affairs one way or another. He did however help tie up the drifting May and Graff and call for a physician. Justice Woodward, DA Kenefik. William Goddard, the canal broker, will plead guilty only to save money, and time, as he is an old man and in poor health. County of Erie would be saved many thousands of dollars with guilty pleas, the NEWS notes.
Article
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Anniversary of the riot, article (Buffalo Courier, 1896-10-08).pdf
Date
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1896-10-08
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/7433dd507fad6a156c76f1807f6549ff.jpg
ac7f393021956a7c7e01ae380f37152e
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Title
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Gillie, Goddard and Company, (etc).
Description
An account of the resource
William M. Gillie's main foundry and plant is located on Goose Island at Tonawanda and Chestnut. In September 1892 a massive fire destroys some of Gillie's plant, and the nearby Gillie, Goddard and Company "whirligig" production facilities--the third time the latter had burned. Apparently they are fed up, and erect a new factory in North Tonawanda (around present-day 15th Ave, but west of Oliver) to manufacture merry-go-rounds and, when demand wanes, bicycles. They are prospering when, on June 6, 1896, another disastrous fire strikes, with flames so high the fire "seemed to lick the very clouds above." The plant was woefully underinsured. By October an even larger building is completed on the spot, and also houses Gillie, Goddard and Drury and the Tonawanda Cycle Company.<br /><br />From <em>Landmarks of Niagara County</em>, New York (1897):
<blockquote>Gillie, William M., was born in Scotland in 1852...and came to America with his parents in 1854. He learned the blacksmith trade and was in that business for himself for 11 years, when he branched out into the machinery business and finally formed the stock company of Gillie, Goddard & Co. They manufacture merry-go-rounds, bicycles, etc., and also have a foundry. Their trade extends all over this country, Canada, Mexico and other points such as Buenos Ayres, New Brunswick, etc. Mr. Gillie has been a trustee of the village for two years and was re-elected in the spring of 1896. He is a member of the Odd Fellows and A. O. U. W. He married Mary Campbell, and their children are Harold, James, Agnes and Jean.</blockquote>
From <em>Tonawanda and North Tonawanda</em> (1891):
<blockquote>A native of Scotland, Mr. Gillie, emigrated to this place thirty-seven years ago, learned the machinists trade in boyhood, and a dozen years since erected the slips adjoining the creek at the corner of Tonawada and Chestnut streets. The machine shop is 30x70 feet, equipped with lathes of all necessary dimensions, and other iron devices for making new work or doing any kind of repairs. The foundry is 40x60 feet, where all kinds of castings are turned out; and with direct connections to the Niagara Furnace of this city, iron of the requisite grade is secured better and cheaper than formerly, with a complete saving of time and freights. The engine and boiler room is fitted with the necessary power producing apparatus for the successful conduct of the work. A specialty is made in steering wheels and other boat castings, water works pipe, builders' columns, etc. Although as before said, any kind of casting is produced lo the order of customers, or machinery made to special pattern. Twenty to twenty-five skilled mechanics find employment here, and, as Tonawanda develops into a manufacturing city, Mr. Gillie's shops and other like concerns will doubtless be compelled to enlarge their sphere of action. The plant recently purchased by J. Bordman, and under the super- intendence of W. A. Hartwig, is also fitted up as a foundry and machine shop.</blockquote>
In 1895 partner Goddard<a href="http://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/highlight-for-xml?altUrl=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252011%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2520-%25200055.pdf%23xml%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffff9a0f1cc2%26DocId%3D5659519%26Index%3DZ%253a%255cIndex%2520U%252dF%252dP%26HitCount%3D11%26hits%3D52%2Ba3%2Ba5%2Ba6%2B18c%2B1b7%2B1f6%2B217%2B350%2Be1f%2Be8a%2B%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf&uri=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252011%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2520-%25200055.pdf&xml=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffff9a0f1cc2%26DocId%3D5659519%26Index%3DZ%253a%255cIndex%2520U%252dF%252dP%26HitCount%3D11%26hits%3D52%2Ba3%2Ba5%2Ba6%2B18c%2B1b7%2B1f6%2B217%2B350%2Be1f%2Be8a%2B%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf"> is reported</a> implicated in a murder.<br /><br />The Gillie Machine Co. is formed in 1907. At some point W. M. Gillie's son, James enters the family business (A "J. B. Gillie" is identified as the company's president and manager in the 1923 ad in this collection). The Tonawanda concern is later purchased by Alfred Schwartz, who names it Tonawanda Engineering Company. Clarence A. Hackett purchases it in 1947, and it's relocated to Military Rd. in 1957 when the Seymour Street bridge is built across the creek.<br /><br />
Article
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Hustling, Gillie, Goddard and Drurys Big Machine Shop, article (Tonawanda News, 1896-10-15).jpg
Date
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1896-10-15
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/b91cdf8c13fb1231abf5a371f6a31aca.jpg
f97ca88c3ca6b0f0f57be0fb22ed1077
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Title
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Gillie, Goddard and Company, (etc).
Description
An account of the resource
William M. Gillie's main foundry and plant is located on Goose Island at Tonawanda and Chestnut. In September 1892 a massive fire destroys some of Gillie's plant, and the nearby Gillie, Goddard and Company "whirligig" production facilities--the third time the latter had burned. Apparently they are fed up, and erect a new factory in North Tonawanda (around present-day 15th Ave, but west of Oliver) to manufacture merry-go-rounds and, when demand wanes, bicycles. They are prospering when, on June 6, 1896, another disastrous fire strikes, with flames so high the fire "seemed to lick the very clouds above." The plant was woefully underinsured. By October an even larger building is completed on the spot, and also houses Gillie, Goddard and Drury and the Tonawanda Cycle Company.<br /><br />From <em>Landmarks of Niagara County</em>, New York (1897):
<blockquote>Gillie, William M., was born in Scotland in 1852...and came to America with his parents in 1854. He learned the blacksmith trade and was in that business for himself for 11 years, when he branched out into the machinery business and finally formed the stock company of Gillie, Goddard & Co. They manufacture merry-go-rounds, bicycles, etc., and also have a foundry. Their trade extends all over this country, Canada, Mexico and other points such as Buenos Ayres, New Brunswick, etc. Mr. Gillie has been a trustee of the village for two years and was re-elected in the spring of 1896. He is a member of the Odd Fellows and A. O. U. W. He married Mary Campbell, and their children are Harold, James, Agnes and Jean.</blockquote>
From <em>Tonawanda and North Tonawanda</em> (1891):
<blockquote>A native of Scotland, Mr. Gillie, emigrated to this place thirty-seven years ago, learned the machinists trade in boyhood, and a dozen years since erected the slips adjoining the creek at the corner of Tonawada and Chestnut streets. The machine shop is 30x70 feet, equipped with lathes of all necessary dimensions, and other iron devices for making new work or doing any kind of repairs. The foundry is 40x60 feet, where all kinds of castings are turned out; and with direct connections to the Niagara Furnace of this city, iron of the requisite grade is secured better and cheaper than formerly, with a complete saving of time and freights. The engine and boiler room is fitted with the necessary power producing apparatus for the successful conduct of the work. A specialty is made in steering wheels and other boat castings, water works pipe, builders' columns, etc. Although as before said, any kind of casting is produced lo the order of customers, or machinery made to special pattern. Twenty to twenty-five skilled mechanics find employment here, and, as Tonawanda develops into a manufacturing city, Mr. Gillie's shops and other like concerns will doubtless be compelled to enlarge their sphere of action. The plant recently purchased by J. Bordman, and under the super- intendence of W. A. Hartwig, is also fitted up as a foundry and machine shop.</blockquote>
In 1895 partner Goddard<a href="http://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/highlight-for-xml?altUrl=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252011%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2520-%25200055.pdf%23xml%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffff9a0f1cc2%26DocId%3D5659519%26Index%3DZ%253a%255cIndex%2520U%252dF%252dP%26HitCount%3D11%26hits%3D52%2Ba3%2Ba5%2Ba6%2B18c%2B1b7%2B1f6%2B217%2B350%2Be1f%2Be8a%2B%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf&uri=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252011%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201895%2520Oct-Dec%2520Grayscale%2520-%25200055.pdf&xml=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffff9a0f1cc2%26DocId%3D5659519%26Index%3DZ%253a%255cIndex%2520U%252dF%252dP%26HitCount%3D11%26hits%3D52%2Ba3%2Ba5%2Ba6%2B18c%2B1b7%2B1f6%2B217%2B350%2Be1f%2Be8a%2B%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf"> is reported</a> implicated in a murder.<br /><br />The Gillie Machine Co. is formed in 1907. At some point W. M. Gillie's son, James enters the family business (A "J. B. Gillie" is identified as the company's president and manager in the 1923 ad in this collection). The Tonawanda concern is later purchased by Alfred Schwartz, who names it Tonawanda Engineering Company. Clarence A. Hackett purchases it in 1947, and it's relocated to Military Rd. in 1957 when the Seymour Street bridge is built across the creek.<br /><br />
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Tonawanda failure, Tonawanda Bicycle Company, article (Buffalo News, 1896-10-20).jpg
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1896-10-20
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/0ad59f03028ae3df7faf00fcfc61f3be.jpg
f79f73f2cc9ebd0498e64d2178d42d17
https://nthistory.com/files/original/6a91bb50edc99f7433e37bdfbd50a152.jpg
2c23ee0612f456dd164bba179e44d0a1
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Tonawanda Iron and Steel
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You wouldn't know it from the site today, but the massive plant of the Tonawanda Iron and Steel Company once occupied all the land along the Niagara River from Wheatfield Street to present-day Fisherman's Park. <br /><br />Iron is first produced on this site in 1872 by the Niagara Furnace Company. After about a year, production stops. In 1889, Tonawanda Iron & Steel buys and modernizes the plant. President McKinley fires up its mighty Furnace B with great ceremony and the flip of a switch from his home in Ohio in 1895. <br /><br />The iron plant draws workers to the area, many Hungarian and Polish, who settle in a village called "<a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/83">Ironton</a>," just north of North Tonawanda proper. <br /><br />Somewhere around 1912 poor management and a poor economy stop the furnaces again. The plant lies unused until purchased by Tonawanda Iron Corp. in 1922.<br /><br />By 2017, the site has been cleared and converted into a small medical park and Fisherman's Park.
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"Tonawanda Iron Corp., Is One of Largest Manufacturers of Pig Iron." Tonawanda News, 1929 (in this collection).
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New Furnace at Tonawanda Iron and Steel Works, article (Tonawanda News, 1896-11-06).jpg
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1896-11-06
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/aa288665fe03f3bd6b45e78c3cf977c2.jpg
09dff39c527cf373c2661792465a684d
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Tonawanda Power Company (435 Robinson)
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/37.jpg" alt="National Grid transformer station in 2023. Photo by Dennis Reed Jr." /> <span class="cover-caption">National Grid transformer station in 2023. Photo by Dennis Reed Jr.</span><strong>First located on Tonawanda Island</strong><br /><br />Around 1889, what would be come the Tonawanda Power Company (Tonawanda & Wheatfield Electric Light company) supplied electricity to NT from a small steam unit on Tonawanda Island, fed by wood shavings from the Doebler Planing Mill. Their office was at the northeast corner of Main and Goundry in an old frame building. Arc lights on a few streets were run. A few "daring" homes and businesses ran its power.<br /><br /><strong>Electrifying Buffalo-Niagara</strong><br /><br />In late 1895, The Niagara Falls Power Company builds a long-distance power line (mostly along the Old Mile Reserve) from Niagara Falls to Buffalo, the first of its kind in the world. It is operational by November 1896.<br /><br />The long distance line uses Nikolai Tesla's breakthrough alternating current (AC) transmitted at high voltages, which could travel with minimal loss. A ‘transformer house’ like the one established on Robinson street would step down (transform) some of the high voltage lines to more manageable and safer levels for local distribution. Other lines passing through this North Tonawanda substation continued at high voltage to Buffalo and Lockport, to be stepped down at other transformer houses before being used locally. Much of the line followed a right of way established by the old New York State Mile Reserve, a mile east of the Niagara River.<br /><br /><strong>Former switching tower<br /><br /></strong>Where the new park is now, on the Twin City Highway side, was once a two-story “switching tower” connected to the transformer house. Added around 1902, this tower was actually owned by the Niagara Falls Power company. It helped engineers manage and troubleshoot defects in the multiplying lines. Most of the high voltage lines carrying electricity from the massive turbines at Niagara Falls ran into this tower. <br /><br /><strong>Halloween disaster</strong><br /><br />In 1920, a horrific explosion kills 13 men early Halloween morning. An NT fire chief <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Safety_Maintenance_Production/Njw6AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Superintendent+Albert+S.+Allen+tonawanda&pg=PA221&printsec=frontcover">alleges the work was rushed</a> in <em>Safety News and Comment</em>. The January 1921 <em>Safety Bulletin</em> <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Safety_Bulletin/XwkUAAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=tonawanda+power+substation+tower&pg=RA24-PA2&printsec=frontcover">provides more context and details</a> (a storm and wind outside) and a photo of the ruined second floor of the switching tower. <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/State_of_New_York_Supreme_Court_Appellat/-NBRpQpR-lwC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=tonawanda+power+substation+tower&pg=RA3-PA17&printsec=frontcover">Rose Derby's suit</a>. Superintendent Frank S. Wahl's (and others!) testimony in <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/New_York_Court_of_Appeals_Records_and_Br/wU3z2XtqKz8C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=tonawanda+power+substation+tower&pg=PA178&printsec=frontcover">Yates's survivor's suit provides</a> more tower details, tower role, and what he saw on the scene (where the dead were found).<br /><br />In 1925 they become "associated with" Buffalo General Electric, Niagara Falls Power Co. and others. <br /><br />In 1929, they open a new headquarters on Sweeney and Webster, today Buffalo Suzuki Strings.<br /><br />The Robinson street transformer house and environs is now owned and operated by National Grid.
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Tomorrow It Comes, electricity to be transmitted from Niagara Falls to Buffalo, article (Tonawanda News, 1896-11-13).jpg
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1896-11-13
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/401fe659b67286e06d60dc6a8c98d6e6.jpg
ad31e139706802dd3c896d15fded3408
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Canal Boats to Be Propelled by Electricity, article (Tonawanda News, 1896-11-27).jpg
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1896-11-27
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/b3e72ba989d3c3c0dd4afdbd5a2d05ec.jpg
044c72fede98cac09a526864a3d694ac
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Remington Tavern (184 Sweeney)
Description
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Built in 1895 for trolleys, the squat orange-brick building was subsequently used by carousel and motor builders Herschell-Spillman and the Remington-Rand corporation. The building and the larger building around it were rehabbed to the tune of $30 million in 2012. It enjoys a new life as the Remington Tavern and Seafood Exchange.
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Niagara Power Transmission Up to Date. - II. CATARACT POWER FOR STREET RAILWAYS IN WESTERN NEW YORK (Electrical World vol28 no22 pp653-655, 1896-11-28).jpg
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1896-11-28
Description
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<span>(Left)<br />Fig. 1 . — Tonawanda Car Barns and Buffalo & Niagara Falls Line.</span><br /><span>Fig. 2. — Buffalo & Niagara Falls Power House.</span><br /><span>Fig. 3. — Steam Power Plant Replaced by Niagara Power.<br /><br />(Right)</span><br /><span>Fig. 4. — Transformer House, Conductor Bridge and Cataract Power House.</span><br /><span>Fig. 5. — Tonawanda Bridge, Buffalo & Niagara Falls Trolley Line.</span><br /><span>Fig. 6. — Buffalo & Niagara Falls Trolley Line.<br /><br /></span>Full <a href="https://reference.insulators.info/publications/view/?id=259">article here</a> (also in <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/IkxEAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1">Google Books</a>).
electricity
-
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d1a48a24bd0adfe6de9e37fce687fedd
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Backer House (118-124 Webster Street), Backer Alley
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" alt="An 1886 map shows Backer's House and associated outbuildings" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/121.jpg" /><span class="cover-caption">The Backer House on an 1886 map.</span> The long-gone, three-story "Backer House" at the crook of Main and Webster Streets has been called the city's first hotel, purportedly built in 1850 with timber from the Williamsville sawmill owned by John Batt. An 1860 map identifies a "Jackey, Union Hotel" on the site, and no Backer House. The hotel and associated buildings were on a great wooden platform under which ran the state ditch, and stood opposite the former New York Central train depot, where passengers could conveniently become clientele. (A gas station is on the depot site today.) <br /><br /><strong>Owned by the Backer family</strong><br /><br />I haven't learned anything about the first Backer who presumably founded the hotel. But in 1867 (according to a 1929 article), Henry B. Backer becomes the proprietor of the hotel, and will continue until 1891. (Perhaps as a family affair, the hotel enjoyed multiple "proprietors," as we see a different Backer so named below). <br /><br /><strong>A desperate family denied</strong><br /><br />On October 13, 1886, the Backer House is the site of a sensational news story. A traveling Rochester family is returning home when the wife, Julia Trimmer, begins experiencing severe labor pains. The train makes an emergency stop at the New York Central depot opposite the hotel. The husband and wife clamber down the platform and rush across the street to the hotel, desperate for help. They don't find it. <br /><br />The proprietor, Dr. Conrad Backer, refuses to permit Mrs. Trimmer space even on the floor, and the couple is instead "forcibly ejected with profane and abusive language." The distraught family struggles to the nearby Sears House, and although accepted immediately by staff and attended to with great humanity, by then "the child had been born and had died from its brief exposure." The wife brings a $20,000 lawsuit for "personal damages" against the proprietor of the Backer House. She will be awarded a small fraction of that, $600. When Backer refuses to pay even that small fraction, he is jailed. <br /><br /><strong>More Backers</strong><br /><br />In 1891 (according to a 1929 article, which describes a return visit to the area), proprietor Henry B. Backer and his wife leave North Tonawanda for lumber interests in New York City. Before that, he was village clerk, and "took a leading part in the laying out of Thompson, Schenck, Robinson and other streets," donated the land for Live Hose, and founded defunct Alert Hose Company. <br /><br />On October 28, 1892, Dr. Conrad C. Backer dies at 73 and two days, leaving a wife and two children. <br /><br /><strong>Esther at the helm, her secret closet pillaged</strong><br /><br />By 1893, the hotel is being operated by a woman, Esther Backer, her husband having died the year before. The operation arrangement is novel enough for the News to write an article, included in this collection. <br /><br />On November 30, 1896, Mrs. Backer's hotel is again in the news, when she is the victim of robbery and arson. "In a peculiarly formed closet...,Mrs. Backer secretly kept her jewelry and silver plate, which had been in the family for many years." Someone stole these, along with linen, lace curtains and clothing. They then set a fire, seemingly in an effort to cover up the crime. The next day a 25 year-old "tramp" by the name of Walter Kimler is apprehended in West Falls, N. Y., and sent to the penitentiary for 30 days in connection with the burglary. A partner escapes. <br /><br /><strong>1897-1920: The City Hotel, The International Hotel</strong><br /><br />In the summer of 1897 it is renamed the "City Hotel," and by February 6, 1900, it is "The International Hotel." On October 31, 1900, Theodore Roosevelt makes a campaign speech nearby to some 7,000 locals; a historical marker erected in 2021 marks the event. <br /><br /><strong>1920: Simon Marone and the Washington Hotel, deadly fire</strong><br /><br />In 1920 the hotel is sold to Simon Marone, owner of a fruit and candy store on the first floor of the building. <br /><br />July 7, 1924 an item advertises "Hotel and boarding house, 21 rooms, complete sitting room, dance hall place and barber shop, bargain, for quick sale, owner leaving city, inquire 122 Webster Street." <br /><br />By 1924, it is being called the Washington Hotel. In late December, another fire guts the hotel, and claims three lives. <br /><br />In January 1925, proprietor Simon Marone intends to rebuild the interior. The address is given around this time as 122 Webster, and 118-124 Webster. <br /><br /><strong>1930s: The "indecent acts" of Ferris Saffires</strong><br /><br />January 20, 1934, proprietor Ferris Saffire is fined $25 for "permitting disorderly acts in his place of business," after a 24 year-old male and 20 year-old female were arrested and charged with indecency at the hotel. <br /><br />In February, seven of eight people who have been arrested with charges of public intoxication in a "room in the rear of" the hotel are given jail sentences. The eighth, a young woman, beats the charge.<br /><br /><strong>1935: Abraham G. Lewis and the "Lewis Hotel"</strong><br /><br />Somewhere around 1935, Syrian-born Abraham G. Lewis takes over the hotel, and names it in his image, as is often the custom. After the death of his first wife, in 1935 North Tonawanda furnishes him a second, and they are members of Ascension church.<br /><br />April 20, 1946 a boarder (Boleslaus Brodnicki, 58) dies of "heart disease" while on strike from Spaulding Fibre. <br /><br />On May 3, 1952, Lewis dies. A Courier Express claims he has operated the hotel for the last 20 years. The hotel seems to go on in his name for a few years, as in 1955 "Lewis Hotel" is mentioned in ads, and A "Lewis Hotel" (120 Webster) is mentioned in a September 1959 item. <br /><br /><strong>1960s and beyond: Del-Web Inn, demolition, tax sale</strong><br /><br />In 1964 a man is arrested at "Del-Web Inn," 122 Webster, for threatening patrons with a razor. A 1975 item mentions a building permit given to Walter J. Edin for 120 Webster "remodel." In 1978-12-19, 122 Webster is listed in a tax sale auction, with Walter Edin identified. In 1985-11-11 parcel is being auctioned, 120-122 Webster, "including part of abandoned state ditch." <br /><br /><strong>Legacy</strong><br /><br />The alley behind the site is still known as "Backer Alley."
