1 200 257 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/c34185289e003c2485ef4d428cf4a842.jpg e3886e545a59e07ffb32a5812b5de14b https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/b09dfd9d20d081042b39cb405e5b8bf9.jpg 5dae93a634e77bff64608e7d2ba9a859 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 Downtown Description An account of the resource Most of North Tonawanda's downtown area developed between 1875 and 1900. In this collection are preserved views of many vanished buildings: The YMCA and City Hall at the southeast corner of Tremont and Main; the 6-story 1891 Smith building (Real Estate Exchange) at the northeast corner of Tremont and Webster, the gothic stone State National Bank at the northwest corner of Sweeney and Webster, and Scanlon's Hall on the southwest corner of the same intersection, to name a few. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 South Niagara Street, looking west, Tonawanda, postcards (c1894).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1894 Description An account of the resource Note lack of electrical poles along the canal in first photo. canal https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/4e975d1874d4528530c9de01b67d2ce1.jpg ee69425eb8bb2444cf99313ae0496b61 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/6ac959de772fd0e92d5d3466bcb98397.jpg a1f606196a2ae9dcb04ce1867b508b8c https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/f43209ca97803d12eb7abff800fb513b.jpg 3d543298fa40628018ae9f1ec896f1c6 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 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. A lock was also built to permit passage between the Niagara River (and Great Lakes) and the canal. Early documents also mention a guard lock just east of the lock. After the Civil War, the depth of the entire canal was increased to accomodate larger boats. Starting around 1909 work was done on our section of the canal as part of Contract 19 to improve the prism, or bottom shape (see <a href="https://nthistory.com/collections/show/152">photos of Contract 19</a>) In 1918 the 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. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Erie Canal and South Niagara Street, looking east, Tonawanda, postcard (c 1900-1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1900 bridge canal erie-canal tonawanda towpath https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/7b301ddb0c1e42bff1195d14dcd20bec.jpeg d102996036897cceffa6e5783761f819 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/63d0c40c48bfe4bf3e832f028b6091c9.jpg f9e9c7dde0131e83306a3b0d382821bf 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 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. A lock was also built to permit passage between the Niagara River (and Great Lakes) and the canal. Early documents also mention a guard lock just east of the lock. After the Civil War, the depth of the entire canal was increased to accomodate larger boats. Starting around 1909 work was done on our section of the canal as part of Contract 19 to improve the prism, or bottom shape (see <a href="https://nthistory.com/collections/show/152">photos of Contract 19</a>) In 1918 the 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. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 South Niagara Street and Erie Canal, Tonawanda, postcard (c1900).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1900 Description An account of the resource Showing Hunphrey & Vandervoort Insurance, Schnell's, the old Erie Canal and more. canal erie-canal hd horse https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/aa7330d5791b47027c669a0df3be6c9c.jpg c02b5705ee5d2b532a4a6e8d286cdc8a 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 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. A lock was also built to permit passage between the Niagara River (and Great Lakes) and the canal. Early documents also mention a guard lock just east of the lock. After the Civil War, the depth of the entire canal was increased to accomodate larger boats. Starting around 1909 work was done on our section of the canal as part of Contract 19 to improve the prism, or bottom shape (see <a href="https://nthistory.com/collections/show/152">photos of Contract 19</a>) In 1918 the 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. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 South Niagara Street Showing Erie Canal, Tonawanda, postcard (c1900).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1900 boat bridge canal tonawanda https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/02d68cb33cb5e333e112759b83555a55.jpeg 429a97258ade6068ce1f672d4aa055aa https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/19c4dd2f424026ae15f9db39f6d68e41.jpg 500e0a4a76a53e368f3ed9c03fd58ca0 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/00dfc86d251ddbc7e6b39e9b30bbf4da.jpg f06b0eb095339a12c2692423a39b6d67 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/85b0902cd61d603a6da4bfefd363d04e.jpg ceac8686dc0069837c87ee03902e8796 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/2d95c15c964a441772ed87eac3e6eb2f.jpg 76bfe512adbf1b45f151157864581089 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 Downtown Description An account of the resource Most of North Tonawanda's downtown area developed between 1875 and 1900. In this collection are preserved views of many vanished buildings: The YMCA and City Hall at the southeast corner of Tremont and Main; the 6-story 1891 Smith building (Real Estate Exchange) at the northeast corner of Tremont and Webster, the gothic stone State National Bank at the northwest corner of Sweeney and Webster, and Scanlon's Hall on the southwest corner of the same intersection, to name a few. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Webster Street, woman walking, postcard (1900).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1900 automobile carriage hd horse https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/0b4a0bf15e4b7cb7db7b8f3e01c591b2.jpg ff62cfd76d2ce5fa7e47d90884c141f8 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 Downtown Description An account of the resource Most of North Tonawanda's downtown area developed between 1875 and 1900. In this collection are preserved views of many vanished buildings: The YMCA and City Hall at the southeast corner of Tremont and Main; the 6-story 1891 Smith building (Real Estate Exchange) at the northeast corner of Tremont and Webster, the gothic stone State National Bank at the northwest corner of Sweeney and Webster, and Scanlon's Hall on the southwest corner of the same intersection, to name a few. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Webster Street, with dog, postcard (c1900).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1900 Description An account of the resource This postcard from around 1900 is one of my favorite views of Webster Street (facing north). You can see trains used to run right down the street near where the Riviera would later be built. On the left is present-day Crazy Jake's. Horse-drawn carriages and carts are also on the left, making the scene really look like something out of a western. Also visible is the "Arcana Theatre" at the southwest corner of Tremont (in the Fowler Block), the Tonawanda Power Company, and some circular sign I cannot make out. https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/41bd6ceea75829ef8b85318e734bcded.jpg ba0f13473904a76b132451353754edce 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 Goundry Street School Description An account of the resource The Goundry Street School was a stone building constructed in 1866. From <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/606">History of Niagara County 1821-1878</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. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Union School (Goundry Street), postcard (c1900).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1900 school https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/86e9a7df5008625f86fe0bcc1c3e6cbd.jpg c134381def4c8f038215f593bb1d0fa8 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/7e2e60a6d7aea04d6969b0305df79460.jpg 235579301edfba257bbb977fddc569a9 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 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" />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>. 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. 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. 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. As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Portion of Harbor, North Tonawanda, postcard (JW Root, c1900).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1900 gooseisland lumber tonawandacreek https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/155420ab0392c9dd81eea9d1835c5621.jpg f4ef1589241a896a370385fa43ae21f5 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 Boathouse Park, Weatherbest Slip Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" alt="Boathouse Park" src="http://nthistory.com/custom/cover/124.jpg" /> PHOTO: Dennis Reed Jr. Around the junction of Tonawanda Creek and the "Little River" three small slips cut into the land. The slips were dug in the 1870s to accommodate Great Lakes and other vessels necessary to North Tonawanda's world-class lumber industry (<a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2668">Buffalo News</a>, 2006). Great piles of lumber towered around them. That lumber industry, as residents know, eventually moves elsewhere. By the 1950s* dozens of private boathouses occupy the area. The city owns the property; the boaters own the structures, pay taxes on them, and lease the land annually. In 1965 the city of North Tonawanda sells the land to the boathouse owners at their request, only to have the sale almost immediately deemed illegal by Mayor Durkee, and nullified. Still, the annual lease continues. In the 1970s the boathouse residents' status becomes contentious when the county health department threatens to fine the city steeply for the effluvium the boathouse residents are releasing into the Little River. The city threatens to evict tenants, to stop renewing leases, and—at the nadir of the clash—to turn off water service to the area. After all, the city argues, the lease does not permit use of the boathouses as living quarters. The park residents' right to enjoy the waterfront property at the exclusion of all other city  residents is also called into question. One mayor wants to evict the tenants and turn the area into a carousel park. In the 1980s developer Wilbur Holler wants to turn the area into townhouses. None of these plans is successful. In 2008 a row of boathouses is demolished, as they are built over a city sewer. But in 2021 the community appears to be all but intractable. *It is unclear how long the structures have been there; <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2688" style="font-size: 0.8em;">a similar slip at Gratwick</a> (since demolished for the wastewater plant) appears to have had boathouses since at least 1905. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Birds-eye view of some of the dockage, postcard (c1900).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1900 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/99970fe88f0d97a63f83be223ea24fd9.jpg c2bd76e54ef1282969727409e271d153 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 Hotel Sheldon Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/51.jpg" alt="Hotel Sheldon" /> Postcard, c1890This massive hotel once occupied the southeast corner of Goundry and Main. A general description from <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/608">Lumber City</a> (1891): <blockquote>Nothing is more needed for the general prosperity of a city than a first-class hotel, and in this particular the Lumber City is especially fortunate, as outside of metropolitan places it would be difficult to find a house more complete in all its appointments than the Sheldon. It is fitted in attractive and elegant style throughout and contains all the modern improvements and appurtenances of a first-class hotel. It is an imposing four-story brick, with eighty rooms.</blockquote> An Internet search rears up <a href="https://www.geni.com/people/William-Truman-Godard/5494628848530068480">this pithy account</a> of one of the hotel's managers: <blockquote>Hope said that he (William Truman Godard, 1870-1937) earned his living in Altoona, Penn as a Pillsbury flour representative and she wrote that he earned his living in as the manager of the Hotel Sheldon in North Tonawanda, New York where Hope was born in 1905. She said he had very black hair and never seemed to have a well day. He went back East to his people after his wife died.</blockquote> The hotel is destroyed by fire in 1940. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Hotel Sheldon, postcard (c1900).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1900-01 Description An account of the resource The Hotel Sheldon was located at southeast corner of Main and Goundry. hotel https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/c75e2b32071002cacec9eb7ad0fd7f69.jpg 31a69d4e1255d1487c1e9cb35541c18b 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 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" />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>. 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. 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. 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. As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Along the Docks of the Lumber District, postcard (c1900).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1900-01 boat labor lumber https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/f00d45f0f6ffef27330c9af2bf4e4003.jpg 3ad971eddc474766060b3a112441c549 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 Gratwick (Neighborhood) Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" alt="Map of Gratwick area and dockage illustration" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/93b.jpg" />1877 SurveyIn 1870 W. H. Gratwick of Buffalo purchases 50 acres along the Niagara River from Benjamin Felton and John Simson. By 1879 the White, Gratwick & Mitchell Lumber Company has a planing mill and substantial lumberyards on the site. They employ 450 men, mostly of German origin, who settle northeast of the facilities. The village’s main street, Felton, is named after 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. 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 Hollister 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Editor's note: <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/607">1878 illustration and modern photo</a> 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> <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/browse?tags=gratwick">More items tagged "Gratwick" ></a> Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Canal and Lumber Yards, Gratwick, postcard (c1900).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1900-01 Description An account of the resource Appears to be looking southeast through the Gratwick lumber yeards, from roughly present-day Gratwick Park, with Tonawanda Iron and Steel looming on left, and Tonawanda Island on the right and beyond. gratwick lumber https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/ecdccf768f590ea5900ecdd52732fc6d.jpg 4ee3616b9fb2c8ab31879f38706c5ae2 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 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" />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>. 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. 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. 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. As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Harbor Scene, postcard (c1900).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1900-01 boat bridge lumber https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/b9418638d8357fba3ea430263a61bd2a.JPG 4818ddb22e31147cb90d38debbbe6e13 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 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" />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>. 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. 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. 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. As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Harbor View in Twin Cities, postcard (c1900).JPG Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1900-01 boat lumber https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/0bcddfdd2c2164465e2415e8a8632431.jpg f5a0999cc1bd0131fb1849f4026dc402 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 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" />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>. 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. 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. 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. As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 View of Harbor, North Tonawanda, postcard (c1900).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1900-01 lumber https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/49469b1c93de33fc0e2033cd32ed20cd.jpg 09666eb5efbe7423a23ce9d401c19a8a 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 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" />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>. 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. 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. 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. As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 World's Greatest Lumber Market, postcard (c1900).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1900-01 lumber https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/c44e0b000360fdbcb19977910b583d65.jpg f8b1b8a1a6f0c817896ca784277c215f Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Chinese Wong Law Laundry, Young Street, Tonawanda postcard (c1901).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1901 oddity retail https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/e8163d9a4d829e4d53b90bb50f34726e.jpg ef15f5de2c2ad95b03e136964dc7d24d 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 City Hall Description An account of the resource The former North Tonawanda City Hall was located on the southeast corner of Main and Tremont. The current North Tonawanda City Hall and police station was dedicated in 1930, built at a cost of $200,000. The lot was previously a rail and lumber yard, with an exhausted gravel pit at its western end (today, Felton Field). By 1965 the jail featured five cells, and one "Ladies Detention Area," which we can only assume the demure, respectable ladies of our city never had occasion to visit. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/609">North Tonawanda Centennial Magazine (1865-1965)</a> Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 City Hall and YMCA, postcard (c1905).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1905 civic https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/da85b93127c296d67685a15afff43b1d.JPG 4349b1db24e046c73afa309997149753 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/3ffd92233d649e6f5da637fa4ad76252.jpg b68b90cbac4424b9ed67c2960a972cac https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/71cc63627fe683e81f35e547f9a0ade1.jpeg d7d2ff3eeb44468ed55be25e15b79f02 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 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 president of North Tonawanda's Board of Education for 30 years. The first day of classes was Tuesday, 9/6/1904. The building 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 (from which was quarried the gravel that led to the infamous dispute that split the Tonawandas, and which was a N.Y. Central train yard and later in 1919 the site of NT's first public playground) "Felton Field." Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Felton High School, postcards (c1905).JPG Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1905 school https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/f78e421ee4752298b85bf4a70395fb5e.jpg ea74b50a73682ec4071e5934365836e7 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 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 president of North Tonawanda's Board of Education for 30 years. The first day of classes was Tuesday, 9/6/1904. The building 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 (from which was quarried the gravel that led to the infamous dispute that split the Tonawandas, and which was a N.Y. Central train yard and later in 1919 the site of NT's first public playground) "Felton Field." Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Felton High School, postcard (c1905).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1905 school https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/8def010ed53e86b9381ece2b9cbb89e6.jpg df596f03d08eaaa654b003787eb7b78b 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 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)" />Nucleus of Wurlitzer: The North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory in 1893. It still stands in 2023. 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." <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> Portable music of another era 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. 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. Meet the Wurlitzers 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>). 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. The de Kleist Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company 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>. 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. 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. 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. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 de Kleist home on Goundry Street, postcard (c1905).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1905 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/515cbd44fd02cb33ecca0e17149cfe84.jpg cf928e47b91403cd0a7d4e18a3c118de 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 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" />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>. 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. 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. 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. As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Harbor View, postcard (c1905).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1905 river tonawandaisland https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/9b4113057986eb9e6933719554637949.jpg d906b4211c19846d62d55d6231eda56d 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 Martinsville Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/56.jpg" alt="Postcard view looking north up Old Falld Blvd" />Old Falls Boulevard, looking north from Lockport Ave. to Niagara Falls Blvd. Postcard detail, c.1900. The northeast part of North Tonawanda known as "Martinsville" is named after the father of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther. It is settled by German Lutheran farmers, beginning around 1843. They settled in narrow farms along the west bank of Tonawanda Creek. As the area developed, a "downtown" emerged along William Street, present-day Old Falls Blvd, near Lockport Rd. (pictured above). The village boasted its own post office, stores and places of entertainment.  Most of Martinsville was incorporated into the then-booming City of North Tonawanda in 1897. The sections of Martinsville east of present-day Old Falls and Niagara Falls boulevards are considered part of Wheatfield. The real estate transaction that brought many of the settlers to the area, its early growth, and the contentious religious devotion of its people are described in <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/606">History of Niagara County 1821-1878</a>: <blockquote>In 1843 Carl Sack, Erdman Wurl and Fred Grosskopf purchased of William Vandervoote 400 acres, at $15 per acre, on the Tonawanda creek, in the southeast corner of the town, four miles east of Tonawanda village, in what is now known as the village of Martinsville. Lutheran religious antecedents caused the adoption of this name by the disciples of Martin Luther. The original purchase was divided into small lots of three acres and up- ward, as others were able to purchase, to provide for the location of thirty families the first season. They erected ten log houses in the autumn, each of which was occupied by three or four families during the winter and until joint efforts relieved the immigrants by building others. The families remained in Buffalo until the first houses were built, obtaining the best accommodations they could find. Forbidding as the prospect in the beginning must have been, it has been changed to the appearance of prosperity. The church organization is the controlling element in the government of the community, now consisting of one hundred families, connected with the two now existing, the result of divided feeling, but not an abandonment of the Lutheran faith.</blockquote> Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Boating on the Creek, Martinsville, postcard (c.1905).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1905 boat creek martinsville https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/fe880e85647b687a35ea5231bc8b5399.jpg d0eb05f122da286b022e8186db91867d https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/2436d5b87b16b6a5e039c646e5a5d151.jpg 9a1dd87066dc55409aea635a0fe4d46c Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Scene on Ellicott Creek, postcard (c1905).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1905 boat creek https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/f58a268d914d80b3329a3888c3d61124.jpg 1252b43b8af1d10ec8e1739eb3b8c288 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/7876b62d8331caba47b18d232b1b5664.jpg 7cc1c82fe10496f85cd70287ed431a33 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 Tonawanda Iron and Steel (Niagara River Iron Company) Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" alt="Tonawanda Iron and Steel, illustration" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/16.jpg" />Illustration: Dennis Reed Jr., 2025. For a century, a massive riverfront iron works dominates the skyline of North Tonawanda near Wheatfield Street and present-day Fisherman's Park. The furnaces cast a ruddy glow over the west, and power the birth of the village of "Ironton," later known as "The Avenues." From <a href="https://nthistory.com/items/show/2891">History of Niagara County (1878)</a>: <blockquote>The Niagara River Iron Company was formed in pursuance of the general manufacturing law, in 1872, with a paid-up capital of $400,000. The first purchase of real estate was of 165 acres from M. Bush. The buildings were erected in 1873, and manufacturing operations commenced the same year. The engine house stands in a prominent position, and by one not knowing its design might be taken for an elegant mansion or villa; the building is 68 by 74 feet, with a proportionate elevation, and finished in tasteful style. The boiler house, judiciously separated, located 45 feet by 70, contains ten ponderous boilers, four feet in diameter and sixty feet long; an octagon chimney eighty feet high rises in front. The blast furnace was constructed to run out fifty tons of pig iron per day, and is 60 by 200 feet and two stories high; a tower rising above the rounded kert contains the machinery for elevating ore and brick by steam power. The oven is 30 by 41 feet, with iron-bound exterior. The buildings named are massive and substantial brick erections, upon stone foundations. The stock house is a frame building, 72 by 500 feet and two stories high. The dock fronting on the river is 500 feet in length, reaching ten feet depth of water. Located upon the dock is an engine for raising freight from the vessels. Two branch tracks of the Central railroad pass over the docks and into the stock house, to deposit and remove material. The buildings cover an area of four acres. The trustees are P. P. Pratt, president; Josiah Jewett, vice-president; S. S. Jewett, H. H. Glenny, George B. Hays, F. L. Danforth and B. F. Felton. During the present general depression in business the works are not operated; but as they are controlled by men of permanent wealth, willing to use it and able to hold their own until the day dawns upon brighter prospects, the advantages of this great concern will yet be felt by the community that has clustered about it in anticipation. The premises and machinery are kept in the most perfect order and neatness under the care of Alexander Reid.</blockquote> Pascal P. Pratt, a "hardware man" from Buffalo, is president and principal stockholder.  <blockquote>Mr. [Pascal P.] Pratt also helped to organize the Niagara River Iron Company in 1872. That company operated a blast furnace in North Tonawanda capable of turning out fifty tons of pig iron daily. Pascal Pratt was President of the firm, and among the other principals was S. S. Jewett. This company was later succeeded by the Tonawanda Iron and Steel Company, with William A. Rogers as President.</blockquote> <blockquote>- <a href="https://www.olmstedinbuffalo.com/pascal-p-pratt/#:~:text=city%20of%20Buffalo.-,Mr.,and%20the%20Bank%20of%20Attica.">Olmsted in Buffalo</a></blockquote> By 1875, in the midst of a general depression in the iron industry, the works are stopped, and lie dormant for years, possibly the next 14. In January 1889 it is reported that the Baird Bros. of Ohio will buy the plant and resume operations. It will require about $50K. 30 workers are expected in March. Ore begins arriving in great quantities in June, and on August 28 the furnace roars again. 100 men work the facility, day and night. The production of 100 tons of iron and steel a day is planned. <a href="https://archive.org/details/historyofcityofb00buff">Seemingly owned</a> at one point by "Rogers, Brown and Company, one of the largest iron companies in the country." 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. Frank Burkett Baird (b.1852 d.11/15/1939) organizes the Tonawanda Iron & Steel Co, in 1899. (Baird's singular accomplishment is as "Father of the Peace Bridge" - <a href="https://buffaloah.com/h/panam/forestL.html">Buffalo Architecture & History</a>). The new venture is a success, and expanding. President Rogers. New "monster" engine in June 1896. President McKinley fires up its mighty Furnace B with great ceremony and the flip of a switch from his home in Ohio in November 1896.  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. Gilmore. By 2017, the site has been cleared and converted into a small medical park and Fisherman's Park. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "Tonawanda Iron Corp., Is One of Largest Manufacturers of Pig Iron." Tonawanda News, 1929 (in this collection). Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Tonawanda Iron and Steel, postcard (c.1905).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1905 factory ironton niagara river https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/0c351a3628c83d145b029f5658d53323.jpg 75d97c2d281a166e90380811f852dc0f https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/c5b1da5ea8749085583c3466fd373390.jpg 293960a963b54e3f53437b01b19ebc7a 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 Smith Real Estate Exchange Building (1892-1938) Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/156.jpg" alt="The six-story Smith Building, c. 1936." /> The six-story Smith Building, c. 1936.At six stories, the towering Smith Real Estate Exchange building at the northeast corner of Webster and Tremont Streets was once the tallest building in the Tonawandas. It afforded <a href="https://nthistory.com/items/show/933">magnificent views</a> of the exploding young city. Brief history from Tonawanda News, February 19, 1938: <blockquote>The building was erected in 1892 [another source states finished in 1896] by George P. Smith and was known as the Smith building for a number of years. When the Riviera theater and other new buildings were erected in the block, bounded by Tremont, Webster and Main streets the Smith Building was taken over by the present owners and subsequently converted into small apartments. Originally the building had ten apartments and offices on the Webster street side of the building with the exception of the first floor, which was occupied by stores and other business places. There are approximately 30 apartments in the present building.</blockquote> <a href="https://nthistory.com/items/show/4866">George Perry Smith</a> As the son of H. R. Smith and Christiana Long Smith (of Christiana Street fame), George P. Smith hails from impeccable Tonawandas pioneer stock. Smith is heavily involved in lumber and real estate (he is president of the Ironton Land Co. and involved with the North Tonawanda Land Co.,) and also rises to leadership in several local utility and transportation companies, operating "Smith's" streetcar line.  A fire in Smith's building is described in the Niagara Sun, January 21st, 1898: <blockquote>It is believed the fire started in George P. Smith’s office in the south-west corner on the fifth floor. Large holes were burned through the ceiling, floor and walks. The flames climbed to the sixth floor and entered the offices of Barrall & Snowy, city engineers, where many valuable maps and records were stored. Quite a number of new maps were ruined and others badly damaged, among them being the maps of North Tonawanda and Wheatfield which were completed about two months ago after nearly a year’s work.</blockquote> Plaza Apartments The Smith building is later (1930) known as  as the Plaza Apartments at 89 Webster Street. It burns again on February 18, 1938. Owner Max Yellen of Buffalo considers razing just the top three floors, then decides to raze it all, having lost thousands of dollars on the building annually. It is taken down a few months later. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Real Estate Exchange Building, postcard (1906).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1906 Description An account of the resource Real estate is indeed a hot commodity at this time as North Tonawanda's residential areas explode. The offices of the North Tonawanda Land Company are seen in third floor window. bank https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/f67ffcc791c561520d3551fcaae7eec5.jpg db321325444c18fc4c87e85c339f14dd https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/1b43405f279c8242e5c6a035a4a559d6.jpg 78f7aaab8c934df9855d58c2ad73a547 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/ceadba5de5d815c24e4c0d69d036c78b.jpg 5f41b3c7c699fedf73b1ddea9a95757a https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/294eea72c299aca7414ed1866f3e22a5.jpeg bb4474451149d9fc5893f58bd2d72bad 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 First Baptist Church Description An account of the resource The First Baptist Church of North Tonawanda is built in 1888 at 190 Vandervoort Street. On May 30, 1965 the congregation commences worship at their expansive new 530 Meadow Drive location. The Vandervoort building is now operated as the "Chapel Vandervoort," a wedding and event facility. The founding of the First Baptist Church, and its activities before 1888, are described in <a href="http://www.nthistorymuseum.org/Collections/fbc-100th-1.html">its 1985 newsletter</a>: <blockquote>Early in 1885, while supplying the pulpit at the First Presbyterian Church in Tonawanda, Martin W. Twing, then a seminary student at Rochester, became concerned about those with Baptist Convictions who were attending other churches. At that time the Tonawandas were fast becoming the largest lumber center in the country, and many families were moving into the area. Mr. Twing began visiting those who were known to be Baptists. As a Result of the prelimanary work done by Mr. Twing, two baptist pastors from Buffalo, Dr. John Gordon of Washington Street Baptist Church and Rev George Whitman of Cedar Street Baptist Church, came to the Tonawandas in April to further survey the area.The afternoon was spent in calling, and that evening a prayer meeting was held in the home of Mr. Peter Hittel. A decision was made to begin meetings, and Good Templar's Hall on the third floor over the State Bank and Cramer's Hardware on Webster Street [was selected as the site]. Mr. McCutcheon, a seminary student from Rochester, preached the first sermon, followed on subsequent Sundays by Mr. Munger and Mr. James Grant, also from Rochester. Enough interest was shown to rent the hall and continue services for the summer with Mr. James Grant acting as minister until seminary resumed in the fall. Mr. Grant was zealous in his ministry, and attendance grew from twenty-five to seventy-five on some sundays. After much prayer, this small company of believers determined it was God's will that an English-speaking Baptist church be established in North Tonawanda. Thus, on September 6, 1885, a meeting was called for the purpose of organizing First Baptist Church. There were eighteen Charter members. The Articles of Faith and Church Covenant, as used by the Cranston Street Baptist Church of Providence, Rhode Island, were adopted.On December 1, 1885, delegated from several Baptist churches gathered to examine and recognized the new assembly as a regular Baptist Church. Appropriately, Martin W. Twing was called as the first pastor of First Baptist Church.In summary, a very evident need for a gospel testimony in the community, the burden of one man who inspired others, an area survey, and much prayer all played a vital part in the birth of First Baptist Church one hundred twenty years ago.</blockquote> Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived http://www.nthistorymuseum.org/Collections/firstbaptist.html http://www.chapelvandervoort.net Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 First Baptist Church, postcard (1906).