Appendix H - Historical Archaeological and ... - CBP.gov

several wind-energy projects and wind farms have been constructed or are in the process of
being constructed in northern New York. Today, the area remains a rural mix of small farms,
towns and forests. Tourism, timbering, dairying, and some farming are the dominant economic
activities in the area, as has generally been the case for well over a century.
Commerce and Trade
Commerce and trade were initially locally focused. As transportation improved with the advent
of better roads, canals, and railroads, trade became more extended. Municipalities on Lake
Ontario and Lake Erie, such as Buffalo, Oswego, and Rochester developed extensive port
operations. Municipalities along the Erie Canal and the other canals also developed port
facilities (Churchill, 1985; Smith, 1884).
The invention and proliferation of the grain elevator reinforces Buffalo’s strategic location at the
nexus of the Great Lakes/inland trade and the ocean trade associated with the Atlantic ports.
Beginning in 1842, construction of numerous grain elevators would turn Buffalo into one of the
leading grain shipping centers in North America (Goldman, 1983:58; Smith, 1884). By 1863,
numerous grain elevators enshadowed Buffalo’s harbor and were part of an extensive
transportation network and developing industrial economy. From the mid-nineteenth century to
the mid-twentieth century, Buffalo’s lake port was a center for an extensive inland trade in grain,
lumber, livestock, iron, and limestone, which utilized canal boats and freight trains to transport
goods east (Kowsky et al., 1981:248).
Government
New York was one of the original thirteen states that formed the United States of America and
rebelled against Great Britain in 1776. New York was the tenth state to ratify the Constitution on
July 26, 1788. At present, New York State has 62 counties, 932 towns, and 62 cities. It also has
nine Indian reservations. In total, the state has over 4,200 local governments (New York State
Department of State, 2009).
Domestic, Social, and Cultural
Settlement of New York began in the early seventeenth century, focused along the Atlantic Coast
and Hudson River Valley. Gradually, settlers spread throughout the state. Early settlers erected
log cabins and cleared fields of trees in order to farm their land. As houses became more
elaborate, they were made of frame construction, and later from a variety of building materials,
such as stone and brick. In larger urban environments, residences rose to multi-story dimensions
in a variety of styles.
The economic prosperity resulting from the Erie Canal swelled the population in centers along its
route. Hundreds of thousands of settlers arrived at Buffalo as they journeyed west as “more
immigrants passed through these streets [surrounding the Erie Canal] during the height of the
canal era (1830-1865) than passed through Ellis Island” (Rapp, 1993). Population also clustered
at railroad nodes.
In July 1885, the New York State Niagara Reservation Park was officially opened by New York
State. The lengthy campaign to build support from political and business leaders for a park to
preserve the falls was underpinned by the persistence and organizational skills of Frederick Law
Northern Border Activities H-85 July 2012