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Robbery and arson at the Backer House, article (Buffalo News, 1896-11-30).jpg
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1896-11-30
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/0154787938d163bd1e0c059d55ec2c1f.jpg
8745bd2fc574ea9c7dcd45793a778e39
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Title
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Backer House (118-124 Webster Street), Backer Alley
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" alt="An 1886 map shows Backer's House and associated outbuildings" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/121.jpg" /><span class="cover-caption">The Backer House on an 1886 map.</span> The long-gone, three-story "Backer House" at the crook of Main and Webster Streets has been called the city's first hotel, purportedly built in 1850 with timber from the Williamsville sawmill owned by John Batt. An 1860 map identifies a "Jackey, Union Hotel" on the site, and no Backer House. The hotel and associated buildings were on a great wooden platform under which ran the state ditch, and stood opposite the former New York Central train depot, where passengers could conveniently become clientele. (A gas station is on the depot site today.) <br /><br /><strong>Owned by the Backer family</strong><br /><br />I haven't learned anything about the first Backer who presumably founded the hotel. But in 1867 (according to a 1929 article), Henry B. Backer becomes the proprietor of the hotel, and will continue until 1891. (Perhaps as a family affair, the hotel enjoyed multiple "proprietors," as we see a different Backer so named below). <br /><br /><strong>A desperate family denied</strong><br /><br />On October 13, 1886, the Backer House is the site of a sensational news story. A traveling Rochester family is returning home when the wife, Julia Trimmer, begins experiencing severe labor pains. The train makes an emergency stop at the New York Central depot opposite the hotel. The husband and wife clamber down the platform and rush across the street to the hotel, desperate for help. They don't find it. <br /><br />The proprietor, Dr. Conrad Backer, refuses to permit Mrs. Trimmer space even on the floor, and the couple is instead "forcibly ejected with profane and abusive language." The distraught family struggles to the nearby Sears House, and although accepted immediately by staff and attended to with great humanity, by then "the child had been born and had died from its brief exposure." The wife brings a $20,000 lawsuit for "personal damages" against the proprietor of the Backer House. She will be awarded a small fraction of that, $600. When Backer refuses to pay even that small fraction, he is jailed. <br /><br /><strong>More Backers</strong><br /><br />In 1891 (according to a 1929 article, which describes a return visit to the area), proprietor Henry B. Backer and his wife leave North Tonawanda for lumber interests in New York City. Before that, he was village clerk, and "took a leading part in the laying out of Thompson, Schenck, Robinson and other streets," donated the land for Live Hose, and founded defunct Alert Hose Company. <br /><br />On October 28, 1892, Dr. Conrad C. Backer dies at 73 and two days, leaving a wife and two children. <br /><br /><strong>Esther at the helm, her secret closet pillaged</strong><br /><br />By 1893, the hotel is being operated by a woman, Esther Backer, her husband having died the year before. The operation arrangement is novel enough for the News to write an article, included in this collection. <br /><br />On November 30, 1896, Mrs. Backer's hotel is again in the news, when she is the victim of robbery and arson. "In a peculiarly formed closet...,Mrs. Backer secretly kept her jewelry and silver plate, which had been in the family for many years." Someone stole these, along with linen, lace curtains and clothing. They then set a fire, seemingly in an effort to cover up the crime. The next day a 25 year-old "tramp" by the name of Walter Kimler is apprehended in West Falls, N. Y., and sent to the penitentiary for 30 days in connection with the burglary. A partner escapes. <br /><br /><strong>1897-1920: The City Hotel, The International Hotel</strong><br /><br />In the summer of 1897 it is renamed the "City Hotel," and by February 6, 1900, it is "The International Hotel." On October 31, 1900, Theodore Roosevelt makes a campaign speech nearby to some 7,000 locals; a historical marker erected in 2021 marks the event. <br /><br /><strong>1920: Simon Marone and the Washington Hotel, deadly fire</strong><br /><br />In 1920 the hotel is sold to Simon Marone, owner of a fruit and candy store on the first floor of the building. <br /><br />July 7, 1924 an item advertises "Hotel and boarding house, 21 rooms, complete sitting room, dance hall place and barber shop, bargain, for quick sale, owner leaving city, inquire 122 Webster Street." <br /><br />By 1924, it is being called the Washington Hotel. In late December, another fire guts the hotel, and claims three lives. <br /><br />In January 1925, proprietor Simon Marone intends to rebuild the interior. The address is given around this time as 122 Webster, and 118-124 Webster. <br /><br /><strong>1930s: The "indecent acts" of Ferris Saffires</strong><br /><br />January 20, 1934, proprietor Ferris Saffire is fined $25 for "permitting disorderly acts in his place of business," after a 24 year-old male and 20 year-old female were arrested and charged with indecency at the hotel. <br /><br />In February, seven of eight people who have been arrested with charges of public intoxication in a "room in the rear of" the hotel are given jail sentences. The eighth, a young woman, beats the charge.<br /><br /><strong>1935: Abraham G. Lewis and the "Lewis Hotel"</strong><br /><br />Somewhere around 1935, Syrian-born Abraham G. Lewis takes over the hotel, and names it in his image, as is often the custom. After the death of his first wife, in 1935 North Tonawanda furnishes him a second, and they are members of Ascension church.<br /><br />April 20, 1946 a boarder (Boleslaus Brodnicki, 58) dies of "heart disease" while on strike from Spaulding Fibre. <br /><br />On May 3, 1952, Lewis dies. A Courier Express claims he has operated the hotel for the last 20 years. The hotel seems to go on in his name for a few years, as in 1955 "Lewis Hotel" is mentioned in ads, and A "Lewis Hotel" (120 Webster) is mentioned in a September 1959 item. <br /><br /><strong>1960s and beyond: Del-Web Inn, demolition, tax sale</strong><br /><br />In 1964 a man is arrested at "Del-Web Inn," 122 Webster, for threatening patrons with a razor. A 1975 item mentions a building permit given to Walter J. Edin for 120 Webster "remodel." In 1978-12-19, 122 Webster is listed in a tax sale auction, with Walter Edin identified. In 1985-11-11 parcel is being auctioned, 120-122 Webster, "including part of abandoned state ditch." <br /><br /><strong>Legacy</strong><br /><br />The alley behind the site is still known as "Backer Alley."
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Tramp goes to the pen, Backer House robbery suspect, article (Buffalo Courier, 1896-12-01).jpg
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1896-12-01
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/b46bfe6344b759873903aaa2f0807909.jpg
337108eff604d7ec335aa6c8fef6af5c
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Rand Company, Kardex, Remington-Rand
Description
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The Rand family powerfully shaped the Tonawandas' business landscape over several generations. Starting in banking, the Rand men (sometimes in direct competition with one another) would become involved in filing systems, office furnishings, <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/10">automatic musical instruments</a>, and even what would be come the modern computer. In 1908, James Rand Sr.'s Rand Company has its Plant No.1 on the west side of Goundry, near the train bridge (now a parking lot). In 1919 Rand adds Plant No.2, the former North Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works (now Liston Mfg. Co.). The rival <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kardex_Group">Kardex company</a> (operated by James Rand Jr.) is in Tonawanda at Main, Wheeler and Franklin in 1920. This site is later Remington-Rand Plant No. 10 in Tonawanda, where a workers' strike is broken in early summer of 1936 (<a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2297">see plates 48 and 54 for maps</a> of Plants 10 and 11). <br /><br />Wikiepdia, <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remington_Rand_strike_of_1936%E2%80%931937">Remington Rand Strike of 1937-1937</a></i>:
<blockquote>The strike is notorious for spawning the "Mohawk Valley formula," a corporate plan for strikebreaking to discredit union leaders, frighten the public with the threat of violence, use local police and vigilantes to intimidate strikers, form puppet associations of "loyal employees" to influence public debate, fortify workplaces, employ large numbers of strikebreakers, and threaten to close the plant if work is not resumed.</blockquote>
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George Rand President ofTwo Banks, article (Tonawanda News, 1896-12-10).jpg
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1896-12-10
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b38efe195a994cdd67018817d024c8ae
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P. Scanlon bio from Landmarks of Niagara County, article (1897).jpg
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1897
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4329bd612cdd270a02b3b35dc69861dd
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North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory (1893-1903)
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An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/24d.jpg" alt="North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory, 1893 (colorized by webmaster)" /><span class="cover-caption">Nucleus of Wurlitzer: The North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory in 1893. It still stands in 2023.</span>
<p class="intro">The first of its kind in America, the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory makes automatic musical instruments to provide music for Allan Herschell's world-famous carousels. Led by the fiery Prussian gentleman-genius Eugene de Kleist, the firm survives an early national Depression to succeed beyond its wildest expectations with the help of a musical family from Ohio named the "Wurlitzers."</p>
<div class="img-caption-container"><img src="http://nthistory.com/files/square_thumbnails/cc9e0bcd6b738bbe4ed82bac5ef50e91.jpg" alt="Image description" />
<div class="caption">De Kleist band organ, c.1900.</div>
</div>
<b>Portable music of another era<br /><br /></b>Before the phonograph and radio, the next best thing to a live orchestra or marching band is a "band organ" or "orchestrion." Essentially giant music boxes with drums, pipe organs, brass horns and more, these devices are popular in Europe for centuries before being produced in the New World in 1893 with the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory. <br /><br />The factory is built in the spring of 1893 by local merry-go-round makers the <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/73">Armitage-Herschell Company</a> in the Sawyer's Creek / Martinsville area in the northeast of the recently incorporated City of North Tonawanda. To oversee operations, Armitage-Herschell recruits a German organ maker from London with whom they have been acquainted: the talented <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/936">Eugene de Kleist</a>. With a small crew of workers culled from England and the surrounding Martinsville farms, the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory also makes organs for churches, offers repairs on existing organs, and makes the pinned barrels that contain the music the organs play. After about a year, Armitage-Herschell sign ownership of the enterprise over to their capable superintendent.<br /><br /><strong>Meet the Wurlitzers</strong><br /><br />Business is middling until 1897, when de Kleist meets a decades-old musical retail concern from Cincinnati that will prove a valuable partner: the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company. The story goes that de Kleist was looking to interest the U. S. Army in buying his bugles, which were made as part of many of his band organs. de Kleist is told that the Wurlitzer company already has that business, so he approaches Wurlitzer, and is able to sell them some of his bugles. He also tries to interest Wurlitzer in his band organs, but they ask if he coud instead produce a coin-operated piano for use in taverns and restaurants. After over a year in development, the first "Tonophones" are ready in 1898, and are an immediate success. (Hear <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1023">Farny Wurlitzer</a> tell this story himself <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5dXbpPM7T0&t=5m29s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in this remarkable speech from 1964</a>).<br /><br />Similiar instruments, such as the Pianino, follow, and the small factory begins to grow, and over the next few years establishes the northwest corner of the massive Wurlitzer plant still standing in North Tonawanda today.
<p><strong>The de Kleist Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company</strong></p>
In 1903, the Barrel Organ Factory incorporates as the de Kleist Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company, with investment from banker James Thompson and some new top brass. Wurlitzer's interest in the North Tonawanda plant increases as Eugene de Kleist's seems to wane (<a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/936">see de Kleist's bio</a> for more on this). In 1905 a group of workers leaves to form the <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/75">Niagara Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company</a>; within a year another wave of defectors forms the <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/10">North Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works</a>. <br /><br />1908 begins auspiciously: in January, de Kleist (now mayor of North Tonawanda) lavishly fetes 700 employees and their families in the new music department building. His superintendent, Paul Von Rohl, delivers a speech in his honor, and they dance and carouse until morning light begins filtering over Sawyer's Creek.<br /><br />The following months will not be as good. de Kleist files a $50,000 infringement lawsuit against the aforementioned Instrument Works, but loses. In March, he leaves the aforementioned Paul Von Rohl in charge of the factory while he is off racing powerboats in Florida. de Kleist returns to suspect there has been rampant theft in his absence, and brings charges of grand larceny against Von Rohl, which are dropped, replaced by petit larceny charges, and then found unproved by a jury. In April, Mayor de Kleist accuses eight employees of stealing valuable machinery and plans from his factory, and of conspiring to start another rival factory. The summer brings more powerboating and politicking.<br /><br />Perhaps fearing for the security of their investment, Wurlitzer buys Eugene de Kleist out. <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/52">The Rudolph Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company</a> is organized in December of 1908 with $1,000,000 capital.
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North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory, photo, article (Illustrated Industrial, HST, 1897).jpg
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1897
organ
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7a881f928695c438fdb18349e82d55c8
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Gratwick (Neighborhood)
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The White, Gratwick & Mitchell Lumber Company establishes a planing mill and substantial lumberyards along the Niagara River in 1879. They employ 450 men, mostly of German origin, who settle northeast of the facilities. The village’s main street is named after prominent area resident, investor, industry and education advocate Benjamin F. Felton. By 1884 there is a "neat frame" school house with one teacher and 30 pupils, built by Felton (school board president at the time). Gratwick is incorporated into the City of North Tonawanda in 1897.<br /><br />From the guidebook "<a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/608">North Tonawanda and Tonawanda</a>" (1891):
<blockquote>Among the pioneers in the wholesale lumber trade of this place was W.H. Gratwick, who, in 1870, purchased fifty acres from Hon. John Simson and B.F. Felton, adjoining the Niagara River, about two miles below the mouth of Tonawanda Creek, and started a lumberyard. A half dozen years later P.W. Ledoux built the sash, door, and blind factory, which a few years later was purchased by Parks & Son, who operated the same until its recent purchase by HoUister Brothers. Mr. Gratwick erected a large planing mill in 1879, and from that time forward the place has steadily grown until it now has about 1,000 inhabitants. The lumber and mill interests of Gratwick, Smith & Fryer, Touawanda Lumber Co., and Hollister Brothers will be mentioned on other pages. <br /><br />Augustus Miller. — After the lumber interests, the next manufactory of importance in Gratwick is the wagon shop at the corner of Oliver and Felton streets. This was built in 1887 by August Miller, and besides doing all kinds of blacksmith and iron repair work, puts up a quantity of wagons, trucks, and other new work. Mr. Miller employs from five to ten men and has added an important industry to Gratwick, in a line of diversified manufacturing for which there is much room for development. <br /><br />Churches, Schools, Etc. — A class of the Methodist Episcopal church was organized in Gratwick in 1887, and the membership, a short time afterwards, commenced the erection of a church, which with lot, is worth about $3,000. This Avas dedicated in 1889 and has been in charge of Rev. J.S. Duxbury up to the present writing. <br /><br />St. Peter's German Evangelical church was organized April 5, 1888, by Rev. Kottler and the house of worship erected the same year. Rev. Conrad Bachman, who was educated at the missionschool ot Basle, Switzerland, came to this charge in October, 1888, and teaches the parochial school. Some sixty families are connected with this church. <br /><br />Gratwick has a public school with about 100 pupils, a brass band, two hose companies, and other societies; numerous hotels, stores, coal offices, and abundance of saloons. It was made a part of North Tonawanda corporation the present year, since which it has been placed in connection with the water mains, has electric lights, and other corporation advantages. <br /><br />Riverside. — From Gratwick station to the corporation limits on the west is nearly a mile, and as the river presents a graceful curve and nice beach in this vicinity, it has been proposed to call the station which will probably be located one and a half miles below Gratwick, "Riverside." Last year the Riverside Land Co. was incorporated and purchased forty acres on the north side of the Erie railroad, mostly within the new corporate limits. The officers are H.E. Warner, Pres.; J.A. Kuck, of Buflalo, V.P.; Charles W. Archibald, of North Tonawanda, Sec, and L. Landauer, of Albion, Treas. <br /><br />Bluff Point. — E.A. Milliman, a farmer and contractor, of Wheatfield town, has been seven times appointed a deputy collector, which office he now holds. Mr. Milliman owns a handsome farm of 120 acres at Bluff Point, bounded on the west and south by the Niagara River. The river at this point has a clean gravel shore with high bluff, making a delightful place for a summer location. <em>Editor's note: <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/607">1878 illustration and modern photo</a></em><br /><br />G.F. Goerss, also a deputy collector, owns a fifty-acre farm near the mile line, which is handsomely located and will presently be within the radius of development. Last year he erected a dwelling in Gratwick. Mr. Goerss was born in Wheatfield and is an authority on real estate values. He has been supervisor, J.P., Justice of Sessions, and in 1887-8 a member of Assembly.</blockquote>
<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/browse?tags=gratwick">More items tagged "Gratwick" ></a>
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Grasping, Gratwick possible Pan-Am site, article (Tonawanda News, 1897).jpg
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1897
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/c8c0ace2536ae4f9347f09148592151b.jpg
81ebe7ec9cf725221f81ccd82c144451
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Sensational Rumors of Startling Developments in Lumber Exchange Bank Affairs, article (Tonawanda News, 1897-07-13).jpg
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1897-07-13
bank
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/e66aecd09047102b23511333c0f4c8ce.jpg
d98d3b92f476541b9a5545ec7d67418d
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North Tonawanda Public Market
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<img class="cover" alt="The market, c.1909" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/147.jpg" /><span class="cover-caption">The North Tonawanda Public Market brought thousands of customers on its first day of operation. Photo date unknown.</span> The first official date of operation of the market near the corner of Robinson and Payne is August 23, 1908
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Market to be voted on, article (Tonawanda News, 1897-08-12).jpg
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1897-08-12
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/1c7123276e297dcc7909c43f74871dc8.jpg
252e7cc84da394468f229fb60230fc6e
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Pine Woods School
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Public School #3, built 1892.
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Pine Woods School Improved, article (Tonawanda News, 1897-09-07).jpg
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1897-09-07
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54f824fba67074df0259e522f11187ac
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Parnell and Tonawanda Tug of War, article (Tonawanda News, 1897-09-07).jpg
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Two tugs battle for supremacy.
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1897-09-07
oddity
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/7089b746a19e31c0c723fce110779297.jpg
8fd136b06849f7cfe227184c751bab8a
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Striking Canallers, Pan Am Exposition News, article (Tonawanda News, 1897-09-13).jpg
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1897-09-13
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/9fa8119fbd4b18cb8dcc48d94502fb48.pdf
e0b2e50a8f51d8106e6ff3f3c999242f
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Alexander's Lounge, 46 Sweeney
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" alt="Alexander's, ink and watercolor (Dennis Reed Jr)" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/122.jpg" /><span class="cover-caption">Alexander's, ink and watercolor (Dennis Reed Jr). </span> If you are expecting the current <em>gentlemen's establishment </em>Alexander's Lounge to have a colorful past, you will <em>not</em> be disappointed. <br /><br />Since at least 1882, North Tonawandans have come to this address for entertainment, food, drink, and (in former times) to rent a room. It is hard to say how much, if any, of the building here today is "original." Niagara County parcel records date the current structure is <a href="https://niagaracounty.prosgar.com/PROSParcel/Parcel/12832?swis=291200">built in 1938</a>.<br /><br /><strong>Early Years: The White Star Hotel</strong><br /><br />In <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/files/original/9fa8119fbd4b18cb8dcc48d94502fb48.pdf">1882</a> Captain James Ennis is the proprietor of the White Star Hotel here. Photos in the early 20th Century show a much taller, 3-story building on the site. By 1905 the hotel has changed hands to William Phelps. <br /><br /><strong>Perew years</strong><br /><br />Canadian-born eccentric <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2154">Philip Perew</a> is running the White Star by September 1907. It is likely that some of the "liberties" now associated with the site were already being taken at this early date--Perew owns a dozen or so Goose Island houses of ill repute in his lifetime. Liquor and women was pretty much his business model (and <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/106">questionable inventions</a>, but that's another story.)<br /><br />How eccentric is he? He keeps a "menagerie" of exotic animals with him at the hotel. The collection of poor souls is narrowly evacuted before a disastrous 1909 fire guts the building. Making the evacuation slightly easier is the fact that, as the <em>Tonawanda News</em> reports, "the wildcat and the Russian wolf had been removed to another place some weeks ago." <br /><br />During Prohibition the White Star "Inn" is a recurring target of dry agents. In 1937 (immediately after his Goose Island establishments are shuttered by police) Perew accuses Chief Criminal Deputy Amedeo L. Coppola of shaking him down for $200 a month in bribes, and takes him to court in a trial that is a local sensation. Perew lives here until his death in 1946.<br /><br />By 1950 the building is condemned as "unfit for human habitation," and the remaining lodgers are evicted. <br /><br /><strong>Silver Sail: Saunders years</strong><br /><br />Josephine "Pammy" Saunders purchases the building from Perew.* A large investment in a shiny new restaurant in the basement is made, and the "Silver Sail Restaurant" is up and running. It is advertised in 1952 with Dorothy "Thompson" as proprietor. I am assured by a descendant that no monkey business was happening at 46 Sweeney in this era. (<a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2648">This photograph</a> of John Saunders tending bar in front of a "No Dancing" sign seems to support this claim.) Josephine Saunders is granted a liquor license for the Silver Sail as late as 10/19/1965. She dies 4/29/1966.<br /><br /><strong>Alexander's Lounge: Enter the Vergos (c. 1967)</strong><br /><br />Wild times return to the old haunt with the arrival of the Vergos brothers in our story: the club's namesake "Alex," and Peter. The first time their name appears in print in the Tonawanda News is May 1967 in an ad for a waitress and cook. An August 1969 melee causes brother-owners Alex G. and Peter G. Vergos to be charged by State Liquor Authority with "improper conduct" and "disorder"; In 1972 charges against Alex of sexual abuse of a "go-go dancer" are dropped. In 1979 another disastrous fire strikes the (3-story) building. Perhaps this fire is what results in the shorter building we know today?<br /><br />Alexander G. Vergos dies January 21, 1994.<br /><br />-<br /><br /><em>*This information is from a Saunder family member. Uncertain year - Dorothy Saunders was operating it by 1939. </em>
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The Log Cabin (Hotel), White Star Hotel owned by Capt. James Ennis, article (Ton News, 1897-10-08).pdf
Date
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1897-10-08
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Wonderfully descriptive article relates a chance encounter by two wheeling dandies with Capt. James Ennis and his "Log Cabin," "a famous resort on the River Road" located "at the foot of trolley trestle."<br /><br />Resembling a picturesque tavern from a "Western mining camp," the cabin was said to be 100 years old. <br /><br />The proprietor is "a genial, hearty, whole-souled man, still rugged and sound—a rough diamond, all the better, perhaps, for not being too highly polished, with a good deal of originality and humor." <br /><br />"His son, Edgar, an expert mixer of drinks, stood behind the bar." <br /><br />Many "wheelmen" have been stopping at the new attraction, "finding it an enjoyable daily trip from Buffalo, Tonawanda or Niagara Falls. The fishing is fine and the boating is excellent, while there isn't a better beach along the entire shore." <br /><br />"Mr. Ennis introduced us to his famous horse Dan and his little red wagon, and told us how Col. Payne—one of Tonawanda's most prominent citizens—had recently stopped at his house and explained that he had dined beneath its log roof 65 years ago, when the early history of Erie County was being made."<br /><br />He plans to build a proper hotel on the site, and keep the log cabin around as a "curiosity."<br /><br />Capt. Ennis has owned White Star Hotel it for the "past 15 years," the aritcle claims, though an <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2633">1890 Buffalo Courier article</a> says Ennis bought the establishment in 1890, having been the lessee before that.
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Tonawanda Lumber and Saw Mill Co.
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Fire in North Tonawanda, Tonawanda Lumber and Saw Mill Company, article (1899).png
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1899
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/63fb38ec3a9a34d7ea148c9e54c46d7d.jpg
427c885891ec8a6bad81c204c18c33e7
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Perew's Electric Man and Other Inventions
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/106.jpg" alt="The Electric Man appears to draw a car" /><span class="cover-caption">Perew's most famous invention, a patented, giant automaton known variously as the "Electric Man," "Peter the Great," "Christopher," and the "Frankenstein of Tonawanda," appeared to draw a car but was actually pushed by it. Photo: Granger Collection, c1900.</span> Louis Philip Perew (1862-1946) came to the Tonawandas at 17 in 1879 from Quebec. He came with his brothers and his father, a lake boat captain who settled on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a>. <br /><br />He was a boat captain like his father, but was best known as an inventor. In addition to his Electric Man (which underwent many changes over the years as he refined the technology and sought a market), Perew is credited with developing anti-torpedo technology, a <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/867">canal electric trolley system</a>, a cigar lighter, and a <a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US499800?oq=499800">new merry-go-round system</a>. His inventions met with varying degrees of sucess.<br /><br />He was associated with local merry-go-round makers <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/100">Gillie, Goddard and Company</a>. He and Goddard were implicated in one of the most horrific events in the Tonawandas history: the double murder by a mob of a canal boat captain and his son over a labor dispute in October of 1895. Neither was ultimately convicted.<br /><br />In 1909 he is proprietor of the White Star Hotel. Perew was an avid boat racer and builder, and owned a gasoline cruiser and a yacht in 1910s. In 1916, after the Webster Street bridge was destroyed by ice, he was hired to construct a temporary pontoon bridge while the bascule bridge was being built. In 1925 he has a store at 152 North Niagara Street in Tonawanda. He is said to have had a "private zoo" with a "Russian wolf."<br /><br />Perew also owned several "disorderly houses" on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a> (he claims in the Cappola trial he bought them from a bank and had no idea they were disorderly). He runs afoul of the law quite often during Prohibition, and is involved in a very public bribery case against local police. Goose Island's bordellos and taverns would finally be closed down in the late 1930s. Perew lives all the way until 1946 at the White Star Hotel. The hotel's entertainments include square dancing nights and "Spanish dancing" girls. The address of the White Star Hotel? 46 Sweeney Street in North Tonawanda: the site of the present-day Alexander's Gentleman's Lounge.
