A LOOK BACK INTO  BUFFALO’S HISTORY (Continued from last month)

Buffalo is viewed as one of the most segregated cities in America. If one were to take a map of the city as it stands today and split it into four sections, it would be easy to identify which ethnic groups lived there. North Buffalo has been known as the predominantly Italian side with its own “Little Italy” running along Hertel Avenue. Many of the Italian families in North Buffalo had roots in the lower Westside, however, with the influx of newer immigration groups and better opportunities for second and third-generation Italian families, many families moved to the northern suburbs of North Buffalo.  The Westside is predominantly Latino, with Puerto Ricans making up most of that group followed by a scattering of Italian families left over after the Italian exodus. South Buffalo is the blue-collar-working-poor Irish part of town. Many of South Buffalo’s residents had ties to the steel and flour mills that dominated the industrial past of the city. The Eastside was a predominantly Polish section of the city, however over the years like the Westside, other groups moved in and made it their own.

Although there are still many Polish families and influences in this part of town, with the name of parishes that still have Polish flavor, Buffalo’s Eastside is known as the black or African American part of town. Unfortunately, this section of town is perhaps the largest and yet arguably the poorest, due in part to many decisions made in the past which left the Eastside a forgotten piece of the Buffalo puzzle.

The City of Lights

Years before the 1901 Pan American Exposition took place within the city limits; Buffalo had already enjoyed growth due to its importance in the shipping industry.  Set some eighty-eight years after Buffalo was burned to the ground by the British during the War of 1812, the Pan-American Exposition was a celebration of the city and the area.

At the time of the Pan American Exposition, the city of Buffalo had a population of 350,000 people, making it the 8th largest city in the United States.  Thousands of people from all over the world made their way to Buffalo during the seven-month-long Exposition. Many came to see Nikola Tesla give electrical demonstrations using electrical power fed from Niagara Falls which gave the city of Buffalo its nickname, The City of Lights.  Many others flocked to the city to see musical performances at the Temple of Music. The Pan-American Exposition was planned to take place years before, but due to the onset of the Spanish American War; those plans were put on hold.

Following the war, as the United States further began to put its imprint on Spain’s former Latin American territories such as Cuba and Puerto Rico, the Pan American Exposition became a symbol of Pan Americanism, and the city of Buffalo became a national symbol of pride.

To be continued in next month’s column.