Most People Don’t Know The Meaning Behind These 6 Neighborhood Names In Buffalo
By Lea Monroe|Published March 23, 2020
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Lea Monroe
Author
Writer for Only In Your State. Scribbling about all things New York and Buffalo related while also keeping you updated on the latest travel news! Inquiries: Lmonroe@onlyinyourstate.com
As residents of one of New York State’s largest cities, you’ll always find yourself discovering new things about Buffalo no matter how long you’ve lived here. You have likely explored some of the fascinating museums and attractions around the Queen City that highlight different pieces of Western New York’s extensive past, but today, we’re bringing the history lesson to you and taking a look at the early days of some of our local neighborhoods. Check it out:
If you were a resident of the Queen City during the early 1800s, you’d have found yourself in the middle of five political wards. While the times have changed and these neighborhoods no longer go by wards, Buffalo’s Old First Ward still remains a major part of our history.
The story behind one of Buffalo’s favorite neighborhoods is one that’s quite simple: Allentown gets its name from a former farmer by the name of Lewis F. Allen. After coming to the city of Buffalo back in 1827, Allen’s neighbor sold him some of his land to be used for his cattle. That’s right, the Allen Street that Buffalonians walk along every day was once the path Allen’s cattle used to walk and graze on. Who knew?
One of the City of Buffalo’s earliest planned neighborhoods, Central Park gets its name due to the fact that it’s right in the heart of the city and the Beltline Railroad’s Central Park Station. A truly historic and unique part of the city, those who are looking to explore the industrial side of Buffalo’s history should do so here!
When it comes to simple meanings behind local neighborhood names here in Buffalo, it doesn’t get much more simple than Black Rock. While you may long for something more extensive, Black Rock was actually named after black rocks. Out along the Niagara River, there was a large outcropping of black limestone that was later blasted away in the 1820s so that construction of the canal could begin.
Another side of Buffalo’s industrial history, the Queen City’s Hydraulics neighborhood gets its name from the Buffalo Hydraulic Association. If you're unsure of where we’re referring to, the neighborhood is one that you may know today as Larkinville. Right by downtown, our Hydraulics District was once booming back in the early and mid-1900s - as the Hydraulic Canal was the city’s first source of industrial power in the neighborhood.
The end of our list takes us back to where we first started, near Buffalo’s Old First Ward. Back in the day, you could only ever get into or leave The Valley through one of the neighborhood’s five bridges. Earning its name over how inaccessible the neighborhood was, today you’ll find plenty of people easily making their way over to this area of the Queen City.