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<ul>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/TheStrandMagazineAnIllustratedMonthly/page/n6">An Electric Man, Strand Magazine (1900) - archive.org</a></li>
<li><a href="http://cyberneticzoo.com/walking-machines/1894-1914-electric-man-perew-american/">1894-1914 – Electric Man – Perew - cyberneticzoo.com</a></li>
<li><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=NXOdDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PT67&ots=h__RbBghkS&dq=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&pg=PT66#v=onepage&q=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&f=false"><em>Robots in American Popular Culture</em> (pp 60-62).</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.buffalohistorygazette.net/2010/09/the-man-of-tonawanda.html">The Automatic Man of Tonawanda! Buffalo History Gazette</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew</a></li>
</ul>
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Canal trolleys, NT man has invented plan, article (Buffalo Courier, 1899-10-29).jpg
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1899-10-29
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/860b6c7761c5431817b0f15a57dd0187.jpg
f958d5276dd9a62e8e27f26cb7709e34
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Hannah Johnson
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(ca. 1799 - 1883) Hannah Johnson is a Black woman who lived with her husband John in the predominantly white township of Wheatfield, near the village of Tonawanda. Popularly known as "Black" or "Aunt" Hannah, she is a reputed fortune-teller (teacup reader) who is visited by ladies of the area to have their future told. She is also said to have sweets and treats at the ready for the local children who visited often.<br /><br />Her obituary says she was born "in bondage" in Albany around 1800. In 1825 the Erie Canal is completed, and in 1827 slavery is abolished in New York State (after a period of "Gradual Emancipation"). It is believed Hannah came to North Tonawanda about this time. <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1049">One later writer relays the recollection of an old-timer</a> that Hannah Johnson is part of a "small colony of blacks" that settles along the banks of Tonawanda Creek. According to this account, the blacks' cabins are burned in a raid by locals, and their belongings thrown into the creek. <br /><br />Another account from resident Brenda Fire Flateau maintains:
<blockquote>My Great Grandfather Zaggel was involved with the Underground Railroad. He took in the slave known as "Black Hannah" until her husband caught up with her. She stayed with him and then in the woods across from his farm, which was his property.</blockquote>
Hannah Johnson lives in a cabin near a medicinal sulphur well in the vicinity of present-day South Meadow Drive, close to East Goundry (see maps in this set). The cabin is on the property of Dr. Jesse F. Locke <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/72518630/jesse-f-locke">(1810-1861)</a>, the area's first resident physician (two Lockes are <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1662">noted in the business directory</a> of this 1860 map). Other blacks, some from the south, appear on census reports. An <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DYZQ-XV2?cc=1401638&wc=95RD-N3D%3A1031313801%2C1034650201%2C1031935201%20:%209%20April%20201">1850 census</a> shows (Farmer) John and Hanna Johanson from NY, black, with Henry Hall from Virginia, Joseph (black, Canada b1812) and Ann Polly (a female "mulatto" from Ireland b1820), and a Stephen Smith (black, Ireland, b1815), all in a frame dwelling. The <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-8BPB-86L?cc=1937366&wc=M6GQ-3P6%3A237409601%2C237515901%20:%2022%20May%202014">1855 census</a> shows Hannah hailing from Albany, John from Washington, and a "Henry Hall" from Maryland. Also says each had been in the city for the last 25 years.<br /><br />Jesse Locke dies March 12, 1861. A farmer by the name of John Chadwick takes ownership of the larger property containing the Johnsons' cabin. Some sources say Mr. Chadwick grants them a life-long lease on the property, but the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage report suggests John Jonson already owned at least some portion of land by 1850, perhaps purchasing directly from Dr. Locke. John Johnson dies sometime before 1870. From 1872 to 1882, a John Fonner who lives nearby challenges Hannah's ownership claim in court, and John Chadwick assists her.<br /><br />Hannah dies in 1883 after an illness of two weeks. It is rumored that non-native flowers grow on the site (unusual red trilliums grew during her lifetime). She is buried in Sweeney Cemetery. <br /><br />Hannah leaves an impression on the imagination of the citizenry, as she figures for decades afterward in its ghost tales, and "Black Hannah's Woods" are whispered to be a haunted realm. Her story is resurrected and recast in a poetic and affecting <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1059">1961 <em>News</em> essay</a> by Elizabeth Wherry. The tale is taken up again in a February 1982 edition of the local historical magazine <em>The Lumber Shover</em>.<br /><br />Although it is not settled, it seems at least possible that Hannah's cabin may have served as a stop on the Underground Railroad for blacks escaping slavery. <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2014">A document on the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Area website</a> (page 192) offers some measured reflections on the subject.<br /><br />A "Hannah Haines" is buried near the Zaggel family in Sweeney Cemetery; A person of the same name is found in the <a href="https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVNJ-GFZ8">1865 state</a> and the <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6X8G-85?cc=1438024&wc=9227-6TP%3A518819101%2C520055301%2C519325001%20:%2014%20June%202019">1870 U.S. Census</a> living in Wheatfield with a "Brown" family (like her, from Maine and New England). However, her grave gives her death as the 1870s (HJ died in 1883), and the census gives her race as white. Obit in Ton Herald 1877-08-28 spelled "Hannah C. Haynes."
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John Chadwick land to be auctioned, article (Tonawanda News, c1900).jpg
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1900
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/96d36152033e131e7aeda73e08758bec.jpg
5a3ced771095810505fca9e00bea2ecb
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Felton High School and Grammar School
Description
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Built in 1901, the visually striking Felton High School once stretched along Thompson Street between Bryant and Falconer streets. It was named after local leader <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/650">Benjamin F. Felton</a>, who was<span> president of North Tonawanda's Board of Education for 30 years. The building </span>would later be used as a grammar school. Although demolished in 1969, it is not entirely forgotten: we still call the field across Payne Avenue (which was a N.Y. Central train yard and later in 1919 the site of NT's first public playground) "Felton Field."
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Thompson Site for New High School, article (Tonawanda News, 1900-01-05).jpg
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1900-01-05
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/86f8248e06018ab20d8bbea1bdb3923c.jpg
5bfdd532c0fd6d0883e30974e69be728
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Felton High School and Grammar School
Description
An account of the resource
Built in 1901, the visually striking Felton High School once stretched along Thompson Street between Bryant and Falconer streets. It was named after local leader <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/650">Benjamin F. Felton</a>, who was<span> president of North Tonawanda's Board of Education for 30 years. The building </span>would later be used as a grammar school. Although demolished in 1969, it is not entirely forgotten: we still call the field across Payne Avenue (which was a N.Y. Central train yard and later in 1919 the site of NT's first public playground) "Felton Field."
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Remarkable Election of Thompson High School Site (Ton News, 1900-01-08).jpg
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1900-01-08
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/a6fd30ce7e807f4f07f295f926ae5c8d.jpg
714b7da2d8d543e7d465ef8a8a4a6813
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Perew's Electric Man and Other Inventions
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/106.jpg" alt="The Electric Man appears to draw a car" /><span class="cover-caption">Perew's most famous invention, a patented, giant automaton known variously as the "Electric Man," "Peter the Great," "Christopher," and the "Frankenstein of Tonawanda," appeared to draw a car but was actually pushed by it. Photo: Granger Collection, c1900.</span> Louis Philip Perew (1862-1946) came to the Tonawandas at 17 in 1879 from Quebec. He came with his brothers and his father, a lake boat captain who settled on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a>. <br /><br />He was a boat captain like his father, but was best known as an inventor. In addition to his Electric Man (which underwent many changes over the years as he refined the technology and sought a market), Perew is credited with developing anti-torpedo technology, a <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/867">canal electric trolley system</a>, a cigar lighter, and a <a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US499800?oq=499800">new merry-go-round system</a>. His inventions met with varying degrees of sucess.<br /><br />He was associated with local merry-go-round makers <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/100">Gillie, Goddard and Company</a>. He and Goddard were implicated in one of the most horrific events in the Tonawandas history: the double murder by a mob of a canal boat captain and his son over a labor dispute in October of 1895. Neither was ultimately convicted.<br /><br />In 1909 he is proprietor of the White Star Hotel. Perew was an avid boat racer and builder, and owned a gasoline cruiser and a yacht in 1910s. In 1916, after the Webster Street bridge was destroyed by ice, he was hired to construct a temporary pontoon bridge while the bascule bridge was being built. In 1925 he has a store at 152 North Niagara Street in Tonawanda. He is said to have had a "private zoo" with a "Russian wolf."<br /><br />Perew also owned several "disorderly houses" on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a> (he claims in the Cappola trial he bought them from a bank and had no idea they were disorderly). He runs afoul of the law quite often during Prohibition, and is involved in a very public bribery case against local police. Goose Island's bordellos and taverns would finally be closed down in the late 1930s. Perew lives all the way until 1946 at the White Star Hotel. The hotel's entertainments include square dancing nights and "Spanish dancing" girls. The address of the White Star Hotel? 46 Sweeney Street in North Tonawanda: the site of the present-day Alexander's Gentleman's Lounge.
Source
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<ul>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/TheStrandMagazineAnIllustratedMonthly/page/n6">An Electric Man, Strand Magazine (1900) - archive.org</a></li>
<li><a href="http://cyberneticzoo.com/walking-machines/1894-1914-electric-man-perew-american/">1894-1914 – Electric Man – Perew - cyberneticzoo.com</a></li>
<li><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=NXOdDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PT67&ots=h__RbBghkS&dq=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&pg=PT66#v=onepage&q=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&f=false"><em>Robots in American Popular Culture</em> (pp 60-62).</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.buffalohistorygazette.net/2010/09/the-man-of-tonawanda.html">The Automatic Man of Tonawanda! Buffalo History Gazette</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew</a></li>
</ul>
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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A test, invention will be tried in canal, article (Tonawanda News, 1900-01-12).jpg
Date
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1900-01-12
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/892c7bbbdd4528158859980062aaee95.jpg
3e732c8cad1dfba0051f850a79c1742f
https://nthistory.com/files/original/ce09e1915afb159388317fa3256b0376.jpg
9d4327f47911ce8c699b31a2b626e926
https://nthistory.com/files/original/40887752d362a72bd6746d4ecab3cc27.jpg
595969ba3a8f12ff04ef1c66d8c1f954
https://nthistory.com/files/original/ccfc5a30d3a27e66d5ef0c72c17da10d.jpg
ae4f668a56c43adfaee6bff85db31dc6
https://nthistory.com/files/original/0638d291d13424f5ef0732c932e40c32.jpg
844d8c0a9b6a0b2a0d6772d42d285969
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The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Perew's Electric Man and Other Inventions
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/106.jpg" alt="The Electric Man appears to draw a car" /><span class="cover-caption">Perew's most famous invention, a patented, giant automaton known variously as the "Electric Man," "Peter the Great," "Christopher," and the "Frankenstein of Tonawanda," appeared to draw a car but was actually pushed by it. Photo: Granger Collection, c1900.</span> Louis Philip Perew (1862-1946) came to the Tonawandas at 17 in 1879 from Quebec. He came with his brothers and his father, a lake boat captain who settled on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a>. <br /><br />He was a boat captain like his father, but was best known as an inventor. In addition to his Electric Man (which underwent many changes over the years as he refined the technology and sought a market), Perew is credited with developing anti-torpedo technology, a <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/867">canal electric trolley system</a>, a cigar lighter, and a <a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US499800?oq=499800">new merry-go-round system</a>. His inventions met with varying degrees of sucess.<br /><br />He was associated with local merry-go-round makers <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/100">Gillie, Goddard and Company</a>. He and Goddard were implicated in one of the most horrific events in the Tonawandas history: the double murder by a mob of a canal boat captain and his son over a labor dispute in October of 1895. Neither was ultimately convicted.<br /><br />In 1909 he is proprietor of the White Star Hotel. Perew was an avid boat racer and builder, and owned a gasoline cruiser and a yacht in 1910s. In 1916, after the Webster Street bridge was destroyed by ice, he was hired to construct a temporary pontoon bridge while the bascule bridge was being built. In 1925 he has a store at 152 North Niagara Street in Tonawanda. He is said to have had a "private zoo" with a "Russian wolf."<br /><br />Perew also owned several "disorderly houses" on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a> (he claims in the Cappola trial he bought them from a bank and had no idea they were disorderly). He runs afoul of the law quite often during Prohibition, and is involved in a very public bribery case against local police. Goose Island's bordellos and taverns would finally be closed down in the late 1930s. Perew lives all the way until 1946 at the White Star Hotel. The hotel's entertainments include square dancing nights and "Spanish dancing" girls. The address of the White Star Hotel? 46 Sweeney Street in North Tonawanda: the site of the present-day Alexander's Gentleman's Lounge.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<ul>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/TheStrandMagazineAnIllustratedMonthly/page/n6">An Electric Man, Strand Magazine (1900) - archive.org</a></li>
<li><a href="http://cyberneticzoo.com/walking-machines/1894-1914-electric-man-perew-american/">1894-1914 – Electric Man – Perew - cyberneticzoo.com</a></li>
<li><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=NXOdDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PT67&ots=h__RbBghkS&dq=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&pg=PT66#v=onepage&q=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&f=false"><em>Robots in American Popular Culture</em> (pp 60-62).</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.buffalohistorygazette.net/2010/09/the-man-of-tonawanda.html">The Automatic Man of Tonawanda! Buffalo History Gazette</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew</a></li>
</ul>
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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An Electric Man, article (Strand Magazine, Vol. 20, 1900-02ish).jpg
Date
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1900-02
Source
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https://archive.org/details/TheStrandMagazineAnIllustratedMonthly/page/n6
Description
An account of the resource
American ingenuity is ever striving for startling effects. It is never satisfied. Ordinary achievements seem beneath its attention. It looks beyond, even if the object of its aim be more or less fantastic.
One of the latest freaks of mechanical skill is the contsruction, by Louis Philip Perew, of Tonawanda, NewYork - a small town near Niagra Falls - of a gigantic man. Parew, with all the ardour of a modern Frankenstein, has endeavoured to make his man as life like in appearance as possible. Not only is its outward form a close model of a human being, but within it have been secreted mechanical devices which endow the automation with weird properties, making it even more nearly resemble an intelligent being.
Nikola Tesla recently constructed a machine called the Telaumaton. It did everything but think. Perew has out-Teslaed Tesla. The great electrician's device bore no resemblance to a human being. It was devoid of the human body as a medium through which to operate.
The Frankenstein of Tonawanda has brought into existance a thing of wood, rubber, and metals, which walks, talks, runs, jumps, rolls its eyes - imitating to a nicety almost every action of the original on which it is founded. All that is lacking is the essential spirit - the Promethean fire, as it were - which would enable one to say to the automatic creature, "Thou art a man".
On first sight of the automation one is impressed with the exceedingly life-like appearance of the novel object. Were it not for the abnormal height - 7ft 5in - one would almost mistake the figure for that of an actual man. It is true there is a sort of woodeness about the face that betrays its nature; but, for that matter, many human faces are "wooden" in expression. the figure is clothed in a huge suit of white duck, and in its coat - a rather fantastic decoration, to my judgement - is a pretty boutoniere. On the mans enourmouse head is a cap of Brobdingnagian proportions. Never before was so large a hat turned out by any manufacturer. It is made of white duck, like the suit.
The feet of the machine-man are of gigantic mould. It wears a shoe the size of which is 13. Within the shoe the feet are composed of inflated rubber.
One of the most striking objects about the man are the hands. They are more true to life than any other portion of the figure. The skin effect is marvelous. The hands are bronzed, as if from exposure and hardwork, and the delusion is still farther carried out in many minute particulars. Ordinarily, these hands are shown grasping metal rings, attached to chains, which in turn are connected with the small waggon which the figure draws.
Seen in a position of rest, the figure of the automation does not strike one as being especially life-like. It lacks the muscular repose of the human body.
But when this figure is put in motion by means of its interior mechanism the resemblance to a living man is very striking.
At request Mr. Perew, the inventor, put the figure through its "paces". The exhibition took place in a large hall in Tonawanda. At first the automation took a slightly undecided step, advancing with the right foot and bringing it down with a little jolt. This movement was accompanied by a slight whirring noise, as if clockwork had been set in motion. With the right foot planted in advance, the figure then raised itself slightly on the ball of the foot; drew up the left foot, advanced it, and placed it down with somewhat more easy motion than the first movement. Then the figure began to walk.
It walked smoothly, and almost noiselessly. The tread was light, firm, and elastic. Twice the figure made the circumference of the hall without stopping. It was controlled by means of an eletric battery. The walk was rapid, and at the end of the journey around the hall the step was as resilient as at the begining. The inventor of the machine-man said it could keep up that pace for an almost unlimited time. But the figure, on this question, spoke for itself. "I am going to walk from New York to San Fransisco," it said, in a deep clear voice. The voice sounded as if it proceeded from a megaphone. Within the bosom of the automation is concealed a talking machine. Perew's man may be taught to say anything.
When the automation had been made to walk around the hall in which it is kept the inventor caused it to do some feats which, to an ordinary onlooker, seemed impossible for the performance of an insensate thing. A large block of wood was placed in the path of the machine, and when it came to this obstruction it stopped, rolled its eyes in the direction of the obstacle, as if calculating how it could surmount it. It then deliberately raised the right foot, placed it upon the object, and stepped down on the other side. The motion seemed uncannily realistic. You almost feel like shrinking from before those rolling eyes. The visionless orbs are operated by means of clock-work situated within the head.
Inventor Perew has closely concealed from view the interior mechanism of his automatic man. The skin of the man, however is made of aluminium, this metal being chosen on account of its lightness. The man is supported within by a strong steel frame-work, and the interior doubtless contains an electric storage battery. In the small of the back is a small metal tube about one-half inch in diameter. Into this tube, which connects with the opeator seated in the automobile waggon behind the figure, runs the current which guides the figure through its various movements. No connection between the figure and the automobile exists - other than the chains already mentioned and the little tube. The power in the figure is supplied within itself.
For several years Mr. Perew has been engaged in inventing various appliances. He is more or less skilled in all branches of mechanical work, and his mind teems with ideas which are often as astonishing as they are original.
As far back as 1891 the inventor of the present automatic man constructed a small working model embodying his ideas. It was a little figure of wood. It was 2&1/2 ft. in height, and attached to a small cart. The little figure drew the waggon about, and many persons wondered at the ingenuity of the man who could invent so novel a machine. Then the inventor conceived the idea of building a still more remarkable figure. If the small model could be made to work, there was no reason why a life-sized figure would not do equally as well as, or even better than, the smaller machine.
Capitalists in Mr. Perew's own town became convinced that money could be made out of the automatic figure, if it were constructed on an enlarged scale. At first imagination rather ran riot as to the possible uses to which the machine-man could be put. It could be made to carry loads in places inaccessible to ordinary vehicles with wheels; it could ascend heights impossible to men. It could walk distances which would weary the most skilful pedestrian; it could be made to do a thousand and one things which men of flesh and blood would shrink from.
Perhaps, in time, imagination suggested, it could become a fighting appliance, carrying death and destruction in its machinery. Guided by electrical wires, why should not a man of this kind be sent out as a carriage for a species of rapid-fire gun? Protected by bullet-proof clothing, it would prove a fearless and dangerous foe. If the body could be made to move at certain angles the aim of the automaton could be directed by an operator concealed and protected from harm. Why not?
In cogitating over all these possibilities Mr. Perew saw for his automaton a brilliant future. The difficulty now was to convince others that his ideas could be made to work..
With his wooden model he applied, to one capitalist after another, endeavouring to raise sufficient money to carry out his ideas in a practical manner. At length he succeeded in interesting Mr. Charles A. Thomas, a moneyed man who resided in Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Thomas purchased an interest in the patent rights, which had been secured by Perew, and, before long, a regular company was formed. It was known as the United States Automaton Company, the main offices of which were situated in Buffalo, New York State.
It is understood that a great deal more money is behind the enterprise. It is even said that the company will soon be manufacturing automatons for shipment to all parts of the world.
The first shipment outside the United States will be made to England. Perhaps, before many months have passed, Londoners may awaken some fine morning to see a man of Titan build hurrying through the streets drawing an omnibus. It might not be even amiss to suggest, in advance, a title for the 'bus line - how would the ‘Frankenstein Express’ answer?
Can such a motive-power be operated cheaper than an ordinary automobile? Is it better than horseflesh? Would it be allowed on the city streets? Would it not endanger life from causing horses to run away? Would it not prove too great a shock to children and nervous women? These are questions which can only be answered after actual experimentation.
The building of the great automaton has been done in much secrecy. Mr. Perew did not wish his work to be talked about before it was well nigh completion. He thought people might conclude that he was a crank without practical aim. Now, however, that the automaton is a finished work - satisfactory in every way to the inventor and to those associated with him - he has permitted inspection.
The boast of the strange creation of the inventor's mind is said to be a perfectly reasonable one. It has been announced by the United States Automation Company that, before long, they intend starting the figure on a walk across the Continent. It will draw behind it a light waggon, in which will be seated Messrs. Fred Michaels and J. A. Deschinger.
The inventor claims that he can make the figure move at the rate of twenty miles an hour, or 480 miles for the day's run. This twenty-mile-an-hour rate of speed allows for three stoppages out of each day, an hour's time being allowed for each stop. A fast train between New York and San Fransisco accomplishes the 3,250 miles between the two points in 124 & 1/2 hours. The automatic man, travelling the same distance, would take 162 & 1/2 hours - or only thirty-eight hours slower than the fastest train. Not a bad record for a pedestrian, by the way!
Were the inventor of the strange mechanical man a crank, and all his ideas only on paper, little attention might be paid to his fantastic notions. But Mr. Perew seems eminently practical. Besides, he has associated with him in his enterprise a number of level-headed business men who would not spend a penny unless they were able to see the money coming back to them at no distant time, and with increased interest.