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1906 church writing https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/90fe501fe62479c4b18d366ddcf49ba5.jpg 9e1bbe27e137743e376119390f6e5d76 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 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" />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>. 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. 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. 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. As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Harbor Scene, postcard (1906).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1906 boat bridge lumber https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/da30d07ca9b7da3370504058c064fe5b.jpg 6476219f1333b3efcf295fa7179283e8 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 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" />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>. 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. 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. 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. As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Portion of Water Front in the Twin Cities, postcard (1906).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1906 lumber https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/de0c156b4a3ce0be2b18614244ec37f2.jpg b7827b4ac1dab88e1886a854279895b2 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/d4188395fb9a6e3c89eba0845ec22a94.jpg 7ba38bedacd0f1741269d141801aa070 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 Goundry Street School Description An account of the resource The Goundry Street School was a stone building constructed in 1866. From <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/606">History of Niagara County 1821-1878</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. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Goundry Street School No.1, postcard (1906).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1906 school https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/02ba37c76e26c59d16e58a5a8e0a8414.jpg 0069619fb281fbd394bee21662a38a1a 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 City Hall Description An account of the resource The former North Tonawanda City Hall was located on the southeast corner of Main and Tremont. The current North Tonawanda City Hall and police station was dedicated in 1930, built at a cost of $200,000. The lot was previously a rail and lumber yard, with an exhausted gravel pit at its western end (today, Felton Field). By 1965 the jail featured five cells, and one "Ladies Detention Area," which we can only assume the demure, respectable ladies of our city never had occasion to visit. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/609">North Tonawanda Centennial Magazine (1865-1965)</a> Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 $75,000 YMCA and City Hall, postcard (1906).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1906 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/c85a114a7387b4af218cb07aad7c0f82.jpg 4cf0e017b022481d04863a80e46f96d2 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/3795c043691b15f96271a1aec7c5579a.jpg a831b2ec281a2a9aa74f29a1688b4186 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 Allan Herschell Companies Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/files/original/0a8137a27b9978ab2f72819b2bd699cf.jpg" alt="" /> 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. <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 invented 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. </div> In 1872 (Landmarks 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. 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. There is a large Herschell family plot in Sweeney Cemetery. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <ul> <li><a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/607">Landmarks of Niagara County (1897)</a></li> <li>“<a href="http://carrouselmuseum.org/site/about/allan-herschell">Allen Herschell History</a>.” Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum, 2014.</li> </ul> Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Herschell-Spillman Headquarters, illustrated postcard (1906).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1906 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/c6921d2c3f3746c4d9d1352ca9196cdd.jpg f0fe020b3c4fa48d8b19aef7cdd29be0 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/0ee396c82d2bcd58d6b049de7c3df87c.jpg 070447864f5a23fb38b8a7b3e17cacfb 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 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" />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>. 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. 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. 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. As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Unloading lumber in the Twin Cities, postcard (1906).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1906 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/653dff9a463362789fc9511ad36e7317.jpg 02b0f758db00074006b01359ba3cc9e3 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 State National Bank (14 Webster Street) Description An account of the resource This former beauty of a building on the northwest corner of Webster and Sweeney Streets housed the State National Bank and other businesses. James H. DeGraff is president, J. S. Thompson vice president and Benjamin L. Rand, cashier (in 1922, W. M. Sutton). "Lumber Exchange Bank" has same leadership and address in 1900. A November 22, 1932 item in the Buffalo Evening News reports the historic building is being razed, and somewhat affectively describes stalled efforts by demolition crews to remove the "4,000 pound lion which has gazed out over the Tonawandas from its perch atop the the...building for the last 40 years...Efforts to get the huge statue of the jungle beast down to earth have been considered...[it was] decided to break it into pieces on the roof rather than risk bringing it down intact." Ads for a "North Side Liquor Store" appear by 1938. For many years the address was associated with Frank's Liquors, in 2022 it is Canalside Wine & Spirits. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 State National Bank, postcard (1906).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1906 bank collection hd https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/6affb3f3ae1fde9ecc6a9be9480ad15c.jpg 87e6ab3c30184a17b64e079d3b12e5d6 Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Ascension Roman Catholic Church, postcard (1907).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1907 Description An account of the resource Notice the trolley tracks in the road. church ironton trolley https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/f48b5509a3b2a2ffbcec9a76d9c4de34.jpg 89602b91c6f0c782ed4e052b4b693bb3 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 Tonawanda Iron and Steel (Niagara River Iron Company) Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" alt="Tonawanda Iron and Steel, illustration" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/16.jpg" />Illustration: Dennis Reed Jr., 2025. For a century, a massive riverfront iron works dominates the skyline of North Tonawanda near Wheatfield Street and present-day Fisherman's Park. The furnaces cast a ruddy glow over the west, and power the birth of the village of "Ironton," later known as "The Avenues." From <a href="https://nthistory.com/items/show/2891">History of Niagara County (1878)</a>: <blockquote>The Niagara River Iron Company was formed in pursuance of the general manufacturing law, in 1872, with a paid-up capital of $400,000. The first purchase of real estate was of 165 acres from M. Bush. The buildings were erected in 1873, and manufacturing operations commenced the same year. The engine house stands in a prominent position, and by one not knowing its design might be taken for an elegant mansion or villa; the building is 68 by 74 feet, with a proportionate elevation, and finished in tasteful style. The boiler house, judiciously separated, located 45 feet by 70, contains ten ponderous boilers, four feet in diameter and sixty feet long; an octagon chimney eighty feet high rises in front. The blast furnace was constructed to run out fifty tons of pig iron per day, and is 60 by 200 feet and two stories high; a tower rising above the rounded kert contains the machinery for elevating ore and brick by steam power. The oven is 30 by 41 feet, with iron-bound exterior. The buildings named are massive and substantial brick erections, upon stone foundations. The stock house is a frame building, 72 by 500 feet and two stories high. The dock fronting on the river is 500 feet in length, reaching ten feet depth of water. Located upon the dock is an engine for raising freight from the vessels. Two branch tracks of the Central railroad pass over the docks and into the stock house, to deposit and remove material. The buildings cover an area of four acres. The trustees are P. P. Pratt, president; Josiah Jewett, vice-president; S. S. Jewett, H. H. Glenny, George B. Hays, F. L. Danforth and B. F. Felton. During the present general depression in business the works are not operated; but as they are controlled by men of permanent wealth, willing to use it and able to hold their own until the day dawns upon brighter prospects, the advantages of this great concern will yet be felt by the community that has clustered about it in anticipation. The premises and machinery are kept in the most perfect order and neatness under the care of Alexander Reid.</blockquote> Pascal P. Pratt, a "hardware man" from Buffalo, is president and principal stockholder.  <blockquote>Mr. [Pascal P.] Pratt also helped to organize the Niagara River Iron Company in 1872. That company operated a blast furnace in North Tonawanda capable of turning out fifty tons of pig iron daily. Pascal Pratt was President of the firm, and among the other principals was S. S. Jewett. This company was later succeeded by the Tonawanda Iron and Steel Company, with William A. Rogers as President.</blockquote> <blockquote>- <a href="https://www.olmstedinbuffalo.com/pascal-p-pratt/#:~:text=city%20of%20Buffalo.-,Mr.,and%20the%20Bank%20of%20Attica.">Olmsted in Buffalo</a></blockquote> By 1875, in the midst of a general depression in the iron industry, the works are stopped, and lie dormant for years, possibly the next 14. In January 1889 it is reported that the Baird Bros. of Ohio will buy the plant and resume operations. It will require about $50K. 30 workers are expected in March. Ore begins arriving in great quantities in June, and on August 28 the furnace roars again. 100 men work the facility, day and night. The production of 100 tons of iron and steel a day is planned. <a href="https://archive.org/details/historyofcityofb00buff">Seemingly owned</a> at one point by "Rogers, Brown and Company, one of the largest iron companies in the country." 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. Frank Burkett Baird (b.1852 d.11/15/1939) organizes the Tonawanda Iron & Steel Co, in 1899. (Baird's singular accomplishment is as "Father of the Peace Bridge" - <a href="https://buffaloah.com/h/panam/forestL.html">Buffalo Architecture & History</a>). The new venture is a success, and expanding. President Rogers. New "monster" engine in June 1896. President McKinley fires up its mighty Furnace B with great ceremony and the flip of a switch from his home in Ohio in November 1896.  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. Gilmore. By 2017, the site has been cleared and converted into a small medical park and Fisherman's Park. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "Tonawanda Iron Corp., Is One of Largest Manufacturers of Pig Iron." Tonawanda News, 1929 (in this collection). Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Tonawanda Iron and Steel, postcard (1907).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1907 boat ironton https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/3d4c329e71167c2bc485c44a4a817c1c.JPG cd4d96584041e1695e80df76aa95f9d4 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 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" />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>. 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. 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. 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. As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Harbor View, North Tonawanda NY, postcard (1907).JPG Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1907 boat labor lumber https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/b9b1da898edf68bc267c75d50a72cee6.jpg daab19e0673348e3cc31c860eefc8464 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 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 president of North Tonawanda's Board of Education for 30 years. The first day of classes was Tuesday, 9/6/1904. The building 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 (from which was quarried the gravel that led to the infamous dispute that split the Tonawandas, and which was a N.Y. Central train yard and later in 1919 the site of NT's first public playground) "Felton Field." Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Felton High School, postcard (1907).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1907 school https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/e9886c4cdf799511b4bae55af64d37ce.jpg d38e9c3da79e027c53eeab3fb03d0f1c 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 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)" />Nucleus of Wurlitzer: The North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory in 1893. It still stands in 2023. 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." <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> Portable music of another era 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. 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. Meet the Wurlitzers 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>). 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. The de Kleist Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company 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>. 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. 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. 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. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 de Kleist home on Goundry Street Looking East from Payne Ave, postcard (1907).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1907 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/769ff9262fa85968125ad2b05f747dee.jpg cf351d96395ae3c7ef6af943b6f6b38f https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/a9c422ba2ab5a5eec3dd8e3ea4cf309c.jpg 8ac39bc2b1bb946361c55cd0fcc32948 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/e6b77920e1f631068be1f20cb7e665e1.jpeg 6fbc867406ef3fdab9c7079155e706da https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/cb351946f67c0a69dcbb5aa03eba89e1.jpeg d06c9ca1432850b3f2adfe551c01dc27 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 Pine Woods School Description An account of the resource Public School #3, built 1892. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Schenck Street School No.2, postcards (1906, 1907).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1907 school https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/9709cb043f2b9eab9e68c57e320055af.jpg dbea1f0b741a4c3a6ba8dbf9089f4194 Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Ship building in the Tonawandas, shipyard of W. H. Follette, postcard (c1907).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1907 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/60742015c83957a478b2bc59aca4972c.jpg 32dbe1251212e1e3351026417427eaa9 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/47e58f9a9e2adf20317b32b2faa9d3ea.jpg cb3348e3cff5da62e2e5255919f8d937 Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 On Ellicott Creek, postcard (1907-03-05).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1907-03-05 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/b9f60e99ab38ebcffb852ca6b144e2cc.jpg 2136999f51579794ba85c36ec1efc176 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/2465360438692f88539074c43d292046.jpg cce021190a18834543bac0b0f16b9945 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/2b1aac56aef0ec62ed2eaf381f0097f4.jpeg 158a50348388fe39d6353c3e4fde62b8 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/e720c074e3f55acdde907c11c305773f.jpeg c78a0da705803c28672813c918916080 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 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 president of North Tonawanda's Board of Education for 30 years. The first day of classes was Tuesday, 9/6/1904. The building 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 (from which was quarried the gravel that led to the infamous dispute that split the Tonawandas, and which was a N.Y. Central train yard and later in 1919 the site of NT's first public playground) "Felton Field." Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Felton High School, postcard (1907-08-04).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1907-08-04 school writing https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/f72cd3d20eed49338ce0532bae36543c.jpg 1b4edfe8b266bc8f2071128066a0953a https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/8bda1a41060205662538934b6dc62a41.jpeg 6fd1fbd2f85c7f173ecfe1fc7bc3d6a3 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/069a4c15547720b290e287fe405529b9.jpeg 869074e8e5067905ce66f70ba5479656 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/369e1c919936ad51343b72c8e095dfad.jpeg b659a3be42fd8907ccf779984bed9734 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 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." Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Home Telephone Building (109 Goundry Street), postcard (1907-11-08).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1907-11-08 building collection downtown goundry village https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/c4f985800d8cedf650d9a638e661e7b6.jpeg fc4d6ead7f8d599e2d009285788844bc https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/97ad6787fbaac1c29bedc4a6158eb93c.jpeg 558735c9543acc94acc9f9cd9ce3ba6a https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/ff71a02c23d0be66c5206afd5ce76e2d.jpg ce0ac136b8784b0209bfe199517908d1 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/1f5393223c996fa57591f0d96cfc6752.jpeg d0e1bfe4e90ae1b8010676539f14f2a8 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/3f6d1667a8e53b03355f9bfc459be56a.jpeg 23a5582502fad15bdf742be5219ac4db https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/3071975978ffc7eba933bc04bb8a1163.jpg 679e5cfa7cfd5e2ed642cd112914b1ac 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 Downtown Description An account of the resource Most of North Tonawanda's downtown area developed between 1875 and 1900. In this collection are preserved views of many vanished buildings: The YMCA and City Hall at the southeast corner of Tremont and Main; the 6-story 1891 Smith building (Real Estate Exchange) at the northeast corner of Tremont and Webster, the gothic stone State National Bank at the northwest corner of Sweeney and Webster, and Scanlon's Hall on the southwest corner of the same intersection, to name a few. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 View on Webster Street, postcards (1907-1911).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1907-11-25 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/b56f093483ca537676dafc6c5034e209.jpg b9c4527da6660d61b7dad8c468271ff4 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/cee64f5acd4be365eec1a04896573b93.jpeg 59e452b260732889e2ede01a5f7327e9 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 Friedens Church, Ghostlight Theatre (170 Schenck) Description An account of the resource The current Ghostlight Theatre, as living memory will inform many residents and casual observation will inform the rest, began as a church. From <a href="https://www.starrynighttheatre.com/about">Starry Night Theatre's website</a>: <blockquote>On a rainy Halloween in 1889, the cornerstone was laid for the Evangelical Friedens Church of North Tonawanda at the corner of Schenck and Vandervoort Streets. On September 1, 1890, the Church was completed. Designed by George Fischer of the Gombert & Thompson Company, the church featured an 80-foot steeple and could seat 400. The bell, purchased from the First Presbyterian Church of Buffalo, was cast by the Meenely Foundry in West Troy, New York in 1851. It weighs 2,800 pounds and the diameter at its mouth is 52 inches. In 1918, a Hope Jones organ, built by the Wurlitzer Company, was installed. In June 2000, the Frieden's United Church of Christ Congregation moved into their new home in Amherst.</blockquote> Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Friedens German Evangelical Church, postcard (1908).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1908 church writing https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/3050418546c1a4d2ad2789e53cca3936.jpg f70ab07b7d80f4850519be7e979e842d https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/d2e77cb0e23fbf9d790fd3de7db3b761.jpg 856a9b8e556068057bc6ee7eedd41465 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 Goose Island (Tonawanda) 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" />Goose Island as seen from Tonawanda Island, postcard detail, ca 1913. "Goose Island" was the name of a triangular piece of land in Tonawanda formerly cut off from the mainland by the Erie Canal. The island was first settled by Tonawanda's well-to-do, its shady trees giving "Chestnut Street" its name. It had a cemetery (whose graves were moved to Sweeney Cemetery) and a schoolhouse. As the lumber industry picked up in the 1860s, the character of the island changed dramatically, and it would soon be known all over the country by canawlers and sailors as a "red-light" district. The canal from Tonawanda to Buffalo is filled in around 1927, effectively reconnecting the recalcitrant island to its parent. In 1966 the remaining buildings that housed the old saloons, bordellos and dwellings were razed as part of broader "Urban Renewal" efforts. Today, the only trace of old Goose Island is the old path of Chestnut Street, which is followed by the north edge of Tops parking lot and the southern part of Niagara Shore Drive. 1937 Coppola indictment dismissed. 1951 several of the old buildings, slated for demolition anyway by the State Housing Commission as part of their postwar plan, <a href="https://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/highlight-for-xml?altUrl=https%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252011%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201951%2520%2520Grayscale%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201951%2520%2520Grayscale%2520-%25201604.pdf%23xml%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffffffbb5d89%26DocId%3D2065199%26Index%3DZ%253a%255cDISK%2520U%26HitCount%3D19%26hits%3D49%2B4a%2B90%2B91%2B1a8%2B2c7%2B395%2B3cc%2B409%2B422%2B42a%2B458%2B627%2B744%2Bfee%2B1119%2B115a%2B115f%2B1166%2B%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf&uri=https%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252011%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201951%2520%2520Grayscale%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201951%2520%2520Grayscale%2520-%25201604.pdf&xml=https%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffffffbb5d89%26DocId%3D2065199%26Index%3DZ%253a%255cDISK%2520U%26HitCount%3D19%26hits%3D49%2B4a%2B90%2B91%2B1a8%2B2c7%2B395%2B3cc%2B409%2B422%2B42a%2B458%2B627%2B744%2Bfee%2B1119%2B115a%2B115f%2B1166%2B%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf&openFirstHlPage=false">are set on fire</a> by an arson.  A 1923 article claims an 1886 fire "totally destroyed" Goose Island. First mention 1897 (Frank Alliger's novelty concern) Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Birds-eye view of some of the dockage, postcard (1908).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1908 Description An account of the resource Manhattan Street is in the foreground. Just beyond is some of that famous lumber (Dodge & Bliss and J. W Scribner are two firms who stacked it here), and the swing bridge connecting to North Tonawanda to Tonawanda's "Goose Island." The little buildings at mid-left appear to be the <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/993">bordellos and saloons</a> that lined Tonawanda Street; the larger structures to the right are the Tonawanda Board and Paper Co.; on the far right of the postcard is the southern tip of Tonawanda Island. boat bridge gooseisland lumber https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/cdd5bd8dcb78ebb622bfe18325d2fc68.jpg 8c0d4b7c868a42852fd6de815928fc1c https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/98af3e7fe030b82fbc1456f06e6d3292.jpg 6968cea0d4329cb8d43d37b92b71a15c https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/fd91d98cb4839fa0ae527810f6251934.jpg ad656f8b383af2707462e9ad3ca60fbd 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 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" />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) 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. Early explorers encounter burial mounds left by Native Americans. Or giants. 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). 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">Gleason's Pictorial 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">Harper's 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 points 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. An 1865 presentation before the Buffalo Historical Society claims the mounds are of Neutral Nation origin: <blockquote>Once in every ten years the survivors of each family gathered the remains of their deceased ancestors from the platforms on which they had been deposited, and buried them in heaps, with many superstitious ceremonies. This was called the " Feast of the Dead." Many of the mounds thus raised may still be seen in this vicinity. A conspicuous one on Tonawanda Island, is affirmed by the old Senecas to have had such an origin.</blockquote> 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">Tonawanda News reports</a> in 1906. 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. Earliest birth on the island? (From The Niagara Frontier, p. 29) <blockquote>The Senecas have a different name for Tonawanda Is land. They call it Ni-ga -we-na/i--a-ah, signifying The Small Island. It contains less than one hundred acres. Its upper end having a fine elevation above the surface of the river, was an occasional camping ground of the Senecas, before their final settlement in this region. Philip Kenjockety (hereafter more particularly noticed), claims to have been born there, while his father s family, then residing on the Genesee, were on one of their annual hunting expeditions.</blockquote> Carney's Island (1791) 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">Lockport Union-Sun & Journal</a>). Stephen White's Island and the Beechwater mansion (1833) The next speculators to turn their eyes to our area are the moneyed men of the East Boston Timber Company in 1833. They harvest the white oak of Grand Island 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">Lockport Union-Sun & Journal)</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. 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. Summer resort and pleasure grounds Beechwater is offered as a summer resort beginning around this time. Local organizations come to Tonawanda Island for picnics by the hundreds, brass band blaring away as the tugs pull their boats to the platforms. Writer N.P. Willis <a href="https://nthistory.com/items/show/4002">extols its beauty</a> in an item in this collection. Some propose turing the island into a <a href="https://nthistory.com/items/show/4038">sportsmen's paradise</a>: other a military training ground. William Wilkeson purchases the property from the White family in 1869, planting orchards and vineyards. There are some rumors the old mansion is haunted. Lumber and industrial era 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. The ferry that operated will no longer be adequate. 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>.  Beechwater, Stephen White's mansion, coexists for a while with the lumber around it: "The mansion is now [1887] the home of Mr. and Mrs. Theodore S. Fassett, who have renovated it and thoroughly restored its decaying beauties." <a href="https://nthistory.com/items/show/3942">1891 Buffalo Express Pictorial:</a>  "The Tonawanda Island Lumber District, which is shown in our largest illustration, is rapidly becoming famous as the *ne plus ultra* of all lumber plants. Being an island docked and navigable all around, it allows a compactness in the arrangement of the yards, which on any mainland would be impossible. Visiting buyers appreciate this feature of the district. They are able to get quickly into the midst of 100,000,000 feet of lumber without the usual long tramp to accomplish the same result, in a five-minute walk from North Tonawanda railroad station, they find lumber in front of them, lumber behind them, lumber on each side of them. In every direction millions of white pine are in sight, bright and clean, the gangways all planked, and an air of perfect neatness and cleanliness everywhere. "This property, when nothing but forest, fruit farms, and swamps, was purchased of our deceased townsman, William Wilkeson, by James R. Smith and Theodore S. Fassett with its development into a lumber district solely in view. This meant a very large operation for industrial development, requiring a heavy outlay of money to put the island into any shape for business also of $1,000,000, Mr. Lewis A. Hall becoming a director in the company, with a large holding of the stock. Railroad switch tracks ran into every yard, and while these tracks are owned by the N.Y.C. & H.R.R.R., all other roads have equal privileges on the Island by the provisions of the Bridge Charter. "The Tonawanda and Wheatfield Electric Co. are now building a $40,000 plant near the north end, to furnish power for an electric street railroad. These facilities, with a telephone service and telegraph office, leave but little to be desired. The docked frontage on the property is now nearly two miles in length. The Tonawanda City Water Works, located on the west side of the island, are fully described elsewhere. "The discouragements met by Messrs. Smith & Fassett in reaching the present grand development of the property are said to have been many and great, but the work is done, and the hurry and bustle of wheeling lumber from every direction, into planing mills or direct into cars, gives no outward evidence that but one year ago orchard and forest and swamp would have seen the sight where now three mammoth planing mills are throwing off their smoke high in air, and millions of lumber loom up in regular piles over 100 acres of level well-drained ground." National Guard billets there during a labor uprising. 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 was long been rumored to be haunted. A section of its fireplace is preserved and cared for by the Historical Society of the Tonawandas. Later significant occupants of Tonawanda Island include the International Paper Company and the R. T. Jones Lumber company. Emile Durkee Bridge. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <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: Tonawanda Island, Stephen White and His Magnificent Mansion, 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">Buffalo-Niagara Connections: A New Regional History of the Niagara Link.</a> Western New York Heritage Inc. 2001</li> </ul> Relation A related resource <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> Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Tonawanda Island - Lumber District, postcard (c1908).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1908 lumber tonawandaisland https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/b37da783c2a574975d143339714f5cfb.jpeg 3e942af890666425fcb77bedc6ee7d50 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/6e4a529862f1e9ce40da1d48ef06ac03.jpg b7d824d24398f3d4838a887dc3a2a930 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 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" />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>. 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. 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. 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. As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Unloading Lumber in the Twin Cities, postcard (1908).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1908 labor lumber https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/bd91cc434e4e13c8f3a751c9f2cd3dca.jpg e43102aa01ae925436d107c4e497355e 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 Downtown Description An account of the resource Most of North Tonawanda's downtown area developed between 1875 and 1900. In this collection are preserved views of many vanished buildings: The YMCA and City Hall at the southeast corner of Tremont and Main; the 6-story 1891 Smith building (Real Estate Exchange) at the northeast corner of Tremont and Webster, the gothic stone State National Bank at the northwest corner of Sweeney and Webster, and Scanlon's Hall on the southwest corner of the same intersection, to name a few. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 YMCA building, postcard (1908).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1908 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/500e6012973e32aaf80dba4436895940.jpg 7eaf97816d4034f4dcc73c2b7aaafb25 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 Goundry Street Area Description An account of the resource From the village's earliest days, Goundry Street was a showcase of its most luxurious homes. Wealthy lumber barons and bankers settled here, enjoying both convenient access to the business district, and convenient removal from the same. In the 1940s, many were shuttered due to high maintenance costs, and converted to apartments. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Goundry Street looking east, postcard (1908).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1908 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/988dcd7893a695e7a31487e444e27835.jpeg f9c8a9945150f33d291553d1d5c4b5d9 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/5012dac2e9093950967eb60a5b5cd368.jpg 96aaf7ab40797986c40b0d3a6d0ffdc5 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/b5e096f4acbdfbdcc43a373e9ef30c42.jpeg 1b6abf86b92f011a48d76ccad9694e3c https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/fab9863be46026468488d43de2f09c85.jpg 1d45d18060ef0ba3284ee0fd5e7bb491 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 Carnegie Arts Center Description An account of the resource Formerly the public library. Built in 1903 from a Carnegie endowment. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Public Library, North Tonawanda, postcard (1908-10-04).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1908 building library https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/525eda2fd8b668d1f2d8cad079ba5fbf.jpg be95c4c2400f5e1aafe2384fc2d079cb https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/8c2fac1d9986bd05618876def26ba427.jpg 8ca643f6c558a84fee1bcf7bc8f9362e 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 Goundry Street Area Description An account of the resource From the village's earliest days, Goundry Street was a showcase of its most luxurious homes. Wealthy lumber barons and bankers settled here, enjoying both convenient access to the business district, and convenient removal from the same. In the 1940s, many were shuttered due to high maintenance costs, and converted to apartments. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Goundry Street, postcard (1909).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1909 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/73b41f4b9a1f9c319dc803d17923a1e9.jpg 6a3aed4c23e38c24fbaa3c404fd35500 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/f4140e7addd7f4ec12d74df9f227448b.jpg f34c937ca166e473c9db226eda574c26 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 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 president of North Tonawanda's Board of Education for 30 years. The first day of classes was Tuesday, 9/6/1904. The building 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 (from which was quarried the gravel that led to the infamous dispute that split the Tonawandas, and which was a N.Y. Central train yard and later in 1919 the site of NT's first public playground) "Felton Field." Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Felton High School, North Tonawanda High School, postcard (1909).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1909 school https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/25265f9439d56d61bc8ea6be783f2073.jpg cc26f560dfa604e16854fccd646d3f45 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/f38e2fed66e6fd52c26ffd6a1a27d740.jpg 89fa67d658f8d3f2c33c55622fed1eea https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/5f23941e2ce0bf520ed0c15a5e10b1bc.jpg 13ece5cc00bf6b8caf78260b91ece04c https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/48ac87eace9d0e5bc924c6c5a630993f.jpeg fb11015762c34aac738ab17ccdb03043 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 Downtown Description An account of the resource Most of North Tonawanda's downtown area developed between 1875 and 1900. In this collection are preserved views of many vanished buildings: The YMCA and City Hall at the southeast corner of Tremont and Main; the 6-story 1891 Smith building (Real Estate Exchange) at the northeast corner of Tremont and Webster, the gothic stone State National Bank at the northwest corner of Sweeney and Webster, and Scanlon's Hall on the southwest corner of the same intersection, to name a few. