Gazetteer of New York, 1860 & 1861 page 286
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286    ERIE    COUNTY.

that the value of merchandise and property transported by r. r. is greater than the entire amount
of the lake commerce of this port.1 About one-fourth of the shipping of the lake is owned by the
citizens of Buffalo.2 Shipbuilding is extensively carried on.3 The manufactures of the city are
extensive and various.4    -A

The principal public buildings are the Custom House, Fort Porter, the State Arsenal, and the
city markets. The Custom House, on the corner of Seneca and Washington Sts., is a handsome
and well built structure, containing, beside the custom house office, accommodations for the post-office
and the U. S. courts. It was constructed, at a cost of $140,000, from designs furnished by the U. S.
Treasury Department.5 Fort Porter, built in 1842-48, is a fortification on the bank of Niagara
Biver at the point where it emerges from Lake Erie. The State Arsenal, erected in .1858, is a
massive stone building fronting on Batavia St.6 There are four large markets, conveniently located
in different parts of the city.7

The Public Schools of the city have long enjoyed a deservedly high reputation. They are care¬
fully nurtured through the operations of an enlightened public sentiment, and are so excellent in
all their departments that scarcely any other elementary schools are supported or needed. They
are thoroughly graded, consisting of three general departments. The third department is an
advanced school for the whole city; and in it a complete academic course, excepting the classics, is
taught. There were, in 1857, 32 school districts, employing 189 teachers,—24 males and 165
females. The number of children, between 4 and 21 years of age, was 28,000, of whom 15,593,
or a small fraction more than 55 J per cent., were in attendance some portion of the year.8

The Buffalo Female Academy, a flourishing institution, situated on Delaware Avenue, was opened
for students in July, 1852.9

1 The amount of live stock received by k. r. in 1857 was 78,404
head of cattle, 232,375 hogs, and 72,496 sheep.

2 The amount of shipping owned in Buffalo, as shown by the
custom house books, is as follows:—

Vessels.

No.

Tonnage.

Steamers.................................................

10

50

20

7

21

129

5

9,067

30,186

2,629

3,537

6,784

35,460

473

Tugs......................................................

Barks.....................................................

Brigs......................................................

Schooners...............................................

Scows.....................................................

Total.............................................

242

88,136

8 The following table shows the shipping launched in 1857

Vessels.

Tonnage.

Value.

4 Steamers......................................

4,086

$352,000

10 Propellers....................................

5.070

349,000

13 Tugs.................;..........................

1.145

126,800

21 Schooners.....................................

7,955

353,400

1 Dredge.........................................

25 Canal Boats..................................

In connection with one of the shipyards of the city is a dry
dock of sufficient capacity to admit a steamer of over 2,500 tons;
also a marine railway; and near by is a large derrick for hoist¬
ing boilers and heavy machinery.

4 The following is a list of the manufacturing establishments
in operation in 1857:—

Agricultural Works........... 5


Ax & Edge Tool M’factory... 3
Awl    “    1

Basket Manufactories  6

Bellows “     '....    2

Billiard Table “      3

Blank Book & Bookbinding 8

Boiler Manufactories  4

Box    “      5

Brass    “      3

Breweries......................... 31


Brickyards....................... 9

Britannia Ware................. 2

Boot & Shoe Manufactories 3
Brush    “    2

Burr Millstone    “    2

CabinetWareManufactories. 11

Car and Car Wheels............ 2

Carriage Manuactories  9

Chair    “      2

Chromotype Printing  1

Coach & Harness Hardware 2

Comb Manufactory............ 1

Confectioneries.................. 10

Cooperages........................ 14

Distilleries........................ 3

Engraving........................ 9

Engine (steam) M’factories.. 6

Philosophical Instruments..

1

Shipyards.........................

7

3

Silver Plating...................

4

5

Soap & Candle M'factories..

14

1

Soda & Sarsaparilla “

4

1

Starch “

2

1

Stave “

2

17

Steam Sawmills...............

3

3

Stone Ware Manufactory...

1

5

Tobacco “

9

4

Tanneries.........................

2

4

Type & Stereotype F’dries..

3

7

Upholsteries.....................

10

2

Vice Manufactory.............

1

2

White Lead “ .............

o

3

1

Whip “ .............

1


Piano Forte Manufactory....

Planing Mills....................

Plane Manufactory............

Pocket Book “    ............

Pottery............................

Printing Establishments.....

Pump Manufactories..........

Regalia “    ..........

Rope    “    ..........

Sail    «    ..........

Sash & Blind “    ..........

Saw    “    ..........

Shingle “    ..........

Stove Manufactories...........

Silk    “    ..........

The value of the articles manufactured in 1857 was abont
$10,000,000, of which the leading products are estimated as
followsships and boats, $1,800,000; leather, $1,500,000; flour,
$1,000,000; stoves and other castings, $600,000; machines,
$000,000; distilled stuffs, $400,000; piano fortes, $350,000; boots
and shoes, $100,000.

For most of the statistics of the commerce and manufactures
of Buffalo we are indebted to the Annual Statement of the Trade
and Commerce of Buffalo for 1857, issued from the office of the
Qynimereial Advertiser.

6 The custom house building w'as commenced in 1855 and
completed in 1858. It is 3 stories high, exclusive of basement,
and has a front of 110 ft. on Seneca St. and 60 ft. on Washington
St., with a total elevation of 70 ft. above the sidewalk. Its ex¬
terior is of light gray sandstone, obtained from Cleveland, Ohio;
and the whole is fireproof throughout, the floors being of small,
segmental brick arches, turned from wrought iron beams, rest¬
ing on tubular girders. The girders rest upon the walls, and
are supported in the middle by cast iron columns reaching to
the foundation of tlie building.

6 The arsenal is 165 ft. long by 65 ft. wide. Its front, 50 ft.
wide, projecting 16 ft. from the main building, is flanked by
octagonal towers 60 ft. high. The walls are 40 ft. high; and at
each corner is a heavy, square turret. The cost of the building
was $35,000.

7 Elk Street Market is 30 ft. wide by 375 ft. long, having a
veranda 24 ft. wide extending the whole length of each side.
The Court Street Market consists of a main building, 51 ft. sq.,
with 4 wings, one on each side. The n. and s. wings are each
91| ft- long by 36 wide, and the E. and w. wings are each 61 ft.
long by 36ft. wide. ThpCiinton St. and Washington St. Markets
are each 395 ft. long by 36 ft. wide, with a veranda 24 ft. wide ex¬
tending the whole length of each side.

8 The total expenses of the schools for 1857 were $160,019.86,
and the total receipts the same; number of volumes in district
libraries 8,216.

9 This institution owes its existence in a great measure to the
liberality of Jabez Goodell, who contributed over $10,000 toward
its establishment. The academy occupies one of the most eli¬
gible and beautiful sites in the city. There are two academic
buildings, Goodell Hall and Evergreen Cottage,—the former oc¬
cupied for school purposes, and the latter as'a dwelling by the
family of the principal.


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