The turning out of automations of the same build and construction as the first model will soon be in progress. Perew has already realized a decided triumph, so far as mechanical detail goes. The utility of the project now remains to be demonstrated.
electricity
oddity
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/cecdcb3f99a52af3f4ab334a8d72b6f8.jpg
25722e768452f7bde0d5d1096e86e465
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Title
A name given to the resource
Perew's Electric Man and Other Inventions
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/106.jpg" alt="The Electric Man appears to draw a car" /><span class="cover-caption">Perew's most famous invention, a patented, giant automaton known variously as the "Electric Man," "Peter the Great," "Christopher," and the "Frankenstein of Tonawanda," appeared to draw a car but was actually pushed by it. Photo: Granger Collection, c1900.</span> Louis Philip Perew (1862-1946) came to the Tonawandas at 17 in 1879 from Quebec. He came with his brothers and his father, a lake boat captain who settled on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a>. <br /><br />He was a boat captain like his father, but was best known as an inventor. In addition to his Electric Man (which underwent many changes over the years as he refined the technology and sought a market), Perew is credited with developing anti-torpedo technology, a <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/867">canal electric trolley system</a>, a cigar lighter, and a <a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US499800?oq=499800">new merry-go-round system</a>. His inventions met with varying degrees of sucess.<br /><br />He was associated with local merry-go-round makers <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/100">Gillie, Goddard and Company</a>. He and Goddard were implicated in one of the most horrific events in the Tonawandas history: the double murder by a mob of a canal boat captain and his son over a labor dispute in October of 1895. Neither was ultimately convicted.<br /><br />In 1909 he is proprietor of the White Star Hotel. Perew was an avid boat racer and builder, and owned a gasoline cruiser and a yacht in 1910s. In 1916, after the Webster Street bridge was destroyed by ice, he was hired to construct a temporary pontoon bridge while the bascule bridge was being built. In 1925 he has a store at 152 North Niagara Street in Tonawanda. He is said to have had a "private zoo" with a "Russian wolf."<br /><br />Perew also owned several "disorderly houses" on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a> (he claims in the Cappola trial he bought them from a bank and had no idea they were disorderly). He runs afoul of the law quite often during Prohibition, and is involved in a very public bribery case against local police. Goose Island's bordellos and taverns would finally be closed down in the late 1930s. Perew lives all the way until 1946 at the White Star Hotel. The hotel's entertainments include square dancing nights and "Spanish dancing" girls. The address of the White Star Hotel? 46 Sweeney Street in North Tonawanda: the site of the present-day Alexander's Gentleman's Lounge.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<ul>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/TheStrandMagazineAnIllustratedMonthly/page/n6">An Electric Man, Strand Magazine (1900) - archive.org</a></li>
<li><a href="http://cyberneticzoo.com/walking-machines/1894-1914-electric-man-perew-american/">1894-1914 – Electric Man – Perew - cyberneticzoo.com</a></li>
<li><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=NXOdDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PT67&ots=h__RbBghkS&dq=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&pg=PT66#v=onepage&q=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&f=false"><em>Robots in American Popular Culture</em> (pp 60-62).</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.buffalohistorygazette.net/2010/09/the-man-of-tonawanda.html">The Automatic Man of Tonawanda! Buffalo History Gazette</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew</a></li>
</ul>
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Title
A name given to the resource
Philip Perew's scheme, article (Tonawanda News, 1900-02-02).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1900-02-02
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/1e42c46a0ea30d5ca933f405a39bf914.jpg
5544e1e3514801a13a3ebac13514c73c
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The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Perew's Electric Man and Other Inventions
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/106.jpg" alt="The Electric Man appears to draw a car" /><span class="cover-caption">Perew's most famous invention, a patented, giant automaton known variously as the "Electric Man," "Peter the Great," "Christopher," and the "Frankenstein of Tonawanda," appeared to draw a car but was actually pushed by it. Photo: Granger Collection, c1900.</span> Louis Philip Perew (1862-1946) came to the Tonawandas at 17 in 1879 from Quebec. He came with his brothers and his father, a lake boat captain who settled on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a>. <br /><br />He was a boat captain like his father, but was best known as an inventor. In addition to his Electric Man (which underwent many changes over the years as he refined the technology and sought a market), Perew is credited with developing anti-torpedo technology, a <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/867">canal electric trolley system</a>, a cigar lighter, and a <a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US499800?oq=499800">new merry-go-round system</a>. His inventions met with varying degrees of sucess.<br /><br />He was associated with local merry-go-round makers <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/100">Gillie, Goddard and Company</a>. He and Goddard were implicated in one of the most horrific events in the Tonawandas history: the double murder by a mob of a canal boat captain and his son over a labor dispute in October of 1895. Neither was ultimately convicted.<br /><br />In 1909 he is proprietor of the White Star Hotel. Perew was an avid boat racer and builder, and owned a gasoline cruiser and a yacht in 1910s. In 1916, after the Webster Street bridge was destroyed by ice, he was hired to construct a temporary pontoon bridge while the bascule bridge was being built. In 1925 he has a store at 152 North Niagara Street in Tonawanda. He is said to have had a "private zoo" with a "Russian wolf."<br /><br />Perew also owned several "disorderly houses" on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a> (he claims in the Cappola trial he bought them from a bank and had no idea they were disorderly). He runs afoul of the law quite often during Prohibition, and is involved in a very public bribery case against local police. Goose Island's bordellos and taverns would finally be closed down in the late 1930s. Perew lives all the way until 1946 at the White Star Hotel. The hotel's entertainments include square dancing nights and "Spanish dancing" girls. The address of the White Star Hotel? 46 Sweeney Street in North Tonawanda: the site of the present-day Alexander's Gentleman's Lounge.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<ul>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/TheStrandMagazineAnIllustratedMonthly/page/n6">An Electric Man, Strand Magazine (1900) - archive.org</a></li>
<li><a href="http://cyberneticzoo.com/walking-machines/1894-1914-electric-man-perew-american/">1894-1914 – Electric Man – Perew - cyberneticzoo.com</a></li>
<li><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=NXOdDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PT67&ots=h__RbBghkS&dq=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&pg=PT66#v=onepage&q=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&f=false"><em>Robots in American Popular Culture</em> (pp 60-62).</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.buffalohistorygazette.net/2010/09/the-man-of-tonawanda.html">The Automatic Man of Tonawanda! Buffalo History Gazette</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew</a></li>
</ul>
Article
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Title
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Company incorporated to operate Philip Perew's patent, article (Tonawanda News, 1900-02-05).jpg
Description
An account of the resource
According to a later article, development of Perew's "electric canal boat trolley" is at least one reason for the incorporation
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1900-02-05
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/fbbb7334909dc76a55562dfeb4a10b36.jpg
0309dc03f32e7b54f86683132b9c5985
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Title
A name given to the resource
Early Days of the Tonawandas
Description
An account of the resource
These book excerpts and articles shed light on the earliest days of the Tonawandas, as well as the nearby villages of Martinsville, Sawyer's Station, Gratwick and Ironton that would be incorporated into the city of North Tonawanda in 1897. See our <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/browse?type=11&sort_field=Dublin%20Core,Date">Books</a> for full-length works.
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Tonawanda News Moves into Webster Building, article (Tonawanda News, 1900-03-12).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1900-03-12
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/57bf6a15047c8731605d7f16cbf4ea2b.jpg
1b19f5f30065489019c46715cf380f47
https://nthistory.com/files/original/fc0fc4a3edb46fd83857e945e3df3bea.jpg
0327c6795647a66bd47508d419a90561
https://nthistory.com/files/original/9260c168887693a1de8d2899f01e2e03.jpg
2fb9064ab0388e4c1c9c4a02709cb879
https://nthistory.com/files/original/60d257a5144ce04ef808119cc1ead043.jpg
728a975f687eb09100b971bcab6ce816
https://nthistory.com/files/original/84b28b6c1442d889f4d4da1e7ea8b276.jpg
122d6edc85ba2476ceeec3f57afc9015
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Tonawanda Power Company (435 Robinson)
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/37.jpg" alt="National Grid transformer station in 2023. Photo by Dennis Reed Jr." /> <span class="cover-caption">National Grid transformer station in 2023. Photo by Dennis Reed Jr.</span><strong>First located on Tonawanda Island</strong><br /><br />Around 1889, what would be come the Tonawanda Power Company (Tonawanda & Wheatfield Electric Light company) supplied electricity to NT from a small steam unit on Tonawanda Island, fed by wood shavings from the Doebler Planing Mill. Their office was at the northeast corner of Main and Goundry in an old frame building. Arc lights on a few streets were run. A few "daring" homes and businesses ran its power.<br /><br /><strong>Electrifying Buffalo-Niagara</strong><br /><br />In late 1895, The Niagara Falls Power Company builds a long-distance power line (mostly along the Old Mile Reserve) from Niagara Falls to Buffalo, the first of its kind in the world. It is operational by November 1896.<br /><br />The long distance line uses Nikolai Tesla's breakthrough alternating current (AC) transmitted at high voltages, which could travel with minimal loss. A ‘transformer house’ like the one established on Robinson street would step down (transform) some of the high voltage lines to more manageable and safer levels for local distribution. Other lines passing through this North Tonawanda substation continued at high voltage to Buffalo and Lockport, to be stepped down at other transformer houses before being used locally. Much of the line followed a right of way established by the old New York State Mile Reserve, a mile east of the Niagara River.<br /><br /><strong>Former switching tower<br /><br /></strong>Where the new park is now, on the Twin City Highway side, was once a two-story “switching tower” connected to the transformer house. Added around 1902, this tower was actually owned by the Niagara Falls Power company. It helped engineers manage and troubleshoot defects in the multiplying lines. Most of the high voltage lines carrying electricity from the massive turbines at Niagara Falls ran into this tower. <br /><br /><strong>Halloween disaster</strong><br /><br />In 1920, a horrific explosion kills 13 men early Halloween morning. An NT fire chief <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Safety_Maintenance_Production/Njw6AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Superintendent+Albert+S.+Allen+tonawanda&pg=PA221&printsec=frontcover">alleges the work was rushed</a> in <em>Safety News and Comment</em>. The January 1921 <em>Safety Bulletin</em> <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Safety_Bulletin/XwkUAAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=tonawanda+power+substation+tower&pg=RA24-PA2&printsec=frontcover">provides more context and details</a> (a storm and wind outside) and a photo of the ruined second floor of the switching tower. <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/State_of_New_York_Supreme_Court_Appellat/-NBRpQpR-lwC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=tonawanda+power+substation+tower&pg=RA3-PA17&printsec=frontcover">Rose Derby's suit</a>. Superintendent Frank S. Wahl's (and others!) testimony in <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/New_York_Court_of_Appeals_Records_and_Br/wU3z2XtqKz8C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=tonawanda+power+substation+tower&pg=PA178&printsec=frontcover">Yates's survivor's suit provides</a> more tower details, tower role, and what he saw on the scene (where the dead were found).<br /><br />In 1925 they become "associated with" Buffalo General Electric, Niagara Falls Power Co. and others. <br /><br />In 1929, they open a new headquarters on Sweeney and Webster, today Buffalo Suzuki Strings.<br /><br />The Robinson street transformer house and environs is now owned and operated by National Grid.
Article
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The Work of the Tonawanda Power Company, article excerpts (American Electrician, April 1900, vol. 12, no. 4, p. 155-162, col. 1-3,1-2).htm
Description
An account of the resource
<a href="https://reference.insulators.info/publications/view/?id=7242">Full article</a> describes the role of the North Tonawanda substation.<br /><br /><strong>Photo captions</strong>: <br /><br />"<span>Fig. 1. — the Exterior of the Transforming Station of the Tonawanda Power Company</span><br /><span>The Six Upper Wires on the Poles in the Foreground Are the Two Three-Phase Lines Running From Niagara on the Right Toward Buffalo on the Left. Taps From These Pass Into the Left-Hand Side of the Gable. the Lower Three Wires Passing Out to the Right Form the 11,000-Volt Branch Line to Lockport. the Heavy Wires Passing Out From the Right-Hand End of the Building Are the Railway Feeders, and the Lighter Wires Beyond Them Are the Central Station Lines."<br /><br />Fig. 2. — A Plan of the Station, Showing the Arrangement of the Wire Ducts Under the Floor.<br /><br />Fig 3. — A General View of the High-Tension Apparatus in the Attic<br />To the Left Are the High-Tension Circuit Breakers. in the Central Background Are the Fuse Circuit-Breakers. Further to the Right Are the Reactive Coils and Spark Gaps of the Lightning Arresters <span class="High">(Semi-Colon)</span> Below Them Are the Ground Detectors and the Time-Element Circuit-Breaker Panel and Transfer Panel of the Lockport Line.<br /><br />Fig 9. — the Rotary Converters and Step-Down Transformers. Each Transformer Has Two Secondaries, One Delivering 4400 Volts, and the Other 360 Volts.<br /><br />Fig 10. — A View of the Central Station Bay, Showing Induction Motors Belted to Arc Dynamos and Alternators.<br /></span>
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1900-04
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/d489760fc3900fc5e1feb9e22f43aa06.jpg
d59839aa6d873ebfd7ae9b6bb773d78b
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Early Days of the Tonawandas
Description
An account of the resource
These book excerpts and articles shed light on the earliest days of the Tonawandas, as well as the nearby villages of Martinsville, Sawyer's Station, Gratwick and Ironton that would be incorporated into the city of North Tonawanda in 1897. See our <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/browse?type=11&sort_field=Dublin%20Core,Date">Books</a> for full-length works.
Article
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Anniversary, Former News editor George S. Hobbie reflects on Tonawanda of 1880, article (1900-04-03).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1900-04-03
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/6d33f4f4b1512f96823a1a84e72989a7.jpg
9b37b81a8af4a590f10192b261db37b1
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Telephone Franchises
Description
An account of the resource
"In 1880, both the Bell Telephone Company and the Edison Co. opened general offices and began extending service in both villages here. The Home Telephone Co. later was in business here also." George S. Hobbie, News founder, describes first experimental line in a 1930 remembrance (1953).
In 1902, Mayor Ollie vetoes the Common Council's grant of a purportedly lavishly generous Bell telephone franchise.
The Niagara Falls Home Telephone Company merges with others to become the Niagara County Home Telephone Company. In NT in March 1912 the Common Council rules that the wires along Tremont are unsightly, and requires they, the New York Telephone Company, and the Tonawanda Power Company place wires underground. This does not go over well with the companies. "Mr. E. C. Payne appeared and requested the Common Council to take
action on the International Railroad Company in regard to the heavy voltage wires killing the trees along the east side of Payne Avenue."
Article
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Telephone franchises, Home Telephone to be awarded, Bell possible, article (Tonawanda News, 1900-04-18).jpg
Date
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1900-04-18
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/11add37262e611a533337209655c1365.jpg
42ab8227e646c7b09c813e111dca6e57
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Rand Company, Kardex, Remington-Rand
Description
An account of the resource
The Rand family powerfully shaped the Tonawandas' business landscape over several generations. Starting in banking, the Rand men (sometimes in direct competition with one another) would become involved in filing systems, office furnishings, <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/10">automatic musical instruments</a>, and even what would be come the modern computer. In 1908, James Rand Sr.'s Rand Company has its Plant No.1 on the west side of Goundry, near the train bridge (now a parking lot). In 1919 Rand adds Plant No.2, the former North Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works (now Liston Mfg. Co.). The rival <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kardex_Group">Kardex company</a> (operated by James Rand Jr.) is in Tonawanda at Main, Wheeler and Franklin in 1920. This site is later Remington-Rand Plant No. 10 in Tonawanda, where a workers' strike is broken in early summer of 1936 (<a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2297">see plates 48 and 54 for maps</a> of Plants 10 and 11). <br /><br />Wikiepdia, <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remington_Rand_strike_of_1936%E2%80%931937">Remington Rand Strike of 1937-1937</a></i>:
<blockquote>The strike is notorious for spawning the "Mohawk Valley formula," a corporate plan for strikebreaking to discredit union leaders, frighten the public with the threat of violence, use local police and vigilantes to intimidate strikers, form puppet associations of "loyal employees" to influence public debate, fortify workplaces, employ large numbers of strikebreakers, and threaten to close the plant if work is not resumed.</blockquote>
Article
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To Leave Us - Rand Ledger Company Decides to Remove to Buffalo, article (Tonawanda News, 1900-04-30).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1900-04-30
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/08b83d0800c2449eb21c09aa7cea509e.jpg
81ebaf4fa385e2f6b879bd26cee68155
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Title
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Telephone Franchises
Description
An account of the resource
"In 1880, both the Bell Telephone Company and the Edison Co. opened general offices and began extending service in both villages here. The Home Telephone Co. later was in business here also." George S. Hobbie, News founder, describes first experimental line in a 1930 remembrance (1953).
In 1902, Mayor Ollie vetoes the Common Council's grant of a purportedly lavishly generous Bell telephone franchise.
The Niagara Falls Home Telephone Company merges with others to become the Niagara County Home Telephone Company. In NT in March 1912 the Common Council rules that the wires along Tremont are unsightly, and requires they, the New York Telephone Company, and the Tonawanda Power Company place wires underground. This does not go over well with the companies. "Mr. E. C. Payne appeared and requested the Common Council to take
action on the International Railroad Company in regard to the heavy voltage wires killing the trees along the east side of Payne Avenue."
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Franchise awarded to Rawson Electric Company, Home Telephone, article (Tonawanda News, (1900-05-16).jpg
Date
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1900-05-16
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/615e0c8a841e46083ff1083185af92ef.jpg
1848a7137affc9658a9dca893b00d9ff
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North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory (1893-1903)
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/24d.jpg" alt="North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory, 1893 (colorized by webmaster)" /><span class="cover-caption">Nucleus of Wurlitzer: The North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory in 1893. It still stands in 2023.</span>
<p class="intro">The first of its kind in America, the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory makes automatic musical instruments to provide music for Allan Herschell's world-famous carousels. Led by the fiery Prussian gentleman-genius Eugene de Kleist, the firm survives an early national Depression to succeed beyond its wildest expectations with the help of a musical family from Ohio named the "Wurlitzers."</p>
<div class="img-caption-container"><img src="http://nthistory.com/files/square_thumbnails/cc9e0bcd6b738bbe4ed82bac5ef50e91.jpg" alt="Image description" />
<div class="caption">De Kleist band organ, c.1900.</div>
</div>
<b>Portable music of another era<br /><br /></b>Before the phonograph and radio, the next best thing to a live orchestra or marching band is a "band organ" or "orchestrion." Essentially giant music boxes with drums, pipe organs, brass horns and more, these devices are popular in Europe for centuries before being produced in the New World in 1893 with the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory. <br /><br />The factory is built in the spring of 1893 by local merry-go-round makers the <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/73">Armitage-Herschell Company</a> in the Sawyer's Creek / Martinsville area in the northeast of the recently incorporated City of North Tonawanda. To oversee operations, Armitage-Herschell recruits a German organ maker from London with whom they have been acquainted: the talented <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/936">Eugene de Kleist</a>. With a small crew of workers culled from England and the surrounding Martinsville farms, the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory also makes organs for churches, offers repairs on existing organs, and makes the pinned barrels that contain the music the organs play. After about a year, Armitage-Herschell sign ownership of the enterprise over to their capable superintendent.<br /><br /><strong>Meet the Wurlitzers</strong><br /><br />Business is middling until 1897, when de Kleist meets a decades-old musical retail concern from Cincinnati that will prove a valuable partner: the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company. The story goes that de Kleist was looking to interest the U. S. Army in buying his bugles, which were made as part of many of his band organs. de Kleist is told that the Wurlitzer company already has that business, so he approaches Wurlitzer, and is able to sell them some of his bugles. He also tries to interest Wurlitzer in his band organs, but they ask if he coud instead produce a coin-operated piano for use in taverns and restaurants. After over a year in development, the first "Tonophones" are ready in 1898, and are an immediate success. (Hear <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1023">Farny Wurlitzer</a> tell this story himself <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5dXbpPM7T0&t=5m29s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in this remarkable speech from 1964</a>).<br /><br />Similiar instruments, such as the Pianino, follow, and the small factory begins to grow, and over the next few years establishes the northwest corner of the massive Wurlitzer plant still standing in North Tonawanda today.
<p><strong>The de Kleist Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company</strong></p>
In 1903, the Barrel Organ Factory incorporates as the de Kleist Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company, with investment from banker James Thompson and some new top brass. Wurlitzer's interest in the North Tonawanda plant increases as Eugene de Kleist's seems to wane (<a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/936">see de Kleist's bio</a> for more on this). In 1905 a group of workers leaves to form the <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/75">Niagara Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company</a>; within a year another wave of defectors forms the <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/10">North Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works</a>. <br /><br />1908 begins auspiciously: in January, de Kleist (now mayor of North Tonawanda) lavishly fetes 700 employees and their families in the new music department building. His superintendent, Paul Von Rohl, delivers a speech in his honor, and they dance and carouse until morning light begins filtering over Sawyer's Creek.<br /><br />The following months will not be as good. de Kleist files a $50,000 infringement lawsuit against the aforementioned Instrument Works, but loses. In March, he leaves the aforementioned Paul Von Rohl in charge of the factory while he is off racing powerboats in Florida. de Kleist returns to suspect there has been rampant theft in his absence, and brings charges of grand larceny against Von Rohl, which are dropped, replaced by petit larceny charges, and then found unproved by a jury. In April, Mayor de Kleist accuses eight employees of stealing valuable machinery and plans from his factory, and of conspiring to start another rival factory. The summer brings more powerboating and politicking.<br /><br />Perhaps fearing for the security of their investment, Wurlitzer buys Eugene de Kleist out. <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/52">The Rudolph Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company</a> is organized in December of 1908 with $1,000,000 capital.
Article
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Sawyers Creek Industries Booming, article (Tonawanda News, 1900-05-24).jpg
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1900-05-24
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/5f2c56acd5d4b79520c4130499f34698.jpg
b862c858fc48978408cce6f0aca41399
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Title
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Perew's Electric Man and Other Inventions
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/106.jpg" alt="The Electric Man appears to draw a car" /><span class="cover-caption">Perew's most famous invention, a patented, giant automaton known variously as the "Electric Man," "Peter the Great," "Christopher," and the "Frankenstein of Tonawanda," appeared to draw a car but was actually pushed by it. Photo: Granger Collection, c1900.</span> Louis Philip Perew (1862-1946) came to the Tonawandas at 17 in 1879 from Quebec. He came with his brothers and his father, a lake boat captain who settled on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a>. <br /><br />He was a boat captain like his father, but was best known as an inventor. In addition to his Electric Man (which underwent many changes over the years as he refined the technology and sought a market), Perew is credited with developing anti-torpedo technology, a <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/867">canal electric trolley system</a>, a cigar lighter, and a <a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US499800?oq=499800">new merry-go-round system</a>. His inventions met with varying degrees of sucess.<br /><br />He was associated with local merry-go-round makers <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/100">Gillie, Goddard and Company</a>. He and Goddard were implicated in one of the most horrific events in the Tonawandas history: the double murder by a mob of a canal boat captain and his son over a labor dispute in October of 1895. Neither was ultimately convicted.<br /><br />In 1909 he is proprietor of the White Star Hotel. Perew was an avid boat racer and builder, and owned a gasoline cruiser and a yacht in 1910s. In 1916, after the Webster Street bridge was destroyed by ice, he was hired to construct a temporary pontoon bridge while the bascule bridge was being built. In 1925 he has a store at 152 North Niagara Street in Tonawanda. He is said to have had a "private zoo" with a "Russian wolf."<br /><br />Perew also owned several "disorderly houses" on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a> (he claims in the Cappola trial he bought them from a bank and had no idea they were disorderly). He runs afoul of the law quite often during Prohibition, and is involved in a very public bribery case against local police. Goose Island's bordellos and taverns would finally be closed down in the late 1930s. Perew lives all the way until 1946 at the White Star Hotel. The hotel's entertainments include square dancing nights and "Spanish dancing" girls. The address of the White Star Hotel? 46 Sweeney Street in North Tonawanda: the site of the present-day Alexander's Gentleman's Lounge.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<ul>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/TheStrandMagazineAnIllustratedMonthly/page/n6">An Electric Man, Strand Magazine (1900) - archive.org</a></li>
<li><a href="http://cyberneticzoo.com/walking-machines/1894-1914-electric-man-perew-american/">1894-1914 – Electric Man – Perew - cyberneticzoo.com</a></li>
<li><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=NXOdDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PT67&ots=h__RbBghkS&dq=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&pg=PT66#v=onepage&q=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&f=false"><em>Robots in American Popular Culture</em> (pp 60-62).</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.buffalohistorygazette.net/2010/09/the-man-of-tonawanda.html">The Automatic Man of Tonawanda! Buffalo History Gazette</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew</a></li>
</ul>
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
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Yacht capsized, Perew, article (Buffalo News, 1900-07-16).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1900-07-16
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/5eb32537f96dbb35f1c01ec30b6d8785.jpg
d8348ec3435b2474896d61ffa1cd9349
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Perew's Electric Man and Other Inventions
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/106.jpg" alt="The Electric Man appears to draw a car" /><span class="cover-caption">Perew's most famous invention, a patented, giant automaton known variously as the "Electric Man," "Peter the Great," "Christopher," and the "Frankenstein of Tonawanda," appeared to draw a car but was actually pushed by it. Photo: Granger Collection, c1900.</span> Louis Philip Perew (1862-1946) came to the Tonawandas at 17 in 1879 from Quebec. He came with his brothers and his father, a lake boat captain who settled on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a>. <br /><br />He was a boat captain like his father, but was best known as an inventor. In addition to his Electric Man (which underwent many changes over the years as he refined the technology and sought a market), Perew is credited with developing anti-torpedo technology, a <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/867">canal electric trolley system</a>, a cigar lighter, and a <a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US499800?oq=499800">new merry-go-round system</a>. His inventions met with varying degrees of sucess.<br /><br />He was associated with local merry-go-round makers <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/100">Gillie, Goddard and Company</a>. He and Goddard were implicated in one of the most horrific events in the Tonawandas history: the double murder by a mob of a canal boat captain and his son over a labor dispute in October of 1895. Neither was ultimately convicted.<br /><br />In 1909 he is proprietor of the White Star Hotel. Perew was an avid boat racer and builder, and owned a gasoline cruiser and a yacht in 1910s. In 1916, after the Webster Street bridge was destroyed by ice, he was hired to construct a temporary pontoon bridge while the bascule bridge was being built. In 1925 he has a store at 152 North Niagara Street in Tonawanda. He is said to have had a "private zoo" with a "Russian wolf."<br /><br />Perew also owned several "disorderly houses" on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a> (he claims in the Cappola trial he bought them from a bank and had no idea they were disorderly). He runs afoul of the law quite often during Prohibition, and is involved in a very public bribery case against local police. Goose Island's bordellos and taverns would finally be closed down in the late 1930s. Perew lives all the way until 1946 at the White Star Hotel. The hotel's entertainments include square dancing nights and "Spanish dancing" girls. The address of the White Star Hotel? 46 Sweeney Street in North Tonawanda: the site of the present-day Alexander's Gentleman's Lounge.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<ul>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/TheStrandMagazineAnIllustratedMonthly/page/n6">An Electric Man, Strand Magazine (1900) - archive.org</a></li>
<li><a href="http://cyberneticzoo.com/walking-machines/1894-1914-electric-man-perew-american/">1894-1914 – Electric Man – Perew - cyberneticzoo.com</a></li>
<li><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=NXOdDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PT67&ots=h__RbBghkS&dq=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&pg=PT66#v=onepage&q=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&f=false"><em>Robots in American Popular Culture</em> (pp 60-62).</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.buffalohistorygazette.net/2010/09/the-man-of-tonawanda.html">The Automatic Man of Tonawanda! Buffalo History Gazette</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew</a></li>
</ul>
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
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Walking automaton is a mechanical wonder, article (Buffalo Courier, 1900-09-02).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1900-09-02
Description
An account of the resource
Walking Automaton is a Mechanical Wonder
----------------
This Man May Walk For Years Without Rest or Sleep,
Yet Never Feel Fatigue or Need For Food or Drink
-----------------
Tonawanda Man Invents a Graven Image in the Form of
a Man That Does Not Live, But Gives All Evidence of Life
-----------------
May tour the continent to advertise the Pan-American
A walking automaton has been invented by Louis Philip Perew of Tonawanda, which eclipses, so far as known, any other similar invention ever made. Of heroic proportions this mechanical wonder is shaped in very way like a man. Not only can it walk but it's eyes roll, it's head turns and all it's joints move naturally.