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 The YMCA Building, postcard (1909).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1909 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/8dd7b7392c1aa16ccf05baebcbb124ca.jpg 01ed4407fa675232f606ccf36e7bc0fc https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/f4ae20e33cad19db3967f1ef32a82a8e.jpg 3b2b58e8285c0c29e029dd975e2478ef Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Goundry Street, postcard (1909).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1909 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/ba913912de40dcb9c72a58ecb114aecc.jpeg 953b41d2c7e49888e734ffec8c227ae4 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/59f78b27295cbed814a9bf485ac23a0e.jpeg ae83b4ba0cba558648400a214a3e3ed6 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 Tonawanda Iron and Steel (Niagara River Iron Company) Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" alt="Tonawanda Iron and Steel, illustration" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/16.jpg" />Illustration: Dennis Reed Jr., 2025. For a century, a massive riverfront iron works dominates the skyline of North Tonawanda near Wheatfield Street and present-day Fisherman's Park. The furnaces cast a ruddy glow over the west, and power the birth of the village of "Ironton," later known as "The Avenues." From <a href="https://nthistory.com/items/show/2891">History of Niagara County (1878)</a>: <blockquote>The Niagara River Iron Company was formed in pursuance of the general manufacturing law, in 1872, with a paid-up capital of $400,000. The first purchase of real estate was of 165 acres from M. Bush. The buildings were erected in 1873, and manufacturing operations commenced the same year. The engine house stands in a prominent position, and by one not knowing its design might be taken for an elegant mansion or villa; the building is 68 by 74 feet, with a proportionate elevation, and finished in tasteful style. The boiler house, judiciously separated, located 45 feet by 70, contains ten ponderous boilers, four feet in diameter and sixty feet long; an octagon chimney eighty feet high rises in front. The blast furnace was constructed to run out fifty tons of pig iron per day, and is 60 by 200 feet and two stories high; a tower rising above the rounded kert contains the machinery for elevating ore and brick by steam power. The oven is 30 by 41 feet, with iron-bound exterior. The buildings named are massive and substantial brick erections, upon stone foundations. The stock house is a frame building, 72 by 500 feet and two stories high. The dock fronting on the river is 500 feet in length, reaching ten feet depth of water. Located upon the dock is an engine for raising freight from the vessels. Two branch tracks of the Central railroad pass over the docks and into the stock house, to deposit and remove material. The buildings cover an area of four acres. The trustees are P. P. Pratt, president; Josiah Jewett, vice-president; S. S. Jewett, H. H. Glenny, George B. Hays, F. L. Danforth and B. F. Felton. During the present general depression in business the works are not operated; but as they are controlled by men of permanent wealth, willing to use it and able to hold their own until the day dawns upon brighter prospects, the advantages of this great concern will yet be felt by the community that has clustered about it in anticipation. The premises and machinery are kept in the most perfect order and neatness under the care of Alexander Reid.</blockquote> Pascal P. Pratt, a "hardware man" from Buffalo, is president and principal stockholder.  <blockquote>Mr. [Pascal P.] Pratt also helped to organize the Niagara River Iron Company in 1872. That company operated a blast furnace in North Tonawanda capable of turning out fifty tons of pig iron daily. Pascal Pratt was President of the firm, and among the other principals was S. S. Jewett. This company was later succeeded by the Tonawanda Iron and Steel Company, with William A. Rogers as President.</blockquote> <blockquote>- <a href="https://www.olmstedinbuffalo.com/pascal-p-pratt/#:~:text=city%20of%20Buffalo.-,Mr.,and%20the%20Bank%20of%20Attica.">Olmsted in Buffalo</a></blockquote> By 1875, in the midst of a general depression in the iron industry, the works are stopped, and lie dormant for years, possibly the next 14. In January 1889 it is reported that the Baird Bros. of Ohio will buy the plant and resume operations. It will require about $50K. 30 workers are expected in March. Ore begins arriving in great quantities in June, and on August 28 the furnace roars again. 100 men work the facility, day and night. The production of 100 tons of iron and steel a day is planned. <a href="https://archive.org/details/historyofcityofb00buff">Seemingly owned</a> at one point by "Rogers, Brown and Company, one of the largest iron companies in the country." 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. Frank Burkett Baird (b.1852 d.11/15/1939) organizes the Tonawanda Iron & Steel Co, in 1899. (Baird's singular accomplishment is as "Father of the Peace Bridge" - <a href="https://buffaloah.com/h/panam/forestL.html">Buffalo Architecture & History</a>). The new venture is a success, and expanding. President Rogers. New "monster" engine in June 1896. President McKinley fires up its mighty Furnace B with great ceremony and the flip of a switch from his home in Ohio in November 1896.  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. Gilmore. By 2017, the site has been cleared and converted into a small medical park and Fisherman's Park. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "Tonawanda Iron Corp., Is One of Largest Manufacturers of Pig Iron." Tonawanda News, 1929 (in this collection). Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Tonawanda Iron Works, postcard (1909).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1909 avenues boat ironton river https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/7212a9ae8b90d4229a3ca16b8d52f799.jpg 986b41516a145cf90dece5dca93e19f3 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 Niagara Silk Mills Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" alt="Niagara Silk Mills postcard" src="http://nthistory.com/custom/cover/44.jpg" /> Postcard c. 1913. According to a c.1913 news article, "The Niagara Silk Mills began business in an old wooden building on Sweeney street [around 1898] with thirty operatives." By 1913 the concern dominates Sweeney Street, standing where the old Vandervoort "mansion" on Sweeney was, and where Gateway Center is today. The Niagara Silk Mills (Van Raalte Silk Mills after 1917) produces ladies' undergarments, gloves, and similar fineries. They marketed their materials with the iconography of Niagara Falls (reminiscent of the Pan Am Exposition imagery), and with appearances by silent film sirens. By 1937 there are locations in Saratoga Springs, Dunkirk, Paterson and Boonton, N.J. Closed in 1963, the building along Sweeney was converted into the Downtowner Hotel in 1964 and later became the Packet Inn / Woodshed. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Niagara Maid Silk Gloves, postcard, hi-res (1909-02-27).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1909-02-27 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/1725aceb496ef7b98f6f3c3ca381b973.jpg 8a4b2ef3a02c190c9eee3cecf4a732a2 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/8a51a2ecad41d6f0de7721f6389a1411.jpeg dc711734d8d1b13813bd9d61ecf15785 Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 First Methodist Episcopal Church, postcard (c1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 church collection downtown village https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/76dc96789df7fd81215e62c7982b100c.jpg 21314f0d8f9868a33dbf544472cb09bd 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 Carnegie Arts Center Description An account of the resource Formerly the public library. Built in 1903 from a Carnegie endowment. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Carnegie Library, postcard (1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 civic https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/2b39b8b675e4b064a012f6a3ae24d5fa.jpg 97c8319a6dffa197e541c4d6d4e9b844 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 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" />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>. 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. 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. 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. As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Bird's-Eye View of Harbor, postcard (c1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 boat lumber https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/b4e9667ae9c4092e8f0d302f90afe205.jpg 486a9e0dee4007da39391b2d0f286dd3 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 Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wurlitzer: 100 Years of Musical Achievement. Rudolph Wurlitzer Company. Chicago, Illinois. 1956. Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/52.jpg" alt="The signature tower of the North Tonawanda plant and occasional headquarters." /> The signature tower of the North Tonawanda plant and occasional headquarters. Postcard, c.1940. Its iconic tower has presided over Sawyer's Creek and Martinsville for over 100 years. The sprawling industrial campus left behind by the world-famous Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company produced merry-go-round organs, band organs, church organs, theater organs and jukeboxes that have left an indelible mark on the world, and on generations of North Tonawandans. Wurlitzer founder Rudolph Wurlitzer (1831-1914) was a German immigrant who (after stops in New Jersey and Philadelphia) landed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1854 at the age of 23. He worked for a bank, and down the street was a musical retail store. His father, Christian, was a successful music retailer in Germany, and Rudolph's experience told him the Ohio store's instruments were of poor quality, and priced too high. In 1856 he begins importing quality musical instruments from his family in Germany to sell at a profit in American retail stores. The business grows; Wurlitzer begins making instruments themselves for the U. S. military and for retail. The company branches out into "automatic" musical instruments, such as music boxes and player-pianos. Rudolph's three sons, Howard, Rudolph H., and Farny become involved along the way, and take on aspects of the growing family business. The youngest son, Farny, is sent to North Tonawanda to run the former <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/24">de Kleist Musical Instrument Mfg. Co.</a> shortly after it is purchased by Wurlitzer in 1908. (de Kleist was building player pianos and band organs for Wurlitzer and others since 1893). Farny brings eccentric English inventor Robert Hope-Jones to the plant in 1910, initiating the worldwide success of the "Mighty Wurlitzer" theater organ, which provides sound for the silent films of the day, and entertainment in its own right. This business evaporates when sound comes to movies, and electrical sound amplification permits musical entertainment to be furnished to venues of all types much less expensively. When the Wurlitzer company finds itself overextended in the wake of the Great Depression, Farny fights to keep the North Tonawanda facility open. In 1934 he strikes a deal with Homer Capehart to manufacture his automatic phonograph, which becomes the iconic Wurlitzer jukebox. Under his leadership the company also produces a successful line of electronic organs for home use, and the North Tonawanda plant becomes the flagship of the Wurlitzer factories, with 3,000 employees. After his death in 1972, jukebox and organ production are phased out, leaving 200 employees in 1974. By 1975, all manufacturing at the North Tonawanda plant is stopped, and by August 1976, all company activities are removed to other locations. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Wurlitzer Mfg. Co, postcard (c1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 collection https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/11cfaa3064d5b136bac06f440b2b566e.jpg c78caa0a5908417a2ca94688f84fb272 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 Goundry Street Area Description An account of the resource From the village's earliest days, Goundry Street was a showcase of its most luxurious homes. Wealthy lumber barons and bankers settled here, enjoying both convenient access to the business district, and convenient removal from the same. In the 1940s, many were shuttered due to high maintenance costs, and converted to apartments. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Goundry Street, postcard (c1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/b181bac043dc70cb7039ffcf650a30ba.jpg 49842050f4a569704689fdfa10cb9f7a 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 Goundry Street Area Description An account of the resource From the village's earliest days, Goundry Street was a showcase of its most luxurious homes. Wealthy lumber barons and bankers settled here, enjoying both convenient access to the business district, and convenient removal from the same. In the 1940s, many were shuttered due to high maintenance costs, and converted to apartments. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Goundry Street Looking East form Paynes Avenue, de Kleist residence, postcard (c1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/3ea27446b35524870f1c28b2b8d01ad6.jpg 34bc7febd21571e4161510cdb7c714aa Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 On Elliot (sic) Creek, Tonawanda NY, postcard (c1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/25a55a617ddcebe426182920666b7751.jpg c48c553e2b16ebad03661c10b63fc2ba https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/c62744b912ae8df2996d6abb658e7efd.jpg ef547ffe4ede47f8f43607cb26600af5 Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Ellicott Creek, Tonawanda, postcard (1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 boat https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/b4e0aba3a0dcca8570b226bbecc586a3.jpg af804a4dfd9da2e3993b41280b73b4b3 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 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 president of North Tonawanda's Board of Education for 30 years. The first day of classes was Tuesday, 9/6/1904. The building 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 (from which was quarried the gravel that led to the infamous dispute that split the Tonawandas, and which was a N.Y. Central train yard and later in 1919 the site of NT's first public playground) "Felton Field." Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Felton High School, North Tonawanda, postcard (c1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 school https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/686ba3ba643e246f7cd1198fda66c948.jpg a32e2432628f191013a847a97d7e310b 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 Trains and Trolleys Description An account of the resource Trains Soon after the Erie Canal is completed, railroads begin to compete for business. From <a href="https://researchworks.oclc.org/archivegrid/collection/data/930152959">researchworks.oclc.org</a>: <blockquote>In 1834 the Buffalo and Niagara Falls Railroad Company was incorporated to take over the Buffalo and Black Rock Company. It extended the lines to Niagara Falls and into Tonawanda. In 1853 the Buffalo and Niagara Falls Railroad Company was leased by New York Central Railroad and was merged in 1855.</blockquote> From <a href="https://www.niagarafallsinfo.com/niagara-falls-history/niagara-falls-municipal-history/railroads-of-niagara-falls/the-buffalo-niagara-falls-railroad/">niagarafallsinfo.com</a>: <blockquote>The Buffalo & Niagara Falls Railroad was incorporated on May 3rd, 1834. The Legislature of the State of New York passed a law to empower the railroad to construct a single or double track railroad between the City of Buffalo and the <a href="https://www.niagarafallsinfo.com/niagara-falls-history/niagara-falls-municipal-history/the-city-of-the-falls-plan/the-idea-for-the-city-of-the-falls/">Village at Niagara Falls</a>. The railroad had a mandate to operate for a 50 year term and was empowered to absorb all rights, privileges and franchises belonging to the Buffalo and Black Rock Railroad Company, which had been built and was being operated by horse power. The Buffalo & Niagara Falls Railroad began operating in 1845. The 28 mile trip from Buffalo to Niagara Falls was a three hour journey being pulled by a wood stoked steam locomotive.... In 1852, the Buffalo & Niagara Falls Railroad relocated their tracks to the west side of the Erie Canal. On December 22nd 1853, the Buffalo & Niagara Falls Railroad was leased to the New York Central Railroad. On April 23rd 1869, the New York Central Railroad began operations within the Niagara escarpment.</blockquote> From <a href="https://buffalohistory.org/Explore/Exhibits/virtual_exhibits/buffalo_anniversary/175th/page_e1.htm">buffalohistory.org</a>: <blockquote>The Buffalo and Niagara Falls Rail Road was the first in Erie County to use steam locomotives. Service from Black Rock to Tonawanda began in August, 1836; from Buffalo to Tonawanda in September; and by November, 1836, the train ran on a regular schedule between Buffalo & Niagara Falls.</blockquote> Railroads on the maps The <a href="https://nthistory.com/items/show/3974">1837 Tonawanda/Whitehaven map</a> shows the B&NF railroad already established on Webster. It also shows a "Road to Lockport" and a "Proposed railroad to Lockport" heading out "Detroit Street" (later, Goundry Street). In <a href="https://nthistory.com/items/show/1258">this 1838 map</a>, it appears the former "road" hosts a new "Tonawanda & Lockport Railroad." Some more info from <a href="https://www.newyorkcentraltrainstation.org/history-new-york-central-train-station">newyorkcentraltrainstattion.org.</a> By <a href="https://nthistory.com/items/show/3560">1852</a>, a third line, "The Canandaigua and Niagara Falls," is added. From <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmira_and_Lake_Ontario_Railroad">Wikipedia</a>: <blockquote>On July 1, 1853, the Canandaigua and Niagara Falls Railroad opened between Canandaigua and North Tonawanda. It was also 6 ft (1,829 mm) broad gauge, and was leased by the Canandaigua & Elmira RR, giving it access to the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge.</blockquote> In <a href="https://nthistory.com/items/show/1664">this 1854 map</a>, The Canandaigua route has changed to run south of the Erie Canal and then be carried over the canal into North Tonawanda at the foot of Oliver street. The cantilever bridge will later be built here. By the time of <a href="https://nthistory.com/items/show/240">this 1875 map</a>, a third railroad crosses the canal into North Tonawanda: The Erie, at the foot of Vandervoort street. As late as 1908, there are still tracks on the east side of Webster street. Looks like the railroad agrees to remove them in December 1921, not sure when it happens. Trolleys Before everybody in North Tonawanda could afford their very own muffler-less Honda Civic to run up and down Oliver Street, trolleys were an important means of personal transportation. Several lines ran throughout the city, moving people to and from their jobs, churches, or just out for a look around. Though they may seem romantic to us now, people griped about the trolleys the same way we complain about snow plows today. Apparently their slow speed was sometimes targeted: An item in this set describes a "well-known peddler" in the Gratwick area who is injured by a trolley car. The author drolly observes, "'Twould have been a real miracle if a Gratwick car could have got up enough speed to have killed him" (Tonawanda News, 1908-2-13). The trolley era did not last long. By the 1920s, the electric streetcar had been passed by the gasoline-powered bus as the most prevalent means of public transportation. Another article in this set from the Tonawanda News, "Carpenter now operates 14 busses in the Tonawandas," outlines the rise of the Carpenter Rapid Transit buses. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Junction Point, Niagara Falls and Lockport railroad lines, Payne Avenue, postcard (c1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 trolley https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/26321492fc446e06a967112b1a90c856.jpg 7e5ad4e45447772c960f32ba2ff44f52 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 Martinsville Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/56.jpg" alt="Postcard view looking north up Old Falld Blvd" />Old Falls Boulevard, looking north from Lockport Ave. to Niagara Falls Blvd. Postcard detail, c.1900. The northeast part of North Tonawanda known as "Martinsville" is named after the father of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther. It is settled by German Lutheran farmers, beginning around 1843. They settled in narrow farms along the west bank of Tonawanda Creek. As the area developed, a "downtown" emerged along William Street, present-day Old Falls Blvd, near Lockport Rd. (pictured above). The village boasted its own post office, stores and places of entertainment.  Most of Martinsville was incorporated into the then-booming City of North Tonawanda in 1897. The sections of Martinsville east of present-day Old Falls and Niagara Falls boulevards are considered part of Wheatfield. The real estate transaction that brought many of the settlers to the area, its early growth, and the contentious religious devotion of its people are described in <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/606">History of Niagara County 1821-1878</a>: <blockquote>In 1843 Carl Sack, Erdman Wurl and Fred Grosskopf purchased of William Vandervoote 400 acres, at $15 per acre, on the Tonawanda creek, in the southeast corner of the town, four miles east of Tonawanda village, in what is now known as the village of Martinsville. Lutheran religious antecedents caused the adoption of this name by the disciples of Martin Luther. The original purchase was divided into small lots of three acres and up- ward, as others were able to purchase, to provide for the location of thirty families the first season. They erected ten log houses in the autumn, each of which was occupied by three or four families during the winter and until joint efforts relieved the immigrants by building others. The families remained in Buffalo until the first houses were built, obtaining the best accommodations they could find. Forbidding as the prospect in the beginning must have been, it has been changed to the appearance of prosperity. The church organization is the controlling element in the government of the community, now consisting of one hundred families, connected with the two now existing, the result of divided feeling, but not an abandonment of the Lutheran faith.</blockquote> Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Schule der St. Paulus, Martinsville, postcard (1910).jpg Description An account of the resource Formerly located just south of present-day St. Martin's. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/34db97f4a90f950708968f83c02d9adc.jpg 08c5ac2e7da7e2cb500e919c64111f6b 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 Martinsville Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/56.jpg" alt="Postcard view looking north up Old Falld Blvd" />Old Falls Boulevard, looking north from Lockport Ave. to Niagara Falls Blvd. Postcard detail, c.1900. The northeast part of North Tonawanda known as "Martinsville" is named after the father of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther. It is settled by German Lutheran farmers, beginning around 1843. They settled in narrow farms along the west bank of Tonawanda Creek. As the area developed, a "downtown" emerged along William Street, present-day Old Falls Blvd, near Lockport Rd. (pictured above). The village boasted its own post office, stores and places of entertainment.  Most of Martinsville was incorporated into the then-booming City of North Tonawanda in 1897. The sections of Martinsville east of present-day Old Falls and Niagara Falls boulevards are considered part of Wheatfield. The real estate transaction that brought many of the settlers to the area, its early growth, and the contentious religious devotion of its people are described in <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/606">History of Niagara County 1821-1878</a>: <blockquote>In 1843 Carl Sack, Erdman Wurl and Fred Grosskopf purchased of William Vandervoote 400 acres, at $15 per acre, on the Tonawanda creek, in the southeast corner of the town, four miles east of Tonawanda village, in what is now known as the village of Martinsville. Lutheran religious antecedents caused the adoption of this name by the disciples of Martin Luther. The original purchase was divided into small lots of three acres and up- ward, as others were able to purchase, to provide for the location of thirty families the first season. They erected ten log houses in the autumn, each of which was occupied by three or four families during the winter and until joint efforts relieved the immigrants by building others. The families remained in Buffalo until the first houses were built, obtaining the best accommodations they could find. Forbidding as the prospect in the beginning must have been, it has been changed to the appearance of prosperity. The church organization is the controlling element in the government of the community, now consisting of one hundred families, connected with the two now existing, the result of divided feeling, but not an abandonment of the Lutheran faith.</blockquote> Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 William Street Looking North, Martinsville, postcard (c1910).jpg Description An account of the resource Present-day Old Falls Boulevard. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/78b0df53dd8494136a36af0f0ec4000c.jpg 68dedf3800680643a09828b4804f9c65 Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 North Presbyterian Church, North Tonawanda, postcard (c1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 Description An account of the resource From <a href="https://www.ntnorthchurch.org/about">their website</a>: <blockquote>North Presbyterian Church was organized on April 30, 1891 as part of the Niagara Presbytery. Prior to that Presbyterians in North Tonawanda had attended First Presbyterian Church, Tonawanda. The Rev. Henry Sanborne was ordained and installed at the first minister of the church. The congregation purchased a church building at 195 Schenck Street and met there for 8 years. The building now is home to the Ghost Light Theater group. On May 17, 1898 ground was broken for a new church at 168 Payne Avenue. The cost of the building, lot and adjacent manse at 166 Payne was $29,000.</blockquote> church https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/ffc0f88516c711d342edb1999ba61156.jpg c3a7d74dbaf19559d00f28a85e0e1983 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/85096703cea73466d54b216ff059c564.jpg 2eaae6ec0858ecfc436845cdd66e7041 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/c689a7459435964ed3cfdb370f2cc2bc.jpg 5111a444d4d29147721204d119d710a3 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/87d0fd9202dad8082792beb5c20655d2.jpg 4b992ab25509d142e059269d7f4423a8 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/a298b12d49dc9b48af671f01403beaa2.jpg 2b61b656797d090313757fb172ebb61e 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 Tonawanda Iron and Steel (Niagara River Iron Company) Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" alt="Tonawanda Iron and Steel, illustration" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/16.jpg" />Illustration: Dennis Reed Jr., 2025. For a century, a massive riverfront iron works dominates the skyline of North Tonawanda near Wheatfield Street and present-day Fisherman's Park. The furnaces cast a ruddy glow over the west, and power the birth of the village of "Ironton," later known as "The Avenues." From <a href="https://nthistory.com/items/show/2891">History of Niagara County (1878)</a>: <blockquote>The Niagara River Iron Company was formed in pursuance of the general manufacturing law, in 1872, with a paid-up capital of $400,000. The first purchase of real estate was of 165 acres from M. Bush. The buildings were erected in 1873, and manufacturing operations commenced the same year. The engine house stands in a prominent position, and by one not knowing its design might be taken for an elegant mansion or villa; the building is 68 by 74 feet, with a proportionate elevation, and finished in tasteful style. The boiler house, judiciously separated, located 45 feet by 70, contains ten ponderous boilers, four feet in diameter and sixty feet long; an octagon chimney eighty feet high rises in front. The blast furnace was constructed to run out fifty tons of pig iron per day, and is 60 by 200 feet and two stories high; a tower rising above the rounded kert contains the machinery for elevating ore and brick by steam power. The oven is 30 by 41 feet, with iron-bound exterior. The buildings named are massive and substantial brick erections, upon stone foundations. The stock house is a frame building, 72 by 500 feet and two stories high. The dock fronting on the river is 500 feet in length, reaching ten feet depth of water. Located upon the dock is an engine for raising freight from the vessels. Two branch tracks of the Central railroad pass over the docks and into the stock house, to deposit and remove material. The buildings cover an area of four acres. The trustees are P. P. Pratt, president; Josiah Jewett, vice-president; S. S. Jewett, H. H. Glenny, George B. Hays, F. L. Danforth and B. F. Felton. During the present general depression in business the works are not operated; but as they are controlled by men of permanent wealth, willing to use it and able to hold their own until the day dawns upon brighter prospects, the advantages of this great concern will yet be felt by the community that has clustered about it in anticipation. The premises and machinery are kept in the most perfect order and neatness under the care of Alexander Reid.</blockquote> Pascal P. Pratt, a "hardware man" from Buffalo, is president and principal stockholder.  <blockquote>Mr. [Pascal P.] Pratt also helped to organize the Niagara River Iron Company in 1872. That company operated a blast furnace in North Tonawanda capable of turning out fifty tons of pig iron daily. Pascal Pratt was President of the firm, and among the other principals was S. S. Jewett. This company was later succeeded by the Tonawanda Iron and Steel Company, with William A. Rogers as President.</blockquote> <blockquote>- <a href="https://www.olmstedinbuffalo.com/pascal-p-pratt/#:~:text=city%20of%20Buffalo.-,Mr.,and%20the%20Bank%20of%20Attica.">Olmsted in Buffalo</a></blockquote> By 1875, in the midst of a general depression in the iron industry, the works are stopped, and lie dormant for years, possibly the next 14. In January 1889 it is reported that the Baird Bros. of Ohio will buy the plant and resume operations. It will require about $50K. 30 workers are expected in March. Ore begins arriving in great quantities in June, and on August 28 the furnace roars again. 100 men work the facility, day and night. The production of 100 tons of iron and steel a day is planned. <a href="https://archive.org/details/historyofcityofb00buff">Seemingly owned</a> at one point by "Rogers, Brown and Company, one of the largest iron companies in the country." 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. Frank Burkett Baird (b.1852 d.11/15/1939) organizes the Tonawanda Iron & Steel Co, in 1899. (Baird's singular accomplishment is as "Father of the Peace Bridge" - <a href="https://buffaloah.com/h/panam/forestL.html">Buffalo Architecture & History</a>). The new venture is a success, and expanding. President Rogers. New "monster" engine in June 1896. President McKinley fires up its mighty Furnace B with great ceremony and the flip of a switch from his home in Ohio in November 1896.  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. Gilmore. By 2017, the site has been cleared and converted into a small medical park and Fisherman's Park. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "Tonawanda Iron Corp., Is One of Largest Manufacturers of Pig Iron." Tonawanda News, 1929 (in this collection). Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Tonawanda Iron and Steel, SS Jupiter, postcard (c1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 factory iron ironton lumber river tonawandaisland https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/6904f5d789ab2f1e21e10e42508fdac2.jpg 29d162ebe02cfb8d32b9d5b00037c3bc Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 G F Meyers Coal, Wood and Sewer pipe, postcard (c. 1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/cbbd349f49f4fd0e9494269b44f9b106.jpg e74ba4f5d062fb330f63fa128aa3e20b 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 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" />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>. 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. 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. 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. As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Transferring Lumber, postcard (c.1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 Description An account of the resource Showing the Grace Holland. https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/b8377d997109b9b787e83cced2a11141.jpg 06378cd0a26d27b0373795b7d8142d3f https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/9af6e64caaf2ec2b365494a800d7ae4a.jpg bb62975162c2d4050e81e44c5cf8474e 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 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" />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>. 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. 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. 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. As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Transferring Lumber in the Twin Cities, postcard (1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/ecc624e02d6abc389ff4f3f96e3c589a.jpeg f7d582abd2619652d0234de7eb7a8ba1 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/03bdaa5cc787a385589bbb78a0ac680a.jpg 012f096de538438b4a09de3cb1977b3d Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 On Ellicott Creek, postcard (c1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 boat creek tonawanda https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/246589d185b0f715d60266202d4025ea.jpg a3cd6a4f6e7d2291c5055de7b196712e 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 Tonawanda Iron and Steel (Niagara River Iron Company) Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" alt="Tonawanda Iron and Steel, illustration" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/16.jpg" />Illustration: Dennis Reed Jr., 2025. For a century, a massive riverfront iron works dominates the skyline of North Tonawanda near Wheatfield Street and present-day Fisherman's Park. The furnaces cast a ruddy glow over the west, and power the birth of the village of "Ironton," later known as "The Avenues." From <a href="https://nthistory.com/items/show/2891">History of Niagara County (1878)</a>: <blockquote>The Niagara River Iron Company was formed in pursuance of the general manufacturing law, in 1872, with a paid-up capital of $400,000. The first purchase of real estate was of 165 acres from M. Bush. The buildings were erected in 1873, and manufacturing operations commenced the same year. The engine house stands in a prominent position, and by one not knowing its design might be taken for an elegant mansion or villa; the building is 68 by 74 feet, with a proportionate elevation, and finished in tasteful style. The boiler house, judiciously separated, located 45 feet by 70, contains ten ponderous boilers, four feet in diameter and sixty feet long; an octagon chimney eighty feet high rises in front. The blast furnace was constructed to run out fifty tons of pig iron per day, and is 60 by 200 feet and two stories high; a tower rising above the rounded kert contains the machinery for elevating ore and brick by steam power. The oven is 30 by 41 feet, with iron-bound exterior. The buildings named are massive and substantial brick erections, upon stone foundations. The stock house is a frame building, 72 by 500 feet and two stories high. The dock fronting on the river is 500 feet in length, reaching ten feet depth of water. Located upon the dock is an engine for raising freight from the vessels. Two branch tracks of the Central railroad pass over the docks and into the stock house, to deposit and remove material. The buildings cover an area of four acres. The trustees are P. P. Pratt, president; Josiah Jewett, vice-president; S. S. Jewett, H. H. Glenny, George B. Hays, F. L. Danforth and B. F. Felton. During the present general depression in business the works are not operated; but as they are controlled by men of permanent wealth, willing to use it and able to hold their own until the day dawns upon brighter prospects, the advantages of this great concern will yet be felt by the community that has clustered about it in anticipation. The premises and machinery are kept in the most perfect order and neatness under the care of Alexander Reid.</blockquote> Pascal P. Pratt, a "hardware man" from Buffalo, is president and principal stockholder.  <blockquote>Mr. [Pascal P.] Pratt also helped to organize the Niagara River Iron Company in 1872. That company operated a blast furnace in North Tonawanda capable of turning out fifty tons of pig iron daily. Pascal Pratt was President of the firm, and among the other principals was S. S. Jewett. This company was later succeeded by the Tonawanda Iron and Steel Company, with William A. Rogers as President.</blockquote> <blockquote>- <a href="https://www.olmstedinbuffalo.com/pascal-p-pratt/#:~:text=city%20of%20Buffalo.-,Mr.,and%20the%20Bank%20of%20Attica.">Olmsted in Buffalo</a></blockquote> By 1875, in the midst of a general depression in the iron industry, the works are stopped, and lie dormant for years, possibly the next 14. In January 1889 it is reported that the Baird Bros. of Ohio will buy the plant and resume operations. It will require about $50K. 30 workers are expected in March. Ore begins arriving in great quantities in June, and on August 28 the furnace roars again. 100 men work the facility, day and night. The production of 100 tons of iron and steel a day is planned. <a href="https://archive.org/details/historyofcityofb00buff">Seemingly owned</a> at one point by "Rogers, Brown and Company, one of the largest iron companies in the country." 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. Frank Burkett Baird (b.1852 d.11/15/1939) organizes the Tonawanda Iron & Steel Co, in 1899. (Baird's singular accomplishment is as "Father of the Peace Bridge" - <a href="https://buffaloah.com/h/panam/forestL.html">Buffalo Architecture & History</a>). The new venture is a success, and expanding. President Rogers. New "monster" engine in June 1896. President McKinley fires up its mighty Furnace B with great ceremony and the flip of a switch from his home in Ohio in November 1896.  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. Gilmore. By 2017, the site has been cleared and converted into a small medical park and Fisherman's Park. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "Tonawanda Iron Corp., Is One of Largest Manufacturers of Pig Iron." Tonawanda News, 1929 (in this collection). Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Tonawanda Iron and Steel Works, postcard (1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 factory ironton https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/ebad7b6842b1a7557752e26d303ad4ff.jpg 65bba3a24e68e9ab58b2ec28c581b7df https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/225792fac830cf60c2431c718e5dbe66.jpg aecd7407fff43f09f5f6f1d7bde89db4 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 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" />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>. 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. 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. 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. As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Birdseye View of the Twin Cities Harbor and Lumber District, postcard (c1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 bridge lumber tonawandaisland https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/0998d642a325e3738949a306eff2ea7b.jpg 0b3827c1626acad58fdea9d519eb4c49 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/ea10afb0d635a420206da1fa5c33c6a3.jpg 34455afb3c60abf969774ea29631d867 Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Tonawanda Board and Paper Co., postcard (c1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 canal factory lumber https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/d7b8da6a097f12433bb17a028e531604.jpg c523d956f4392ca99c2e4215b5d11ab1 Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Odd Fellows Temple, Tonawanda, postcard (c1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 tonawanda https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/57cdd4f39c9d5ee43cc575f0fc3bdf07.jpg 13de18f04fd8327a31e3ec7158c3aa0b 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 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. A lock was also built to permit passage between the Niagara River (and Great Lakes) and the canal. Early documents also mention a guard lock just east of the lock. After the Civil War, the depth of the entire canal was increased to accomodate larger boats. Starting around 1909 work was done on our section of the canal as part of Contract 19 to improve the prism, or bottom shape (see <a href="https://nthistory.com/collections/show/152">photos of Contract 19</a>) In 1918 the 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. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 South Niagara St Showing Erie Canal, Tonawanda, postcard (c1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 canal tonawanda https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/df0902cb0877de012bec81bdd370b1e5.jpg e7d88faca3c8edea837d926178fd5284 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/00d19a77943aa9972726848897dca363.jpg 1b9488725c92190418234a4c45c5f8c5 Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 View on Webster Street, postcard (1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/6cd06139bf1af99d1741810ea8ae7b1f.jpg 6f951602af7000d0ec90e4b0cbd909c2 Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Harbor View, postcard (c1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/823a6026b9e010dcafe1b214dbc28f94.jpg ff48153d3f0c541affb945abc87e59cf 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 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. A lock was also built to permit passage between the Niagara River (and Great Lakes) and the canal. Early documents also mention a guard lock just east of the lock. After the Civil War, the depth of the entire canal was increased to accomodate larger boats. Starting around 1909 work was done on our section of the canal as part of Contract 19 to improve the prism, or bottom shape (see <a href="https://nthistory.com/collections/show/152">photos of Contract 19</a>) In 1918 the 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. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Locking boat, Erie Canal, Lockport, postcard (c1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 lock https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/38af06f8c19ea686b7e28938494d12a3.jpg 334858e5c5f43fee634eb17c9090f884 Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 View of Harbor, postcard (c1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/da6490fd4e2a4c887574bb00a1227ef7.png 4229fe3cd78d24c501c5e0820f6a3621 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/8b5197f3c5070d45d87f2b483dbdf7da.png 72b36b9119c6228e9c6228e67b4ff1dc 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 Goundry Street Area Description An account of the resource From the village's earliest days, Goundry Street was a showcase of its most luxurious homes. Wealthy lumber barons and bankers settled here, enjoying both convenient access to the business district, and convenient removal from the same. In the 1940s, many were shuttered due to high maintenance costs, and converted to apartments. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Goundry Street International Railway waiting room, photo (c1910).png Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 downtown goundry person https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/91d89848fcc9a3d646b5f9351e7a2c0a.jpeg 9f5cc369ebee3d4110050030cf29d0db https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/5e61f114024b6ef272313a9379e5fb44.jpeg 86b8c3024e8ff84a8f88a053dfd32c82 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 Niagara Silk Mills Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" alt="Niagara Silk Mills postcard" src="http://nthistory.com/custom/cover/44.jpg" /> Postcard c. 1913. According to a c.1913 news article, "The Niagara Silk Mills began business in an old wooden building on Sweeney street [around 1898] with thirty operatives." By 1913 the concern dominates Sweeney Street, standing where the old Vandervoort "mansion" on Sweeney was, and where Gateway Center is today. The Niagara Silk Mills (Van Raalte Silk Mills after 1917) produces ladies' undergarments, gloves, and similar fineries. They marketed their materials with the iconography of Niagara Falls (reminiscent of the Pan Am Exposition imagery), and with appearances by silent film sirens. By 1937 there are locations in Saratoga Springs, Dunkirk, Paterson and Boonton, N.J. Closed in 1963, the building along Sweeney was converted into the Downtowner Hotel in 1964 and later became the Packet Inn / Woodshed. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Niagara Maid silk gloves, Louise Gunning, postcard (1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/a2d87ba8f62b69a8939542c6de409be2.jpeg 130a85621eb79c89722d94c49fdb9306 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 Goundry Street Area Description An account of the resource From the village's earliest days, Goundry Street was a showcase of its most luxurious homes. Wealthy lumber barons and bankers settled here, enjoying both convenient access to the business district, and convenient removal from the same. In the 1940s, many were shuttered due to high maintenance costs, and converted to apartments. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Goundry Street, postcard (c1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 goundry house village https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/8cf63342dac8a53d4ae7bea8e85ac95f.jpg b164af02a9b0b77265ae3498d045ca01 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/210e3e3a26917426c3b88b93744361d8.jpg 7916f52b6539b36ad3de5642ad2132fd Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Family and dog, Grand Island excursions, postcard (c.1910).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 dog grandisland person https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/3b6be0eefa33acb2abad80be0bb58db6.jpg f177ef6bf267473dd4cccaf647ea8111 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 North Tonawanda Public Market Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" alt="The market, c.1909" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/147.jpg" />The North Tonawanda Public Market brought thousands of customers on its first day of operation. Photo date unknown. The first official date of operation of the market near the corner of Robinson and Payne is August 23, 1908 Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Public Market, North Tonawanda, postcard (c1910).jpg Description An account of the resource North Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works in the background before its 1911 expansion. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910 ntmiw person village https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/29e29a89db5ad7aa30f0a5f7c4106a52.jpg 7c638e502cacb67fb41ede6538e4ce32 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/a661846bc65c5966a4471010bb3ee278.jpg 00a232e45b928694ab8db1c0438983ba https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/2d6151e8a6b5750b0bc277d66cfa279b.jpg b0d2272ef0af7eac1e133892865cc2a2 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/e83507aff59bac22804d12df3bccc352.jpeg 7cbf68f78110ee810a5a6ee5bf312f91 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 Goose Island (Tonawanda) 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" />Goose Island as seen from Tonawanda Island, postcard detail, ca 1913. "Goose Island" was the name of a triangular piece of land in Tonawanda formerly cut off from the mainland by the Erie Canal. The island was first settled by Tonawanda's well-to-do, its shady trees giving "Chestnut Street" its name. It had a cemetery (whose graves were moved to Sweeney Cemetery) and a schoolhouse. As the lumber industry picked up in the 1860s, the character of the island changed dramatically, and it would soon be known all over the country by canawlers and sailors as a "red-light" district. The canal from Tonawanda to Buffalo is filled in around 1927, effectively reconnecting the recalcitrant island to its parent. In 1966 the remaining buildings that housed the old saloons, bordellos and dwellings were razed as part of broader "Urban Renewal" efforts. Today, the only trace of old Goose Island is the old path of Chestnut Street, which is followed by the north edge of Tops parking lot and the southern part of Niagara Shore Drive. 1937 Coppola indictment dismissed. 1951 several of the old buildings, slated for demolition anyway by the State Housing Commission as part of their postwar plan, <a href="https://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/highlight-for-xml?altUrl=https%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252011%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201951%2520%2520Grayscale%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201951%2520%2520Grayscale%2520-%25201604.pdf%23xml%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffffffbb5d89%26DocId%3D2065199%26Index%3DZ%253a%255cDISK%2520U%26HitCount%3D19%26hits%3D49%2B4a%2B90%2B91%2B1a8%2B2c7%2B395%2B3cc%2B409%2B422%2B42a%2B458%2B627%2B744%2Bfee%2B1119%2B115a%2B115f%2B1166%2B%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf&uri=https%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252011%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201951%2520%2520Grayscale%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201951%2520%2520Grayscale%2520-%25201604.pdf&xml=https%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffffffbb5d89%26DocId%3D2065199%26Index%3DZ%253a%255cDISK%2520U%26HitCount%3D19%26hits%3D49%2B4a%2B90%2B91%2B1a8%2B2c7%2B395%2B3cc%2B409%2B422%2B42a%2B458%2B627%2B744%2Bfee%2B1119%2B115a%2B115f%2B1166%2B%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf&openFirstHlPage=false">are set on fire</a> by an arson.  A 1923 article claims an 1886 fire "totally destroyed" Goose Island. First mention 1897 (Frank Alliger's novelty concern) Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Portion of Harbor in Twin Cities, Goose Island, postcard (1910-06-15).jpg Description An account of the resource The first postcard apparently penned by someone just arriving in Tonawanda in 1910 to study as a veterinarian under the tutelage of a Dr. H. S. Wende. He gives a charming description of his situation to a newphew, in a very legible hand. More about Dr. Wende from 1891's <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/608">Lumber City</a>:  Drs. Wende & Thomson, V. S. — Dr. H. S. Wende was born in Erie county, graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1886 and lo-. cated in Tonawanda where he secured a good run of practice, having an operating table and every convenience for the treatment of accidents or the diseases of horses. This is the largest veterinary hospital in this vicinity. Dr. J. P. Thomson, a Canadian and graduate of the above school, has been associated with Dr. Wende for a j-ear or two past, and is giving good satisfaction. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910-06-15 canal factory goose island lumber swingbridge https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/30d055f0e87635f2f3a25edab15dde10.jpeg 85562e94fdf6cd8bab140178e998d033 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/5d021f79e952b3c82bb8571610948046.jpeg a21275991ddf1dfb16c0721a10ad3b07 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/465b2854b2356d4cd4eae31d23e5f24b.jpeg 3bc153deff309fe8cd2e34cd0e40358e https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/f1db06f58fe5248f3bc5022786d99211.jpeg 5db31090af90300ff17bb8d3ffe951e9 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 Goundry Street Area Description An account of the resource From the village's earliest days, Goundry Street was a showcase of its most luxurious homes. Wealthy lumber barons and bankers settled here, enjoying both convenient access to the business district, and convenient removal from the same. In the 1940s, many were shuttered due to high maintenance costs, and converted to apartments. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Goundry Street, looking east from Paynes Avenue, postcard (c1910).jpeg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910-06-17 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/8b2fcd7309ccdf4fdf137126c18157e3.jpg 927a5b8695cb8db30509b9c0bf810392 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/8bbdb4ad226ec34ae57600597071656a.jpg 7927c6a4783752f0c13a55a784b622fb 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 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. A lock was also built to permit passage between the Niagara River (and Great Lakes) and the canal. Early documents also mention a guard lock just east of the lock. After the Civil War, the depth of the entire canal was increased to accomodate larger boats. Starting around 1909 work was done on our section of the canal as part of Contract 19 to improve the prism, or bottom shape (see <a href="https://nthistory.com/collections/show/152">photos of Contract 19</a>) In 1918 the 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. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 South Niagara Street (showing Erie canal), postcard (1910-09-21).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1910-09-21 canal https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/46abbb6afd25e3df254faafe3e277707.jpg 571e69c665d14410b7e053230ecb408b https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/4ba10a2a9271115a0545eac45090d4e4.jpg 7ea0971f24c29d7094f97c17bdff6f13 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 Martinsville Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/56.jpg" alt="Postcard view looking north up Old Falld Blvd" />Old Falls Boulevard, looking north from Lockport Ave. to Niagara Falls Blvd. Postcard detail, c.1900. The northeast part of North Tonawanda known as "Martinsville" is named after the father of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther. It is settled by German Lutheran farmers, beginning around 1843. They settled in narrow farms along the west bank of Tonawanda Creek. As the area developed, a "downtown" emerged along William Street, present-day Old Falls Blvd, near Lockport Rd. (pictured above). The village boasted its own post office, stores and places of entertainment.  Most of Martinsville was incorporated into the then-booming City of North Tonawanda in 1897. The sections of Martinsville east of present-day Old Falls and Niagara Falls boulevards are considered part of Wheatfield. The real estate transaction that brought many of the settlers to the area, its early growth, and the contentious religious devotion of its people are described in <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/606">History of Niagara County 1821-1878</a>: <blockquote>In 1843 Carl Sack, Erdman Wurl and Fred Grosskopf purchased of William Vandervoote 400 acres, at $15 per acre, on the Tonawanda creek, in the southeast corner of the town, four miles east of Tonawanda village, in what is now known as the village of Martinsville. Lutheran religious antecedents caused the adoption of this name by the disciples of Martin Luther. The original purchase was divided into small lots of three acres and up- ward, as others were able to purchase, to provide for the location of thirty families the first season. They erected ten log houses in the autumn, each of which was occupied by three or four families during the winter and until joint efforts relieved the immigrants by building others. The families remained in Buffalo until the first houses were built, obtaining the best accommodations they could find. Forbidding as the prospect in the beginning must have been, it has been changed to the appearance of prosperity. The church organization is the controlling element in the government of the community, now consisting of one hundred families, connected with the two now existing, the result of divided feeling, but not an abandonment of the Lutheran faith.</blockquote> Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Teacher and students, sent by Dora M. Smith, Martinsville, postcard (1911-05-10).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1911-05-10 martinsville person student teacher writing https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/c6bd898d22476e65f6f82cb64ee3d9ad.jpg a3d5b81e3ddfbdbdc92c295517dc5bf2 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/d8c8c515d92cb0dc532405818b0a3359.jpg eb1167d4992aaf72d55a1d77147f2e96 Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 New Sugar Bowl, Tonawanda, postcard (1911-07-21).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1911-07-21 Description An account of the resource Located at 32 Webster, this dealer in delectables kept Twin Cities dentists busy for generations. According to the <a href="http://www.nthistorymuseum.org/Lumber%20City%20History%20Center/sugarbowl.html">website</a> of North Tonawanda History Museum: <blockquote>The Pullman brothers, Gust and Leo, operated the Sugar Bowl...from 1920 to 1965, having come to North Tonawanda in 1911 and worked for their cousins, the Yianilos brothers until they could afford to buy the business.</blockquote> There was also a Young Street, Tonawanda location operated by the Yianilos brothers. Still others report a Zeffrey's Sugar Bowl at 5 South Niagara. Today, 32 Webster is the patio of Crazy Jake's. retail https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/ae607b29b86dc7c020e559648e1d30f7.jpg 7b51f05535283295b341b19c9b57a1af https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/6af17bd3ed4edf5ab7b50ab589e03d4b.jpg f5eaa7ad6e3c51e4478ad0a0a73e10e4 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/9f7bb90fe8a26a31c6e8107b6b8e225d.jpg 4221630fa6996429510b6748b691e857 Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 RC Church of the Ascension, postcard (1912).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1912 avenues church https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/da604c7fac1e9a15cfae68c0512d7072.jpg 91a9bf6c9587d5f5663a1c84a771b893 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 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. A lock was also built to permit passage between the Niagara River (and Great Lakes) and the canal. Early documents also mention a guard lock just east of the lock. After the Civil War, the depth of the entire canal was increased to accomodate larger boats. Starting around 1909 work was done on our section of the canal as part of Contract 19 to improve the prism, or bottom shape (see <a href="https://nthistory.com/collections/show/152">photos of Contract 19</a>) In 1918 the 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. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Steam SAND SUCKER Boat on Thousand-Ton Barge Canal, postcard (1912).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1912 boat canal erie-canal https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/6a55dbeafe1ef2fb8735de2ae8191d82.jpg 917724626d4527b8b4065d1b2c41bb1e https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/aea7fdcd4457066149db62e7d5630b4f.jpg 64e1aec1dd72684762be2e06d17ed289 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/af4f52acd7543ccd0ff40980f84880c1.jpg ce51d6fa342f03c2600f5cbb30a9fc30 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 Tonawanda Iron and Steel (Niagara River Iron Company) Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" alt="Tonawanda Iron and Steel, illustration" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/16.jpg" />Illustration: Dennis Reed Jr., 2025. For a century, a massive riverfront iron works dominates the skyline of North Tonawanda near Wheatfield Street and present-day Fisherman's Park. The furnaces cast a ruddy glow over the west, and power the birth of the village of "Ironton," later known as "The Avenues." From <a href="https://nthistory.com/items/show/2891">History of Niagara County (1878)</a>: <blockquote>The Niagara River Iron Company was formed in pursuance of the general manufacturing law, in 1872, with a paid-up capital of $400,000. The first purchase of real estate was of 165 acres from M. Bush. The buildings were erected in 1873, and manufacturing operations commenced the same year. The engine house stands in a prominent position, and by one not knowing its design might be taken for an elegant mansion or villa; the building is 68 by 74 feet, with a proportionate elevation, and finished in tasteful style. The boiler house, judiciously separated, located 45 feet by 70, contains ten ponderous boilers, four feet in diameter and sixty feet long; an octagon chimney eighty feet high rises in front. The blast furnace was constructed to run out fifty tons of pig iron per day, and is 60 by 200 feet and two stories high; a tower rising above the rounded kert contains the machinery for elevating ore and brick by steam power. The oven is 30 by 41 feet, with iron-bound exterior. The buildings named are massive and substantial brick erections, upon stone foundations. The stock house is a frame building, 72 by 500 feet and two stories high. The dock fronting on the river is 500 feet in length, reaching ten feet depth of water. Located upon the dock is an engine for raising freight from the vessels. Two branch tracks of the Central railroad pass over the docks and into the stock house, to deposit and remove material. The buildings cover an area of four acres. The trustees are P. P. Pratt, president; Josiah Jewett, vice-president; S. S. Jewett, H. H. Glenny, George B. Hays, F. L. Danforth and B. F. Felton. During the present general depression in business the works are not operated; but as they are controlled by men of permanent wealth, willing to use it and able to hold their own until the day dawns upon brighter prospects, the advantages of this great concern will yet be felt by the community that has clustered about it in anticipation. The premises and machinery are kept in the most perfect order and neatness under the care of Alexander Reid.</blockquote> Pascal P. Pratt, a "hardware man" from Buffalo, is president and principal stockholder.  <blockquote>Mr. [Pascal P.] Pratt also helped to organize the Niagara River Iron Company in 1872. That company operated a blast furnace in North Tonawanda capable of turning out fifty tons of pig iron daily. Pascal Pratt was President of the firm, and among the other principals was S. S. Jewett. This company was later succeeded by the Tonawanda Iron and Steel Company, with William A. Rogers as President.</blockquote> <blockquote>- <a href="https://www.olmstedinbuffalo.com/pascal-p-pratt/#:~:text=city%20of%20Buffalo.-,Mr.,and%20the%20Bank%20of%20Attica.">Olmsted in Buffalo</a></blockquote> By 1875, in the midst of a general depression in the iron industry, the works are stopped, and lie dormant for years, possibly the next 14. In January 1889 it is reported that the Baird Bros. of Ohio will buy the plant and resume operations. It will require about $50K. 30 workers are expected in March. Ore begins arriving in great quantities in June, and on August 28 the furnace roars again. 100 men work the facility, day and night. The production of 100 tons of iron and steel a day is planned. <a href="https://archive.org/details/historyofcityofb00buff">Seemingly owned</a> at one point by "Rogers, Brown and Company, one of the largest iron companies in the country." 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. Frank Burkett Baird (b.1852 d.11/15/1939) organizes the Tonawanda Iron & Steel Co, in 1899. (Baird's singular accomplishment is as "Father of the Peace Bridge" - <a href="https://buffaloah.com/h/panam/forestL.html">Buffalo Architecture & History</a>). The new venture is a success, and expanding. President Rogers. New "monster" engine in June 1896. President McKinley fires up its mighty Furnace B with great ceremony and the flip of a switch from his home in Ohio in November 1896.  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. Gilmore. By 2017, the site has been cleared and converted into a small medical park and Fisherman's Park. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "Tonawanda Iron Corp., Is One of Largest Manufacturers of Pig Iron." Tonawanda News, 1929 (in this collection). Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Tonawanda Iron and Steel Works, postcard (1912).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1912 factory iron ironton river https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/2c1f3793b917b2d4616528b3a53801d6.jpg c1061d953a0ab389bbc7ea8d3ebfd100 Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Felton High School, postcard (1912).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1912 school https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/0d086ae3c6d7048cb6138f54638194fd.jpg 400e25f439b859ea792d6230922ce89f https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/3f9c1d1b5a451e32a18034d1766d86b8.jpg fd28d03950e4c76cbf5f799773f2dcaf 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 Downtown Description An account of the resource Most of North Tonawanda's downtown area developed between 1875 and 1900. In this collection are preserved views of many vanished buildings: The YMCA and City Hall at the southeast corner of Tremont and Main; the 6-story 1891 Smith building (Real Estate Exchange) at the northeast corner of Tremont and Webster, the gothic stone State National Bank at the northwest corner of Sweeney and Webster, and Scanlon's Hall on the southwest corner of the same intersection, to name a few. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 First M. E, Church, hi-res postcard (1912).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1912 church downtown https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/4b4c286e804a3f17ac656fc7697cf676.jpg 97fc214456f84f9e8e3d217a30d06694 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/7489547397096a1acdbaf3bfeaa42b92.jpg 6fdc10cc96133103ae576081a209de4c https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/5aeeae04e18433cd09871d3991b2f8a9.jpeg 14608892d97d76ad0d5113efc24fffa4 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/d8ff1c6742a4859f9e6bb48904cc08f6.jpeg 9219e667733d09853dfa3bd2f8157f50 Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Entrance to New Barge Canal, postcards (1912-1917).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1912 bridge canal collection creek hd https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/4d7e82798c9c2e420944b4b6ff8bd395.jpg 188bbeff13c584707622fa0889257626 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 Niagara Silk Mills Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" alt="Niagara Silk Mills postcard" src="http://nthistory.com/custom/cover/44.jpg" /> Postcard c. 1913. According to a c.1913 news article, "The Niagara Silk Mills began business in an old wooden building on Sweeney street [around 1898] with thirty operatives." By 1913 the concern dominates Sweeney Street, standing where the old Vandervoort "mansion" on Sweeney was, and where Gateway Center is today. The Niagara Silk Mills (Van Raalte Silk Mills after 1917) produces ladies' undergarments, gloves, and similar fineries. They marketed their materials with the iconography of Niagara Falls (reminiscent of the Pan Am Exposition imagery), and with appearances by silent film sirens. By 1937 there are locations in Saratoga Springs, Dunkirk, Paterson and Boonton, N.J. Closed in 1963, the building along Sweeney was converted into the Downtowner Hotel in 1964 and later became the Packet Inn / Woodshed. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Niagara Silk Mills, postcard (c.1912).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1912 collection factory https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/b66e518db2813ec6335b2321ad8b1a37.jpg 10f51b5ee9d384b2107ae476489aac8a https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/9a5a59cf24ba830eac1cbaab82c42a73.jpg 83d703f0d030cf2ca4708d9fdbc6065a Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 The Twin Cities, postcard (1912-09-12).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1912-09-12 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/564362271f85d6be74ae7564d1c9d575.jpg 4a43a1e89fdc0ff153d7d27d3ebffa55 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 Niagara Silk Mills Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" alt="Niagara Silk Mills postcard" src="http://nthistory.com/custom/cover/44.jpg" /> Postcard c. 1913. According to a c.1913 news article, "The Niagara Silk Mills began business in an old wooden building on Sweeney street [around 1898] with thirty operatives." By 1913 the concern dominates Sweeney Street, standing where the old Vandervoort "mansion" on Sweeney was, and where Gateway Center is today. The Niagara Silk Mills (Van Raalte Silk Mills after 1917) produces ladies' undergarments, gloves, and similar fineries. They marketed their materials with the iconography of Niagara Falls (reminiscent of the Pan Am Exposition imagery), and with appearances by silent film sirens. By 1937 there are locations in Saratoga Springs, Dunkirk, Paterson and Boonton, N.J. Closed in 1963, the building along Sweeney was converted into the Downtowner Hotel in 1964 and later became the Packet Inn / Woodshed. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Niagara Silk Mills, North Tonawanda, postcard (c1913).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1913 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/1cea110960c57aa9051e219ba373f4b3.jpg 6b4e0a13b51059d85bcba06cbb50bf46 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 Niagara Silk Mills Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" alt="Niagara Silk Mills postcard" src="http://nthistory.com/custom/cover/44.jpg" /> Postcard c. 1913. According to a c.1913 news article, "The Niagara Silk Mills began business in an old wooden building on Sweeney street [around 1898] with thirty operatives." By 1913 the concern dominates Sweeney Street, standing where the old Vandervoort "mansion" on Sweeney was, and where Gateway Center is today. The Niagara Silk Mills (Van Raalte Silk Mills after 1917) produces ladies' undergarments, gloves, and similar fineries. They marketed their materials with the iconography of Niagara Falls (reminiscent of the Pan Am Exposition imagery), and with appearances by silent film sirens. By 1937 there are locations in Saratoga Springs, Dunkirk, Paterson and Boonton, N.J. Closed in 1963, the building along Sweeney was converted into the Downtowner Hotel in 1964 and later became the Packet Inn / Woodshed. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Sweeney Building and Silk Mill, postcard (c1913).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1913 factory https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/9c539a957b322aee619ca72594f9ddf6.jpg f3a476b8a2d9c3bee427af90b6b5e472 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 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" />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>. 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. 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. 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. As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Edward Hines Lumber Co of Chicago in North Tonawanda, photo postcard (1913).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1913 boat labor lumber https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/e65dd63fcc32ad4b966cbfdb521de998.jpg 089bc255d6e66b68c2f47c1efc9fd4b5 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 Goose Island (Tonawanda) 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" />Goose Island as seen from Tonawanda Island, postcard detail, ca 1913. "Goose Island" was the name of a triangular piece of land in Tonawanda formerly cut off from the mainland by the Erie Canal. The island was first settled by Tonawanda's well-to-do, its shady trees giving "Chestnut Street" its name. It had a cemetery (whose graves were moved to Sweeney Cemetery) and a schoolhouse. As the lumber industry picked up in the 1860s, the character of the island changed dramatically, and it would soon be known all over the country by canawlers and sailors as a "red-light" district. The canal from Tonawanda to Buffalo is filled in around 1927, effectively reconnecting the recalcitrant island to its parent. In 1966 the remaining buildings that housed the old saloons, bordellos and dwellings were razed as part of broader "Urban Renewal" efforts. Today, the only trace of old Goose Island is the old path of Chestnut Street, which is followed by the north edge of Tops parking lot and the southern part of Niagara Shore Drive. 1937 Coppola indictment dismissed. 1951 several of the old buildings, slated for demolition anyway by the State Housing Commission as part of their postwar plan, <a href="https://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/highlight-for-xml?altUrl=https%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252011%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201951%2520%2520Grayscale%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201951%2520%2520Grayscale%2520-%25201604.pdf%23xml%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffffffbb5d89%26DocId%3D2065199%26Index%3DZ%253a%255cDISK%2520U%26HitCount%3D19%26hits%3D49%2B4a%2B90%2B91%2B1a8%2B2c7%2B395%2B3cc%2B409%2B422%2B42a%2B458%2B627%2B744%2Bfee%2B1119%2B115a%2B115f%2B1166%2B%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf&uri=https%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252011%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201951%2520%2520Grayscale%2FNorth%2520Tonawanda%2520NY%2520Evening%2520News%25201951%2520%2520Grayscale%2520-%25201604.pdf&xml=https%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffffffbb5d89%26DocId%3D2065199%26Index%3DZ%253a%255cDISK%2520U%26HitCount%3D19%26hits%3D49%2B4a%2B90%2B91%2B1a8%2B2c7%2B395%2B3cc%2B409%2B422%2B42a%2B458%2B627%2B744%2Bfee%2B1119%2B115a%2B115f%2B1166%2B%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf&openFirstHlPage=false">are set on fire</a> by an arson.  A 1923 article claims an 1886 fire "totally destroyed" Goose Island. First mention 1897 (Frank Alliger's novelty concern) Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Harbor, Goose Island, postcard (1913).