Black Rock, once an independent municipality, is now a neighborhood of the northwest section of the city of

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

. In the 1820s, Black Rock was the rival of Buffalo for the terminus of the

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing t ...

, but Buffalo, with its larger harbor capacity and greater distance from the shores of Canada, a recent antagonist during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

, won the competition. Black Rock took its name from a large outcropping of black

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

along the

Niagara River The Niagara River () is a river that flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the province of Ontario in Canada (on the west) and the state of New York (state), New York in the United States (on the east) ...

, which was blasted away in the early 1820s to make way for the canal.

History

In spite of losing the Erie Canal terminus to Buffalo and twice being burned to the ground by the British during the

, Black Rock continued to prosper. In 1814, a small group of American riflemen defended Black Rock and neighboring Buffalo from a British assault and, in 1839, it was incorporated as a town. In 1853, the City of Buffalo annexed the town of Black Rock. Because of its strategic position across the

from Canada, Black Rock was an important crossing place for African-Americans escaping slavery via the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. T ...

. This heritage is celebrated with an annual Underground Railroad Re-Enactment at

Broderick Park Broderick Park is a park situated along the Niagara River in Buffalo, New York, United States. Location and recreational opportunities Broderick Park, following an elongated shape, is located on the southern tip of Unity Island between the Niag ...

Unity Island Unity Island is an approximately island separating the Niagara River and the Black Rock Canal, located within the city limits of Buffalo, New York. The historic island is home to two public parks and a water treatment facility. It is connected t ...

at Niagara and West Ferry Streets, the site of a ferry crossing prior to the construction of passenger bridges. The area's first industry was shipbuilding, later supplanted by foundries, manufacturing, and canal commerce. Today Black Rock boasts some pre-annexation houses and many excellent, often vacant examples of early 20th century brick and masonry industrial architecture. Black Rock's history is amply documented in the library collections of the

Buffalo History Museum The Buffalo History Museum (founded as the Buffalo Historical Society, and later named the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society) is located at 1 Museum Court (formerly 25 Nottingham Court) in Buffalo, New York, just east of Elmwood Avenue and ...

. The Market Square Historic District was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 2011.

Railroad link

In the 1870s, the

International Railway Bridge The International Railway Bridge is a two-span swing bridge carrying the Stamford Subdivision of the Canadian National Railway across the Niagara River between Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, and Buffalo, New York, United States. It was originally b ...

connected the two nations at Black Rock, an engineering marvel at the time. The

Black Rock Rail Yard The Black Rock Rail Yard is on the west side of Buffalo, New York, a half mile inland from the Niagara River, in the Black Rock, Buffalo, New York, Black Rock neighborhood. The rail yard receives Canadian National Railway Rail freight transport, f ...

handled both passenger service and commercial transport of goods into and out of Canada. Following the completion of the St. Lawrence Seaway, the construction of the United States's Interstate Highway system, Canada's Queen Elizabeth Highway, and the increase of commercial air travel, the Black Rock Rail Yard lost its passenger service and later most of its commercial freight service. The railroad bridge, however, remains in heavy usage and is one of the most important rail crossings between the United States and Canada.

Prominent residents

Black Rock's best-known resident was American poet

Robert Creeley Robert White Creeley (May 21, 1926 – March 30, 2005) was an American poet and author of more than sixty books. He is usually associated with the Black Mountain poets, though his verse aesthetic diverged from that school. He was close with Char ...

, who lived with his family in a converted firehouse at the corner of Amherst and East Streets from 1990 to 2003. Another prominent resident was

US Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the C ...

Peter Buell Porter Peter Buell Porter (August 14, 1773 – March 20, 1844) was an American lawyer, soldier and politician who served as United States Secretary of War from 1828 to 1829. Early life Porter was born on August 14, 1773, one of six children born to Dr. ...

. Current residents include prominent Buffalo architect Max Willig who lives in the historic Amherst National Bank Building at the corner of Amherst and Germain Streets. Former US Congressman

John M. Holley John Milton Holley (November 10, 1802 – March 8, 1848) was a U.S. Representative from New York. Born in Salisbury, Connecticut, Holley was graduated from Yale College in 1822. He studied law. He was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in ...

lived in Black Rock.

References

External links

Black Rock is covered in the .
Black Rock Historical Society

Black Rock Village, 1795-1854: History & Genealogy
A guide from The

Black Rock & Riverside
A bibliography from The

{{Buffalo Neighborhoods Former villages in New York (state) Neighborhoods in Buffalo, New York African-American history in Buffalo, New York Populated places on the Underground Railroad Underground Railroad in New York (state)

History

Railroad link

Prominent residents

See also

References

External links