It can even talk. To test the powers of the giant fully, it is proposed to walk him across the continent accompanied by only two human companions. It is expected that other and similar walking men will be made and toured through the country in order to advertise the Pan-American Exposition. A man that walks is a common sight. A dead man that walks is occasionally beheld by sailors on a Saturday Night. But a man that walks long distance that never was alive is something so unheard of that it is hard to believe that such a one could exist. But exist it does, and walk it can, as any doubters will soon be able to see. For nine years Louis Philip Perew labored with his body and his brain at a huge undertaking. Now the work is finished and he has a graven image made of wood and metal, in the likeness of a man. And it walks!
Seven feet five inches high, of excellent proportions, this mechanical man is to every appearance a human being. He is well formed, of heroic stature, and has a dignified military carriage. He has the quick step of the perfect heel and toe walker. His features are of the typical American and so natural that one would imagine them of natural flesh instead of aluminum. He is dressed in the height of fashion in a white duck outing suit and cap of the latest shape.
Eyes of perfect blue roll in the head and gaze upon those who surround him, putting a feeling in the awed spectator that half convinces him that the automation is something more than a mechanical construction. Such is the giant soulless man that has been made in Tonawanda, and that will walk, it is expected, from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
It was in 1891 that Louis Perew struck upon the idea of a walking giant. For weeks and months he worked diligently. At last he had a figure carved out of wood, three feet high, attached to a cart. When placed on a smooth surface, and provided that someone pushed the cart, the wooden figure would walk as though pulling the entire rig himself.
Tonawanda men thought they saw much money in the building of an even larger automaton, purchased a share in the idea and had it patented. A large figure was built and attached to an immense and very heavy vehicle. A man was put inside the rig to propel it by hand, and exhibitions were given about the streets of the village. It's leg motions, although patterned after mankind's, was still crude. There was a quiver and a jerk as the legs came forward that was not natural. The inventors moneyed friends became less enthusiastic, and in the end let the automation project drop. In 1899, Charles A. Thomas of Cleveland, Ohio ran across the old automation and became interested in it's development. Under Thomas's backing the U.S. Automaton Co. was incorporated under the laws of the State of New York. Money was at once spent in lavish sums in the purchase of the very best material; the service of able mechanical engineers were secured and inventor Perew was given a free hand in the construction of his automaton.
After months of hard labor in the spacious hall of the old abandoned armory in Main Street, the mechanical giant began to grow. One week ago it stood before the stockholders of the company completed and ready to walk at the bidding of its owners.
In the company of Mr. Perew, the Courier correspondent was shown the automaton and it's mechanical make-up. A signal from the inventor caused assistant Fred Michaels to set the mechanism to work. There was a slight dull noise, the giant raised it's right foot, and with the ease of a human being took a step forward, following with the left foot and so on, until the automaton was encircling the spacious hall, pulling a beautiful rig at a rate of speed far in excess of an ordinary walk of a good size man....Mr. Perew placed an obstruction in the path of the approaching giant. With eyes turning in their sockets the huge man seemed to discern the act of the inventor and when near the obstruction it stepped upon the obstacle and down to the floor again with perfect ease and went on its way, creating no other noise than that mad by heavy tread of 13 1/2 shoes. Corners of the hall were turned in such a manner as reminded the spectators of a living being, while the perfect action of the hip, knee and ankle joints, almost convinced the onlookers that the giant was imbued with life.
The carriage to which the automaton is attached resembles an electric delivery carriage. The head of the figure is of sufficient size to permit the planting in the place where the brains are in a man, a complicated clock work, which when wound, causes the eye movement while the automaton is in motion. In its chest will be constructed a cell which will be placed an up-to-date phonograph, which will do the talking for the giant. Attached directly in front of the carriage holding chains in his massive hands, the mechanical man can be driven at a rate of speed of fully four miles an hour.
It is the intention of the company to hold a public banquet and place the Automaton on exhibition. Afterward it will be sent to New York City , where it will start on a trip across the country to San Francisco to test its walking power and gain for it a national reputation. The company intends to build and sell the automatons for advertising purposes, and it is rumored that the Pan-American officials are looking into the advisability of using them for advertising the Exposition.
The local automaton, according to well informed mechanical engineers, conforms with modern mechanical laws. It's hip, knee and ankle motion is so perfect that a close inspection is necessary to prove that the automaton is not alive. Aside from this Mr. Perew has invented a Merry-Go-Round, cigar lighters and a device for towing boats in the Erie Canal, the latter now being in the hands of some capitalists, who will at an early date will begin the construction of a mile of the device near Tonawanda.
Much credit is due J.A. Deschinger, who is assistant superintendent of construction, for the excellent workmanship of the automaton. He has labored night and day with the inventor to make the giant a success and it was due to the tenacity of Deschinger and Charles A. Thomas, vice president of the Company,that such obstacles have been overcome in it's construction as would have discouraged most other men long ago.
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/4a7876a8b9e58b9478e10e71339751e1.jpg
69a38c4258b3a7d20de246be690f1b86
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Perew's Electric Man and Other Inventions
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/106.jpg" alt="The Electric Man appears to draw a car" /><span class="cover-caption">Perew's most famous invention, a patented, giant automaton known variously as the "Electric Man," "Peter the Great," "Christopher," and the "Frankenstein of Tonawanda," appeared to draw a car but was actually pushed by it. Photo: Granger Collection, c1900.</span> Louis Philip Perew (1862-1946) came to the Tonawandas at 17 in 1879 from Quebec. He came with his brothers and his father, a lake boat captain who settled on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a>. <br /><br />He was a boat captain like his father, but was best known as an inventor. In addition to his Electric Man (which underwent many changes over the years as he refined the technology and sought a market), Perew is credited with developing anti-torpedo technology, a <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/867">canal electric trolley system</a>, a cigar lighter, and a <a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US499800?oq=499800">new merry-go-round system</a>. His inventions met with varying degrees of sucess.<br /><br />He was associated with local merry-go-round makers <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/100">Gillie, Goddard and Company</a>. He and Goddard were implicated in one of the most horrific events in the Tonawandas history: the double murder by a mob of a canal boat captain and his son over a labor dispute in October of 1895. Neither was ultimately convicted.<br /><br />In 1909 he is proprietor of the White Star Hotel. Perew was an avid boat racer and builder, and owned a gasoline cruiser and a yacht in 1910s. In 1916, after the Webster Street bridge was destroyed by ice, he was hired to construct a temporary pontoon bridge while the bascule bridge was being built. In 1925 he has a store at 152 North Niagara Street in Tonawanda. He is said to have had a "private zoo" with a "Russian wolf."<br /><br />Perew also owned several "disorderly houses" on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a> (he claims in the Cappola trial he bought them from a bank and had no idea they were disorderly). He runs afoul of the law quite often during Prohibition, and is involved in a very public bribery case against local police. Goose Island's bordellos and taverns would finally be closed down in the late 1930s. Perew lives all the way until 1946 at the White Star Hotel. The hotel's entertainments include square dancing nights and "Spanish dancing" girls. The address of the White Star Hotel? 46 Sweeney Street in North Tonawanda: the site of the present-day Alexander's Gentleman's Lounge.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<ul>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/TheStrandMagazineAnIllustratedMonthly/page/n6">An Electric Man, Strand Magazine (1900) - archive.org</a></li>
<li><a href="http://cyberneticzoo.com/walking-machines/1894-1914-electric-man-perew-american/">1894-1914 – Electric Man – Perew - cyberneticzoo.com</a></li>
<li><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=NXOdDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PT67&ots=h__RbBghkS&dq=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&pg=PT66#v=onepage&q=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&f=false"><em>Robots in American Popular Culture</em> (pp 60-62).</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.buffalohistorygazette.net/2010/09/the-man-of-tonawanda.html">The Automatic Man of Tonawanda! Buffalo History Gazette</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew</a></li>
</ul>
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Mechanical Man, article (Buffalo Times, 1900-09-02).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1900-09-02
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/6ccd612f243caf0f2d405a2f8734b8fd.jpg
bb1c116bec05c59cc0aa6e75ea1013ed
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Perew's Electric Man and Other Inventions
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/106.jpg" alt="The Electric Man appears to draw a car" /><span class="cover-caption">Perew's most famous invention, a patented, giant automaton known variously as the "Electric Man," "Peter the Great," "Christopher," and the "Frankenstein of Tonawanda," appeared to draw a car but was actually pushed by it. Photo: Granger Collection, c1900.</span> Louis Philip Perew (1862-1946) came to the Tonawandas at 17 in 1879 from Quebec. He came with his brothers and his father, a lake boat captain who settled on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a>. <br /><br />He was a boat captain like his father, but was best known as an inventor. In addition to his Electric Man (which underwent many changes over the years as he refined the technology and sought a market), Perew is credited with developing anti-torpedo technology, a <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/867">canal electric trolley system</a>, a cigar lighter, and a <a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US499800?oq=499800">new merry-go-round system</a>. His inventions met with varying degrees of sucess.<br /><br />He was associated with local merry-go-round makers <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/100">Gillie, Goddard and Company</a>. He and Goddard were implicated in one of the most horrific events in the Tonawandas history: the double murder by a mob of a canal boat captain and his son over a labor dispute in October of 1895. Neither was ultimately convicted.<br /><br />In 1909 he is proprietor of the White Star Hotel. Perew was an avid boat racer and builder, and owned a gasoline cruiser and a yacht in 1910s. In 1916, after the Webster Street bridge was destroyed by ice, he was hired to construct a temporary pontoon bridge while the bascule bridge was being built. In 1925 he has a store at 152 North Niagara Street in Tonawanda. He is said to have had a "private zoo" with a "Russian wolf."<br /><br />Perew also owned several "disorderly houses" on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a> (he claims in the Cappola trial he bought them from a bank and had no idea they were disorderly). He runs afoul of the law quite often during Prohibition, and is involved in a very public bribery case against local police. Goose Island's bordellos and taverns would finally be closed down in the late 1930s. Perew lives all the way until 1946 at the White Star Hotel. The hotel's entertainments include square dancing nights and "Spanish dancing" girls. The address of the White Star Hotel? 46 Sweeney Street in North Tonawanda: the site of the present-day Alexander's Gentleman's Lounge.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<ul>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/TheStrandMagazineAnIllustratedMonthly/page/n6">An Electric Man, Strand Magazine (1900) - archive.org</a></li>
<li><a href="http://cyberneticzoo.com/walking-machines/1894-1914-electric-man-perew-american/">1894-1914 – Electric Man – Perew - cyberneticzoo.com</a></li>
<li><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=NXOdDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PT67&ots=h__RbBghkS&dq=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&pg=PT66#v=onepage&q=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&f=false"><em>Robots in American Popular Culture</em> (pp 60-62).</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.buffalohistorygazette.net/2010/09/the-man-of-tonawanda.html">The Automatic Man of Tonawanda! Buffalo History Gazette</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew</a></li>
</ul>
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Machine-made man to walk from New York to San Francisco, illustrated article (The World, 1900-09-02).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1900-09-02
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/effd70d9605cc163291e8700df7845d8.jpg
abd7bdd43856ecb632286b13654b28ed
https://nthistory.com/files/original/f2c83ab4fd6cbb843fbc2e39e6236a6e.png
c7e62f4da6550f48b35df28d950f3616
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Title
A name given to the resource
Perew's Electric Man and Other Inventions
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/106.jpg" alt="The Electric Man appears to draw a car" /><span class="cover-caption">Perew's most famous invention, a patented, giant automaton known variously as the "Electric Man," "Peter the Great," "Christopher," and the "Frankenstein of Tonawanda," appeared to draw a car but was actually pushed by it. Photo: Granger Collection, c1900.</span> Louis Philip Perew (1862-1946) came to the Tonawandas at 17 in 1879 from Quebec. He came with his brothers and his father, a lake boat captain who settled on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a>. <br /><br />He was a boat captain like his father, but was best known as an inventor. In addition to his Electric Man (which underwent many changes over the years as he refined the technology and sought a market), Perew is credited with developing anti-torpedo technology, a <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/867">canal electric trolley system</a>, a cigar lighter, and a <a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US499800?oq=499800">new merry-go-round system</a>. His inventions met with varying degrees of sucess.<br /><br />He was associated with local merry-go-round makers <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/100">Gillie, Goddard and Company</a>. He and Goddard were implicated in one of the most horrific events in the Tonawandas history: the double murder by a mob of a canal boat captain and his son over a labor dispute in October of 1895. Neither was ultimately convicted.<br /><br />In 1909 he is proprietor of the White Star Hotel. Perew was an avid boat racer and builder, and owned a gasoline cruiser and a yacht in 1910s. In 1916, after the Webster Street bridge was destroyed by ice, he was hired to construct a temporary pontoon bridge while the bascule bridge was being built. In 1925 he has a store at 152 North Niagara Street in Tonawanda. He is said to have had a "private zoo" with a "Russian wolf."<br /><br />Perew also owned several "disorderly houses" on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a> (he claims in the Cappola trial he bought them from a bank and had no idea they were disorderly). He runs afoul of the law quite often during Prohibition, and is involved in a very public bribery case against local police. Goose Island's bordellos and taverns would finally be closed down in the late 1930s. Perew lives all the way until 1946 at the White Star Hotel. The hotel's entertainments include square dancing nights and "Spanish dancing" girls. The address of the White Star Hotel? 46 Sweeney Street in North Tonawanda: the site of the present-day Alexander's Gentleman's Lounge.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<ul>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/TheStrandMagazineAnIllustratedMonthly/page/n6">An Electric Man, Strand Magazine (1900) - archive.org</a></li>
<li><a href="http://cyberneticzoo.com/walking-machines/1894-1914-electric-man-perew-american/">1894-1914 – Electric Man – Perew - cyberneticzoo.com</a></li>
<li><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=NXOdDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PT67&ots=h__RbBghkS&dq=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&pg=PT66#v=onepage&q=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&f=false"><em>Robots in American Popular Culture</em> (pp 60-62).</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.buffalohistorygazette.net/2010/09/the-man-of-tonawanda.html">The Automatic Man of Tonawanda! Buffalo History Gazette</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew</a></li>
</ul>
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Title
A name given to the resource
Great Invention, Perew's Automatic Man, article (Tonawanda News, 1900-09-04).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1900-09-04
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/a2d2c21760fd4cb66fde8555e78a5985.jpg
aef988d6c4698258b8ac4a892288b1e9
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Perew's Electric Man and Other Inventions
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/106.jpg" alt="The Electric Man appears to draw a car" /><span class="cover-caption">Perew's most famous invention, a patented, giant automaton known variously as the "Electric Man," "Peter the Great," "Christopher," and the "Frankenstein of Tonawanda," appeared to draw a car but was actually pushed by it. Photo: Granger Collection, c1900.</span> Louis Philip Perew (1862-1946) came to the Tonawandas at 17 in 1879 from Quebec. He came with his brothers and his father, a lake boat captain who settled on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a>. <br /><br />He was a boat captain like his father, but was best known as an inventor. In addition to his Electric Man (which underwent many changes over the years as he refined the technology and sought a market), Perew is credited with developing anti-torpedo technology, a <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/867">canal electric trolley system</a>, a cigar lighter, and a <a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US499800?oq=499800">new merry-go-round system</a>. His inventions met with varying degrees of sucess.<br /><br />He was associated with local merry-go-round makers <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/100">Gillie, Goddard and Company</a>. He and Goddard were implicated in one of the most horrific events in the Tonawandas history: the double murder by a mob of a canal boat captain and his son over a labor dispute in October of 1895. Neither was ultimately convicted.<br /><br />In 1909 he is proprietor of the White Star Hotel. Perew was an avid boat racer and builder, and owned a gasoline cruiser and a yacht in 1910s. In 1916, after the Webster Street bridge was destroyed by ice, he was hired to construct a temporary pontoon bridge while the bascule bridge was being built. In 1925 he has a store at 152 North Niagara Street in Tonawanda. He is said to have had a "private zoo" with a "Russian wolf."<br /><br />Perew also owned several "disorderly houses" on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a> (he claims in the Cappola trial he bought them from a bank and had no idea they were disorderly). He runs afoul of the law quite often during Prohibition, and is involved in a very public bribery case against local police. Goose Island's bordellos and taverns would finally be closed down in the late 1930s. Perew lives all the way until 1946 at the White Star Hotel. The hotel's entertainments include square dancing nights and "Spanish dancing" girls. The address of the White Star Hotel? 46 Sweeney Street in North Tonawanda: the site of the present-day Alexander's Gentleman's Lounge.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<ul>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/TheStrandMagazineAnIllustratedMonthly/page/n6">An Electric Man, Strand Magazine (1900) - archive.org</a></li>
<li><a href="http://cyberneticzoo.com/walking-machines/1894-1914-electric-man-perew-american/">1894-1914 – Electric Man – Perew - cyberneticzoo.com</a></li>
<li><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=NXOdDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PT67&ots=h__RbBghkS&dq=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&pg=PT66#v=onepage&q=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&f=false"><em>Robots in American Popular Culture</em> (pp 60-62).</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.buffalohistorygazette.net/2010/09/the-man-of-tonawanda.html">The Automatic Man of Tonawanda! Buffalo History Gazette</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew</a></li>
</ul>
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Mechanical giant in human form, photo article (New York Herald, 1900-09-09)
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1900-09-09
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/0216818d429cb896e0491a673d479bd6.jpg
c6a689013293ef836d9df239c52bb876
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Perew's Electric Man and Other Inventions
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/106.jpg" alt="The Electric Man appears to draw a car" /><span class="cover-caption">Perew's most famous invention, a patented, giant automaton known variously as the "Electric Man," "Peter the Great," "Christopher," and the "Frankenstein of Tonawanda," appeared to draw a car but was actually pushed by it. Photo: Granger Collection, c1900.</span> Louis Philip Perew (1862-1946) came to the Tonawandas at 17 in 1879 from Quebec. He came with his brothers and his father, a lake boat captain who settled on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a>. <br /><br />He was a boat captain like his father, but was best known as an inventor. In addition to his Electric Man (which underwent many changes over the years as he refined the technology and sought a market), Perew is credited with developing anti-torpedo technology, a <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/867">canal electric trolley system</a>, a cigar lighter, and a <a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US499800?oq=499800">new merry-go-round system</a>. His inventions met with varying degrees of sucess.<br /><br />He was associated with local merry-go-round makers <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/100">Gillie, Goddard and Company</a>. He and Goddard were implicated in one of the most horrific events in the Tonawandas history: the double murder by a mob of a canal boat captain and his son over a labor dispute in October of 1895. Neither was ultimately convicted.<br /><br />In 1909 he is proprietor of the White Star Hotel. Perew was an avid boat racer and builder, and owned a gasoline cruiser and a yacht in 1910s. In 1916, after the Webster Street bridge was destroyed by ice, he was hired to construct a temporary pontoon bridge while the bascule bridge was being built. In 1925 he has a store at 152 North Niagara Street in Tonawanda. He is said to have had a "private zoo" with a "Russian wolf."<br /><br />Perew also owned several "disorderly houses" on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a> (he claims in the Cappola trial he bought them from a bank and had no idea they were disorderly). He runs afoul of the law quite often during Prohibition, and is involved in a very public bribery case against local police. Goose Island's bordellos and taverns would finally be closed down in the late 1930s. Perew lives all the way until 1946 at the White Star Hotel. The hotel's entertainments include square dancing nights and "Spanish dancing" girls. The address of the White Star Hotel? 46 Sweeney Street in North Tonawanda: the site of the present-day Alexander's Gentleman's Lounge.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<ul>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/TheStrandMagazineAnIllustratedMonthly/page/n6">An Electric Man, Strand Magazine (1900) - archive.org</a></li>
<li><a href="http://cyberneticzoo.com/walking-machines/1894-1914-electric-man-perew-american/">1894-1914 – Electric Man – Perew - cyberneticzoo.com</a></li>
<li><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=NXOdDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PT67&ots=h__RbBghkS&dq=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&pg=PT66#v=onepage&q=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&f=false"><em>Robots in American Popular Culture</em> (pp 60-62).</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.buffalohistorygazette.net/2010/09/the-man-of-tonawanda.html">The Automatic Man of Tonawanda! Buffalo History Gazette</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew</a></li>
</ul>
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Automatic man of Tonawanda, article (Albany Argus, 1900-09-16).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1900-09-16
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/fe8b7b831875e4c9f974eaecae54c96c.jpg
6af18fad1831a1fe666a825ada0c7f0c
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Title
A name given to the resource
Telephone Franchises
Description
An account of the resource
"In 1880, both the Bell Telephone Company and the Edison Co. opened general offices and began extending service in both villages here. The Home Telephone Co. later was in business here also." George S. Hobbie, News founder, describes first experimental line in a 1930 remembrance (1953).