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1913 boat bridge horse labor lumber https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/46e4537d0e02a031abbbf8945521e98c.jpg 9c1b02268adbe56ffa422167ad27a058 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 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" />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>. 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. 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. 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. As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 View of River Front, postcard (1913).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1913 boat lumber https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/366fe68eb8bb766becd4ce3ceefbe3a2.jpg 245f2dfde67aa7eb5cc8ad3b700214f9 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 Goundry Street Area Description An account of the resource From the village's earliest days, Goundry Street was a showcase of its most luxurious homes. Wealthy lumber barons and bankers settled here, enjoying both convenient access to the business district, and convenient removal from the same. In the 1940s, many were shuttered due to high maintenance costs, and converted to apartments. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Goundry Street, postcard (1913).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1913 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/64e04924ce4fbc734129f54a910fba70.jpg 81b7e4d8b11d5ff330410d13a6479f1a 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 Niagara Silk Mills Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" alt="Niagara Silk Mills postcard" src="http://nthistory.com/custom/cover/44.jpg" /> Postcard c. 1913. According to a c.1913 news article, "The Niagara Silk Mills began business in an old wooden building on Sweeney street [around 1898] with thirty operatives." By 1913 the concern dominates Sweeney Street, standing where the old Vandervoort "mansion" on Sweeney was, and where Gateway Center is today. The Niagara Silk Mills (Van Raalte Silk Mills after 1917) produces ladies' undergarments, gloves, and similar fineries. They marketed their materials with the iconography of Niagara Falls (reminiscent of the Pan Am Exposition imagery), and with appearances by silent film sirens. By 1937 there are locations in Saratoga Springs, Dunkirk, Paterson and Boonton, N.J. Closed in 1963, the building along Sweeney was converted into the Downtowner Hotel in 1964 and later became the Packet Inn / Woodshed. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Niagara Silk Mills, postcard (c 1913).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1913 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/acdd7fdbc810498d92f98ed36d7c51f3.jpeg 1f7a5a41369331ba28f833bc08764305 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/4d2dc9075e0e693067425bed06952d13.jpeg c6ae9be66de638d6b316ea4c83db2b64 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 Niagara Silk Mills Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" alt="Niagara Silk Mills postcard" src="http://nthistory.com/custom/cover/44.jpg" /> Postcard c. 1913. According to a c.1913 news article, "The Niagara Silk Mills began business in an old wooden building on Sweeney street [around 1898] with thirty operatives." By 1913 the concern dominates Sweeney Street, standing where the old Vandervoort "mansion" on Sweeney was, and where Gateway Center is today. The Niagara Silk Mills (Van Raalte Silk Mills after 1917) produces ladies' undergarments, gloves, and similar fineries. They marketed their materials with the iconography of Niagara Falls (reminiscent of the Pan Am Exposition imagery), and with appearances by silent film sirens. By 1937 there are locations in Saratoga Springs, Dunkirk, Paterson and Boonton, N.J. Closed in 1963, the building along Sweeney was converted into the Downtowner Hotel in 1964 and later became the Packet Inn / Woodshed. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Niagara Silk Mills, postcard (c1913).jpeg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1913 factory https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/8f60a4ff7bae5a7a86b050b6ae9e745c.jpg f893650f0971ab22dc730391ca5083e5 Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Tonawanda Depot, postcard (1914-03-13).jpg Description An account of the resource Home of Historical Society of the Tonawandas Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1914-03-13 tonawanda https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/a2bdfe8c4029f01c2a620846e75b9f64.jpeg 449954705476eb0d8bbe42f1f85862c3 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/494fc7063555cd2f454b7543aa6183ec.jpeg 66c1fb913a8fdc9c33e348e7b569d194 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 Niagara Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" alt="The former Niagara Musical Instrument Mfg. Co. on Thompson Street in North Tonawanda, as it may have appeared in 1930, thirteen years after closing. AI rendering of a still frame from a video in the Hamp collection of the Histoerical Society of the Tonawandas." src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/75.jpg" />The former Niagara Musical Instrument Mfg. Co. on Thompson Street in North Tonawanda, as it may have appeared in 1930, thirteen years after closing. Artificial Intelligence rendering of a <a href="https://nthistory.com/items/show/1674">still frame from a video</a> in the Hamp collection of the Historical Society of the Tonawandas. The conspicuous depression of Felton Field (a former quarry and later train yard) is in the foreground. (1905-1917) The carousels being made in North Tonawanda open another, related market: automatic musical instruments such as band organs to accompany the rides. The Niagara Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company enters this business in early 1905. In early 1905, "articles of partnership" are submitted to the Niagara County Clerk: <blockquote>TO MAKE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Articles of partnership of the Niagara Musical Instrument Manufacturing company were filed today with the county clerk. The object of the company is to manufacture barrel organs and other musical instruments, and $1,500 is to be used to carry on this business. The directors, who are all from North Tonawanda, are as follows: Frank Morganti, Louis Schultz, George Schultz, William Herschell and Duncan Sinclair. Lockport Journal, February 17, 1905.</blockquote> The company is incorporated on September 30, 1905, with $25,000 capital. Its president, Frank Morganti, is a longtime former employee of Eugene de Kleist's <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/24">North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory</a>. Signatures on the company's 1905 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. 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> Niagara produces Niagara Military Band Organs ("The Organ That Is Different," one ad insists) for carousels, dance halls, roller rinks and sideshows. 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. They target the silent film theatre market that year with their "En-Symphonie" orchestrion. The "Midget Orchestra" and similar instruments follow. Business appears to be booming in 1914, as the company pays out a dividend of 10% to its stockholders that January. 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. Reader Andrew Barrett contributes the names C. E. Phillips and J. F. Preston as probable Niagara sales people in 1909 and probably thru 1910. <a href="http://nthistory.com/niagara">PHOTO SEARCH: Learn about the search for a photograph of Niagara! </a> Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Niagara Musical Instrument Co., mailer (1914-04-27).jpg Description An account of the resource Featuring a photo of the so-called "Midget Orchestra" Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1914-04-27 collection organ postcard https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/8470b582c719f8b62ad9550992ed72fc.jpg 17d816987d8ca631aa77ef8339a66f88 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 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. A lock was also built to permit passage between the Niagara River (and Great Lakes) and the canal. Early documents also mention a guard lock just east of the lock. After the Civil War, the depth of the entire canal was increased to accomodate larger boats. Starting around 1909 work was done on our section of the canal as part of Contract 19 to improve the prism, or bottom shape (see <a href="https://nthistory.com/collections/show/152">photos of Contract 19</a>) In 1918 the 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. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Tow, on Erie Canal, Tonawanda, postcard (1915).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1915 boat canal erie-canal https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/7a3fbaa4620326ca137c23b4bdcd2338.jpg 18728dd2de93b2ebea64cd356e10bd24 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/97fa38f05786b923ad75b32063edd7ec.jpeg 5bfa976246fadddf5c568135c362c04a 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 Niagara Silk Mills Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" alt="Niagara Silk Mills postcard" src="http://nthistory.com/custom/cover/44.jpg" /> Postcard c. 1913. According to a c.1913 news article, "The Niagara Silk Mills began business in an old wooden building on Sweeney street [around 1898] with thirty operatives." By 1913 the concern dominates Sweeney Street, standing where the old Vandervoort "mansion" on Sweeney was, and where Gateway Center is today. The Niagara Silk Mills (Van Raalte Silk Mills after 1917) produces ladies' undergarments, gloves, and similar fineries. They marketed their materials with the iconography of Niagara Falls (reminiscent of the Pan Am Exposition imagery), and with appearances by silent film sirens. By 1937 there are locations in Saratoga Springs, Dunkirk, Paterson and Boonton, N.J. Closed in 1963, the building along Sweeney was converted into the Downtowner Hotel in 1964 and later became the Packet Inn / Woodshed. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Niagara Maid Silk Gloves, Gaby Deslys, postcard (c1915).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1915 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/594d0940ff10d0cd8088ce856ad98eef.jpg cd100c423a7d4f82626d7684ede1385f 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 Niagara Silk Mills Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" alt="Niagara Silk Mills postcard" src="http://nthistory.com/custom/cover/44.jpg" /> Postcard c. 1913. According to a c.1913 news article, "The Niagara Silk Mills began business in an old wooden building on Sweeney street [around 1898] with thirty operatives." By 1913 the concern dominates Sweeney Street, standing where the old Vandervoort "mansion" on Sweeney was, and where Gateway Center is today. The Niagara Silk Mills (Van Raalte Silk Mills after 1917) produces ladies' undergarments, gloves, and similar fineries. They marketed their materials with the iconography of Niagara Falls (reminiscent of the Pan Am Exposition imagery), and with appearances by silent film sirens. By 1937 there are locations in Saratoga Springs, Dunkirk, Paterson and Boonton, N.J. Closed in 1963, the building along Sweeney was converted into the Downtowner Hotel in 1964 and later became the Packet Inn / Woodshed. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Niagara Silk Mills Exhibit, postcard (1915).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1915 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/711480b6efd499c8f0a8f7eb5dd69daa.jpg 4744db85d03ed3c98a978b9db6986fe9 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 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" />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>. 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. 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. 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. As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Tonawanda Harbor, postcard (1915).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1915 boat lumber https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/4248398669d62a2ebe4abc88895b5bdb.jpg b6d422a91acefd4cc46e7f59b4c872d0 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/532f6ce1d4d5b7f1c7d83d539f271f7d.jpg 57f227915441f34087229df047dd34b4 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 Ives Ice and Coal Company Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Our Ice Houses in 1898, Ives Ice and Coal, postcard (1915).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1915 ice https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/ca6ea875ae2e065a34b5d4a68beb66d5.jpg e8c91f17ef97ad7bda8bd02774df5fb3 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/e97a2272c07a722ac027e6270b578b96.jpg 38f7db52a589bd6e2c296239ea9fe466 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/326f59119e64ebe06eb6f96e9e2f4aae.jpg 836a03a10a7d72d2a99e3b9514bc9f02 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/6002c56b4318def8d257a0fa4309087c.jpg 0ce8a8b0587246102f3a96008fa56e7c 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 Frontier Chocolate Factory (337 Payne Avenue) Description An account of the resource In 2025, the home of Modu-Craft, Inc., "Designers and Manufacturers of Interior Furnishings." Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Frontier Chocolate Factory, postcards (c.1915-1924).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1915 factory hd https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/f68367501361c4a574873ae30aeb69a7.jpg 9e6d538fef621c0760fe3ff475087d8b https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/bf4467672fb0015ca466e770abf9fb01.jpg 1bee9bd315cd458f8c27c31b87b43139 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 Niagara Silk Mills Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" alt="Niagara Silk Mills postcard" src="http://nthistory.com/custom/cover/44.jpg" /> Postcard c. 1913. According to a c.1913 news article, "The Niagara Silk Mills began business in an old wooden building on Sweeney street [around 1898] with thirty operatives." By 1913 the concern dominates Sweeney Street, standing where the old Vandervoort "mansion" on Sweeney was, and where Gateway Center is today. The Niagara Silk Mills (Van Raalte Silk Mills after 1917) produces ladies' undergarments, gloves, and similar fineries. They marketed their materials with the iconography of Niagara Falls (reminiscent of the Pan Am Exposition imagery), and with appearances by silent film sirens. By 1937 there are locations in Saratoga Springs, Dunkirk, Paterson and Boonton, N.J. Closed in 1963, the building along Sweeney was converted into the Downtowner Hotel in 1964 and later became the Packet Inn / Woodshed. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Niagara Maid Silk Gloves, Emma Carus, postcard (c1915).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1915 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/d0d6a28717f767ed5126e118b02902e9.jpeg a57b2292d0471a04a937a6085a4c2ccd 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 Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wurlitzer: 100 Years of Musical Achievement. Rudolph Wurlitzer Company. Chicago, Illinois. 1956. Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/52.jpg" alt="The signature tower of the North Tonawanda plant and occasional headquarters." /> The signature tower of the North Tonawanda plant and occasional headquarters. Postcard, c.1940. Its iconic tower has presided over Sawyer's Creek and Martinsville for over 100 years. The sprawling industrial campus left behind by the world-famous Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company produced merry-go-round organs, band organs, church organs, theater organs and jukeboxes that have left an indelible mark on the world, and on generations of North Tonawandans. Wurlitzer founder Rudolph Wurlitzer (1831-1914) was a German immigrant who (after stops in New Jersey and Philadelphia) landed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1854 at the age of 23. He worked for a bank, and down the street was a musical retail store. His father, Christian, was a successful music retailer in Germany, and Rudolph's experience told him the Ohio store's instruments were of poor quality, and priced too high. In 1856 he begins importing quality musical instruments from his family in Germany to sell at a profit in American retail stores. The business grows; Wurlitzer begins making instruments themselves for the U. S. military and for retail. The company branches out into "automatic" musical instruments, such as music boxes and player-pianos. Rudolph's three sons, Howard, Rudolph H., and Farny become involved along the way, and take on aspects of the growing family business. The youngest son, Farny, is sent to North Tonawanda to run the former <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/24">de Kleist Musical Instrument Mfg. Co.</a> shortly after it is purchased by Wurlitzer in 1908. (de Kleist was building player pianos and band organs for Wurlitzer and others since 1893). Farny brings eccentric English inventor Robert Hope-Jones to the plant in 1910, initiating the worldwide success of the "Mighty Wurlitzer" theater organ, which provides sound for the silent films of the day, and entertainment in its own right. This business evaporates when sound comes to movies, and electrical sound amplification permits musical entertainment to be furnished to venues of all types much less expensively. When the Wurlitzer company finds itself overextended in the wake of the Great Depression, Farny fights to keep the North Tonawanda facility open. In 1934 he strikes a deal with Homer Capehart to manufacture his automatic phonograph, which becomes the iconic Wurlitzer jukebox. Under his leadership the company also produces a successful line of electronic organs for home use, and the North Tonawanda plant becomes the flagship of the Wurlitzer factories, with 3,000 employees. After his death in 1972, jukebox and organ production are phased out, leaving 200 employees in 1974. By 1975, all manufacturing at the North Tonawanda plant is stopped, and by August 1976, all company activities are removed to other locations. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Wurlitzer PianOrchestra, Brill's Hotel, Philadelphia, postcard (1915).jpeg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1915 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/bd81cc69d23c144d418b31deaf156de1.jpg 33df7d2023a666ae9fd4a00ef455ee8b 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 Tonawanda Iron and Steel (Niagara River Iron Company) Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" alt="Tonawanda Iron and Steel, illustration" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/16.jpg" />Illustration: Dennis Reed Jr., 2025. For a century, a massive riverfront iron works dominates the skyline of North Tonawanda near Wheatfield Street and present-day Fisherman's Park. The furnaces cast a ruddy glow over the west, and power the birth of the village of "Ironton," later known as "The Avenues." From <a href="https://nthistory.com/items/show/2891">History of Niagara County (1878)</a>: <blockquote>The Niagara River Iron Company was formed in pursuance of the general manufacturing law, in 1872, with a paid-up capital of $400,000. The first purchase of real estate was of 165 acres from M. Bush. The buildings were erected in 1873, and manufacturing operations commenced the same year. The engine house stands in a prominent position, and by one not knowing its design might be taken for an elegant mansion or villa; the building is 68 by 74 feet, with a proportionate elevation, and finished in tasteful style. The boiler house, judiciously separated, located 45 feet by 70, contains ten ponderous boilers, four feet in diameter and sixty feet long; an octagon chimney eighty feet high rises in front. The blast furnace was constructed to run out fifty tons of pig iron per day, and is 60 by 200 feet and two stories high; a tower rising above the rounded kert contains the machinery for elevating ore and brick by steam power. The oven is 30 by 41 feet, with iron-bound exterior. The buildings named are massive and substantial brick erections, upon stone foundations. The stock house is a frame building, 72 by 500 feet and two stories high. The dock fronting on the river is 500 feet in length, reaching ten feet depth of water. Located upon the dock is an engine for raising freight from the vessels. Two branch tracks of the Central railroad pass over the docks and into the stock house, to deposit and remove material. The buildings cover an area of four acres. The trustees are P. P. Pratt, president; Josiah Jewett, vice-president; S. S. Jewett, H. H. Glenny, George B. Hays, F. L. Danforth and B. F. Felton. During the present general depression in business the works are not operated; but as they are controlled by men of permanent wealth, willing to use it and able to hold their own until the day dawns upon brighter prospects, the advantages of this great concern will yet be felt by the community that has clustered about it in anticipation. The premises and machinery are kept in the most perfect order and neatness under the care of Alexander Reid.</blockquote> Pascal P. Pratt, a "hardware man" from Buffalo, is president and principal stockholder.  <blockquote>Mr. [Pascal P.] Pratt also helped to organize the Niagara River Iron Company in 1872. That company operated a blast furnace in North Tonawanda capable of turning out fifty tons of pig iron daily. Pascal Pratt was President of the firm, and among the other principals was S. S. Jewett. This company was later succeeded by the Tonawanda Iron and Steel Company, with William A. Rogers as President.</blockquote> <blockquote>- <a href="https://www.olmstedinbuffalo.com/pascal-p-pratt/#:~:text=city%20of%20Buffalo.-,Mr.,and%20the%20Bank%20of%20Attica.">Olmsted in Buffalo</a></blockquote> By 1875, in the midst of a general depression in the iron industry, the works are stopped, and lie dormant for years, possibly the next 14. In January 1889 it is reported that the Baird Bros. of Ohio will buy the plant and resume operations. It will require about $50K. 30 workers are expected in March. Ore begins arriving in great quantities in June, and on August 28 the furnace roars again. 100 men work the facility, day and night. The production of 100 tons of iron and steel a day is planned. <a href="https://archive.org/details/historyofcityofb00buff">Seemingly owned</a> at one point by "Rogers, Brown and Company, one of the largest iron companies in the country." 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. Frank Burkett Baird (b.1852 d.11/15/1939) organizes the Tonawanda Iron & Steel Co, in 1899. (Baird's singular accomplishment is as "Father of the Peace Bridge" - <a href="https://buffaloah.com/h/panam/forestL.html">Buffalo Architecture & History</a>). The new venture is a success, and expanding. President Rogers. New "monster" engine in June 1896. President McKinley fires up its mighty Furnace B with great ceremony and the flip of a switch from his home in Ohio in November 1896.  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. Gilmore. By 2017, the site has been cleared and converted into a small medical park and Fisherman's Park. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "Tonawanda Iron Corp., Is One of Largest Manufacturers of Pig Iron." Tonawanda News, 1929 (in this collection). Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Tonawanda Iron and Steel, postcard (c1915).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1915 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/829ad5a6d146fb2a5aa4c63243b3dc9c.jpg 58d991e7765d3962f7b7e5e92b8c5011 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 Erie Railroad Bridge over canal at Vandervoort Description An account of the resource The Erie Bridge at Vandervoort carried Erie Railroad trains, electric streetcars--and apparently courageous pedestrians across the Tonawanda Creek and Erie Canal. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Erie Bridge, Tonawanda, postcard (1916).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1916 Description An account of the resource This bridge no longer exists; it carried the former Erie RR across Tonawanda Creek at the foot of Vandervoort Street. Heading northwest, the railroad line continued to just east of the present-day Railroad Museum, along East Oliver Street, and across Oliver Street. bridge railroad https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/0d7bfa94b3878789af7775b779c1d7e4.jpg 8e1be513dc6b63e874fde14a56cb2bc4 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/1c89c9a4ed5020c9932eda17777e64bc.jpg 61e35477148f972d7f973e64442ea3b4 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 North Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/10.jpg" alt="North Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works, colorized by the webmaster." /> North Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works factory at 435 Payne Avenue, c1913; photo colorized by the webmaster. <div>(1906-1919) The North Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works produces military band organs, player pianos, organs for (still silent) "moving picture" theaters and more. The factory is the third automatic musical instrument manufacturer in the city, starting about a year after the <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/75">Niagara Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company</a>. Like Niagara, NTMIW is partially comprised of men who have worked with <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/24">de Kleist's Musical Instrument Works</a> (president John Birnie had been secretary-treasurer for de Kleist). According to an article in this set, NTMIW originally operates out of "the Williams plant on the Ellicott Creek." They incorporate in 1906, and in the second half of 1907 build a substantial four-story factory. In 1911 that factory is tripled (articles suggest the work is not completed until early 1912). Although larger than Niagara, NTMIW will always be a distant second behind de Kleist and Wurlitzer. In 1918, NTMIW is acquired by the Rand Visible Records Company. Rand continues the musical manufacturing business, and the former NTMIW leadership at first sticks around. Rand's press officers kick into high gear, founding a monthly internal company magazine, <a href="http://nthistory.com/items/show/1192">All of Us</a>, apparently aimed at easing the culture change. In spite of this gesture, NTMIW founding officer Stillman C. Woodruff and others leave Rand--and the bones of their former company--around 1920 to try their hand at the band organ game one last time with their <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/22">Artizan Factories Inc.</a> venture in 1922.</div> Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 North Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works, postcard (1916).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1916 factory https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/6a3b4c22fdf84a1ff4c5df02cfafa323.jpg 675e61abc9509dbb0a79a4f55ed5527d 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 Firefighting in the Tonawandas Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="https://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/80.jpg" alt="Gratwick Hose No.6, Felton Street, c.1929" />Gratwick Hose No.6, Felton Street, c.1929 <blockquote>The greatest enemy the lumbermen had was fire. Annually it destroyed millions of dollars of lumber and cost many lives. A step forward came on May 7, 1876, when twenty of the most prominent residents of the Village of North Tonawanda gathered together in the school house at the corner of Main and Tremont Streets and formed themselves into a Company for the protection of property against the ravages of fire.  The newly formed Company petitioned the Village Board and in special session on May 15, 1876, the board approved and appointed them firemen of the Village and their company was called the North Tonawanda Bucket Company, later to be called the Columbia Hook and Ladder Company No. 1. North Tonawanda depended heavily on Volunteer Firemen and quickly grew to seven companies located at important places around the city.</blockquote> - Sarah E. Walter's thesis (nthistorymuseum.org). Allan Herschell "helped to organize the first fire company of North Tonawanda" (Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Niagara County, New York, p.361). <table border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" align="center"> <tbody> <tr> <td>Started</td> <td>Name</td> <td>Notes</td> </tr> <tr> <td>May 7, 1876</td> <td>North Tonawanda Bucket Company / Columbia Hook and Ladder Company No.1</td> <td>Thompson in 1893 directory</td> </tr> <tr> <td>March 1, 1886</td> <td>Active Hose Company No.2</td> <td>"Ironton Boys", Robinson south of Marion in 1893</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1886-1909</td> <td>Hydrant Hose Company No.3</td> <td>Sweeney and Main at bridge</td> </tr> <tr> <td>April 1887</td> <td>Live Active Hose Co. No.4</td> <td> Thompson St (1893), now Goundry and Vandervoort</td> </tr> <tr> <td>January 26, 1891</td> <td>Rescue Fire Company No.5</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>1886?</td> <td><a href="https://yellow.place/en/gratwick-hose-fire-company-6-north-tonawanda-usa">Gratwick Hose Company No.6</a></td> <td>Felton until 1962.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1894</td> <td>Sweeney Hose No.7</td> <td> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> Of Hydrant Hose Co. No. 3, it was said somewhere: <blockquote>The fighting crew of the old Hydrant Hose Company liked to fight fires so much, they would first fight the men of any other fire company who raced to a North Tonawanda fire to see who got the pleasure of conquering the flames. Often the flames ended up as the victor as the firefighters spent their energies in a brawl rather than on the element of nature.</blockquote> According to Harry Dorn in an article in this set, <blockquote>The Tonawanda Fire Dept. was organized in the early 1860s when the Village of Tonawanda had a population of 2,000...One of the frst companies was the Shepard Hose Company which after several years was known as the DeGraff Hose, Hydrant Hose Company and thewn on Aug 25, 1898 became National Hose No.1 [Ed. Hydrant Hose appears in newspaper record until at least early 1900s].</blockquote> Columbia Hook & Ladder in The Tonawanda News, May 9, 1896: <blockquote>Monday, June 15, has been selected as the date of the Firemen's Annual Parade. It is expected that it will prove of more than ordinary interest as unusual efforts will be put forth this year to make it an enjoyable spectacular affair. In this connection it is interesting to note that Thursday of this week was the twentieth anniversary of the founding of the first fire company In North Tonawanda. Previous to this date North Tonawanda had paid Tonawanda $300 a year for the fire protection that the Tonawanda companies afforded. The parent company of North Tonawanda was the Columbia Hook and Ladder Company; it is still in existence, but is now one of eight splendid companies of which North Tonawanda can boast. As before stated it was organized May 7, 1876, and its first president was Frank Fellows. It was organized under a famous old hickory tree which stood on the ground now occupied by the parsonage of the First Methodist Church. Nicholas Beckrich was the first foreman of this company and other members of this crack organization were John E. Oelkers, Frank Batt, H. U. Berger, M. J. Wattengel, W. P. Hayes, Jno. Spillman, Aug. Duckwitz, Fred Schultz, Isaac Gardei, Geo. Miller, John Haas, Julius Miller and others. A number of these early firemen are numbered among the most prominent residents of North Tonawanda but it is with considerable pleasure that they recall the days of their early triumphs.</blockquote> Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Columbia Hook and Ladder, The Homeyer, postcard (c1916).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1916 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/240e4991804d6364c9a1726620bbc2e5.jpg 7cf83cee10533edbeb2c974b17faf06e https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/bf75fc6c84a02e50bc159275c0bac5b0.jpg 98a2b9bcaa93b86ab51430b9b5f0e8ec https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/948f43ae4011b2c14a7e5805ca92ca39.jpg 2276e1fd39db6509fed0e3f4a890148f https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/8914399188000eb8259768da2bd30276.jpg da759ee11999079ec885266d362a4d20 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/1c1602d80a52fd9a33975aa4522c6c6d.jpg dbdc62134f5a39cc37d8ed4979dac301 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 Downtown Description An account of the resource Most of North Tonawanda's downtown area developed between 1875 and 1900. In this collection are preserved views of many vanished buildings: The YMCA and City Hall at the southeast corner of Tremont and Main; the 6-story 1891 Smith building (Real Estate Exchange) at the northeast corner of Tremont and Webster, the gothic stone State National Bank at the northwest corner of Sweeney and Webster, and Scanlon's Hall on the southwest corner of the same intersection, to name a few. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Webster Street, facing south, postcard and details (1917).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1917 Description An account of the resource Most Webster Street postcards face north, but this one faces south into Tonawanda. On the left can be seen train tracks. On the right, across the bridge, is the State National Bank. On the north side, Scanlon's Hall, then the First National Bank. Kent Hall, Janke Drugs, I.O.O.F. 563 and an ice cream shop are also pictured. collection downtown postcard https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/4ef1bcb6ddab66e3a8fb20c1316d1dd7.jpg 8e9676e0a4aba001c63e93f1342350f1 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/e26e5e334536bfadd734172f711fd395.jpeg 34bc7373d0d51e7536b46932a6048600 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 Post Office Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Post Office, North Tonawanda, postcard (1917).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1917 building https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/077ed78d5401bc31c9c94d6da8c0dba5.jpg bce455c43ffee92231746c5941d86d4d https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/d57901746762f314892e30871ccbc83a.jpeg 6bb150d609f845a15e40bac57cad264d https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/a6720193d37587ebaa0a999e1371b664.jpeg d89e9875145e5f9940200bf3215f311d 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 DeGraff Memorial Hospital Description An account of the resource <ul> <li>In 1913 business leaders in the Tonawandas including LeGrand S. DeGraff and NT Mayor Dr. John A. Rafter developed a plan to create a badly needed hospital. DeGraff funded the endeavor with a "very substantial contribution."</li> <li>Architect W. O. Johnstone donated his work for the hospital. Ground was broken in April 14; dedication ceremonies took place May 30, 1914.</li> <li>In 1930 an addition for a Nurses Home and Maternity Ward was made possible by a legacy grant from James S. Thompson. Another expansion was started in 1942 and completed in 1944.</li> <li>In 1947, changes from a public institution to a non-profit, membership corporation.</li> <li>March 14, 1953 a new addition and Maternity Wing are opened.</li> <li>"June, 1964, marked the opening of the first phase of the New DeGraff Memorial Hospital." (Centennial article in this collection)</li> <li>"Later in 1965, Phase II of the new hospital building program will be finished bringing its capacity to 190 beds. Then the renovation of the new wings in the old hospital will be started, however, this is but one step in coping with the evolving needs of our community." (Ibid)</li> </ul> Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 DeGraff Memorial Hospital, postcard (1917).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1917 hospital https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/d9a44895225d0413f9ceb75f8872a39f.jpg 41d0060e0ee5387046c03b6b5d5236e7 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/5db26e71a32ca91e3be29762b31ebf84.jpg 15eb48f180330f7a48ac2052871f03c1 Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Biplane at Curtiss Aerodrome, Tonawanda, postcard (1917-08-20).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1917-08-20 airplane tonawanda https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/c67226185683472d49d22d4b9bd06464.jpg 4e55072795f3e8412b3905ebabbc73fa https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/786fef48551865520db8562f23da8b43.jpg 662d39345266507ffe9270e01fbabcee Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Postcard from Addie, front (1917-09-20).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1917-09-20 house https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/f3da631b06628c36ce619c7f5ebbb4a0.jpeg 267402b364d5eef4ef3dd0d9c6295e5e 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 Post Office Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Post Office, postcard (1918).JPG Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1918 building civic https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/4d211c5806c63dfa7e69252f6a2089d9.jpg 122e61a07f4b6fd08ac9aeb754de49a3 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/418c829d19e4e49c15ff073f5dab40d3.jpg e790353377ee85acf69703a17bbe8e8b 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 Auto-Wheel Coaster, Buffalo Sled Company (Schenck St.) Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="https://nthistory.com/custom/cover/14d.jpg" style="border: 0px;" alt="The Buffalo Sled company building at Schenck and Marion, c.1917" />The Buffalo Sled company building at Schenck and Marion, as depicted in a 1917 catalog. It burns in a disastrous 1972 fire. The Buffalo Sled Co. starts business in 1899, apparently in Buffalo,  and organizes around 1905. It is led by John J. Schneider and Henry J. Tiedt. In 1909, the firm purchases the the Orient Novelty Company* of North Tonawanda, and moves into their large, 3-story factory (pictured above). The Buffalo Sled Company originally makes sleds and shovels. They add coasters (wagons) in 1912. Soon they are enjoying national success, advertising aggressively in several publications, and marketing their boys' toys ingenuously with clubs and giveaways. In July of 1920 they file paperwork to change their name to the "Auto-Wheel Coaster Company." At times they also have operations in Buffalo, on Ellicott Creek in the old A. B. Williams plant, and in Preston, Ontario.  From the Internet's <a href="http://www.harryrinker.com/col-1117.html">Harry Rinker</a>: <blockquote>A fire on April 16, 1920, destroyed the wheel department and storehouses. According to the 1921 City Directory, the company rebuilt and assumed a new name, Auto-Wheel Coaster Company.</blockquote> Auto Wheel files for bankruptcy in July 1964, but is bought by area men to resume production. This did not seem to be successful, as the plant was is in the process of being converted to a palette factory when it is completely destroyed in a spectacular fire on Memorial Day (May 29), 1972, taking at least seven nearby homes with it. * Orient when relocated here from Dayton, OH in 1903. They manufactured novelties, were led by D.W. Hyman, and had a modest subscription for electric power from Niagara Falls. In 1905 locals complain about the nuisance of smoke from the works. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Buffalo Sled C., Gliderole, postcard (c1918).jpg Description An account of the resource Buffalo's Delaware Park Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1918 sled https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/89a941c73270584b144b2d323bf878fe.jpg 3e401a56a5df3dc56d56f427f0c48d42 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/4948f1d1b829cee0b468cb6b173f1653.jpg 527425b7988766735d04b65c6035757a 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 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. A lock was also built to permit passage between the Niagara River (and Great Lakes) and the canal. Early documents also mention a guard lock just east of the lock. After the Civil War, the depth of the entire canal was increased to accomodate larger boats. Starting around 1909 work was done on our section of the canal as part of Contract 19 to improve the prism, or bottom shape (see <a href="https://nthistory.com/collections/show/152">photos of Contract 19</a>) In 1918 the 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. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Derrick boat to remove Tonawanda dam, postcard (1918-01).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1918-01 bridge https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/b118aa3c277078e58455b56b02bbb8cf.jpg 8ceadc5e02e71227127507f4f94aa194 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/f2052b4426ed378ec7cf11ea39f95295.jpeg 7149b2bfda60f49f1e9e8565d09c4e48 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/beefdfa23e19379d2f818e6b2b23bb29.jpeg 3cca6b04ec8640e25364bb4adac29e7f https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/2a3c47977a86942a34d1d13758183d69.jpeg 40419a240c2eebd017c487cfe590ae2f 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 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" />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>. 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. 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. 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. As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 The Lumber District, postcard (1919).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1919 Description An account of the resource A view from the southern portion of a lumber-bedecked Tonawanda Island across the "Little (Niagara) River" onto a lumber-bedecked North Tonawanda. boat bridge collection lumber river swingbridge tonawandaisland https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/3d193d1c7434f1b858a53059513b160b.jpg a33104f113d7f58ebf476c8ed7054208 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/4ec9eda4c78538a65ea76c9d5fa55d7f.jpg 60f13543aec8b897f3c32ce617fe3a4a 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 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" />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>. 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. 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. 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. As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Lumber Laden Vessel, North Tonawanda, postcard (1919).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1919 lumber postcard ship https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/25932fb9cc302fad2b59fbc92450cfc8.jpg a33104f113d7f58ebf476c8ed7054208 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/4e491dbcdfbec17e1b45bd32017f138e.jpg 60f13543aec8b897f3c32ce617fe3a4a 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 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" />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>. 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. 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. 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. As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Lumber Laden Vessel, North Tonawanda, postcard (1919).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1919 canal lumber https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/2462b162ffa13df0465ebeeaf233965e.jpg 03117b06f0076c850d3a6cba5734c6df https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/9888626f419b756580c0fb06b1da958f.jpg a438fa3658e43001a7c19a69473923ef 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 Post Office Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Post Office, North Tonawanda, postcard (1919-10).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1919-10 building https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/61da8faf0bb0dacdcefeb0b9e47d182a.jpg 5261580279932e3f679e08986fe98e31 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/44f3c8530323e232b9f9401fd34b3ccf.jpg ce2559af0c2359576cbcecbbc41bf32e 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 Auto-Wheel Coaster, Buffalo Sled Company (Schenck St.) Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="https://nthistory.com/custom/cover/14d.jpg" style="border: 0px;" alt="The Buffalo Sled company building at Schenck and Marion, c.1917" />The Buffalo Sled company building at Schenck and Marion, as depicted in a 1917 catalog. It burns in a disastrous 1972 fire. The Buffalo Sled Co. starts business in 1899, apparently in Buffalo,  and organizes around 1905. It is led by John J. Schneider and Henry J. Tiedt. In 1909, the firm purchases the the Orient Novelty Company* of North Tonawanda, and moves into their large, 3-story factory (pictured above). The Buffalo Sled Company originally makes sleds and shovels. They add coasters (wagons) in 1912. Soon they are enjoying national success, advertising aggressively in several publications, and marketing their boys' toys ingenuously with clubs and giveaways. In July of 1920 they file paperwork to change their name to the "Auto-Wheel Coaster Company." At times they also have operations in Buffalo, on Ellicott Creek in the old A. B. Williams plant, and in Preston, Ontario.  From the Internet's <a href="http://www.harryrinker.com/col-1117.html">Harry Rinker</a>: <blockquote>A fire on April 16, 1920, destroyed the wheel department and storehouses. According to the 1921 City Directory, the company rebuilt and assumed a new name, Auto-Wheel Coaster Company.</blockquote> Auto Wheel files for bankruptcy in July 1964, but is bought by area men to resume production. This did not seem to be successful, as the plant was is in the process of being converted to a palette factory when it is completely destroyed in a spectacular fire on Memorial Day (May 29), 1972, taking at least seven nearby homes with it. * Orient when relocated here from Dayton, OH in 1903. They manufactured novelties, were led by D.W. Hyman, and had a modest subscription for electric power from Niagara Falls. In 1905 locals complain about the nuisance of smoke from the works. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Niagara Scooter, Auto Wheel, Fleetwing, postcard (Buffalo Sled Co., 1919-10-14).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1919-10-14 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/513a1ba7549ae31cf97f5e69debd2ca5.jpg e79c5e6400e58c85963c7923a108a1a9 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 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 president of North Tonawanda's Board of Education for 30 years. The first day of classes was Tuesday, 9/6/1904. The building 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 (from which was quarried the gravel that led to the infamous dispute that split the Tonawandas, and which was a N.Y. Central train yard and later in 1919 the site of NT's first public playground) "Felton Field." Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Felton High School, postcard (c1920).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1920 school https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/8671f7d4084bdeb0fd41c622f8717431.jpg a018952258c1aefcc0b88a55873a25de https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/d8ccde01ca401b6db4fd43a1d9857209.jpg e218428ab20b2080d7909c1a1191b524 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 Martinsville Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/56.jpg" alt="Postcard view looking north up Old Falld Blvd" />Old Falls Boulevard, looking north from Lockport Ave. to Niagara Falls Blvd. Postcard detail, c.1900. The northeast part of North Tonawanda known as "Martinsville" is named after the father of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther. It is settled by German Lutheran farmers, beginning around 1843. They settled in narrow farms along the west bank of Tonawanda Creek. As the area developed, a "downtown" emerged along William Street, present-day Old Falls Blvd, near Lockport Rd. (pictured above). The village boasted its own post office, stores and places of entertainment.  Most of Martinsville was incorporated into the then-booming City of North Tonawanda in 1897. The sections of Martinsville east of present-day Old Falls and Niagara Falls boulevards are considered part of Wheatfield. The real estate transaction that brought many of the settlers to the area, its early growth, and the contentious religious devotion of its people are described in <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/606">History of Niagara County 1821-1878</a>: <blockquote>In 1843 Carl Sack, Erdman Wurl and Fred Grosskopf purchased of William Vandervoote 400 acres, at $15 per acre, on the Tonawanda creek, in the southeast corner of the town, four miles east of Tonawanda village, in what is now known as the village of Martinsville. Lutheran religious antecedents caused the adoption of this name by the disciples of Martin Luther. The original purchase was divided into small lots of three acres and up- ward, as others were able to purchase, to provide for the location of thirty families the first season. They erected ten log houses in the autumn, each of which was occupied by three or four families during the winter and until joint efforts relieved the immigrants by building others. The families remained in Buffalo until the first houses were built, obtaining the best accommodations they could find. Forbidding as the prospect in the beginning must have been, it has been changed to the appearance of prosperity. The church organization is the controlling element in the government of the community, now consisting of one hundred families, connected with the two now existing, the result of divided feeling, but not an abandonment of the Lutheran faith.</blockquote> Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Consolidated Silver Fox Corp'n Ranch, Martinsville, postcard (c1920).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1920 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/4173cdb2697cc54db4c043808eafe54f.jpg e2d5167dc81c37ae5937a77546f5e653 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 Pine Woods Park Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/86.jpg" alt="Postcard, c. 1920" /> "Sweeney Park Entrance." Postcard, c. 1920 The largest park in North Tonawanda is also the oldest. Originally named "Sweeney Park," it is comprised of 33 acres of picnic space and virtually untouched forest in the heart of the city. In 1912, wild areas of North Tonawanda are disappearing fast as land is converted to residential or industrial use. Citizens realize if they don’t put aside land for a public park of some scale, it may soon be too late. Sweeney Park, although privately owned, is already being used by the public for picnics and gatherings, and so seems a natural choice. But other sites are under consideration. One is Payne Hill, bounded by Payne, Wheatfield, and the railroad. It has been a popular sledding site since time immemorial, but its owners are rumored to be planning to sell lots privately. Another often-suggested site is along Tonawanda Creek. Skeptics point out that the canal's importance to commerce and industry makes the environs unsuitable for a park. In 1915, rumors swirl that a certain unnamed “syndicate” has plans to carve Sweeney Park up into residential lots. The Tonawanda News warns that if the city does not act fast, “Sweeney Park as a breathing spot would soon be a thing of the past.” Finally a plan is put forward to preserve the park for its citizens: the taxpayers will have to subscribe to $85,000 in bonds, to be repaid over seventeen years. A special vote will be held at the City Market on Robinson on July 26, 1917. The Tonawanda News predicts a landslide 4-1 victory for the park plan. The proposed park's location in the center of the city, away from more established neighborhoods, does not seem to be a problem for voters. Gratwick merchant J. C. Kinzly states, "The people of Gratwick have never stood in the way of the progress of the City of North Tonawanda simply because that improvement was not to take place in Gratwick." Martinsville is on board. The Women's Civic Club enjoins Brontëesquely—and presciently: <blockquote>From lumber men and college students come the same expression, that it would be a crime to allow those trees to be cut down in order to make room for buildings. The call of the wild in each of us makes any reasonable price seem small which is necessary for the preservation of this tract of woodland.</blockquote> The plan passes the special vote by a 2-1 margin, and thus is secured our "breathing spot," and our inalienable access to Frisbee golf. The Women’s Civic Club changes the name to ‘Pine Woods Park’ in October 1939. See <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2172">Reconnaissance Level Survey of Historic Resources of City of North Tonawanda pp 23-27</a> for more. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Sweeney Park Entrance, postcard (c1920).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1920 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/0b0be16313a9f4533990ff79789cad46.jpg 696a64cccba51094f8641a5e71e2ca60 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 Our Lady of Czestochowa Church, 57 Center Avenue Description An account of the resource From <a href="https://nt-olc.org/history/">their website</a>: <blockquote>Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish was established on May 1, 1901. Father Peter Lotocha was named Pastor and the first Mass was celebrated on May 3, 1903. The first church building was formerly a Presbyterian Church located on the site of the Grotto. This building was used as the church until the opening of the new school building on October 13, 1920. With the completion of the school, the former church building was used as the parish hall and the school basement (now our parish hall) was used for the church for 8 years. The current church building was opened on December 9, 1928. The former church building was raffled off in 1927 to help raise funds for the construction. Since its construction, the church has had many enhancements. Some of these include: <ul> <li>In 1947, stained glass, designed by Joseph Mazur, was added to the nave of the church.</li> <li>The mural of The Coronation of the Blessed Mother was added in the early 1950’s in time for the 50th anniversary of the parish in 1953.</li> <li>In 1966 the Grotto garden was added and dedicated to Our Lady of Czestochowa.</li> <li>A new altar, a replica of the original one on the back altar, was dedicated in 1982.</li> <li>The Shrine to Our Lady of Czestochowa was added in 1983.</li> </ul> From <a href="https://poloniatrail.com/location/lady-czestochowa-roman-catholic-church/">Polonia Trail.</a></blockquote> Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Our Lady of Czestochowa, postcard (c1920).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1920 church ironton oliver https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/5bf8b1d3f78a06d88f11fdd7fa2f0f0d.jpg 1d001d7720e81f797eb21c4834bca67a Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 25th Seperate Co Armory, Tonawanda, postcard (c1920).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1920 tonawanda https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/7d2234dfb9156f707ce8fc1f17d4bd7e.jpg 0ad0ee4339e7040c72784fda20216335 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/f32475e9bbe7dcb083e3ee45088471cf.jpg 3603f2945ce455183c5557d909014dac 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 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. A lock was also built to permit passage between the Niagara River (and Great Lakes) and the canal. Early documents also mention a guard lock just east of the lock. After the Civil War, the depth of the entire canal was increased to accomodate larger boats. Starting around 1909 work was done on our section of the canal as part of Contract 19 to improve the prism, or bottom shape (see <a href="https://nthistory.com/collections/show/152">photos of Contract 19</a>) In 1918 the 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. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Bridge over Erie Barge Canal dividing Tonawandas, postcard (c1920).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1920 bridge canal https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/f948f8df818b6e108e9a303f334c070d.jpg 55f9dc116adb434c85eaa33a526fe9f7 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/7276c2dfc64ff9aedc47258642acc3e3.jpg 4366646cbf6e3b23f21855e3c43e2337 Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 View on Ellicott Creek, Tonawanda, postcard (c1920).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1920 Ellicott https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/f29f6ca0c842d6f2c85a81c8d63fde60.jpg 7a435998999d85a42794df5598f14fc1 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/ba7d29a8df3a1d80debc7cb3357b0b76.jpg 20d3f607f9d1f26e2dd7957d67c9b4c1 Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Jack Ayrault, postcard (c1920).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1920 Description An account of the resource A Jack Ayrault lived in Tonawanda and went to Lehigh in Pennsylvania; this is not necessarily a Lumbermen player (as was advertised on eBay) person sports https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/875c7bb5740cc5fdea886e1b4170e669.jpg b8c5736357e9a868c3154acc664c5849 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/bad812dfca0615249b9f29cb553199bb.jpeg d96de0ddfe16d24aa19bff87ead93b76 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 Niagara Silk Mills Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" alt="Niagara Silk Mills postcard" src="http://nthistory.com/custom/cover/44.jpg" /> Postcard c. 1913. According to a c.1913 news article, "The Niagara Silk Mills began business in an old wooden building on Sweeney street [around 1898] with thirty operatives." By 1913 the concern dominates Sweeney Street, standing where the old Vandervoort "mansion" on Sweeney was, and where Gateway Center is today. The Niagara Silk Mills (Van Raalte Silk Mills after 1917) produces ladies' undergarments, gloves, and similar fineries. They marketed their materials with the iconography of Niagara Falls (reminiscent of the Pan Am Exposition imagery), and with appearances by silent film sirens. By 1937 there are locations in Saratoga Springs, Dunkirk, Paterson and Boonton, N.J. Closed in 1963, the building along Sweeney was converted into the Downtowner Hotel in 1964 and later became the Packet Inn / Woodshed. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Niagara Silk Mills - Solk Gloves, postcard (c1920).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1920 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/f28e84fc8dd0b43b7a2f9945af0589de.jpg 708c2af6c5135d770cf5c73ddcdad1c3 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/180469cb5ab5cb895097e22325451cb1.jpg 4d9d2e47f453d46cf9ba036764ed56f9 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/57d5ca4ce9a4d35b698301840cb1ec9f.jpg 786a4cd5793841f98102fd3033252be2 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 Creo-Dipt, Weatherbest Stained Shingles Description An account of the resource AI: By the 1920s, North Tonawanda is a minor empire of stained shingles, dominated by two closely linked firms: Creo-Dipt and Weatherbest. Creo-Dipt begins in 1908 as the Standard Stained Shingle Company in Rochester, developing “creo-dipped” shingles whose creosote treatment is meant to lock color into the wood; the company later relocates its headquarters to North Tonawanda and adopts the Creo-Dipt name. ([mycompanies.fandom.com][1]) From a modest start it builds a national business in chemically treated shingles and stains, heavily advertised in trade journals and glossy catalogs and shipped from multiple plants, including major works in North Tonawanda and Seattle. ([mycompanies.fandom.com][1]) Weatherbest grows out of a stained-shingle concern organized in 1913 (initially called the Transfer Stained Shingle Company), later headquartered on Main Street in North Tonawanda; by the mid-1920s it is marketing red-cedar “Weatherbest” shingles and plan books that promise to turn “old houses into charming homes,” positioning stained shingles as both modern siding and a cheap way to remodel tired frame houses. ([mycompanies.fandom.com][2]) Through the 1920s both companies bombard architects, builders and homeowners with catalogs and national advertising; Creo-Dipt leads the field, with Weatherbest usually ranked a close second in sales. ([mycompanies.fandom.com][1]) In 1937 the two lines are formally pulled together: Creo-Dipt absorbs Weatherbest’s shingle and stain business, Weatherbest continues as a division, and the combined concern carries on selling Western red-cedar stained shingles and related finishes across the United States for several more decades. ([mycompanies.fandom.com][1]) [1]: https://mycompanies.fandom.com/wiki/Creo-Dipt_Company "Creo-Dipt Company | MyCompanies Wiki | Fandom" [2]: https://mycompanies.fandom.com/wiki/Weatherbest_Stained_Shingle_Company "Weatherbest Stained Shingle Company | MyCompanies Wiki | Fandom" In November 1929 Weatherbest Island Street facility nearly wiped out by a disastrous blaze that does an estimated $250,000 in damage and destroys 100 carloads of shingles. Creo-Dipt used creosote to hold the color within the shingle. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 City Service Station, Tydol, Weatherbest Shingles, pamphlet (c.1920).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1920 automobile gratwick https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/ce5cbe1f2b8be7550036bffae929dd2f.jpeg e10c7989f25049289755f49a0f29e283 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/399746074c9c1834ef55d86aa87e5429.png e4d2a64274495ec4448c303d260523a9 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 Niagara Silk Mills Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" alt="Niagara Silk Mills postcard" src="http://nthistory.com/custom/cover/44.jpg" /> Postcard c. 1913. According to a c.1913 news article, "The Niagara Silk Mills began business in an old wooden building on Sweeney street [around 1898] with thirty operatives." By 1913 the concern dominates Sweeney Street, standing where the old Vandervoort "mansion" on Sweeney was, and where Gateway Center is today. The Niagara Silk Mills (Van Raalte Silk Mills after 1917) produces ladies' undergarments, gloves, and similar fineries. They marketed their materials with the iconography of Niagara Falls (reminiscent of the Pan Am Exposition imagery), and with appearances by silent film sirens. By 1937 there are locations in Saratoga Springs, Dunkirk, Paterson and Boonton, N.J. Closed in 1963, the building along Sweeney was converted into the Downtowner Hotel in 1964 and later became the Packet Inn / Woodshed. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Niagara Silk Maid, postcard (c.1920).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1920 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/47fa6158e41c90d6f5f9066bfd4cb012.png 9b4d586d14c3c6bddf4def440e8b605d 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 Niagara Silk Mills Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" alt="Niagara Silk Mills postcard" src="http://nthistory.com/custom/cover/44.jpg" /> Postcard c. 1913. According to a c.1913 news article, "The Niagara Silk Mills began business in an old wooden building on Sweeney street [around 1898] with thirty operatives." By 1913 the concern dominates Sweeney Street, standing where the old Vandervoort "mansion" on Sweeney was, and where Gateway Center is today. The Niagara Silk Mills (Van Raalte Silk Mills after 1917) produces ladies' undergarments, gloves, and similar fineries. They marketed their materials with the iconography of Niagara Falls (reminiscent of the Pan Am Exposition imagery), and with appearances by silent film sirens. By 1937 there are locations in Saratoga Springs, Dunkirk, Paterson and Boonton, N.J. Closed in 1963, the building along Sweeney was converted into the Downtowner Hotel in 1964 and later became the Packet Inn / Woodshed. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Niagara Silk Mills Glove Guarantee Card (c.1920).png Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1920 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/7b4f89143a9b7201afd858b3573be058.jpg 8dadc5a21c59b729e1dd9247e6a82451 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/4c3202fc6b343e50afff91d5de70d6eb.jpg 144fd485a4187930af77a4c799ff24b3 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 B. P. O. Elks Lodge 860 (Sweeney and Main) Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="https://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/77.jpg" alt="BPOE building" /> The Elks Club home c1920–2011; northeast corner of Main and Sweeney.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/">Twin Cities Lodge # 860 formerly known as North Tonawanda Lodge</a>. 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> Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Proposed Home Of BPO Elks No 860, postcard (1921).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1921 building downtown https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/4bafd6ce48bf93604fcaf3b16bb9084a.jpg 8734b8b9e517c9183f7f76512ede4e7f 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 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" />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>. 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. 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. 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. As the forests of the midwest were depleted and shipping routes and technology changed, the lumber heyday of the Tonawandas receded into the past. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Along the Docks of the Lumber District, postcard (1921-08).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1921-08 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/5aaa9d3815bbb06d32ce686b6eb458c7.jpg d127a45d21b4bbf00e61ad4ce44e4439 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 Niagara Radiator Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Niagara Radiator Boiler Company, illustration of grounds (1924).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1924 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/3106c049dad70e030b8eeb81b7a9c000.jpg b7898a07235b3c01795db45613e9a3d2 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 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 president of North Tonawanda's Board of Education for 30 years. The first day of classes was Tuesday, 9/6/1904. The building 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 (from which was quarried the gravel that led to the infamous dispute that split the Tonawandas, and which was a N.Y. Central train yard and later in 1919 the site of NT's first public playground) "Felton Field." Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Felton High School, North Tonawanda, postcard (1924).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1924 school https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/c8f26a5b9896b48af39ace55f82603fd.jpeg 3c97301f25ea68f2152a065ddbc639ee https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/76af20212e0ad3ff50a1353e6434b0a6.jpeg f62fa5928f03b828dd24722d43163b57 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 Carnegie Arts Center Description An account of the resource Formerly the public library. Built in 1903 from a Carnegie endowment. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Public Library, postcard (1924).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1924 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource 1455 px wide library https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/5ba5ff5b9152c7941b95cdb7def91120.jpg e7c62aee6cdd44f4646f9cc676ac1c1f 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 Martinsville Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/56.jpg" alt="Postcard view looking north up Old Falld Blvd" />Old Falls Boulevard, looking north from Lockport Ave. to Niagara Falls Blvd. Postcard detail, c.1900. The northeast part of North Tonawanda known as "Martinsville" is named after the father of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther. It is settled by German Lutheran farmers, beginning around 1843. They settled in narrow farms along the west bank of Tonawanda Creek. As the area developed, a "downtown" emerged along William Street, present-day Old Falls Blvd, near Lockport Rd. (pictured above). The village boasted its own post office, stores and places of entertainment.  Most of Martinsville was incorporated into the then-booming City of North Tonawanda in 1897. The sections of Martinsville east of present-day Old Falls and Niagara Falls boulevards are considered part of Wheatfield. The real estate transaction that brought many of the settlers to the area, its early growth, and the contentious religious devotion of its people are described in <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/606">History of Niagara County 1821-1878</a>: <blockquote>In 1843 Carl Sack, Erdman Wurl and Fred Grosskopf purchased of William Vandervoote 400 acres, at $15 per acre, on the Tonawanda creek, in the southeast corner of the town, four miles east of Tonawanda village, in what is now known as the village of Martinsville. Lutheran religious antecedents caused the adoption of this name by the disciples of Martin Luther. The original purchase was divided into small lots of three acres and up- ward, as others were able to purchase, to provide for the location of thirty families the first season. They erected ten log houses in the autumn, each of which was occupied by three or four families during the winter and until joint efforts relieved the immigrants by building others. The families remained in Buffalo until the first houses were built, obtaining the best accommodations they could find. Forbidding as the prospect in the beginning must have been, it has been changed to the appearance of prosperity. The church organization is the controlling element in the government of the community, now consisting of one hundred families, connected with the two now existing, the result of divided feeling, but not an abandonment of the Lutheran faith.</blockquote> Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 The Villa, 682 Falls Blvd, postcard (1924-08).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1924-08 hotel https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/f8dd4dd51cb3d9e52fac2d17c9881096.jpg d56cd901ab6c0be004b2b7a5926f165b 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 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. A lock was also built to permit passage between the Niagara River (and Great Lakes) and the canal. Early documents also mention a guard lock just east of the lock. After the Civil War, the depth of the entire canal was increased to accomodate larger boats. Starting around 1909 work was done on our section of the canal as part of Contract 19 to improve the prism, or bottom shape (see <a href="https://nthistory.com/collections/show/152">photos of Contract 19</a>) In 1918 the 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. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Bridge over Erie Barge Canal dividing Tonawandas, postcard (c1925).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1925 Description An account of the resource First National Bank, Tonawanda Power Co. also pictured. bridge canal erie-canal https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/d84bc8a6e6216dfb8e3897d89a8204e3.jpg 53a57e86472b87918a41c4792f15b118 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 Goundry Street Area Description An account of the resource From the village's earliest days, Goundry Street was a showcase of its most luxurious homes. Wealthy lumber barons and bankers settled here, enjoying both convenient access to the business district, and convenient removal from the same. In the 1940s, many were shuttered due to high maintenance costs, and converted to apartments. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Goundry Street, North Tonawanda, postcard (c1925).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1925 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/1f1ef62ee76fb0cb37b376f6170ddc7b.jpg 2b3c210548d5a96763565ebd82c541d8 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 Carnegie Arts Center Description An account of the resource Formerly the public library. Built in 1903 from a Carnegie endowment. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Library, North Tonawanda, postcard (c1925).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1925 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/017008745f16e9e32fb35f6b85d65403.jpeg a712931d74ed4b89dd80220004287d2a https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/86143e867ab5993ea0b207931f4bde7a.jpeg 45aac13909598a5f78154de689f314b7 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/58b83657dded913d27af4076935f9838.jpg 4dd64892e4764ba62ed9e3edd28bb657 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/aa3c84095c26abd0b690273b6ae4160c.jpg 80ff9acb41cf6ff474b20101ed8a315b 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 Carnegie Arts Center Description An account of the resource Formerly the public library. Built in 1903 from a Carnegie endowment. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Carnegie Library, postcard (c. 1925).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1925 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/f686f9cea3253b8cbd63a534e70aa01f.jpg 63d92b964c3c1f80c606e8e35d820542 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/b1c19042893af3b37f145eec4e7522db.jpg 6991255faa2067f795661c94dff1e31a https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/4465037f7560be39ceeb5f79bdfaa424.jpg a2e9a124e402c4e19770beaded7ff6d5 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/4f34db0b03f27e41f7bbff6f8a055887.jpg 7f3f09ffc5231a8966d031e410dc6cd1 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/9457100c7599beed4db423b63117b9b6.jpg d461925b4dde4206127043abfe903971 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/cb494e8338305180faec94d512b6c7c7.jpg e8cda7a5be801012d7ef6408bfd333b7 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/23628d9c7e542fe3c188bc3510c2a971.jpg ef36a594dcef775bd300af61bb7bda47 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 Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wurlitzer: 100 Years of Musical Achievement. Rudolph Wurlitzer Company. Chicago, Illinois. 1956. Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/52.jpg" alt="The signature tower of the North Tonawanda plant and occasional headquarters." /> The signature tower of the North Tonawanda plant and occasional headquarters. Postcard, c.1940. Its iconic tower has presided over Sawyer's Creek and Martinsville for over 100 years. The sprawling industrial campus left behind by the world-famous Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company produced merry-go-round organs, band organs, church organs, theater organs and jukeboxes that have left an indelible mark on the world, and on generations of North Tonawandans. Wurlitzer founder Rudolph Wurlitzer (1831-1914) was a German immigrant who (after stops in New Jersey and Philadelphia) landed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1854 at the age of 23. He worked for a bank, and down the street was a musical retail store. His father, Christian, was a successful music retailer in Germany, and Rudolph's experience told him the Ohio store's instruments were of poor quality, and priced too high. In 1856 he begins importing quality musical instruments from his family in Germany to sell at a profit in American retail stores. The business grows; Wurlitzer begins making instruments themselves for the U. S. military and for retail. The company branches out into "automatic" musical instruments, such as music boxes and player-pianos. Rudolph's three sons, Howard, Rudolph H., and Farny become involved along the way, and take on aspects of the growing family business. The youngest son, Farny, is sent to North Tonawanda to run the former <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/24">de Kleist Musical Instrument Mfg. Co.