Broderick Park is a park situated 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) ...

in Buffalo,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States.

Location and recreational opportunities

Broderick Park, following an elongated shape, is located on the southern tip of

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 ...

between the Niagara River and the Black Rock Canal. The park overlooks the Canada–US border and is situated within view of the

Peace Bridge The Peace Bridge is an international bridge between Canada and the United States at the east end of Lake Erie at the source of the Niagara River, about upriver of Niagara Falls. It connects Buffalo, New York, in the United States to Fort Erie ...

, which links the State of New York with the Canadian Province of

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

Fort Erie Fort Erie is a town on the Niagara River in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. It is directly across the river from Buffalo, New York, and is the site of Old Fort Erie which played a prominent role in the War of 1812. Fort Erie is one of Ni ...

. Broderick Park offers recreational facilities for local residents and visitors. Under the Buffalo Micro Parks system within the City of Buffalo, contribution is made toward the maintenance and improvement of amenities.

Historical significance to Underground Railroad

Given the park's proximity to Canada, it is historically important in that it served as a transit area for

African-Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

heading for the border on the opposite side of the Niagara River from the park. The park occupies an area that once housed docks for the Black Rock Ferry, which is known to have transported fugitive slaves to Canada as part of 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 ...

. These activities were particularly precipitated by the passage of the

Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 The Fugitive Slave Act or Fugitive Slave Law was passed by the United States Congress on September 18, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850 between Southern interests in slavery and Northern Free-Soilers. The Act was one of the most co ...

, which to some measure brought about the 'nationalizing' of some of the consequences of the slavery practiced in the Southern states, and hence the increased flow of African-Americans travelers seeking liberty in Canada. Ironically it was Buffalo's own

Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore (January 7, 1800March 8, 1874) was the 13th president of the United States, serving from 1850 to 1853; he was the last to be a member of the Whig Party while in the White House. A former member of the U.S. House of Represen ...

who, as

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

, signed this measure into law. (See also: Millard Fillmore - Policies.) After the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

period and the

Emancipation Proclamation The Emancipation Proclamation, officially Proclamation 95, was a presidential proclamation and executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the Civil War. The Proclamation changed the legal sta ...

, the Park ceased to have the same clandestine focus for traveling African-Americans.

Reenactments and commemorations

Reenactments and commemorations of Underground Railroad events have been regularly held at Broderick Park under the sponsorship of Buffalo Quarters Historical Society. In 2010, Broderick Park was recognized by the U.S. National Park Service as a National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site.

Recent developments

Broderick Park — visibly close to the

— has sometimes been used as a backdrop to public meetings on subjects of law and administrative reform as they may relate to cross-border issues. In 2008, funding shortfalls led to an unsuccessful proposal calling for Broderick Park to be transferred from the City of Buffalo to the State of New York, to become part of a future

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

. In 2012, plans were announced for a $1.5 million revitalization of the park, with plans for a new amphitheater, improved facilities, and a new memorial celebrating the park's involvement in the Underground Railroad. The project commenced in 2013.

References

External links

Niagara River Greenway Commission - Broderick Park Master Plan
{{Protected areas of Erie County, New York Neighborhoods in Buffalo, New York Underground Railroad locations Tourist attractions in Buffalo, New York Parks in Erie County, New York African-American history in Buffalo, New York