In 1902, Mayor Ollie vetoes the Common Council's grant of a purportedly lavishly generous Bell telephone franchise.
The Niagara Falls Home Telephone Company merges with others to become the Niagara County Home Telephone Company. In NT in March 1912 the Common Council rules that the wires along Tremont are unsightly, and requires they, the New York Telephone Company, and the Tonawanda Power Company place wires underground. This does not go over well with the companies. "Mr. E. C. Payne appeared and requested the Common Council to take
action on the International Railroad Company in regard to the heavy voltage wires killing the trees along the east side of Payne Avenue."
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Title
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Interference, Bell said to hamper work of Home Telephone Company, article (Tonawanda News, 1900-10-12).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1900-10-12
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/dce8ca35cf3de534f816a964492e0341.pdf
133082bc49ccfa6edcd20060f3437304
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Title
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Theodore Roosevelt speaks at North Tonawanda (October 31, 1900)
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" alt="Article" src="http://nthistory.com/custom/cover/129.jpg" /> <span class="cover-caption">Recreation of newspaper headline by Dennis Reed Jr</span><br />On October 31, 1900, Republican candidate for vice president and Governor of New York Theodore Roosevelt stumped for President William McKinley in North Tonawanda. Roosevelt memorably called William Jennings Bryan (the Democratic candidate for president) a "false prophet," and offered that the ancient Hebrews were not so gentle with such men:
<blockquote>They used to stone them; we run them for the presidency on the Democratic ticket.</blockquote>
121 years later the city of North Tonawanda finally has a marker reminding all of the occasion. Thanks to <b>Rich Andres</b> of North Tonawanda for making us aware of this historic visit, and for spearheading commemoration efforts!
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1900-10-31
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Governor Roosevelt will be here Wednesday afternoon and speak, article (Tonawanda News, 1900-10-29).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1900-10-29
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/4f50a1a2d84685f7f16fee35aa2592ba.pdf
e93feaba5cea2ad17fa03413398a940b
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Theodore Roosevelt speaks at North Tonawanda (October 31, 1900)
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" alt="Article" src="http://nthistory.com/custom/cover/129.jpg" /> <span class="cover-caption">Recreation of newspaper headline by Dennis Reed Jr</span><br />On October 31, 1900, Republican candidate for vice president and Governor of New York Theodore Roosevelt stumped for President William McKinley in North Tonawanda. Roosevelt memorably called William Jennings Bryan (the Democratic candidate for president) a "false prophet," and offered that the ancient Hebrews were not so gentle with such men:
<blockquote>They used to stone them; we run them for the presidency on the Democratic ticket.</blockquote>
121 years later the city of North Tonawanda finally has a marker reminding all of the occasion. Thanks to <b>Rich Andres</b> of North Tonawanda for making us aware of this historic visit, and for spearheading commemoration efforts!
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1900-10-31
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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7000 people hear Governor Roosevelt, article (Tonawanda News, 1900-10-31).pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1900-10-31
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/c03453de43e3b2dcfa45801ad161feb1.pdf
ddf24f6aa694180f4c472d3b1ce1e9e8
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The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Theodore Roosevelt speaks at North Tonawanda (October 31, 1900)
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" alt="Article" src="http://nthistory.com/custom/cover/129.jpg" /> <span class="cover-caption">Recreation of newspaper headline by Dennis Reed Jr</span><br />On October 31, 1900, Republican candidate for vice president and Governor of New York Theodore Roosevelt stumped for President William McKinley in North Tonawanda. Roosevelt memorably called William Jennings Bryan (the Democratic candidate for president) a "false prophet," and offered that the ancient Hebrews were not so gentle with such men:
<blockquote>They used to stone them; we run them for the presidency on the Democratic ticket.</blockquote>
121 years later the city of North Tonawanda finally has a marker reminding all of the occasion. Thanks to <b>Rich Andres</b> of North Tonawanda for making us aware of this historic visit, and for spearheading commemoration efforts!
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1900-10-31
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Title
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Speech of Governor Theodore Roosevelt, article and transcription (1900-11-01).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1900-11-01
Description
An account of the resource
The entire speech as quoted by the Tonawanda News:
"My fellow citizens: I am glad to have the chance of meeting you this afternoon. In this contest I feel that we have a right to appeal to you. I wish to appeal to you in the first place on the ground of material self-interest. I do not want you to take any word of mine, I simply want you to look at the facts as they are, to face conditions as they were four years ago and the conditions today, and to compare Mr. Bryan's prophesy of four years ago with everything that has not happened since.
"My Bryan said four years ago, that unless we had free silver and himself we would have four years during which business would be at a standstill and wage-workers be idle, savings bank deposits decrease and mortgages go up. In every singular particular Mr. Bryan has been in error, not one thing that he foretold has come to pass. There has been more work for the wage-worker with increased wages than ever before. In the business world failures have decreased by over two-thirds, savings bank deposits have gone up 40 per cent, and the number of mortgages has gone down 40 per cent.
"Now, gentlemen, if in private life you are dealing with a man and he misleads you, the first time he fools you it is his fault, and the next time it is your fault (laughter and applause). Now, if our people go wrong they have themselves to thank for it, for they have had the experience of the last eight years to guide them. Recollect that in 1892 the argument was made that we should upset the existing policy because the capitalist had prospered over-much; because the capitalist was too prosperous, and we were told to down him and we did. We adopted the advice. By 1893 we had the capitalist down, he was down, and the rest of us were down, too (applause). That was where the hitch came in.
"And now, gentlemen, Mr. Bryan appeared with his patent remedy and told us we were destined to utter ruin unless we adopted it. We have not adopted it and we are all right. And now he wants us to trust him again."
Here he was interrupted by a cry of "Put him out." Roosevelt turned to the place whence the voice came and said, "No, let him in, he won't do any harm. He may learn something. Almost any change in him would be a change for the better.
"We read in the Bible that among the ancient Hebrews false prophets had a hard time. But we have advanced since those days. They used to stone them; we run them for the presidency on the Democratic ticket. We ask you then to trust to deeds, not words. We ask you to compare the promises we made four years ago, with the performances, and to compare Mr. Bryan's prophecies with the fact that not a single one ever has come to pass.
"Here in this city you have built up great industries under the financial and economic policy of our party. I appeal not merely to Republicans, I appeal to every man who possesses no matter what may have been his political antecedents in th epast, to stand with us because we stand for the rudimentary principle of prosperity and decent citizenship. I ask you to stand with us on the ground of civic interest. Mr. Bryan is fond of quoting Thomas Jefferson. Well, Jefferson said that the whole art of government consists in being honest; and Mr. Croker says he is in politics for his pocket every time. I am not slandering Mr. Croker, I am only quoting him. Mr. Bryan pays lip loyalty to Jefferson, but he associates with Mr. Croker.
"Mr. Bryan has been in some doubt as to what was the paramount issue. Well, I will tell you. The paramount issue for the nation is Bryanism, and for the state Crokerism: and Mr. Bryan asks us to give up our prosperity, to give up our civic interest, and why? Because, forsooth, he asks us to be afraid of militarism Afraid of the regular army. Gentlemen, there are 65,000 regular soldiers and 76,000,000 of is. There are eighty-six one-hundredths of the regular soldier for every one thousand of us. About one and one-half ounces of the regular soldier for each man here present. And if Mr. Bryan is nervous about his share I want to reassure him that Republicans will protect him.
I appeal to you then in the name of our material well-being, and I appeal to you also in the name of the old doctrine of keeping our flag floating in honor wherever it has been hoisted in honor."
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/d57ccabdfe82ea09d8885d0aac79e270.jpg
585d56f28c2067b7b443e8dc7d677dcc
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The Swing Bridges
Description
An account of the resource
Apr 21 1883 "An act to incorporate the Tonawanda Island Bridge Company, for the purpose of constructing and operating a bridge from Tonawanda island to North Tonawanda [passed]" - <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=IYJZAAAAYAAJ">Gen Statutes of State of New York</a><br /><br />"March 2, 1885 - Petition was received from H. M. Dodge & Co., asking permission to construct and maintain a swing bridge across Tonawanda Harbor, landing in Erie County to be at or near foot of Clay Street" - Tonawanda News, 1941-11-07. According to a Tonawanda News article, the southern bridge hadn't been used since the 1940s, when the Continental Can company closed.
Article
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Repairs and Improvements on Swing Bridge by Sidney Stafford, article (Tonawanda News, 1900-11-03).jpg
Date
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1900-11-03
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/951ac78223ddf12dc8d2feb34e3775c2.jpg
caa55ffd255fdb5b275923ea9262be6d
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Perew's Electric Man and Other Inventions
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/106.jpg" alt="The Electric Man appears to draw a car" /><span class="cover-caption">Perew's most famous invention, a patented, giant automaton known variously as the "Electric Man," "Peter the Great," "Christopher," and the "Frankenstein of Tonawanda," appeared to draw a car but was actually pushed by it. Photo: Granger Collection, c1900.</span> Louis Philip Perew (1862-1946) came to the Tonawandas at 17 in 1879 from Quebec. He came with his brothers and his father, a lake boat captain who settled on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a>. <br /><br />He was a boat captain like his father, but was best known as an inventor. In addition to his Electric Man (which underwent many changes over the years as he refined the technology and sought a market), Perew is credited with developing anti-torpedo technology, a <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/867">canal electric trolley system</a>, a cigar lighter, and a <a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US499800?oq=499800">new merry-go-round system</a>. His inventions met with varying degrees of sucess.<br /><br />He was associated with local merry-go-round makers <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/100">Gillie, Goddard and Company</a>. He and Goddard were implicated in one of the most horrific events in the Tonawandas history: the double murder by a mob of a canal boat captain and his son over a labor dispute in October of 1895. Neither was ultimately convicted.<br /><br />In 1909 he is proprietor of the White Star Hotel. Perew was an avid boat racer and builder, and owned a gasoline cruiser and a yacht in 1910s. In 1916, after the Webster Street bridge was destroyed by ice, he was hired to construct a temporary pontoon bridge while the bascule bridge was being built. In 1925 he has a store at 152 North Niagara Street in Tonawanda. He is said to have had a "private zoo" with a "Russian wolf."<br /><br />Perew also owned several "disorderly houses" on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a> (he claims in the Cappola trial he bought them from a bank and had no idea they were disorderly). He runs afoul of the law quite often during Prohibition, and is involved in a very public bribery case against local police. Goose Island's bordellos and taverns would finally be closed down in the late 1930s. Perew lives all the way until 1946 at the White Star Hotel. The hotel's entertainments include square dancing nights and "Spanish dancing" girls. The address of the White Star Hotel? 46 Sweeney Street in North Tonawanda: the site of the present-day Alexander's Gentleman's Lounge.
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<ul>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/TheStrandMagazineAnIllustratedMonthly/page/n6">An Electric Man, Strand Magazine (1900) - archive.org</a></li>
<li><a href="http://cyberneticzoo.com/walking-machines/1894-1914-electric-man-perew-american/">1894-1914 – Electric Man – Perew - cyberneticzoo.com</a></li>
<li><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=NXOdDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PT67&ots=h__RbBghkS&dq=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&pg=PT66#v=onepage&q=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&f=false"><em>Robots in American Popular Culture</em> (pp 60-62).</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.buffalohistorygazette.net/2010/09/the-man-of-tonawanda.html">The Automatic Man of Tonawanda! Buffalo History Gazette</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew</a></li>
</ul>
Article
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As natural as life, article (Glens Falls Times, 1901-01-18).jpg
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1901-01-18
Description
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Article also found in the New Orleans Bee, LA; Dryden Herald 1901-06-19
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/b010c66b7edc28c3482a667b759143ba.jpg
742ea45bf158796526fefedc3555f312
Article
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Nemesis Still Pursues Smoyer, Ironton Poles, article (Tonawanda News, 1901-11-01).jpg
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1901-11-01
avenues
ironton
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/cd7c8a6f026ea83d8d8a7c5880a31153.jpg
bececea74eba6c56043d44ec8f1562a2
https://nthistory.com/files/original/4f2baf77476be8b023cd0c0e30ea6459.jpg
704c959235752f63991e5bf051378cce
https://nthistory.com/files/original/83a9efe1c4b05aa2b817f77ee78503db.jpg
ac1cf12d0c56984d156286e31ee1dcf3
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Early Days of the Tonawandas
Description
An account of the resource
These book excerpts and articles shed light on the earliest days of the Tonawandas, as well as the nearby villages of Martinsville, Sawyer's Station, Gratwick and Ironton that would be incorporated into the city of North Tonawanda in 1897. See our <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/browse?type=11&sort_field=Dublin%20Core,Date">Books</a> for full-length works.
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City of North Tonawanda, 1 of 3 (George W. Millener, excerpted from Souvenier History of Niagara County, 1902) .jpg
Date
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1902
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/5607100ba4666973cdc68c27e0414c7c.png
feebdaceb59304a815add410ec4c4374
https://nthistory.com/files/original/ff422331fe95999bf23643314f9a09ba.png
c8f8268796da181e972daaa8cd2861dd
https://nthistory.com/files/original/c2f0a95597f0f1029900babfc9a27c09.png
f9a6692279f199aad5bc638985acb1b9
https://nthistory.com/files/original/45a8de5912e53f5893415578ea46cb44.jpg
4cc037f101d3ed0d346c655cd0a186aa
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Tonawanda Power Company (435 Robinson)
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/37.jpg" alt="National Grid transformer station in 2023. Photo by Dennis Reed Jr." /> <span class="cover-caption">National Grid transformer station in 2023. Photo by Dennis Reed Jr.</span><strong>First located on Tonawanda Island</strong><br /><br />Around 1889, what would be come the Tonawanda Power Company (Tonawanda & Wheatfield Electric Light company) supplied electricity to NT from a small steam unit on Tonawanda Island, fed by wood shavings from the Doebler Planing Mill. Their office was at the northeast corner of Main and Goundry in an old frame building. Arc lights on a few streets were run. A few "daring" homes and businesses ran its power.<br /><br /><strong>Electrifying Buffalo-Niagara</strong><br /><br />In late 1895, The Niagara Falls Power Company builds a long-distance power line (mostly along the Old Mile Reserve) from Niagara Falls to Buffalo, the first of its kind in the world. It is operational by November 1896.<br /><br />The long distance line uses Nikolai Tesla's breakthrough alternating current (AC) transmitted at high voltages, which could travel with minimal loss. A ‘transformer house’ like the one established on Robinson street would step down (transform) some of the high voltage lines to more manageable and safer levels for local distribution. Other lines passing through this North Tonawanda substation continued at high voltage to Buffalo and Lockport, to be stepped down at other transformer houses before being used locally. Much of the line followed a right of way established by the old New York State Mile Reserve, a mile east of the Niagara River.<br /><br /><strong>Former switching tower<br /><br /></strong>Where the new park is now, on the Twin City Highway side, was once a two-story “switching tower” connected to the transformer house. Added around 1902, this tower was actually owned by the Niagara Falls Power company. It helped engineers manage and troubleshoot defects in the multiplying lines. Most of the high voltage lines carrying electricity from the massive turbines at Niagara Falls ran into this tower. <br /><br /><strong>Halloween disaster</strong><br /><br />In 1920, a horrific explosion kills 13 men early Halloween morning. An NT fire chief <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Safety_Maintenance_Production/Njw6AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Superintendent+Albert+S.+Allen+tonawanda&pg=PA221&printsec=frontcover">alleges the work was rushed</a> in <em>Safety News and Comment</em>. The January 1921 <em>Safety Bulletin</em> <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Safety_Bulletin/XwkUAAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=tonawanda+power+substation+tower&pg=RA24-PA2&printsec=frontcover">provides more context and details</a> (a storm and wind outside) and a photo of the ruined second floor of the switching tower. <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/State_of_New_York_Supreme_Court_Appellat/-NBRpQpR-lwC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=tonawanda+power+substation+tower&pg=RA3-PA17&printsec=frontcover">Rose Derby's suit</a>. Superintendent Frank S. Wahl's (and others!) testimony in <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/New_York_Court_of_Appeals_Records_and_Br/wU3z2XtqKz8C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=tonawanda+power+substation+tower&pg=PA178&printsec=frontcover">Yates's survivor's suit provides</a> more tower details, tower role, and what he saw on the scene (where the dead were found).<br /><br />In 1925 they become "associated with" Buffalo General Electric, Niagara Falls Power Co. and others. <br /><br />In 1929, they open a new headquarters on Sweeney and Webster, today Buffalo Suzuki Strings.<br /><br />The Robinson street transformer house and environs is now owned and operated by National Grid.
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The Organisation of the Operating Department of the Niagara Falls Power Company, article excerpts (Cassier's Magazine, January 1902 vol. 21, no. 3, p. 179-205, col. 1-2).htm
Description
An account of the resource
<a href="https://reference.insulators.info/publications/view/?id=16378">Full article discusses</a> the reliance of the area on the power of Niagara Falls, and has additional photos of call boxes, and view of the Niagara Falls plant. (NT and other photos grabbed here.)<br /><br /><strong>North Tonawanda substation tower</strong><br /><br />(First photo) Captioned: "<span>Unfinished Section of House Adjoining the </span><span>Tonawanda</span><span><span> Sub-Station. It Will Contain Switches by Means of Which Any Conductor of the Transmission Lines May Be Divided, to Facilitate Location of A Defect." This appears to the the building that thirtheen men from the NT and Niagara Falls plant were in on October 31, 1920 for a new equipment test when an explosion and the ignition of nearby oil reulted in a horrific fore that eventually killed all thirteen men.<br /><br /><strong>Around the maintenance quarters photo</strong> <br /><br />"To carry on work of maintenance and repair which cannot be performed by the regular operating force without neglect of proper attention to the running of the plant, a maintenance force was established. This force ordinarily works ten hours daily, but in case of emergency it is expected to remain on duty as long as circumstances may require. If urgent repairs, requiring several days for completion, are in hand, the force is augmented, if necessary, and is divided into relays so that the work may proceed continuously. The maintenance force is divided into three general groups, though the men are sometimes shifted from one group to another as may be found expedient to facilitate the execution of work in progress."<br /><br />"The foreman of the hydraulic department, assisted by two machinists, a carpenter, and two pipe-fitters, attends to the maintenance and repair of the machinery comprising the hydraulic or motive power plant and the buildings in which the main power plant and sub-stations are housed. This force, with occasional extra help, has proved itself capable of handling all work required to maintain the plant in good condition and to repair damage caused by accidents, besides accomplishing a large amount of work in making the minor alterations and improvements which are constantly suggested by experience in the operation of such a plant."<br /><br /><strong>How it all works together</strong><br /><br />"</span></span>The long-distance distributing plant, by means of which power is delivered to Buffalo, the Tonawandas, and Lockport, consists of three tri-phase, 22,000-volt circuits carried on two separate pole lines, each approximately twenty-two miles long. In North Tonawanda, midway between the power house and the terminal house in which the current is reduced to a pressure of 11,000 volts for underground distribution in Buffalo, is a sub-station where the lines are tapped to supply the Tonawanda Power Company, and where a fifteen-mile branch transmission line, delivering power to Lockport tenants, is supplied with energy. The care of the over-head transmission lines is entrusted to a chief lineman living in North Tonawanda. His force consists of two patrolmen and an emergency lineman stationed at the main power house at night, and a night emergency lineman living at La Salle, about five miles from the power house. The lines are inspected daily by the two patrolmen, each taking half of the line, while the emergency man at Tonawanda remains on duty at the Tonawanda station. In case of trouble on the line at night, two men start from Tonawanda,— one towards Buffalo, the other towards the power house. A man is sent from the terminal house at Buffalo to meet the man from Tonawanda, and the emergency lineman at La Salle follows the line until he meets the other man from Tonawanda. The lineman from the power house proceeds along the line to La Salle and reports from there. In this way the entire line can be covered in a very short time. Reports from the men are received by means of telephones located in patrol boxes at various points along the line.
<p class="indent">An emergency wagon, with a complete equipment of all the appliances and material required for every kinds of line repair, is stationed at Niagara Falls, in a stable whose proprietor is under contract to have the wagon horsed and delivered at the power house, ready for a quick trip to any part of the line, at any hour of the night or day, within fifteen minutes after receipt of notice. Another wagon, similarly equipped, is stationed at<span> </span><span>Tonawanda</span><span> </span>under the same arrangement.</p>
<p class="indent">The night emergency lineman at the power house has been ordered out for the purpose for which he was appointed only once in more than two years of service, and in order to keep him occupied he is made responsible for the cleanliness of the step-up transformer plant and the cable subways in the power house. The emergency lineman at La Salle has also had a sinecure so far as night work is concerned, but is employed by day as one of the electric fitters. The maintenance of a line of this character demands constant watchfulness, and the sometimes dangerous work of remedying defects requires intelligence, nerve, and good judgment."</p>
<span><br /><strong>Infested region</strong><br /><br /></span>"A record of more than thirteen consecutive months without interruption of service due to line troubles, in a region infested with mischievous, kite-flying, stone-throwing boys, and hunters, to whom an insulator is shining mark, is the best evidence of the care and vigilance with which the work has been performed."<br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://reference.insulators.info/publications/search/?query=tonawanda&submit=Search%20https://reference.insulators.info/publications/view/?id=5168&h0=tonawanda ">More Tonawanda results from this collection</a>
Date
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1902-01
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/9d19445a6c46bb487dd53f5f6b90721f.png
a59c37702c49503df9fd76dff42cb313
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Title
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Hannah Johnson
Description
An account of the resource
(ca. 1799 - 1883) Hannah Johnson is a Black woman who lived with her husband John in the predominantly white township of Wheatfield, near the village of Tonawanda. Popularly known as "Black" or "Aunt" Hannah, she is a reputed fortune-teller (teacup reader) who is visited by ladies of the area to have their future told. She is also said to have sweets and treats at the ready for the local children who visited often.<br /><br />Her obituary says she was born "in bondage" in Albany around 1800. In 1825 the Erie Canal is completed, and in 1827 slavery is abolished in New York State (after a period of "Gradual Emancipation"). It is believed Hannah came to North Tonawanda about this time. <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1049">One later writer relays the recollection of an old-timer</a> that Hannah Johnson is part of a "small colony of blacks" that settles along the banks of Tonawanda Creek. According to this account, the blacks' cabins are burned in a raid by locals, and their belongings thrown into the creek. <br /><br />Another account from resident Brenda Fire Flateau maintains:
<blockquote>My Great Grandfather Zaggel was involved with the Underground Railroad. He took in the slave known as "Black Hannah" until her husband caught up with her. She stayed with him and then in the woods across from his farm, which was his property.</blockquote>
Hannah Johnson lives in a cabin near a medicinal sulphur well in the vicinity of present-day South Meadow Drive, close to East Goundry (see maps in this set). The cabin is on the property of Dr. Jesse F. Locke <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/72518630/jesse-f-locke">(1810-1861)</a>, the area's first resident physician (two Lockes are <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1662">noted in the business directory</a> of this 1860 map). Other blacks, some from the south, appear on census reports. An <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DYZQ-XV2?cc=1401638&wc=95RD-N3D%3A1031313801%2C1034650201%2C1031935201%20:%209%20April%20201">1850 census</a> shows (Farmer) John and Hanna Johanson from NY, black, with Henry Hall from Virginia, Joseph (black, Canada b1812) and Ann Polly (a female "mulatto" from Ireland b1820), and a Stephen Smith (black, Ireland, b1815), all in a frame dwelling. The <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-8BPB-86L?cc=1937366&wc=M6GQ-3P6%3A237409601%2C237515901%20:%2022%20May%202014">1855 census</a> shows Hannah hailing from Albany, John from Washington, and a "Henry Hall" from Maryland. Also says each had been in the city for the last 25 years.<br /><br />Jesse Locke dies March 12, 1861. A farmer by the name of John Chadwick takes ownership of the larger property containing the Johnsons' cabin. Some sources say Mr. Chadwick grants them a life-long lease on the property, but the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage report suggests John Jonson already owned at least some portion of land by 1850, perhaps purchasing directly from Dr. Locke. John Johnson dies sometime before 1870. From 1872 to 1882, a John Fonner who lives nearby challenges Hannah's ownership claim in court, and John Chadwick assists her.<br /><br />Hannah dies in 1883 after an illness of two weeks. It is rumored that non-native flowers grow on the site (unusual red trilliums grew during her lifetime). She is buried in Sweeney Cemetery. <br /><br />Hannah leaves an impression on the imagination of the citizenry, as she figures for decades afterward in its ghost tales, and "Black Hannah's Woods" are whispered to be a haunted realm. Her story is resurrected and recast in a poetic and affecting <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1059">1961 <em>News</em> essay</a> by Elizabeth Wherry. The tale is taken up again in a February 1982 edition of the local historical magazine <em>The Lumber Shover</em>.<br /><br />Although it is not settled, it seems at least possible that Hannah's cabin may have served as a stop on the Underground Railroad for blacks escaping slavery. <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2014">A document on the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Area website</a> (page 192) offers some measured reflections on the subject.<br /><br />A "Hannah Haines" is buried near the Zaggel family in Sweeney Cemetery; A person of the same name is found in the <a href="https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVNJ-GFZ8">1865 state</a> and the <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6X8G-85?cc=1438024&wc=9227-6TP%3A518819101%2C520055301%2C519325001%20:%2014%20June%202019">1870 U.S. Census</a> living in Wheatfield with a "Brown" family (like her, from Maine and New England). However, her grave gives her death as the 1870s (HJ died in 1883), and the census gives her race as white. Obit in Ton Herald 1877-08-28 spelled "Hannah C. Haynes."