</a> shortly after it is purchased by Wurlitzer in 1908. (de Kleist was building player pianos and band organs for Wurlitzer and others since 1893). Farny brings eccentric English inventor Robert Hope-Jones to the plant in 1910, initiating the worldwide success of the "Mighty Wurlitzer" theater organ, which provides sound for the silent films of the day, and entertainment in its own right. This business evaporates when sound comes to movies, and electrical sound amplification permits musical entertainment to be furnished to venues of all types much less expensively. When the Wurlitzer company finds itself overextended in the wake of the Great Depression, Farny fights to keep the North Tonawanda facility open. In 1934 he strikes a deal with Homer Capehart to manufacture his automatic phonograph, which becomes the iconic Wurlitzer jukebox. Under his leadership the company also produces a successful line of electronic organs for home use, and the North Tonawanda plant becomes the flagship of the Wurlitzer factories, with 3,000 employees. After his death in 1972, jukebox and organ production are phased out, leaving 200 employees in 1974. By 1975, all manufacturing at the North Tonawanda plant is stopped, and by August 1976, all company activities are removed to other locations. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Wurlitzer Factory, postcard set (c1925).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1925 factory martinsville https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/9f35491b31c255314f1832f30b7910cf.jpg a82535a2457026a8cc834c44c81fa2c0 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 Richardson Boat Company Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" alt="Richardson Boat Company, c.1929" src="http://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/46.jpg" />Richardson Boat Company on Bryant and Sweeney, c.1929. From the <a href="http://www.richardsonboats.com/">Richardson Boat Owners Association website</a>: <blockquote>In 1909 G.Reid Richardson founded the Richardson Boat Company in North Tonawanda, New York to build high quality boats at a fair price. History has shown that he was quite successful in this undertaking. Over the years many types of boats were produced including not only cruising vessels but sailboats, runabouts, racing boats and military craft during the war years. The Richardson Boat Company organized "Sailaways" where the owners of newly purchased boats were encouraged to congregate in North Tonawanda and join in a cruise down the Erie Canal to New York City. Sadly, Mr. Richardson passed away in 1937 and his wife Ethel took over management until 1941 when the company was sold to a group of local businessmen.</blockquote> From his <a href="https://www.nthistory.com/items/show/2591">1939 memorial pamphlet</a>: <blockquote>G[EORGE] REID RICHARDSON, boat builder, was born at Midland, Michigan, December 13, 1879, son of Israel Harris Reid and Edith (Turner) Richardson. After a high school education he became a mechanic with the Brooks Boat Company at Bay City, Michigan, and in 1906 entered the employ of the Niagara Motor Boat Company at North Tonawanda, New York, as shop foreman. Three years later he founded the Richardson Boat Company of North Tonawanda, of which he was president and general manager until his death. The company built standardized cruisers and other pleasure craft, ranging in size from twenty-five to thirty-five feet. Starting in a small way, it was at the time of Mr. Richardson’s death the largest company in the world building medium-sized cruisers exclusively. It employed one hundred men and produced annually an average of one hundred and sixty boats which, under the trade names of Little Giant, Junior and Master Cruisabout, were sold all over the world. The Richardson hull is well known for its practicability and beauty. Mr. Richardson was always ready to serve the business, civic and social interests of his community. He was a director of the Certified Finance Company of Tonawanda and from 1935 until his death he was president of the Chamber of Commerce of the Tonawandas. He was particularly interested in the Boy Scouts, held various offices in the council of the organization and for many years was active in promoting the movement. He was a director of the National Association of Engine and Boat Manufacturers and the National Motor Boat Association and a member of the American Power Boat Association, I.O.O.F., and the Tonawanda Kiwanis, Youngstown Yacht, Olcott Yacht, Buffalo Launch and New York Regatta clubs. During the World War the Richardson Boat Company built harbor tugs for the United States government. In religion he was a Unitarian but at the time of his death was a member of the North Presbyterian Church. In his politics he supported the Republican party. His hobby was his interest in boys. Fishing was his favorite outdoor recreation. He was a man of the highest character and was everywhere esteemed for his honesty and trustworthiness. He was married twice: (1) at North Tonawanda, New York, January 25, 1910, to Lottie Belle, daughter of Sylvester Perry, of that place; she died in 1911, leaving a daughter, Jean Elisabeth, wife of James Franklin Moore; (2) at North Tonawanda, June 21, 1924, to Mrs. Ethel (Hill) Hoadley, daughter of Harvey P. Hill, a lumberman, of that place. Mr. Richardson died at North Tonawanda, New York, February 17, 1937.</blockquote> Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Reid and Ethel Richardson, holiday card (c1925).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1925 home https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/22053762be837a57e0c3c6089b3fec3e.jpg 09524f0aa737c0882282201d23503925 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 King Construction Company Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 King Construction Company, postcard (1926).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1926 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/7c3a47b0c482dc223e991095ec5cbaab.jpg 09524f0aa737c0882282201d23503925 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 King Construction Company Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 King Construction Co., postcard (1926).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1926 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/6e2bc33bcc00d6ad46b1525f8c8d1e45.jpg 7f14af151a83faebedb5e54bd87eaa5e 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 American District Steam Heating, Taber Industries (455 Bryant Street) Description An account of the resource Before the electric age, there was the steam age. Steam was used to power factory equipment, trains, and even to heat buildings (in some areas, it still is). A system for heating entire cities with steam ("district steam heating") is developed by Birdsill Holly in Lockport in 1877. His American District Steam Company has a sprawling plant in North Tonawanda at 455 Bryant Street in the early 20th Century. They are <a href="https://www.adscomfg.com/about-us/">still in business as ADSCO</a>. As of 2022, the buildings are operated by Taber Industries. From <a href="https://www.taberindustries.com/about-taber">their website</a>: <blockquote>Originally founded in 1941 by Ralph Taber, The Taber Instrument Corporation was established to manufacture precision testing instruments. As lead engineer, Mr. Taber invented numerous devices that aided in the understanding of material physical properties. Many of the original product concepts were so innovative they are still widely used today, and continue to be considered the standard for comparison in many industries. Best known for our expertise in abrasion and surface wear, Taber also offers a full product line to evaluate resistance to scratch, mar and scuff damage; along with bending and stiffness. Acquired by the Teledyne organization in 1966, the company’s name was changed to Teledyne Taber. In August 1992, the company changed ownership and became Taber Industries.</blockquote> The buildings in the northeast section of the plant are now operated by <a href="https://ltrrigging.com/home/">LTR Rigging and Hauling</a>. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 American District Steam Heating Plant, postcard (1926).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1926 factory https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/a85dc5b86eeffc6d0de69817fd910665.jpg 3122a75a9e7aa9d4fd0c28bed7dc6df3 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/71e5d462ebc492ec9ec7f9b6a5920945.jpg c37b307678460eba9cf29a02c7b648e7 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 Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wurlitzer: 100 Years of Musical Achievement. Rudolph Wurlitzer Company. Chicago, Illinois. 1956. Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/52.jpg" alt="The signature tower of the North Tonawanda plant and occasional headquarters." /> The signature tower of the North Tonawanda plant and occasional headquarters. Postcard, c.1940. Its iconic tower has presided over Sawyer's Creek and Martinsville for over 100 years. The sprawling industrial campus left behind by the world-famous Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company produced merry-go-round organs, band organs, church organs, theater organs and jukeboxes that have left an indelible mark on the world, and on generations of North Tonawandans. Wurlitzer founder Rudolph Wurlitzer (1831-1914) was a German immigrant who (after stops in New Jersey and Philadelphia) landed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1854 at the age of 23. He worked for a bank, and down the street was a musical retail store. His father, Christian, was a successful music retailer in Germany, and Rudolph's experience told him the Ohio store's instruments were of poor quality, and priced too high. In 1856 he begins importing quality musical instruments from his family in Germany to sell at a profit in American retail stores. The business grows; Wurlitzer begins making instruments themselves for the U. S. military and for retail. The company branches out into "automatic" musical instruments, such as music boxes and player-pianos. Rudolph's three sons, Howard, Rudolph H., and Farny become involved along the way, and take on aspects of the growing family business. The youngest son, Farny, is sent to North Tonawanda to run the former <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/24">de Kleist Musical Instrument Mfg. Co.</a> shortly after it is purchased by Wurlitzer in 1908. (de Kleist was building player pianos and band organs for Wurlitzer and others since 1893). Farny brings eccentric English inventor Robert Hope-Jones to the plant in 1910, initiating the worldwide success of the "Mighty Wurlitzer" theater organ, which provides sound for the silent films of the day, and entertainment in its own right. This business evaporates when sound comes to movies, and electrical sound amplification permits musical entertainment to be furnished to venues of all types much less expensively. When the Wurlitzer company finds itself overextended in the wake of the Great Depression, Farny fights to keep the North Tonawanda facility open. In 1934 he strikes a deal with Homer Capehart to manufacture his automatic phonograph, which becomes the iconic Wurlitzer jukebox. Under his leadership the company also produces a successful line of electronic organs for home use, and the North Tonawanda plant becomes the flagship of the Wurlitzer factories, with 3,000 employees. After his death in 1972, jukebox and organ production are phased out, leaving 200 employees in 1974. By 1975, all manufacturing at the North Tonawanda plant is stopped, and by August 1976, all company activities are removed to other locations. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 General View of Wurlitzer Factories, postcard (c1928).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1928 factory https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/4cb6cd52e5f8be05b4a8e722679d5822.jpg 0936a98452672e4cb284b183b6fb1c25 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 Post Office Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 The Post Offices of North Tonawanda and Tonawanda, postcard (c1930).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1930 building civic https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/b411fdf31e024c8e8abbe32224be667d.jpg cb81c8a0a102c415c3a5b711184b02c4 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 Tonawanda & Wheatfield Electric Co., Tonawanda Power Co., National Grid 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." /> The Robinson Street "transformer building" is built by the Niagara Falls Power Company in 1895 as part of their unprecedented 23-mile transmission sending current from Nigara Falls to Buffalo. The building is later operated by the Tonawanda Power Company, who distribute the hyrdo-electricity locally. Today the historic building is owned by National Grid. Photo by Dennis Reed Jr., 2023. <h2>Motive power before the grid</h2> In the 1800s, in North Tonawanda and elsewhere, mills are powered primarily by waterwheels, while factories rely on stationary steam engines fueled by coal or wood to drive machinery and reduce human and animal labor. Beginning in the 1870s, electric dynamos appear, typically driven by steam engines, producing electricity mainly for lighting. There is no interconnected electrical grid. Electricity is generated locally, on site, by individual factories, private companies, or municipalities for their own use or a limited number of nearby customers. <h2>Tonawanda & Wheatfield Electric Light Company first located on Tonawanda Island</h2> In 1889, the Tonawanda & Wheatfield Electric Light Company operates a dynamo on the north end of Tonawanda Island. The dynamo is fed by wood shavings from the Doebler Planing Mill. The company supplies electricity to a small number of North Tonawanda subscribers. Arc lights on a few streets are run. Their office is at the northeast corner of Main and Goundry in an old frame building. <a href="http://nthistory.com/items/show/3942">1891 Buffalo Express Pictorial</a>: "The Tonawanda and Wheatfield Electric Co. are now building a $40,000 plant near the north end, to furnish power for an electric street railroad. These facilities, with a telephone service and telegraph office, leave but little to be desired. The docked frontage on the property is now nearly two miles in length. The Tonawanda City Water Works, located on the west side of the island, are fully described elsewhere." The Niagara Falls Power Company builds transmission line and transformer house at Robinson Street Meanwhile, electrical experts at the Niagara Falls Power Company and others have been convening for a few years about how to best harness Niagara Falls's tremendous kinetic energy for the electrical age, and what to do with all that energy, which would be far more than could be used locally. The answer: send it to the much larger city of Buffalo, 23 miles south.  In late 1895, the Niagara Falls Power Company begins building an unprecedented long-distance power line to Buffalo (mostly along the boundary of the old Mile Reserve). "This transmission line will run over a private right of way from the Niagara Falls Power Company's station at Niagara Falls to Tonawanda, and thence down one bank of the Erie Canal to Buffalo. The entire line will be fenced in" (<a href="https://reference.insulators.info/publications/view/?id=205&h0=tonawanda">Electrical Review</a>, August 5, 1896). It is operational by November 1896. (Amazing <a href="https://digital.hagley.org/AVD_1990_265">images of line construction</a> from Hagley Archives). The long distance line uses alternating current (AC) transmitted at high voltages, which could travel long distances 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.  Tonawanda Lighting and Power Company incorporated Landmarks of Niagara County: "The Tonawanda Lighting and Power Company was incorporated February 23, 1897, with a capital of $150,000, and is the successor of the Tonawanda and Wheatfield Electric Light Company, which was organized in 1890 The company supplies both Tonawanda and North Tonawanda, and operates in all about 290 arc and 2,400 incandescent lamps. Frank M. Gordon is local manager." They will step down power for local distribution in a yard north of the Niagara Falls Power Company's Robinson Street transformer house.  1900: "At Tonawanda, 10 miles from Buffalo and 14 miles from Niagara Falls, the transmission line from the falls to Buffalo is tapped and power from it is transformed, converted and regenerated into the various kinds and voltages of current desired tor traction, arc and incandescent lighting and distribution to motors. There is no electrical generating plant driven by steam power in Tonawanda or North Tonawanda either for street railway or central station loads. The work at Tonawanda is carried on by the Tonawanda Power Company, which is closely allied financially with the other Niagara power interests, such as the Niagara Palls Power Company and the Cataract Power and Conduit Company. The Tonawanda Power Company consists of the consolidation of the Tonawanda Light and Power Company, which formerly operated a steam-driven central station of the usual type in Tonawanda, and the Tonawanda Cataract Power Company, which previous to the consolidation was formed for advancing the Niagara power interests in Tonawanda. The consolidated company has erected a transforming station immediatey beside the right of way of the transmission line at a convenient point in North Tonawanda about a mile east of the business center and just a short distance south of the branch of the Erie running to Lockport, which branch is operated by electric power from this transforming station." Former switching tower Where the new pocket park is now, on the Twin City Highway side, was once a two-story “switching tower” which was wired to the transformer house. Added around 1902, this adjunct 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. In 1920, a horrific explosion kills 13 men early Halloween morning (read our blog post, <a href="https://www.nthistory.com/articles/tonawanda-power-company-disaster/">The Tonawanda Power Company Disaster</a>). 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 Safety News and Comment. The January 1921 Safety Bulletin <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). Fault is ultimately found to be with the equipment provider, who left no instruction to remove the wood blocks used in shipping. In 1925 the company become "associated with" Buffalo General Electric, Niagara Falls Power Co. and others. In 1929, they open a new headquarters on Sweeney and Webster, today Buffalo Suzuki Strings. The Robinson street transformer house and environs is now owned and operated by National Grid. This <a href="https://reference.insulators.info/publications/search/?query=tonawanda&submit=Search%20https://reference.insulators.info/publications/view/?id=5168&h0=tonawanda%C2%A0">collection of electric literature</a> has many fine details and photos of the 1896 construction of the line. <a href="https://americanhistory.si.edu/ja/collections/archival-item/sova-nmah-ac-0949-ref88">Photo archive at the Smithsonian</a>. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Tonawanda Power Co, postcard (c1930).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1930 electricity https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/f93715efc688f895efbdcd4807fdf002.JPG 91f211de4c20a01575c30fcafe6026c1 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 Motels Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Niagara Falls Blvd Motor Hotel, 1620 Niagara Falls Blvd., postcard (c1930).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1930 motel https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/f0ceea5293fa615fc06d911441accf14.jpg 8a61de392cc46338cef509363f6e0030 Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 La Truda 2nd, Niagara River racing boat, postcard (c1930).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1930 boat https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/fb35c1eabac3aa7ef5abaae0b9513d87.jpg 0ad0ee4339e7040c72784fda20216335 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 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. A lock was also built to permit passage between the Niagara River (and Great Lakes) and the canal. Early documents also mention a guard lock just east of the lock. After the Civil War, the depth of the entire canal was increased to accomodate larger boats. Starting around 1909 work was done on our section of the canal as part of Contract 19 to improve the prism, or bottom shape (see <a href="https://nthistory.com/collections/show/152">photos of Contract 19</a>) In 1918 the 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. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Bridge over Erie Barge Canal, postcard (c.1930).jpg Description An account of the resource Showing First Trust, Tonawanda Power Co., more. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1930 bridge canal https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/cf9d913973843db2e589bb726bb61782.jpg 60ac1ae346cbec9e6106b29a74410145 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 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. A lock was also built to permit passage between the Niagara River (and Great Lakes) and the canal. Early documents also mention a guard lock just east of the lock. After the Civil War, the depth of the entire canal was increased to accomodate larger boats. Starting around 1909 work was done on our section of the canal as part of Contract 19 to improve the prism, or bottom shape (see <a href="https://nthistory.com/collections/show/152">photos of Contract 19</a>) In 1918 the 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. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Webster Street and Erie Canal Bridge, postcard (c1930).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1930 bridge https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/55771ab4cc207e6d2dcc61e7dcb7556d.jpg 7a5512d1baa30163c685e11bdf8321de Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Feells Shangri-La Restuarant, North Tonawanda, photo (c1930).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1930 restaurant https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/20ea1b7bd010478de9ab3a3782bd7a77.jpg 6a3f4f2a596f9ff886d120bc6852b007 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/459bb895da64fc4480ac2e360e7d60fe.jpg b5a7c890a133384cd5f450ec3a562fb5 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/56c8f7725993382a48973afb74748098.jpg 4d60ce5bfb8b5273e763c6204b1568f5 Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Oechsner's Dream Island Castle in Williamsville, postcards (c1930).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1930 postcard williamsville https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/8124e0f3b5ab5054f4bbbc2cc41a5c1d.jpg 959e8f2bdd963c5dea7e0aab6a8f312b 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 DeGraff Memorial Hospital Description An account of the resource <ul> <li>In 1913 business leaders in the Tonawandas including LeGrand S. DeGraff and NT Mayor Dr. John A. Rafter developed a plan to create a badly needed hospital. DeGraff funded the endeavor with a "very substantial contribution."</li> <li>Architect W. O. Johnstone donated his work for the hospital. Ground was broken in April 14; dedication ceremonies took place May 30, 1914.</li> <li>In 1930 an addition for a Nurses Home and Maternity Ward was made possible by a legacy grant from James S. Thompson. Another expansion was started in 1942 and completed in 1944.</li> <li>In 1947, changes from a public institution to a non-profit, membership corporation.</li> <li>March 14, 1953 a new addition and Maternity Wing are opened.</li> <li>"June, 1964, marked the opening of the first phase of the New DeGraff Memorial Hospital." (Centennial article in this collection)</li> <li>"Later in 1965, Phase II of the new hospital building program will be finished bringing its capacity to 190 beds. Then the renovation of the new wings in the old hospital will be started, however, this is but one step in coping with the evolving needs of our community." (Ibid)</li> </ul> Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 DeGraff Memorial Hospital and Nurses Home, postcard (c1931).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1931 hospital https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/a7f3adb52156927a73131cf83de22379.jpg 100beca50a576eab6c799a2149e10294 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 Motels Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Robertsons Tourists Rest, 586 Falls Blvd., postcard (1931).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1931 motel https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/62df15d09078fd1fa02c1bfd5db81c4c.jpg da34960affdf1e2da250cc62d6ace925 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 Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wurlitzer: 100 Years of Musical Achievement. Rudolph Wurlitzer Company. Chicago, Illinois. 1956. Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/52.jpg" alt="The signature tower of the North Tonawanda plant and occasional headquarters." /> The signature tower of the North Tonawanda plant and occasional headquarters. Postcard, c.1940. Its iconic tower has presided over Sawyer's Creek and Martinsville for over 100 years. The sprawling industrial campus left behind by the world-famous Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company produced merry-go-round organs, band organs, church organs, theater organs and jukeboxes that have left an indelible mark on the world, and on generations of North Tonawandans. Wurlitzer founder Rudolph Wurlitzer (1831-1914) was a German immigrant who (after stops in New Jersey and Philadelphia) landed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1854 at the age of 23. He worked for a bank, and down the street was a musical retail store. His father, Christian, was a successful music retailer in Germany, and Rudolph's experience told him the Ohio store's instruments were of poor quality, and priced too high. In 1856 he begins importing quality musical instruments from his family in Germany to sell at a profit in American retail stores. The business grows; Wurlitzer begins making instruments themselves for the U. S. military and for retail. The company branches out into "automatic" musical instruments, such as music boxes and player-pianos. Rudolph's three sons, Howard, Rudolph H., and Farny become involved along the way, and take on aspects of the growing family business. The youngest son, Farny, is sent to North Tonawanda to run the former <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/24">de Kleist Musical Instrument Mfg. Co.</a> shortly after it is purchased by Wurlitzer in 1908. (de Kleist was building player pianos and band organs for Wurlitzer and others since 1893). Farny brings eccentric English inventor Robert Hope-Jones to the plant in 1910, initiating the worldwide success of the "Mighty Wurlitzer" theater organ, which provides sound for the silent films of the day, and entertainment in its own right. This business evaporates when sound comes to movies, and electrical sound amplification permits musical entertainment to be furnished to venues of all types much less expensively. When the Wurlitzer company finds itself overextended in the wake of the Great Depression, Farny fights to keep the North Tonawanda facility open. In 1934 he strikes a deal with Homer Capehart to manufacture his automatic phonograph, which becomes the iconic Wurlitzer jukebox. Under his leadership the company also produces a successful line of electronic organs for home use, and the North Tonawanda plant becomes the flagship of the Wurlitzer factories, with 3,000 employees. After his death in 1972, jukebox and organ production are phased out, leaving 200 employees in 1974. By 1975, all manufacturing at the North Tonawanda plant is stopped, and by August 1976, all company activities are removed to other locations. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Wurlitzer Mfg. Co. Esplanade, the Great Wurlitzer Plant, Home of Lyric Radio, postcard (c1935).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1935 radio https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/c83a6007681d0fd7fde2a83b5988d3a0.jpg da34960affdf1e2da250cc62d6ace925 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 Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wurlitzer: 100 Years of Musical Achievement. Rudolph Wurlitzer Company. Chicago, Illinois. 1956. Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/52.jpg" alt="The signature tower of the North Tonawanda plant and occasional headquarters." /> The signature tower of the North Tonawanda plant and occasional headquarters. Postcard, c.1940. Its iconic tower has presided over Sawyer's Creek and Martinsville for over 100 years. The sprawling industrial campus left behind by the world-famous Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company produced merry-go-round organs, band organs, church organs, theater organs and jukeboxes that have left an indelible mark on the world, and on generations of North Tonawandans. Wurlitzer founder Rudolph Wurlitzer (1831-1914) was a German immigrant who (after stops in New Jersey and Philadelphia) landed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1854 at the age of 23. He worked for a bank, and down the street was a musical retail store. His father, Christian, was a successful music retailer in Germany, and Rudolph's experience told him the Ohio store's instruments were of poor quality, and priced too high. In 1856 he begins importing quality musical instruments from his family in Germany to sell at a profit in American retail stores. The business grows; Wurlitzer begins making instruments themselves for the U. S. military and for retail. The company branches out into "automatic" musical instruments, such as music boxes and player-pianos. Rudolph's three sons, Howard, Rudolph H., and Farny become involved along the way, and take on aspects of the growing family business. The youngest son, Farny, is sent to North Tonawanda to run the former <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/24">de Kleist Musical Instrument Mfg. Co.</a> shortly after it is purchased by Wurlitzer in 1908. (de Kleist was building player pianos and band organs for Wurlitzer and others since 1893). Farny brings eccentric English inventor Robert Hope-Jones to the plant in 1910, initiating the worldwide success of the "Mighty Wurlitzer" theater organ, which provides sound for the silent films of the day, and entertainment in its own right. This business evaporates when sound comes to movies, and electrical sound amplification permits musical entertainment to be furnished to venues of all types much less expensively. When the Wurlitzer company finds itself overextended in the wake of the Great Depression, Farny fights to keep the North Tonawanda facility open. In 1934 he strikes a deal with Homer Capehart to manufacture his automatic phonograph, which becomes the iconic Wurlitzer jukebox. Under his leadership the company also produces a successful line of electronic organs for home use, and the North Tonawanda plant becomes the flagship of the Wurlitzer factories, with 3,000 employees. After his death in 1972, jukebox and organ production are phased out, leaving 200 employees in 1974. By 1975, all manufacturing at the North Tonawanda plant is stopped, and by August 1976, all company activities are removed to other locations. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Esplanade the Great Wurlitzer Plant, Home of Lyric Radio, photo postcard (c1935).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1935 factory https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/e4e962559445f195cb68b7929d252cc7.jpg e410aa504a69ffc4c2d9a25f6bcc1159 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/93d52512dcad895f7924ede38aa7b711.jpg 695aa46f10d6d43f9fa924f282fab288 Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Red Hill, postcard (c1935).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1935 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/d35178e03627d73a4f4eaf904f873b78.jpeg d582d845152c23b8989453d5caaca2f0 Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 South bridge to Grand Island, Tonawanda, postcard (c1935).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1935 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/0beec5d7c27ab5db30316d5edfc1a875.jpeg dea28f764a01d29dfa3d563da0778c0e https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/8e143d0a4ffd5915eb7926562f184962.jpeg 708c86b8ed4ec4802e8302f6005869be 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 Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wurlitzer: 100 Years of Musical Achievement. Rudolph Wurlitzer Company. Chicago, Illinois. 1956. Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/52.jpg" alt="The signature tower of the North Tonawanda plant and occasional headquarters." /> The signature tower of the North Tonawanda plant and occasional headquarters. Postcard, c.1940. Its iconic tower has presided over Sawyer's Creek and Martinsville for over 100 years. The sprawling industrial campus left behind by the world-famous Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company produced merry-go-round organs, band organs, church organs, theater organs and jukeboxes that have left an indelible mark on the world, and on generations of North Tonawandans. Wurlitzer founder Rudolph Wurlitzer (1831-1914) was a German immigrant who (after stops in New Jersey and Philadelphia) landed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1854 at the age of 23. He worked for a bank, and down the street was a musical retail store. His father, Christian, was a successful music retailer in Germany, and Rudolph's experience told him the Ohio store's instruments were of poor quality, and priced too high. In 1856 he begins importing quality musical instruments from his family in Germany to sell at a profit in American retail stores. The business grows; Wurlitzer begins making instruments themselves for the U. S. military and for retail. The company branches out into "automatic" musical instruments, such as music boxes and player-pianos. Rudolph's three sons, Howard, Rudolph H., and Farny become involved along the way, and take on aspects of the growing family business. The youngest son, Farny, is sent to North Tonawanda to run the former <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/24">de Kleist Musical Instrument Mfg. Co.</a> shortly after it is purchased by Wurlitzer in 1908. (de Kleist was building player pianos and band organs for Wurlitzer and others since 1893). Farny brings eccentric English inventor Robert Hope-Jones to the plant in 1910, initiating the worldwide success of the "Mighty Wurlitzer" theater organ, which provides sound for the silent films of the day, and entertainment in its own right. This business evaporates when sound comes to movies, and electrical sound amplification permits musical entertainment to be furnished to venues of all types much less expensively. When the Wurlitzer company finds itself overextended in the wake of the Great Depression, Farny fights to keep the North Tonawanda facility open. In 1934 he strikes a deal with Homer Capehart to manufacture his automatic phonograph, which becomes the iconic Wurlitzer jukebox. Under his leadership the company also produces a successful line of electronic organs for home use, and the North Tonawanda plant becomes the flagship of the Wurlitzer factories, with 3,000 employees. After his death in 1972, jukebox and organ production are phased out, leaving 200 employees in 1974. By 1975, all manufacturing at the North Tonawanda plant is stopped, and by August 1976, all company activities are removed to other locations. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Wurlitzer entrance court, postcard (1936).jpeg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1936 martinsville wurlitzer https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/e8448bb62b471f9e713dee567f89183d.jpg ae0eb658a51b686dd54b6617b1d0c012 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 B. P. O. Elks Lodge 860 (Sweeney and Main) Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="https://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/77.jpg" alt="BPOE building" /> The Elks Club home c1920–2011; northeast corner of Main and Sweeney.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/">Twin Cities Lodge # 860 formerly known as North Tonawanda Lodge</a>. 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> Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Elks Temple, North Tonawanda, postcard (c1939).