Buffalonians participated as technology progressed from bicycles, to automobiles, to gliders, and eventually to powered flight as the turn of the 20th Century approached. In this post learn how bicycle clubs became auto and aero clubs – some of the first of their kind.
In the late nineteenth century the bicycle was the state of the art in personal transportation, and Buffalonians formed several clubs to promote the pastime. As technology developed the automobile was added to the mix, experiments with flight continued, and Buffalonians were not on the sidelines.
Serious scientists looked down upon people who experimented with flying machines. But the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, held in Buffalo in the summer of 1886 changed that. Find out how in this post.
In the nineteenth century there were many obstacles to getting a powered flying machine off the ground. In this post, read about some of the early experimenters, the challenges they faced, and the useful information they developed that helped those that followed.
The Erie Canal transformed the village of Buffalo into into a fast-growing city and a transportation hub. It also opened up access to the Midwest via the Great Lakes. From Ohio to Minnesota, goods traveled east and people west. Many settled in Buffalo, but all paid tolls to use the Canal, making New York’s original investment pay off in a few years. Read this post to find out how.
As the railroads grew, they became the main mode of transport before the days of streetcars and personal automobiles. Buffalonians rode the train to work and could connect to anywhere in the nation. Rails also brought the nation to Buffalo for the 1901 Pan American Exhibition. Find out how in this post.
There’s no doubt that the Erie Canal put Buffalo on the map and started the city’s rapid growth in the first half of the 18th century. Once the steam engine became readily available, the canal just couldn’t compete. This post describes how the speed and flexibility of the railroads eventually overtook the canal in the second half of the nineteenth century and beyond.
As the Erie Canal brought people and goods to – and through – Buffalo, the city continued to grow. But the lake boats could not travel on the canal and canal barges would not last long on the lake. Storage was needed for goods in transit. Read about Joseph Dart’s solution for grain storage in this post.
Buffalo, New York has a long history as a busy industrial city. Thanks to its location on one of the Great Lakes and the decision of New York state to build a canal, Buffalo grew rapidly. Read about the very beginning – and the effect on the growth of our country in this post.
Welcome to the BuffaloWings blog, where we will recall Buffalo New York’s industrial history, especially its contributions to aviation and space. From the iconic WWI “Jenny” to the rocket that brought astronauts home from the moon, this post introduces the blog and the four images that you’ll find at the top of each post.