Article
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John F Fonner summoned to answer complaint, article (Tonawanda News, 1902-03).png
Date
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1902-03
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/710df6e085db6426880c5ee9aab38ef0.pdf
f666341ddb6ab477eccbb23ea37f50e6
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Telephone Franchises
Description
An account of the resource
"In 1880, both the Bell Telephone Company and the Edison Co. opened general offices and began extending service in both villages here. The Home Telephone Co. later was in business here also." George S. Hobbie, News founder, describes first experimental line in a 1930 remembrance (1953).
In 1902, Mayor Ollie vetoes the Common Council's grant of a purportedly lavishly generous Bell telephone franchise.
The Niagara Falls Home Telephone Company merges with others to become the Niagara County Home Telephone Company. In NT in March 1912 the Common Council rules that the wires along Tremont are unsightly, and requires they, the New York Telephone Company, and the Tonawanda Power Company place wires underground. This does not go over well with the companies. "Mr. E. C. Payne appeared and requested the Common Council to take
action on the International Railroad Company in regard to the heavy voltage wires killing the trees along the east side of Payne Avenue."
Article
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Mayor Ollie Vetoes Bell Telephone Franchise, article (Tonawanda News, 1902-03-05).pdf
Date
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1902-03-05
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/53d3fd57bd35cce65bec0ad8d7b1df38.jpg
2b5dc5bf14c9aeb5c05e063d80ac0db2
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Title
A name given to the resource
Telephone Franchises
Description
An account of the resource
"In 1880, both the Bell Telephone Company and the Edison Co. opened general offices and began extending service in both villages here. The Home Telephone Co. later was in business here also." George S. Hobbie, News founder, describes first experimental line in a 1930 remembrance (1953).
In 1902, Mayor Ollie vetoes the Common Council's grant of a purportedly lavishly generous Bell telephone franchise.
The Niagara Falls Home Telephone Company merges with others to become the Niagara County Home Telephone Company. In NT in March 1912 the Common Council rules that the wires along Tremont are unsightly, and requires they, the New York Telephone Company, and the Tonawanda Power Company place wires underground. This does not go over well with the companies. "Mr. E. C. Payne appeared and requested the Common Council to take
action on the International Railroad Company in regard to the heavy voltage wires killing the trees along the east side of Payne Avenue."
Article
Text appearing in a newspaper.
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Title
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Home Telephone connected with Median, article (Tonawanda News,1902-04-17).jpg
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1902-04-17
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/384563d48b2f0a0c3e005cbb12c70664.jpg
3a697f3c118de7c95d88d646f4840b5b
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Hannah Johnson
Description
An account of the resource
(ca. 1799 - 1883) Hannah Johnson is a Black woman who lived with her husband John in the predominantly white township of Wheatfield, near the village of Tonawanda. Popularly known as "Black" or "Aunt" Hannah, she is a reputed fortune-teller (teacup reader) who is visited by ladies of the area to have their future told. She is also said to have sweets and treats at the ready for the local children who visited often.<br /><br />Her obituary says she was born "in bondage" in Albany around 1800. In 1825 the Erie Canal is completed, and in 1827 slavery is abolished in New York State (after a period of "Gradual Emancipation"). It is believed Hannah came to North Tonawanda about this time. <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1049">One later writer relays the recollection of an old-timer</a> that Hannah Johnson is part of a "small colony of blacks" that settles along the banks of Tonawanda Creek. According to this account, the blacks' cabins are burned in a raid by locals, and their belongings thrown into the creek. <br /><br />Another account from resident Brenda Fire Flateau maintains:
<blockquote>My Great Grandfather Zaggel was involved with the Underground Railroad. He took in the slave known as "Black Hannah" until her husband caught up with her. She stayed with him and then in the woods across from his farm, which was his property.</blockquote>
Hannah Johnson lives in a cabin near a medicinal sulphur well in the vicinity of present-day South Meadow Drive, close to East Goundry (see maps in this set). The cabin is on the property of Dr. Jesse F. Locke <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/72518630/jesse-f-locke">(1810-1861)</a>, the area's first resident physician (two Lockes are <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1662">noted in the business directory</a> of this 1860 map). Other blacks, some from the south, appear on census reports. An <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DYZQ-XV2?cc=1401638&wc=95RD-N3D%3A1031313801%2C1034650201%2C1031935201%20:%209%20April%20201">1850 census</a> shows (Farmer) John and Hanna Johanson from NY, black, with Henry Hall from Virginia, Joseph (black, Canada b1812) and Ann Polly (a female "mulatto" from Ireland b1820), and a Stephen Smith (black, Ireland, b1815), all in a frame dwelling. The <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-8BPB-86L?cc=1937366&wc=M6GQ-3P6%3A237409601%2C237515901%20:%2022%20May%202014">1855 census</a> shows Hannah hailing from Albany, John from Washington, and a "Henry Hall" from Maryland. Also says each had been in the city for the last 25 years.<br /><br />Jesse Locke dies March 12, 1861. A farmer by the name of John Chadwick takes ownership of the larger property containing the Johnsons' cabin. Some sources say Mr. Chadwick grants them a life-long lease on the property, but the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage report suggests John Jonson already owned at least some portion of land by 1850, perhaps purchasing directly from Dr. Locke. John Johnson dies sometime before 1870. From 1872 to 1882, a John Fonner who lives nearby challenges Hannah's ownership claim in court, and John Chadwick assists her.<br /><br />Hannah dies in 1883 after an illness of two weeks. It is rumored that non-native flowers grow on the site (unusual red trilliums grew during her lifetime). She is buried in Sweeney Cemetery. <br /><br />Hannah leaves an impression on the imagination of the citizenry, as she figures for decades afterward in its ghost tales, and "Black Hannah's Woods" are whispered to be a haunted realm. Her story is resurrected and recast in a poetic and affecting <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1059">1961 <em>News</em> essay</a> by Elizabeth Wherry. The tale is taken up again in a February 1982 edition of the local historical magazine <em>The Lumber Shover</em>.<br /><br />Although it is not settled, it seems at least possible that Hannah's cabin may have served as a stop on the Underground Railroad for blacks escaping slavery. <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2014">A document on the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Area website</a> (page 192) offers some measured reflections on the subject.<br /><br />A "Hannah Haines" is buried near the Zaggel family in Sweeney Cemetery; A person of the same name is found in the <a href="https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVNJ-GFZ8">1865 state</a> and the <a href="https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6X8G-85?cc=1438024&wc=9227-6TP%3A518819101%2C520055301%2C519325001%20:%2014%20June%202019">1870 U.S. Census</a> living in Wheatfield with a "Brown" family (like her, from Maine and New England). However, her grave gives her death as the 1870s (HJ died in 1883), and the census gives her race as white. Obit in Ton Herald 1877-08-28 spelled "Hannah C. Haynes."
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John Chadwick Dead, article (Tonawanda News, 1902-06-23).jpg
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1902-06-23
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Tonawanda Board and Paper Company
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Tonawanda gets big paper mill, article (Tonawanda News, 1902-07-05).jpg
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1902-07-05
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/f37ba41415e6cb1c07c0bc3b1250367f.jpg
a197ccee40abfddfbd2bb61bf9d8ed20
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North Tonawanda Police Department (1888 - present)
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Chief of Police, John F. Ryan, photo and bio (Tonawanda News, 1903-04-20).jpg
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1903-04-20
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89dfbb09b5d586efb25c704b5607f20c
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Hope-Jones Organ Co. (of Elmira)
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The inventor of the Mighty Wurlitzer organ which catapulted the company to worldwide recognition was a brilliant (if troubled) Englishman named Robert Hope-Jones.
Hope-Jones came to the U.S. in 1903. In 1907 he formed the Hope-Jones Organ Co. in Elmira, N.Y. (Mark Twain is a large shareholder) at the corner of East 5th and Madison. After three years of struggles (and under a "cloud" of suspicion in Elmira for his "actions with small boys"), the company and patents were purchased by Wurlitzer in 1910, whereupon Robert Hope-Jones moved to Wurlitzer's North Tonawanda plant to oversee production of a new line of organ. The relationship is said to have been a strained one, with the old inventor constantly tweaking and refining his instruments, and never willing to relinquish control so that they could go into production. He would be barred from the factory he led. At least six months before his death he had cut ties with Wurlitzer. The Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ and pipe organs are based on his breakthroughs, and sustained Wurlitzer between the mechanical music era and the jukebox era (and beyond). Hope-Jones committed suicide on September 12 or 13, 1914, while traveling in Rochester. A report says August de Kleist brought his body back to North Tonawanda.
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English organ builder here, article (New York Sun, 1903-05-28).jpg
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1903-05-28
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New Railroad Bridge, NYC over Tonawanda Creek, article (Tonawanda News, 1903-06-08).jpg
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1903-06-08
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B. P. O. Elks Lodge 860
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An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/77.jpg" alt="BPOE building" /> <span class="cover-caption">The Elks Club home c1920–2011; northeast corner of Main and Sweeney.</span>The North Tonawanda chapter of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks organizes around 1903. Early on they meet in the State National Bank building on Webster and Sweeney. By about 1920 they secure their own large red brick building at the corner of Main and Sweeney. In December 2011, this building is <a href="http://nthistory.com/items/show/1247">destroyed by fire</a>. The fraternal organization now operates out of somewhat <a href="http://nthistory.com/items/show/1249">humbler quarters</a> in Tonawanda. You may wish to drop in on their Facebook page, whose name bears eloquent witness of their exile to Main Street, Tonawanda: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BpoElksLodge860/"><span>Twin Cities Lodge # 860 formerly known as North Tonawanda Lodge</span></a>.<br /><br />The national B. P. O. Elks is founded by English comic actor Charles Vivian in New York City in 1868. According to their <a href="http://www.elks.org/history/stories.cfm">website</a>:
<blockquote>It All Began With the Jolly Corks. Starting as as a group of actors and entertainers bent on having fun AND avoiding a New York Excise tax in 1867 (Sundays were the ‘dry’ day), this convivial group called themselves the Jolly Corks (for a clever trick with corks they performed on the uninitiated to win rounds of drinks). That same year as membership grew, some members saw the vision to become more helpful in the community. Alas, two feuding factions split the group over different philosophies. Fortunately, the latter faction moved forward with their new ideals and in February of 1868, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks was chartered–and with a great new spirit and direction, began to help Veterans, Scouting, Scholarships and more–wherever Charity, Justice and Brotherly Love were needed!</blockquote>
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Elks Install New Officers, article (Tonawanda News, 1904-04-13).jpg
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1904-04-13
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/05e43c88dcf15f5a973c00bceb4d5896.jpg
acb20f6a3335902e36986b246307ebda
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The Swing Bridges
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An account of the resource
Apr 21 1883 "An act to incorporate the Tonawanda Island Bridge Company, for the purpose of constructing and operating a bridge from Tonawanda island to North Tonawanda [passed]" - <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=IYJZAAAAYAAJ">Gen Statutes of State of New York</a><br /><br />"March 2, 1885 - Petition was received from H. M. Dodge & Co., asking permission to construct and maintain a swing bridge across Tonawanda Harbor, landing in Erie County to be at or near foot of Clay Street" - Tonawanda News, 1941-11-07. According to a Tonawanda News article, the southern bridge hadn't been used since the 1940s, when the Continental Can company closed.
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Track Was Torn Up - Sweeney dispute, article (Tonawanda News, 1904-04-15).jpg
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1904-04-15
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/03a643058030738941da2df1dcdc019f.jpg
ae00e0a55f4ccec219081fd91adcdd6a
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The Swing Bridges
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Apr 21 1883 "An act to incorporate the Tonawanda Island Bridge Company, for the purpose of constructing and operating a bridge from Tonawanda island to North Tonawanda [passed]" - <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=IYJZAAAAYAAJ">Gen Statutes of State of New York</a><br /><br />"March 2, 1885 - Petition was received from H. M. Dodge & Co., asking permission to construct and maintain a swing bridge across Tonawanda Harbor, landing in Erie County to be at or near foot of Clay Street" - Tonawanda News, 1941-11-07. According to a Tonawanda News article, the southern bridge hadn't been used since the 1940s, when the Continental Can company closed.
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Justice Childs Says the Railroad Cant Be Stopped - Sweeney dispute, article (Tonawanda News, 1904-06-21).jpg
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1904-06-21
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/affff8198a50a35195932b8d5a9809c1.jpg
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Michael J Joyce, photo portrait (1905-04-02 Tonawanda News).jpg
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1905-04-02
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/a0bd603e6e9a2367487c1f921dc18ef8.jpg
bfb9d534a0e84f14e8d16812052e7fdf
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Ironton School
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<span>Ironton Public School #2 opened in 1889 at the corner of 1st Ave and Oliver Street (present-day Elizabeth Harvey Apartments / Olmsted Center for Sight). Its teachers educated the young scholars in the "northern" part of the village, known as Ironton (the Avenues, for instance). As early as 1915 it was overcrowded: The school rented rooms across the street to hold kindergarten. Finally in 1926 Ironton Public School #7 (later known as <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/7">Gil</a></span><span class="text_exposed_show"><a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/7">more School</a>) was built to improve matters. The building was later used as a vocational school (its students and equipment were moved to the new BOCES on Saunders Settlement Rd c.1970). It was briefly considered for the NiaCAP Headstart before being privately purchased to store cars. After years of neglect it was demolished. </span><br /><br />From <em><a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/608">Tonawanda and North Tonawanda: The Lumber City</a></em> (1891):
<blockquote>The rapid growth of North Tonawanda in the Ironton district, together with the crowded condition for the union school, demanded increased facilities, and on November 15, 1888, $10,000 was voted to build an edifice in that locality. The amount was increased to $15,000 and the building erected in 1889 is of modern design, and well adapted to school use.</blockquote>
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An Ancient Bell of Tonawanda, Ironton School, article (Courier Express, 1905-05-14).jpg
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1905-05-14
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/2f491abca19621aa91a9e87701fcdc12.jpg
538d9095e0caca0b5eb30689030c5393
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Armenian-Hun Brutally Murdered by Lumber Shovers, article (Buffalo Morning Express, 1905-05-22).jpg
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1905-05-22
labor
lumber
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/bae2d838718517fff6d0743747c9d7a9.pdf
2cd70e11d5f2f441d23af153ae80a177
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Alexander's Lounge, 46 Sweeney
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" alt="Alexander's, ink and watercolor (Dennis Reed Jr)" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/122.jpg" /><span class="cover-caption">Alexander's, ink and watercolor (Dennis Reed Jr). </span> If you are expecting the current <em>gentlemen's establishment </em>Alexander's Lounge to have a colorful past, you will <em>not</em> be disappointed. <br /><br />Since at least 1882, North Tonawandans have come to this address for entertainment, food, drink, and (in former times) to rent a room. It is hard to say how much, if any, of the building here today is "original." Niagara County parcel records date the current structure is <a href="https://niagaracounty.prosgar.com/PROSParcel/Parcel/12832?swis=291200">built in 1938</a>.<br /><br /><strong>Early Years: The White Star Hotel</strong><br /><br />In <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/files/original/9fa8119fbd4b18cb8dcc48d94502fb48.pdf">1882</a> Captain James Ennis is the proprietor of the White Star Hotel here. Photos in the early 20th Century show a much taller, 3-story building on the site. By 1905 the hotel has changed hands to William Phelps. <br /><br /><strong>Perew years</strong><br /><br />Canadian-born eccentric <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2154">Philip Perew</a> is running the White Star by September 1907. It is likely that some of the "liberties" now associated with the site were already being taken at this early date--Perew owns a dozen or so Goose Island houses of ill repute in his lifetime. Liquor and women was pretty much his business model (and <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/106">questionable inventions</a>, but that's another story.)<br /><br />How eccentric is he? He keeps a "menagerie" of exotic animals with him at the hotel. The collection of poor souls is narrowly evacuted before a disastrous 1909 fire guts the building. Making the evacuation slightly easier is the fact that, as the <em>Tonawanda News</em> reports, "the wildcat and the Russian wolf had been removed to another place some weeks ago." <br /><br />During Prohibition the White Star "Inn" is a recurring target of dry agents. In 1937 (immediately after his Goose Island establishments are shuttered by police) Perew accuses Chief Criminal Deputy Amedeo L. Coppola of shaking him down for $200 a month in bribes, and takes him to court in a trial that is a local sensation. Perew lives here until his death in 1946.<br /><br />By 1950 the building is condemned as "unfit for human habitation," and the remaining lodgers are evicted. <br /><br /><strong>Silver Sail: Saunders years</strong><br /><br />Josephine "Pammy" Saunders purchases the building from Perew.* A large investment in a shiny new restaurant in the basement is made, and the "Silver Sail Restaurant" is up and running. It is advertised in 1952 with Dorothy "Thompson" as proprietor. I am assured by a descendant that no monkey business was happening at 46 Sweeney in this era. (<a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2648">This photograph</a> of John Saunders tending bar in front of a "No Dancing" sign seems to support this claim.) Josephine Saunders is granted a liquor license for the Silver Sail as late as 10/19/1965. She dies 4/29/1966.<br /><br /><strong>Alexander's Lounge: Enter the Vergos (c. 1967)</strong><br /><br />Wild times return to the old haunt with the arrival of the Vergos brothers in our story: the club's namesake "Alex," and Peter. The first time their name appears in print in the Tonawanda News is May 1967 in an ad for a waitress and cook. An August 1969 melee causes brother-owners Alex G. and Peter G. Vergos to be charged by State Liquor Authority with "improper conduct" and "disorder"; In 1972 charges against Alex of sexual abuse of a "go-go dancer" are dropped. In 1979 another disastrous fire strikes the (3-story) building. Perhaps this fire is what results in the shorter building we know today?<br /><br />Alexander G. Vergos dies January 21, 1994.<br /><br />-<br /><br /><em>*This information is from a Saunder family member. Uncertain year - Dorothy Saunders was operating it by 1939. </em>
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Wife beater paid a fine, William Phelps White Star Hotel proprietor, article (Ton News, 1905-08-22).pdf
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1905-08-22
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f2525edce518ae29ebd37fc2867d5dde
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The Swing Bridges
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Apr 21 1883 "An act to incorporate the Tonawanda Island Bridge Company, for the purpose of constructing and operating a bridge from Tonawanda island to North Tonawanda [passed]" - <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=IYJZAAAAYAAJ">Gen Statutes of State of New York</a><br /><br />"March 2, 1885 - Petition was received from H. M. Dodge & Co., asking permission to construct and maintain a swing bridge across Tonawanda Harbor, landing in Erie County to be at or near foot of Clay Street" - Tonawanda News, 1941-11-07. According to a Tonawanda News article, the southern bridge hadn't been used since the 1940s, when the Continental Can company closed.
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Marine Men Got Even with New York Central, tugs Tonawanda and Bird, article (Tonawanda News, 1905-09-01).jpg
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1905-09-01
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The Swing Bridges
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Apr 21 1883 "An act to incorporate the Tonawanda Island Bridge Company, for the purpose of constructing and operating a bridge from Tonawanda island to North Tonawanda [passed]" - <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=IYJZAAAAYAAJ">Gen Statutes of State of New York</a><br /><br />"March 2, 1885 - Petition was received from H. M. Dodge & Co., asking permission to construct and maintain a swing bridge across Tonawanda Harbor, landing in Erie County to be at or near foot of Clay Street" - Tonawanda News, 1941-11-07. According to a Tonawanda News article, the southern bridge hadn't been used since the 1940s, when the Continental Can company closed.
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Marine Men Got Even with New York Central, tugs Tonawanda and Bird, article (Tonawanda News, 1905-09-01).jpg
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1905-09-01
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https://nthistory.com/files/original/749d1a10450400fd9ba2683d4a66fd47.jpg
bc63b596f602d6c4b95dbef8daa62d9c
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Niagara Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company
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An account of the resource
<strong><a href="http://nthistory.com/niagara">PHOTO SEARCH: Learn about the search for a photograph of Niagara! </a></strong><br /><br />(1905-1917) The Niagara Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company is formed by former employees of the <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/24">North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory</a>. Signatures on the company's incorporation papers include those of William Herschell, the man who arranged for de Kleist’s coming to America to make organs, as well as machinist William Strassburg and Frank Morganti. There are also:
<ul>
<li>Duncan Sinclair</li>
<li>Frederick Schultz</li>
<li>William H. Griffin</li>
<li>Louis Schultz</li>
<li>William D. Trimble</li>
</ul>
Frank Morganti is named president of the new firm. Given the kind of direct competition it represented, it seems unlikely that the parting was amicable. <br /><br />The local newspapers are silent about Niagara’s March 1905 start (it is only a later piece that gives us this origin date). In 1906 Niagara loses some if its leadership, including president Frank Morganti, to the larger and better funded <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/10">North Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works</a>. Niagara continues on, and completes a second small expansion of it modest plant in August 1910.<br /><br />Niagara produces Niagara Military Band Organs ("The Organ That Is Different," one ad insists) for carousels, dance halls, roller rinks and sideshows; in 1910 the picture house-targeted "En-Symphonie" is being marketed in <em>Billboard</em> and other comtemporary trade publications; the "Midget Orchestra" and similar instruments follow. <br /><br />Business appears to be booming in 1914, as the company pays out a dividend of 10% to its stockholders that January.<br /><br />However, in October 1917, the Foster Specialty Company of Buffalo purchases the "patents, goodwill, stock in trade, and equipment" of Niagara. In spite of reports that Foster intends to "immediately develop the business...on a large scale," the enterprise is never heard from again.<br /><br />Reader Andrew Barrett contributes the names C. E. Phillips and J. F. Preston as probable Niagara sales people in 1909 and probably thru 1910.<br /><br />Some more particulars are on my semi-abandoned website, <a href="http://dennisreedjr.com/organwars/items/show/36">Organ Wars</a>.