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1939 fraternal https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/59191d2dfef98f97a670a385cbc40175.jpg 177f22337feed112b274f853091d3bec 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 Tonawanda & Wheatfield Electric Co., Tonawanda Power Co., National Grid 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." /> The Robinson Street "transformer building" is built by the Niagara Falls Power Company in 1895 as part of their unprecedented 23-mile transmission sending current from Nigara Falls to Buffalo. The building is later operated by the Tonawanda Power Company, who distribute the hyrdo-electricity locally. Today the historic building is owned by National Grid. Photo by Dennis Reed Jr., 2023. <h2>Motive power before the grid</h2> In the 1800s, in North Tonawanda and elsewhere, mills are powered primarily by waterwheels, while factories rely on stationary steam engines fueled by coal or wood to drive machinery and reduce human and animal labor. Beginning in the 1870s, electric dynamos appear, typically driven by steam engines, producing electricity mainly for lighting. There is no interconnected electrical grid. Electricity is generated locally, on site, by individual factories, private companies, or municipalities for their own use or a limited number of nearby customers. <h2>Tonawanda & Wheatfield Electric Light Company first located on Tonawanda Island</h2> In 1889, the Tonawanda & Wheatfield Electric Light Company operates a dynamo on the north end of Tonawanda Island. The dynamo is fed by wood shavings from the Doebler Planing Mill. The company supplies electricity to a small number of North Tonawanda subscribers. Arc lights on a few streets are run. Their office is at the northeast corner of Main and Goundry in an old frame building. <a href="http://nthistory.com/items/show/3942">1891 Buffalo Express Pictorial</a>: "The Tonawanda and Wheatfield Electric Co. are now building a $40,000 plant near the north end, to furnish power for an electric street railroad. These facilities, with a telephone service and telegraph office, leave but little to be desired. The docked frontage on the property is now nearly two miles in length. The Tonawanda City Water Works, located on the west side of the island, are fully described elsewhere." The Niagara Falls Power Company builds transmission line and transformer house at Robinson Street Meanwhile, electrical experts at the Niagara Falls Power Company and others have been convening for a few years about how to best harness Niagara Falls's tremendous kinetic energy for the electrical age, and what to do with all that energy, which would be far more than could be used locally. The answer: send it to the much larger city of Buffalo, 23 miles south.  In late 1895, the Niagara Falls Power Company begins building an unprecedented long-distance power line to Buffalo (mostly along the boundary of the old Mile Reserve). "This transmission line will run over a private right of way from the Niagara Falls Power Company's station at Niagara Falls to Tonawanda, and thence down one bank of the Erie Canal to Buffalo. The entire line will be fenced in" (<a href="https://reference.insulators.info/publications/view/?id=205&h0=tonawanda">Electrical Review</a>, August 5, 1896). It is operational by November 1896. (Amazing <a href="https://digital.hagley.org/AVD_1990_265">images of line construction</a> from Hagley Archives). The long distance line uses alternating current (AC) transmitted at high voltages, which could travel long distances 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.  Tonawanda Lighting and Power Company incorporated Landmarks of Niagara County: "The Tonawanda Lighting and Power Company was incorporated February 23, 1897, with a capital of $150,000, and is the successor of the Tonawanda and Wheatfield Electric Light Company, which was organized in 1890 The company supplies both Tonawanda and North Tonawanda, and operates in all about 290 arc and 2,400 incandescent lamps. Frank M. Gordon is local manager." They will step down power for local distribution in a yard north of the Niagara Falls Power Company's Robinson Street transformer house.  1900: "At Tonawanda, 10 miles from Buffalo and 14 miles from Niagara Falls, the transmission line from the falls to Buffalo is tapped and power from it is transformed, converted and regenerated into the various kinds and voltages of current desired tor traction, arc and incandescent lighting and distribution to motors. There is no electrical generating plant driven by steam power in Tonawanda or North Tonawanda either for street railway or central station loads. The work at Tonawanda is carried on by the Tonawanda Power Company, which is closely allied financially with the other Niagara power interests, such as the Niagara Palls Power Company and the Cataract Power and Conduit Company. The Tonawanda Power Company consists of the consolidation of the Tonawanda Light and Power Company, which formerly operated a steam-driven central station of the usual type in Tonawanda, and the Tonawanda Cataract Power Company, which previous to the consolidation was formed for advancing the Niagara power interests in Tonawanda. The consolidated company has erected a transforming station immediatey beside the right of way of the transmission line at a convenient point in North Tonawanda about a mile east of the business center and just a short distance south of the branch of the Erie running to Lockport, which branch is operated by electric power from this transforming station." Former switching tower Where the new pocket park is now, on the Twin City Highway side, was once a two-story “switching tower” which was wired to the transformer house. Added around 1902, this adjunct 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. In 1920, a horrific explosion kills 13 men early Halloween morning (read our blog post, <a href="https://www.nthistory.com/articles/tonawanda-power-company-disaster/">The Tonawanda Power Company Disaster</a>). 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 Safety News and Comment. The January 1921 Safety Bulletin <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). Fault is ultimately found to be with the equipment provider, who left no instruction to remove the wood blocks used in shipping. In 1925 the company become "associated with" Buffalo General Electric, Niagara Falls Power Co. and others. In 1929, they open a new headquarters on Sweeney and Webster, today Buffalo Suzuki Strings. The Robinson street transformer house and environs is now owned and operated by National Grid. This <a href="https://reference.insulators.info/publications/search/?query=tonawanda&submit=Search%20https://reference.insulators.info/publications/view/?id=5168&h0=tonawanda%C2%A0">collection of electric literature</a> has many fine details and photos of the 1896 construction of the line. <a href="https://americanhistory.si.edu/ja/collections/archival-item/sova-nmah-ac-0949-ref88">Photo archive at the Smithsonian</a>. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Tonawanda Power Co., illustrated postcard (1939).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1939 webster https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/be742e11529fd66a92edb062cd078737.jpg 177f22337feed112b274f853091d3bec https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/c33e56dd2232e74ee52aed7b8f03b7b5.jpg 24c07b556e1f1e5cc357598e17026159 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 Tonawanda & Wheatfield Electric Co., Tonawanda Power Co., National Grid 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." /> The Robinson Street "transformer building" is built by the Niagara Falls Power Company in 1895 as part of their unprecedented 23-mile transmission sending current from Nigara Falls to Buffalo. The building is later operated by the Tonawanda Power Company, who distribute the hyrdo-electricity locally. Today the historic building is owned by National Grid. Photo by Dennis Reed Jr., 2023. <h2>Motive power before the grid</h2> In the 1800s, in North Tonawanda and elsewhere, mills are powered primarily by waterwheels, while factories rely on stationary steam engines fueled by coal or wood to drive machinery and reduce human and animal labor. Beginning in the 1870s, electric dynamos appear, typically driven by steam engines, producing electricity mainly for lighting. There is no interconnected electrical grid. Electricity is generated locally, on site, by individual factories, private companies, or municipalities for their own use or a limited number of nearby customers. <h2>Tonawanda & Wheatfield Electric Light Company first located on Tonawanda Island</h2> In 1889, the Tonawanda & Wheatfield Electric Light Company operates a dynamo on the north end of Tonawanda Island. The dynamo is fed by wood shavings from the Doebler Planing Mill. The company supplies electricity to a small number of North Tonawanda subscribers. Arc lights on a few streets are run. Their office is at the northeast corner of Main and Goundry in an old frame building. <a href="http://nthistory.com/items/show/3942">1891 Buffalo Express Pictorial</a>: "The Tonawanda and Wheatfield Electric Co. are now building a $40,000 plant near the north end, to furnish power for an electric street railroad. These facilities, with a telephone service and telegraph office, leave but little to be desired. The docked frontage on the property is now nearly two miles in length. The Tonawanda City Water Works, located on the west side of the island, are fully described elsewhere." The Niagara Falls Power Company builds transmission line and transformer house at Robinson Street Meanwhile, electrical experts at the Niagara Falls Power Company and others have been convening for a few years about how to best harness Niagara Falls's tremendous kinetic energy for the electrical age, and what to do with all that energy, which would be far more than could be used locally. The answer: send it to the much larger city of Buffalo, 23 miles south.  In late 1895, the Niagara Falls Power Company begins building an unprecedented long-distance power line to Buffalo (mostly along the boundary of the old Mile Reserve). "This transmission line will run over a private right of way from the Niagara Falls Power Company's station at Niagara Falls to Tonawanda, and thence down one bank of the Erie Canal to Buffalo. The entire line will be fenced in" (<a href="https://reference.insulators.info/publications/view/?id=205&h0=tonawanda">Electrical Review</a>, August 5, 1896). It is operational by November 1896. (Amazing <a href="https://digital.hagley.org/AVD_1990_265">images of line construction</a> from Hagley Archives). The long distance line uses alternating current (AC) transmitted at high voltages, which could travel long distances 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.  Tonawanda Lighting and Power Company incorporated Landmarks of Niagara County: "The Tonawanda Lighting and Power Company was incorporated February 23, 1897, with a capital of $150,000, and is the successor of the Tonawanda and Wheatfield Electric Light Company, which was organized in 1890 The company supplies both Tonawanda and North Tonawanda, and operates in all about 290 arc and 2,400 incandescent lamps. Frank M. Gordon is local manager." They will step down power for local distribution in a yard north of the Niagara Falls Power Company's Robinson Street transformer house.  1900: "At Tonawanda, 10 miles from Buffalo and 14 miles from Niagara Falls, the transmission line from the falls to Buffalo is tapped and power from it is transformed, converted and regenerated into the various kinds and voltages of current desired tor traction, arc and incandescent lighting and distribution to motors. There is no electrical generating plant driven by steam power in Tonawanda or North Tonawanda either for street railway or central station loads. The work at Tonawanda is carried on by the Tonawanda Power Company, which is closely allied financially with the other Niagara power interests, such as the Niagara Palls Power Company and the Cataract Power and Conduit Company. The Tonawanda Power Company consists of the consolidation of the Tonawanda Light and Power Company, which formerly operated a steam-driven central station of the usual type in Tonawanda, and the Tonawanda Cataract Power Company, which previous to the consolidation was formed for advancing the Niagara power interests in Tonawanda. The consolidated company has erected a transforming station immediatey beside the right of way of the transmission line at a convenient point in North Tonawanda about a mile east of the business center and just a short distance south of the branch of the Erie running to Lockport, which branch is operated by electric power from this transforming station." Former switching tower Where the new pocket park is now, on the Twin City Highway side, was once a two-story “switching tower” which was wired to the transformer house. Added around 1902, this adjunct 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. In 1920, a horrific explosion kills 13 men early Halloween morning (read our blog post, <a href="https://www.nthistory.com/articles/tonawanda-power-company-disaster/">The Tonawanda Power Company Disaster</a>). 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 Safety News and Comment. The January 1921 Safety Bulletin <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). Fault is ultimately found to be with the equipment provider, who left no instruction to remove the wood blocks used in shipping. In 1925 the company become "associated with" Buffalo General Electric, Niagara Falls Power Co. and others. In 1929, they open a new headquarters on Sweeney and Webster, today Buffalo Suzuki Strings. The Robinson street transformer house and environs is now owned and operated by National Grid. This <a href="https://reference.insulators.info/publications/search/?query=tonawanda&submit=Search%20https://reference.insulators.info/publications/view/?id=5168&h0=tonawanda%C2%A0">collection of electric literature</a> has many fine details and photos of the 1896 construction of the line. <a href="https://americanhistory.si.edu/ja/collections/archival-item/sova-nmah-ac-0949-ref88">Photo archive at the Smithsonian</a>. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Tonawanda Power Co, postcard (1939).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1939 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/515710671875178b97cebea8d4fd0754.jpg 177f22337feed112b274f853091d3bec https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/75c985f8574b3ab8d7c946ae6fad789c.jpg 24c07b556e1f1e5cc357598e17026159 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 Tonawanda & Wheatfield Electric Co., Tonawanda Power Co., National Grid 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." /> The Robinson Street "transformer building" is built by the Niagara Falls Power Company in 1895 as part of their unprecedented 23-mile transmission sending current from Nigara Falls to Buffalo. The building is later operated by the Tonawanda Power Company, who distribute the hyrdo-electricity locally. Today the historic building is owned by National Grid. Photo by Dennis Reed Jr., 2023. <h2>Motive power before the grid</h2> In the 1800s, in North Tonawanda and elsewhere, mills are powered primarily by waterwheels, while factories rely on stationary steam engines fueled by coal or wood to drive machinery and reduce human and animal labor. Beginning in the 1870s, electric dynamos appear, typically driven by steam engines, producing electricity mainly for lighting. There is no interconnected electrical grid. Electricity is generated locally, on site, by individual factories, private companies, or municipalities for their own use or a limited number of nearby customers. <h2>Tonawanda & Wheatfield Electric Light Company first located on Tonawanda Island</h2> In 1889, the Tonawanda & Wheatfield Electric Light Company operates a dynamo on the north end of Tonawanda Island. The dynamo is fed by wood shavings from the Doebler Planing Mill. The company supplies electricity to a small number of North Tonawanda subscribers. Arc lights on a few streets are run. Their office is at the northeast corner of Main and Goundry in an old frame building. <a href="http://nthistory.com/items/show/3942">1891 Buffalo Express Pictorial</a>: "The Tonawanda and Wheatfield Electric Co. are now building a $40,000 plant near the north end, to furnish power for an electric street railroad. These facilities, with a telephone service and telegraph office, leave but little to be desired. The docked frontage on the property is now nearly two miles in length. The Tonawanda City Water Works, located on the west side of the island, are fully described elsewhere." The Niagara Falls Power Company builds transmission line and transformer house at Robinson Street Meanwhile, electrical experts at the Niagara Falls Power Company and others have been convening for a few years about how to best harness Niagara Falls's tremendous kinetic energy for the electrical age, and what to do with all that energy, which would be far more than could be used locally. The answer: send it to the much larger city of Buffalo, 23 miles south.  In late 1895, the Niagara Falls Power Company begins building an unprecedented long-distance power line to Buffalo (mostly along the boundary of the old Mile Reserve). "This transmission line will run over a private right of way from the Niagara Falls Power Company's station at Niagara Falls to Tonawanda, and thence down one bank of the Erie Canal to Buffalo. The entire line will be fenced in" (<a href="https://reference.insulators.info/publications/view/?id=205&h0=tonawanda">Electrical Review</a>, August 5, 1896). It is operational by November 1896. (Amazing <a href="https://digital.hagley.org/AVD_1990_265">images of line construction</a> from Hagley Archives). The long distance line uses alternating current (AC) transmitted at high voltages, which could travel long distances 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.  Tonawanda Lighting and Power Company incorporated Landmarks of Niagara County: "The Tonawanda Lighting and Power Company was incorporated February 23, 1897, with a capital of $150,000, and is the successor of the Tonawanda and Wheatfield Electric Light Company, which was organized in 1890 The company supplies both Tonawanda and North Tonawanda, and operates in all about 290 arc and 2,400 incandescent lamps. Frank M. Gordon is local manager." They will step down power for local distribution in a yard north of the Niagara Falls Power Company's Robinson Street transformer house.  1900: "At Tonawanda, 10 miles from Buffalo and 14 miles from Niagara Falls, the transmission line from the falls to Buffalo is tapped and power from it is transformed, converted and regenerated into the various kinds and voltages of current desired tor traction, arc and incandescent lighting and distribution to motors. There is no electrical generating plant driven by steam power in Tonawanda or North Tonawanda either for street railway or central station loads. The work at Tonawanda is carried on by the Tonawanda Power Company, which is closely allied financially with the other Niagara power interests, such as the Niagara Palls Power Company and the Cataract Power and Conduit Company. The Tonawanda Power Company consists of the consolidation of the Tonawanda Light and Power Company, which formerly operated a steam-driven central station of the usual type in Tonawanda, and the Tonawanda Cataract Power Company, which previous to the consolidation was formed for advancing the Niagara power interests in Tonawanda. The consolidated company has erected a transforming station immediatey beside the right of way of the transmission line at a convenient point in North Tonawanda about a mile east of the business center and just a short distance south of the branch of the Erie running to Lockport, which branch is operated by electric power from this transforming station." Former switching tower Where the new pocket park is now, on the Twin City Highway side, was once a two-story “switching tower” which was wired to the transformer house. Added around 1902, this adjunct 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. In 1920, a horrific explosion kills 13 men early Halloween morning (read our blog post, <a href="https://www.nthistory.com/articles/tonawanda-power-company-disaster/">The Tonawanda Power Company Disaster</a>). 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 Safety News and Comment. The January 1921 Safety Bulletin <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). Fault is ultimately found to be with the equipment provider, who left no instruction to remove the wood blocks used in shipping. In 1925 the company become "associated with" Buffalo General Electric, Niagara Falls Power Co. and others. In 1929, they open a new headquarters on Sweeney and Webster, today Buffalo Suzuki Strings. The Robinson street transformer house and environs is now owned and operated by National Grid. This <a href="https://reference.insulators.info/publications/search/?query=tonawanda&submit=Search%20https://reference.insulators.info/publications/view/?id=5168&h0=tonawanda%C2%A0">collection of electric literature</a> has many fine details and photos of the 1896 construction of the line. <a href="https://americanhistory.si.edu/ja/collections/archival-item/sova-nmah-ac-0949-ref88">Photo archive at the Smithsonian</a>. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Tonawanda Power Company, postcard (1939).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1939 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/4eda37779faa702465a76bb27228470b.jpg aeb4f1c0b28dd376c163fbc1fc74d63c 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 City Hall Description An account of the resource The former North Tonawanda City Hall was located on the southeast corner of Main and Tremont. The current North Tonawanda City Hall and police station was dedicated in 1930, built at a cost of $200,000. The lot was previously a rail and lumber yard, with an exhausted gravel pit at its western end (today, Felton Field). By 1965 the jail featured five cells, and one "Ladies Detention Area," which we can only assume the demure, respectable ladies of our city never had occasion to visit. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/609">North Tonawanda Centennial Magazine (1865-1965)</a> Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 City Hall, postcard (c1940).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1940 civic https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/5248665331945da83edf54ac9c10b228.JPG 2941f21081d608523c1ed542dc611494 Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Grand Island bridges, linen postcard (c1940).JPG Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1940 civic https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/81ef3846786008e6304fcafaab7dd1d8.jpg 560bcad961c90dcbf9061c9611746f7b Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Grand Island bridges, postcard (c1940).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1940 civic https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/a1a3de2a570115bdae4952050a74a2e3.jpg ea48f05689ce601543e1e1aa79447e98 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 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. A lock was also built to permit passage between the Niagara River (and Great Lakes) and the canal. Early documents also mention a guard lock just east of the lock. After the Civil War, the depth of the entire canal was increased to accomodate larger boats. Starting around 1909 work was done on our section of the canal as part of Contract 19 to improve the prism, or bottom shape (see <a href="https://nthistory.com/collections/show/152">photos of Contract 19</a>) In 1918 the 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. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Wood Bros Garage and Dock (c1940).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1940 boat canal erie-canal https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/67ee85d27d4d3364e068e1b9a1c0b7b0.JPG 230beed169b649d4982b580d3da5033f 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 Motels Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 The Villa Roadside Inn, 682 Falls Blvd., postcard (c1940).JPG Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1940 motel https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/5fded6328583c6867732d37d7075bf12.jpg 314af7b7bf0d6972b643d9399982dd0b 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 Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wurlitzer: 100 Years of Musical Achievement. Rudolph Wurlitzer Company. Chicago, Illinois. 1956. Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/52.jpg" alt="The signature tower of the North Tonawanda plant and occasional headquarters." /> The signature tower of the North Tonawanda plant and occasional headquarters. Postcard, c.1940. Its iconic tower has presided over Sawyer's Creek and Martinsville for over 100 years. The sprawling industrial campus left behind by the world-famous Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company produced merry-go-round organs, band organs, church organs, theater organs and jukeboxes that have left an indelible mark on the world, and on generations of North Tonawandans. Wurlitzer founder Rudolph Wurlitzer (1831-1914) was a German immigrant who (after stops in New Jersey and Philadelphia) landed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1854 at the age of 23. He worked for a bank, and down the street was a musical retail store. His father, Christian, was a successful music retailer in Germany, and Rudolph's experience told him the Ohio store's instruments were of poor quality, and priced too high. In 1856 he begins importing quality musical instruments from his family in Germany to sell at a profit in American retail stores. The business grows; Wurlitzer begins making instruments themselves for the U. S. military and for retail. The company branches out into "automatic" musical instruments, such as music boxes and player-pianos. Rudolph's three sons, Howard, Rudolph H., and Farny become involved along the way, and take on aspects of the growing family business. The youngest son, Farny, is sent to North Tonawanda to run the former <a href="http://nthistory.com/collections/show/24">de Kleist Musical Instrument Mfg. Co.</a> shortly after it is purchased by Wurlitzer in 1908. (de Kleist was building player pianos and band organs for Wurlitzer and others since 1893). Farny brings eccentric English inventor Robert Hope-Jones to the plant in 1910, initiating the worldwide success of the "Mighty Wurlitzer" theater organ, which provides sound for the silent films of the day, and entertainment in its own right. This business evaporates when sound comes to movies, and electrical sound amplification permits musical entertainment to be furnished to venues of all types much less expensively. When the Wurlitzer company finds itself overextended in the wake of the Great Depression, Farny fights to keep the North Tonawanda facility open. In 1934 he strikes a deal with Homer Capehart to manufacture his automatic phonograph, which becomes the iconic Wurlitzer jukebox. Under his leadership the company also produces a successful line of electronic organs for home use, and the North Tonawanda plant becomes the flagship of the Wurlitzer factories, with 3,000 employees. After his death in 1972, jukebox and organ production are phased out, leaving 200 employees in 1974. By 1975, all manufacturing at the North Tonawanda plant is stopped, and by August 1976, all company activities are removed to other locations. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Wurlitzer Mfg. Co. building and park, postcard (c1940 HST).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1940 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/f3396f6ef6f67a49ff37e45cc1193fcd.JPG 02ac8a02377bfab5da34aa5226a6cfb0 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 Goundry Street Area Description An account of the resource From the village's earliest days, Goundry Street was a showcase of its most luxurious homes. Wealthy lumber barons and bankers settled here, enjoying both convenient access to the business district, and convenient removal from the same. In the 1940s, many were shuttered due to high maintenance costs, and converted to apartments. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Residence of E. H. Santee, North Tonawanda, postcard (c1940).JPG Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1940 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/26608c250db409622a54560c852a5b0a.jpg 9e71a5b3c22f9728f03d6f9a423ee534 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 B. P. O. Elks Lodge 860 (Sweeney and Main) Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="https://www.nthistory.com/custom/cover/77.jpg" alt="BPOE building" /> The Elks Club home c1920–2011; northeast corner of Main and Sweeney.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/">Twin Cities Lodge # 860 formerly known as North Tonawanda Lodge</a>. 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> Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Elks Lodge 860, postcard (c1940).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1940 fraternal https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/33139a54a15d1957e35aa55a1101f65e.jpg 129ce4afab81c9a33741d4c277e75cb5 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 Ironton School Description An account of the resource Designed by architects Johnstone & Eggert, Ironton Public School #2 opens in 1889 at the corner of 1st Ave and Oliver Street (present-day Elizabeth Harvey Apartments / Olmsted Center for Sight). From <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/608">Tonawanda and North Tonawanda: The Lumber City</a> (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> By 1915 the school is overcrowded, and forced to rent rooms across the street to hold kindergarten. In 1926 Ironton Public School #7 (later known as <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/7">Gil</a><a href="http://www.nthistory.com/collections/show/7">more School</a>) is built to accomodate demand. The Ironton School building is later used as a vocational school (its students and equipment were moved to the new BOCES on Saunders Settlement Rd c.1970). It is briefly considered for the NiaCAP Headstart before being privately purchased to store cars. After years of neglect it is demolished.  Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Ironton School, postcard (c1940).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1940 school https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/e5245545027511abbcf0a78a125b606d.jpg 42b1bf7342555c66c39b2397b2564bda 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 Martinsville Description An account of the resource <img class="cover" src="../../../custom/cover/56.jpg" alt="Postcard view looking north up Old Falld Blvd" />Old Falls Boulevard, looking north from Lockport Ave. to Niagara Falls Blvd. Postcard detail, c.1900. The northeast part of North Tonawanda known as "Martinsville" is named after the father of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther. It is settled by German Lutheran farmers, beginning around 1843. They settled in narrow farms along the west bank of Tonawanda Creek. As the area developed, a "downtown" emerged along William Street, present-day Old Falls Blvd, near Lockport Rd. (pictured above). The village boasted its own post office, stores and places of entertainment.  Most of Martinsville was incorporated into the then-booming City of North Tonawanda in 1897. The sections of Martinsville east of present-day Old Falls and Niagara Falls boulevards are considered part of Wheatfield. The real estate transaction that brought many of the settlers to the area, its early growth, and the contentious religious devotion of its people are described in <a href="http://www.nthistory.com/items/show/606">History of Niagara County 1821-1878</a>: <blockquote>In 1843 Carl Sack, Erdman Wurl and Fred Grosskopf purchased of William Vandervoote 400 acres, at $15 per acre, on the Tonawanda creek, in the southeast corner of the town, four miles east of Tonawanda village, in what is now known as the village of Martinsville. Lutheran religious antecedents caused the adoption of this name by the disciples of Martin Luther. The original purchase was divided into small lots of three acres and up- ward, as others were able to purchase, to provide for the location of thirty families the first season. They erected ten log houses in the autumn, each of which was occupied by three or four families during the winter and until joint efforts relieved the immigrants by building others. The families remained in Buffalo until the first houses were built, obtaining the best accommodations they could find. Forbidding as the prospect in the beginning must have been, it has been changed to the appearance of prosperity. The church organization is the controlling element in the government of the community, now consisting of one hundred families, connected with the two now existing, the result of divided feeling, but not an abandonment of the Lutheran faith.</blockquote> Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 The Villa, 682 Niagara Falls Blvd, postcard (c1940).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1940 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/3bf5a6c5444a3a01f426649319ad6b96.jpg b56637725444755d33d22edee3f55950 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 Downtown Description An account of the resource Most of North Tonawanda's downtown area developed between 1875 and 1900. In this collection are preserved views of many vanished buildings: The YMCA and City Hall at the southeast corner of Tremont and Main; the 6-story 1891 Smith building (Real Estate Exchange) at the northeast corner of Tremont and Webster, the gothic stone State National Bank at the northwest corner of Sweeney and Webster, and Scanlon's Hall on the southwest corner of the same intersection, to name a few. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Webster Street, Bridge over Canal, postcard (c1940).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1940 bridge canal webster https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/a1461e4d59b421055ddb765432967342.jpg a1d17df2964a4ee1a0175134c5888e00 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/fa0c5c1fc658f192d1be22ddc1d21038.jpeg fda59b1f9ed848240381a848ba2c921c https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/dff9042dbbe2191126d4cd15912daaa5.jpeg 7067bb78307bb1b22090fd569ab773e8 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/4813f65424754cc4aa6e07ea81860ccf.jpeg d85f41bc9fb5fcc21c06a62144875d4c https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/008c79ca326a808bf8cfefc1866c9388.jpg 4d1c0c167c7e6a3ee3ac0abdc2d7c85e https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/1dd447ad681f83ada3cce5af065a392c.jpg f5c9102658fad9be7308f7b3e52774bf https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/86d59a43ff235b8baa9649dc15e4424a.jpg af21f9dfaf6ed5d67f223f2a89a19796 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 Motels Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Boulevard Gardens Motel, 2424 Niagara Falls Blvd., postcards .jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1940 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/9321a1e797da8f186e166b7d234093b4.jpg 2c65555e74f06f7b94910843259e7906 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/cf83473b38c9e23cc22ce7fef3330253.jpg da591b58e094a7d4f4f72319eb38f21c 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 DeGraff Memorial Hospital Description An account of the resource <ul> <li>In 1913 business leaders in the Tonawandas including LeGrand S. DeGraff and NT Mayor Dr. John A. Rafter developed a plan to create a badly needed hospital. DeGraff funded the endeavor with a "very substantial contribution."</li> <li>Architect W. O. Johnstone donated his work for the hospital. Ground was broken in April 14; dedication ceremonies took place May 30, 1914.</li> <li>In 1930 an addition for a Nurses Home and Maternity Ward was made possible by a legacy grant from James S. Thompson. Another expansion was started in 1942 and completed in 1944.</li> <li>In 1947, changes from a public institution to a non-profit, membership corporation.</li> <li>March 14, 1953 a new addition and Maternity Wing are opened.</li> <li>"June, 1964, marked the opening of the first phase of the New DeGraff Memorial Hospital." (Centennial article in this collection)</li> <li>"Later in 1965, Phase II of the new hospital building program will be finished bringing its capacity to 190 beds. Then the renovation of the new wings in the old hospital will be started, however, this is but one step in coping with the evolving needs of our community." (Ibid)</li> </ul> Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 DeGraff Memorial Hospital, postcard (c1940).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1940 hospital https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/ddc92861bbc39c4a6c2c9b30193c7981.jpg e7854bd02eba082c88c3f5b8787cac89 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/6f7e69b5cf7ec25a588aabe51f8c32e7.jpg 09fb9195b804b7b4b8ae2dff7ab0c153 https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/88c6d185729ff45f509c9a50d585e385.jpg bd9222716e674efe8bfcd5ccc312f3b5 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 Downtown Description An account of the resource Most of North Tonawanda's downtown area developed between 1875 and 1900. In this collection are preserved views of many vanished buildings: The YMCA and City Hall at the southeast corner of Tremont and Main; the 6-story 1891 Smith building (Real Estate Exchange) at the northeast corner of Tremont and Webster, the gothic stone State National Bank at the northwest corner of Sweeney and Webster, and Scanlon's Hall on the southwest corner of the same intersection, to name a few. Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Webster Street, Burtch Drugs and Rivera Theatre, postcard (c1940).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1940 Description An account of the resource Alternate spelling of Riviera. downtown hd riviera theater village webster https://www.nthistory.com/files/original/bd5498f655c2774dc21587d0a9865bfe.jpg 6409e614fbbd31309bae4848b4840a5f Postcard A pictorial representation of a place or entity, intended to be written upon and mailed. 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 Grand Island Bridges, postcard (c1940).jpg Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1940