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Organ Company Incorporated, article (Tonawanda News, 1905-10-09).jpg
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1905-10-09
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North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory (1893-1903)
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/24d.jpg" alt="North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory, 1893 (colorized by webmaster)" /><span class="cover-caption">Nucleus of Wurlitzer: The North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory in 1893. It still stands in 2023.</span>
<p class="intro">The first of its kind in America, the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory makes automatic musical instruments to provide music for Allan Herschell's world-famous carousels. Led by the fiery Prussian gentleman-genius Eugene de Kleist, the firm survives an early national Depression to succeed beyond its wildest expectations with the help of a musical family from Ohio named the "Wurlitzers."</p>
<div class="img-caption-container"><img src="http://nthistory.com/files/square_thumbnails/cc9e0bcd6b738bbe4ed82bac5ef50e91.jpg" alt="Image description" />
<div class="caption">De Kleist band organ, c.1900.</div>
</div>
<b>Portable music of another era<br /><br /></b>Before the phonograph and radio, the next best thing to a live orchestra or marching band is a "band organ" or "orchestrion." Essentially giant music boxes with drums, pipe organs, brass horns and more, these devices are popular in Europe for centuries before being produced in the New World in 1893 with the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory. <br /><br />The factory is built in the spring of 1893 by local merry-go-round makers the <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/73">Armitage-Herschell Company</a> in the Sawyer's Creek / Martinsville area in the northeast of the recently incorporated City of North Tonawanda. To oversee operations, Armitage-Herschell recruits a German organ maker from London with whom they have been acquainted: the talented <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/936">Eugene de Kleist</a>. With a small crew of workers culled from England and the surrounding Martinsville farms, the North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory also makes organs for churches, offers repairs on existing organs, and makes the pinned barrels that contain the music the organs play. After about a year, Armitage-Herschell sign ownership of the enterprise over to their capable superintendent.<br /><br /><strong>Meet the Wurlitzers</strong><br /><br />Business is middling until 1897, when de Kleist meets a decades-old musical retail concern from Cincinnati that will prove a valuable partner: the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company. The story goes that de Kleist was looking to interest the U. S. Army in buying his bugles, which were made as part of many of his band organs. de Kleist is told that the Wurlitzer company already has that business, so he approaches Wurlitzer, and is able to sell them some of his bugles. He also tries to interest Wurlitzer in his band organs, but they ask if he coud instead produce a coin-operated piano for use in taverns and restaurants. After over a year in development, the first "Tonophones" are ready in 1898, and are an immediate success. (Hear <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1023">Farny Wurlitzer</a> tell this story himself <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5dXbpPM7T0&t=5m29s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in this remarkable speech from 1964</a>).<br /><br />Similiar instruments, such as the Pianino, follow, and the small factory begins to grow, and over the next few years establishes the northwest corner of the massive Wurlitzer plant still standing in North Tonawanda today.
<p><strong>The de Kleist Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company</strong></p>
In 1903, the Barrel Organ Factory incorporates as the de Kleist Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company, with investment from banker James Thompson and some new top brass. Wurlitzer's interest in the North Tonawanda plant increases as Eugene de Kleist's seems to wane (<a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/936">see de Kleist's bio</a> for more on this). In 1905 a group of workers leaves to form the <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/75">Niagara Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company</a>; within a year another wave of defectors forms the <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/10">North Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works</a>. <br /><br />1908 begins auspiciously: in January, de Kleist (now mayor of North Tonawanda) lavishly fetes 700 employees and their families in the new music department building. His superintendent, Paul Von Rohl, delivers a speech in his honor, and they dance and carouse until morning light begins filtering over Sawyer's Creek.<br /><br />The following months will not be as good. de Kleist files a $50,000 infringement lawsuit against the aforementioned Instrument Works, but loses. In March, he leaves the aforementioned Paul Von Rohl in charge of the factory while he is off racing powerboats in Florida. de Kleist returns to suspect there has been rampant theft in his absence, and brings charges of grand larceny against Von Rohl, which are dropped, replaced by petit larceny charges, and then found unproved by a jury. In April, Mayor de Kleist accuses eight employees of stealing valuable machinery and plans from his factory, and of conspiring to start another rival factory. The summer brings more powerboating and politicking.<br /><br />Perhaps fearing for the security of their investment, Wurlitzer buys Eugene de Kleist out. <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/52">The Rudolph Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company</a> is organized in December of 1908 with $1,000,000 capital.
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Candidates Speak at Boathouse, de Kleist photo, article (Tonawanda News, 1905-10-13).jpg
Date
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1905-10-13
boat
politics
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/045a7d40cf0303b931edb4757a215bbc.jpg
f4ad5b688f7efc2a34c26144f9b0e98b
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Niagara Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company
Description
An account of the resource
<strong><a href="http://nthistory.com/niagara">PHOTO SEARCH: Learn about the search for a photograph of Niagara! </a></strong><br /><br />(1905-1917) The Niagara Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company is formed by former employees of the <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/24">North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory</a>. Signatures on the company's incorporation papers include those of William Herschell, the man who arranged for de Kleist’s coming to America to make organs, as well as machinist William Strassburg and Frank Morganti. There are also:
<ul>
<li>Duncan Sinclair</li>
<li>Frederick Schultz</li>
<li>William H. Griffin</li>
<li>Louis Schultz</li>
<li>William D. Trimble</li>
</ul>
Frank Morganti is named president of the new firm. Given the kind of direct competition it represented, it seems unlikely that the parting was amicable. <br /><br />The local newspapers are silent about Niagara’s March 1905 start (it is only a later piece that gives us this origin date). In 1906 Niagara loses some if its leadership, including president Frank Morganti, to the larger and better funded <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/10">North Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works</a>. Niagara continues on, and completes a second small expansion of it modest plant in August 1910.<br /><br />Niagara produces Niagara Military Band Organs ("The Organ That Is Different," one ad insists) for carousels, dance halls, roller rinks and sideshows; in 1910 the picture house-targeted "En-Symphonie" is being marketed in <em>Billboard</em> and other comtemporary trade publications; the "Midget Orchestra" and similar instruments follow. <br /><br />Business appears to be booming in 1914, as the company pays out a dividend of 10% to its stockholders that January.<br /><br />However, in October 1917, the Foster Specialty Company of Buffalo purchases the "patents, goodwill, stock in trade, and equipment" of Niagara. In spite of reports that Foster intends to "immediately develop the business...on a large scale," the enterprise is never heard from again.<br /><br />Reader Andrew Barrett contributes the names C. E. Phillips and J. F. Preston as probable Niagara sales people in 1909 and probably thru 1910.<br /><br />Some more particulars are on my semi-abandoned website, <a href="http://dennisreedjr.com/organwars/items/show/36">Organ Wars</a>.
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Niagara MIMC has enlarged quarters, employs 20, article (Tonawanda News, 1905-12-11).jpg
Date
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1905-12-11
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/6680c83d0af6b9b20513559365383e19.jpg
98137ac3ff4000e8540d790ffe708325
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Perew's Electric Man and Other Inventions
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/106.jpg" alt="The Electric Man appears to draw a car" /><span class="cover-caption">Perew's most famous invention, a patented, giant automaton known variously as the "Electric Man," "Peter the Great," "Christopher," and the "Frankenstein of Tonawanda," appeared to draw a car but was actually pushed by it. Photo: Granger Collection, c1900.</span> Louis Philip Perew (1862-1946) came to the Tonawandas at 17 in 1879 from Quebec. He came with his brothers and his father, a lake boat captain who settled on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a>. <br /><br />He was a boat captain like his father, but was best known as an inventor. In addition to his Electric Man (which underwent many changes over the years as he refined the technology and sought a market), Perew is credited with developing anti-torpedo technology, a <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/867">canal electric trolley system</a>, a cigar lighter, and a <a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US499800?oq=499800">new merry-go-round system</a>. His inventions met with varying degrees of sucess.<br /><br />He was associated with local merry-go-round makers <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/100">Gillie, Goddard and Company</a>. He and Goddard were implicated in one of the most horrific events in the Tonawandas history: the double murder by a mob of a canal boat captain and his son over a labor dispute in October of 1895. Neither was ultimately convicted.<br /><br />In 1909 he is proprietor of the White Star Hotel. Perew was an avid boat racer and builder, and owned a gasoline cruiser and a yacht in 1910s. In 1916, after the Webster Street bridge was destroyed by ice, he was hired to construct a temporary pontoon bridge while the bascule bridge was being built. In 1925 he has a store at 152 North Niagara Street in Tonawanda. He is said to have had a "private zoo" with a "Russian wolf."<br /><br />Perew also owned several "disorderly houses" on <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/26">Goose Island</a> (he claims in the Cappola trial he bought them from a bank and had no idea they were disorderly). He runs afoul of the law quite often during Prohibition, and is involved in a very public bribery case against local police. Goose Island's bordellos and taverns would finally be closed down in the late 1930s. Perew lives all the way until 1946 at the White Star Hotel. The hotel's entertainments include square dancing nights and "Spanish dancing" girls. The address of the White Star Hotel? 46 Sweeney Street in North Tonawanda: the site of the present-day Alexander's Gentleman's Lounge.
Source
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<ul>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/TheStrandMagazineAnIllustratedMonthly/page/n6">An Electric Man, Strand Magazine (1900) - archive.org</a></li>
<li><a href="http://cyberneticzoo.com/walking-machines/1894-1914-electric-man-perew-american/">1894-1914 – Electric Man – Perew - cyberneticzoo.com</a></li>
<li><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=NXOdDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PT67&ots=h__RbBghkS&dq=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&pg=PT66#v=onepage&q=%22United%20States%20Automaton%20Company%22&f=false"><em>Robots in American Popular Culture</em> (pp 60-62).</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.buffalohistorygazette.net/2010/09/the-man-of-tonawanda.html">The Automatic Man of Tonawanda! Buffalo History Gazette</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Louis_(Phil)_Perew</a></li>
</ul>
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Philip Perew sued by United States, article (Tonawanda News, 1905-12-16).jpg
Date
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1905-12-16
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/7c166853e6970e9ba4bd4402402a6f17.jpg
0a6a6601b44e6f770a6cb8c4371450ee
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Title
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Goose Island
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/26.jpg" alt="Goose Island as seen from Tonawanda Island, postcard detail, ca 1913" /><span class="cover-caption">Goose Island as seen from Tonawanda Island, postcard detail, ca 1913.</span> In the mid-nineteenth century, Tonawanda's so-called "Goose Island" has a reputation as the part of town a fatigued, sober and lovelorn "canawler" can go to be cured of at least two of those conditions. Even decades after the Canal era, the area continues to proffer its roguish entertainments. In the mid-1930s, during Prohibition, local law enforcement organizes a series of "vice raids" on its bordellos and taverns, citing widespread lawlessness (the language in the articles is delicately vague, but offenses seem to include the venerable tandem of whoring and drinking). <br /><br />"Goose Island" wasn't a real island: it was a triangular hunk of land in Tonawanda bordered by the Erie Canal, the Niagara River and Tonawanda Creek, in the area where Tops and Rivershore Drive are today (see this <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/331">map</a>). The city waterworks, factories, trains, taverns and homes all mingled here in a pre-zoning law stew. <br /><br />The Historical Society of the Tonawandas <a href="http://www.niagaragreenway.org/sites/default/files/Historical%20Society%20of%20the%20Tonawandas%20NRG%20-%20November%202013%20SQ.pdf">reports</a> (p. 18) that the island also hosted Gillie's merry-go-round company, Louis Philip Perew's curious <a href="http://nthistory.com/items/show/611">Electric Man</a>, and the Bork Hotel. (Perew and his son also owned many of the "entertainment" places).<br /><br />The island is at last taken by the forces of good. The canal from Tonawanda to Buffalo is filled in around 1927, effectively reconnecting the recalcitrant island to its parent. Later, "Urban Renewal" razes all its remaining structures but the waterworks. Today the former "island" is quietly and profitably inhabited by a small plaza, a <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/942">nightmarish housing project</a>, Tops Friendly Markets and, perhaps most resonantly, the headquarters of the Tonawanda Police Department.
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Tonawanda Board and Paper Company on Goose Island, photo article (Tonawanda News, 1905-12-20).jpg
Date
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1905-12-20
tonawanda
-
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Hope-Jones Organ Co. (of Elmira)
Description
An account of the resource
The inventor of the Mighty Wurlitzer organ which catapulted the company to worldwide recognition was a brilliant (if troubled) Englishman named Robert Hope-Jones.
Hope-Jones came to the U.S. in 1903. In 1907 he formed the Hope-Jones Organ Co. in Elmira, N.Y. (Mark Twain is a large shareholder) at the corner of East 5th and Madison. After three years of struggles (and under a "cloud" of suspicion in Elmira for his "actions with small boys"), the company and patents were purchased by Wurlitzer in 1910, whereupon Robert Hope-Jones moved to Wurlitzer's North Tonawanda plant to oversee production of a new line of organ. The relationship is said to have been a strained one, with the old inventor constantly tweaking and refining his instruments, and never willing to relinquish control so that they could go into production. He would be barred from the factory he led. At least six months before his death he had cut ties with Wurlitzer. The Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ and pipe organs are based on his breakthroughs, and sustained Wurlitzer between the mechanical music era and the jukebox era (and beyond). Hope-Jones committed suicide on September 12 or 13, 1914, while traveling in Rochester. A report says August de Kleist brought his body back to North Tonawanda.
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Fine cathedral organ, article (Auburn Telegraph and others, 1906-03-15).txt
Description
An account of the resource
Instrument Fa r Kevr Episcopa l Cathedra
l Wil l Be One of th e Most
POTT erf ul In th e World—Hope-Jone s
System of Tone Producing; Will Be
fcsed—The Gift of Mr. an d Mrs. Lev i
P. Morton.
An organ which is designed to be one
of the most powerful in the world has
been ordered by the authorities of the
Cathedral of St. John the Divine in
N e w York."" It is to cost $50,000 and
is to be constructed with funds contributed
by Mr. and Mrs. Levi P.
Morton, say s the New York Times.
The instrument is to be built Jointly
by Robert Hope-Jones, who constructed
the organ In Worcester cathedral in
England, now known as the most powerful
in the world, and Ernest M. Skinner,
builder of the organs In Grace
church, New York, and Plymouth
church, Brooklyn. Mr.
% Hope-Jones
came to America about a year ago and
has since entered into a corporation, of
which Mr. Skinner is the head. They
have built a factory in Boston, and
there the big cathedral organ will be
constructed.
No plans hav e been drawn for the
instrument. The authorities of the
cathedral chose the builders they
thought could serve them best and
told them to construct the finest instrument
they could turn out.
In building this organ Mr. Hope -
Jone s will us e for the first time in the
United States the method for produci
ng tones which he first employed in the
Worcester cathedral and sinc e in the
organs in Edinburgh town hall and
Llandaff cathedral. This method has
been a subject of controversy in Great
Britain for year s and will probably
caus e much discussion in America.
Mr. Hope-Jones discards reed pipes,
which depend for their tone s upon the
vibration under air pressure of a metal
tongue against an opening in the pipe.
He wa s formerly an electrical enginee r
and employed his knowledge of mechanics
in producing sounds. He use s
springs, valve s and cylinders and operate
s the organ by electricity.
He procures the puffing, or beating of
the air current into his resonators, by
means of a devic e that reminds one of
the piston of an engine. With an electric
blower as a propelling powe r for
the traveling rod and mechaulcal devices
to insure its quick return this
piston works up and down, alternately
admitting and excluding the air and
thus causing vibrations that sound the
required notes in the air chambers.
T he builder declares that he can ge t
more uniform tones than are possible
with reeds, because he can govern with
certainty his air current.
H is device had a trial last spring In
St. Patrick's cathedral when Mr. HopeJone
s put up a dozen resonators and
gav e an opportunity for a comparison
of his organ with reeds. The result
of this trial has been the order by the
authorities of the Cathedral of St.
John the Divine.
A special electrical plant for this
organ will be Installed, and huge blowers
will be put in to furnish the air. It
Is probable that some of the resonators
will be remarkable in themselves.
Some of those used in the Worceste r
cathedral extend far underneath the
floor, and the tone produced by some
of them fairly shake s the building.
Mr. Hope-Jones use s cubes, oblongs,
spheres and other shapes for his resonators,
and for the basic tone a great
air spac e is necessary.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1906-03-15
-
https://nthistory.com/files/original/936eda29bec3e98379bf5a73f986d4a0.jpg
c00ffb2ed5c969d894afc4dd21358af3
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Tonawanda Island
Description
An account of the resource
<img class="cover" alt="1853 illustration of Tonawanda Island, showing the Beechwater residence, and a ferry The Saratoga plying the waters of the Niagara River." src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/55e.jpg" /><span class="cover-caption">1860 illustration showing the southern tip of Tonawanda Island. The lavish Beechwater residence and a smaller building are seen to the left of a mysterious mound (Harper's Monthly Magazine, May 1860) </span><span>This small island in the Niagara River is today home to the N.T. (Water) Pumping Station, Taylor Devices, a booming feral cat population and (we expect) a very few skillful mice. But a mysterious structure at the south end of the island drew some of the earliest widespread attention to our area.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Burial mound left by Native Americans. Or giants.</strong><br /><br />Early European explorers notice a roughly 15 foot-high mound of earth near the southeastern end of the island. One explorer dates the peculiarity to the Native American Squawkie Hill phase (100-400 A.D.), which "included a religious aspect involving the burial of high-status individuals" (John Percy).<br /><br />Indeed, human remains are discovered within, though there is little consensus on who (or what) they were. In 1853, <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/557"><em>Gleason's Pictorial</em> reports</a> that resident Mrs. White (more on the Whites below) personally unearthed "the skull and bones of a human body, supposed to be an Indian chief...not...less than eight feet in stature." (The article adds vaguely that "Many other curiosities are found on the island.") An 1860 article in <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2980"><em>Harper's</em> tells</a> of "several heaps of bones, each comprising three or four skeletons" found just under a circle of stones with indications of fire. Modern mysteriophile Mason Winfield poi</span><span class="text_exposed_show">nts to sensational accounts in frontier newspapers claiming at least two "very bizarre skulls" were excavated from the enclosure, with a "portentous, protruding lower jaw and canine forehead," and buried in a way inconsistent with the traditions of the locals. The skeletons are not confined to the great mound, either. Yet more human remains are found while digging the foundations for the Beechwater mansion, the <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2326"><em>Tonawanda News</em> reports</a> in 1906.<br /><br />Across the Little River, on the mainland, <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1565">evidence of</a> a Native American armory is discovered, with numerous broken flints and arrows.<br /></span><br /><br /><strong>Carney's Island? Not so fast!</strong><br /><br />The island's first European inhabitant arrives as early as 1791, one <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1070">Edward Carney</a>, who hopes to "squat" his way into possession of the island. The property's value skyrockets however when <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2352">Mordecai Noah's plan</a> to turn nearby Grand Island into a refuge for the world's displaced Jews gets underway around 1825, and the land is purchased at auction from the state by Samuel Leggate of New York City (<a href="https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/lifestyles/niagara-discoveries-tonawanda-island-stephen-white-and-his-magnificent-mansion/article_657aa96e-c9eb-54ca-8237-dc7dcc2e0afb.html"><em>Lockport Union-Sun & Journal</em></a>). <br /><br /><strong>White's Island and the Beechwater mansion</strong><br /><br />The plan to make Grand Island into a refuge for Jews, we know, fails, and the next speculators to turn their eyes to our little island are the moneyed men of the East Boston Timber Company in 1833. They are likewise most interested in the much larger prize of Grand Island, and harvest its white oak to build ships in New England. President Stephen White purchases Tonawanda Island as a headquarters and residence, and it becomes known as "White's Island."
<blockquote>To cement his claim, White built a magnificent mansion at the southern end of the island. “Beechwater,” as White called it, was designed by Boston architect Samuel Perkins in 1835 for $18,000. The interior contained cherry, black walnut and marble embellishments (<a href="https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/lifestyles/niagara-discoveries-tonawanda-island-stephen-white-and-his-magnificent-mansion/article_657aa96e-c9eb-54ca-8237-dc7dcc2e0afb.html"><em>Lockport Union-Sun & Journal)</em></a></blockquote>
The Beechwater mansion <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/1565">boasts</a> "chimney pieces from Italy," surrounding pleasure grounds with "choice fruits, ornamental shrubbery and graveled walks," and was called the finest residence in Western New York at the time. Famous American lawyer and politician Daniel Webster (after whom Webster Street is named) <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2326">visits Beechwater</a> on several occasions. Webster's son Fletcher is married to White's daughter Caroline there in 1836. <br /><br />Further plans of the East Boston Timber Company are thwarted by a poor economy. By 1840 the white oak of Grand Island has been cut down and floated away to New England. Stephen White dies, and his widow stays on. It appears Beechwater was offered as a summer resort for a time. <br /><br /><br /><strong>Lumber and industrial era</strong><br /><br />William Wilkeson purchases the property from the family in 1869, planting orchards and vineyards. In 1881, William Wilkeson sells the property to Smith, Fassett & Company, one of the many lumber concerns flocking to the Tonawandas. The natural harbor of the Little River make the island and opposite shore perfect for stacking, processing and shipping immense quantities of lumber, and North Tonawanda has become a major lumber market.<br /><br />Beechwater, Stephen White's mansion, coexists for a while with the great square piles of wood coming and going around it. Although said to still be largely structurally sound, the mansion is <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2326">torn down in 1906</a>, as the "demand for lumber yardage makes its razing imperative." It had long been rumored to be haunted. Its fireplace, we believe, is preserved and cared for by the Historical Society of the Tonawandas.<br /><br />Later significant occupants o Tonawanda Island include the International Paper Company and the R. T. Jones Lumber company.
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.lockportjournal.com/news/lifestyles/niagara-discoveries-tonawanda-island-stephen-white-and-his-magnificent-mansion/article_657aa96e-c9eb-54ca-8237-dc7dcc2e0afb.html">NIAGARA DISCOVERIES: <em>Tonawanda Island, Stephen White and His Magnificent Mansion,</em> Ann Marie Linnabery</a></li>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/pioneerhistoryof00turne/page/n6">Pioneer History of the Holland Purchase of Western New York, 1849</a></li>
<li>Percy, John. <a href="https://www.wnyheritage.org/product/buffalo-niagara_connections_a_new_regional_history_of_the_niagar/index.html"><em>Buffalo-Niagara Connections: A New Regional History of the Niagara Link</em>.</a> Western New York Heritage Inc. 2001</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/92">International Paper Company</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/48">Lumber Scenes</a></li>
</ul>
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White House relic to be demolished soon, article (Tonawanda News, 1906-03-17).jpg
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Description of Daniel Webster's visits, and Uncle Vandervoort's store on Grand Island. A 1982 article claims: "Today, all that remains of its former splendor is a small piece of the black marble from the fireplace mantel preserved among the Historical Society's artifacts."
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1906-03-17