Page 8 - RR-4-16-26

8 • • Thursday, April 16, 2026

Buffalo Belt Line was major factor in city's earlier development,

may be key in its future, according to planner

By Steve Dlugosz commuter network allowed for a American aviation and motorcy-
large part of Buffalo's eco- 30-year boom." cling pioneer Glenn H. Curtiss, the
nomic and strategic devel- Today, there is just one rail sta- latter of whom was credited with
Aopment in its earlier days, tion left of the 19 original stops, having a huge influence on the in-
as well as a possible link to future located on Starin Avenue, estab- vention of the aircraft industry. Lo-
plans for the Queen City, was the lished as a historic central landmark. cal resident George Schuster
New York Central (Buffalo) Belt Another unique item that famously was the winning driver in
Line, according to researcher and emerged downtown from the rail the international Great Auto Race of
city planner with Buffalo's Office of implementation was New York 1908 that was partly routed along
Strategic Planning Chris Hawley at State administrators at the time giv- the Belt Line, continuing on to Par-
the April 9, 2026 meeting of the ing local municipalities the right to is, totaling 22,000 miles over 169
Polish Genealogical Society of New either okay or nix railways' exis- days.
York State (PGSNYS). tence as a possible noise/pollution Cass was noted for hiring many
Hawley's presentation, titled, hazard. City officials also wanted females in an era where men domi-
"The Buffalo Belt Line: Hidden in the five cent fee as an ironclad item nantly worked in the field. Unique
Plain Sight," focused on the 15- to provide ridership for all. Com- items created at sites located near
mile-long Belt Line railway that muter service on the Belt Line con- the Belt Line were the Pierce Silver
opened in 1883 and helped to estab- tinued until the end of World War I, Arrow car in 1933, one of just five
lish what became an integral indus- with freight service continuing made and designed to be "aerody-
trial pathway through Buffalo's thereafter. namic in the car field," made for
downtown as well as industrial clus- A plethora of ideas, inventions "speed" in its curvaceous, unique
ters, with 19 commuter stations that Pierce Arrow building in Chris Hawley slide presentation. and creations emerged on sites make; the Bell XP-59 Airacomet
connected various neighborhoods. along the rail line. Just some of aircraft, created as a secret project in
area. historian," Hawley said of his own
Areas that became linked He said such designs depicting background. "The Belt Line is part them included the site that is now the Tri-Main Building; and the
through the Belt Line included the Rich Products, established as the ER aforementioned Twinkies and Ho-
Buffalo's outline and mapping were of Buffalo's physical and economic
Hydraulics, Broadway/Fillmore, even showcased at the Centennial development, and it's often under- Thomas Motor Company and then Hos at Wonder Bread plant.
Parkside, North Park, Black Rock became the Curtiss Aeroplane & It was noted that a ton of space
International Exhibition in Philadel- appreciated. It helps explain why
and the West Side. According to phia in 1876. Other sites locally that Polish immigrants settled near As- Motor Company, famously con- in vacant sites now exists for
Hawley, the three core elements, or structing early aircrafts and flight use/capacity, equating to the size of
emerged from the three-tiered sumption Church and St. Stan's. It's
"strands of DNA" for Buffalo that "DNA strand" plan included Niaga- how different types of people were navigation concepts; the Tri-Main 14 HSBC towers. Some sites in-
emerged were the initiatives of Jo- Building (Center) at 2495 Main St., clude but are not limited to the Cen-
ra Square, Buffalo City Hall and attracted to the area…. The railroad
seph Ellicott development imple- Gates Circle, among a bevy of lo- cross is part of an elegant, coherent developed in 1915 as Ford Motor tral Terminal; Great Lakes Pressed
menting the radial street pattern, Company constructing 600,000 Steel Corp at 1400 Niagara St.;
cales said Hawley. Various ethnic system as part of the New Central
which was unique to the nation at neighborhoods were also estab- Belt Line." Model T units; the Central Terminal Cling Surface Company at 1032 Ni-
the time; the Olmsted Parks and at 495 Paderewski St.; the FN Burch agara; Larkin Power House, 635
lished based on convenience and The (now-closed) Wonderbread
Parkway system connecting such access to public transportation. Factory at 356 Fougeron St. is de- Company Factory at 500 Seneca St., Seneca; Buffalo Shirt Company,
green spaces; and the NewYork built in 1901 and overseen by Mary 144 Urban St.; Wonder Bread
"I'm a history buff, but not a scribed by Hawley as being an icon-
Central Belt Line originating in the Cass, unique in female leadership at (closed permanently in October
ic site that conveniently emerged
near the railroad, built in 1914 and the time; the Pierce Arrow Motor 2004); and the Northland Rubber
TINY’S SHOP was the likely origin of such bakery Car Company at 147 Great Arrow; Co., 701 Northland; Pierce Arrow
treats as Twinkies, HoHos and Ding and the Houk Manufacturing Com- Motor Company.
& DEALER Dongs. pany. It was added that in 1902, Hawley said the still-iconic aura
68 Churchill St., Buffalo -14207 Hawley said the Belt Line was Peckham Street, which is now large- of many of these buildings provides
ly vacant of structures, had 100 a link to Buffalo's storied history, as
In Business 9 Years! established as both a freight and businesses and 47 saloons (now well as what is hoped to be a bridge
716-931-5873 - 716-563-6541 commuter rail line, which cost just
All Auto Repairs start at $80 five cents to ride. It attracted the there are only two). to a capable future.
likes of white collar, blue collar and "This was Buffalo's manufactur- "Belt Line was a powerful
OIL CHANGE - bring your own ing apex," Hawley said of the boom brand," said Hawley. "It represents
the impoverished alike, who all saw
oil & filter - $25 that emerged post-Belt Line imple- an amazing story. We're linking his-
the practicality of its convenience to
OIL CHANGE -we supply oil & filter mentation. tory."
and from Buffalo sites. In all, it
- starting at $45 included 12 million square feet in Additionally,
the site at 1121
industrial space, employing tens of
Broadway was
thousands of persons at wide-rang-
home to one of
ing workspaces.
the largest wine
"It was a form of public trans-
and liquor dis-
portation enjoyed by both the
tributors.
wealthy and the working class, as a
Various indi-
way of sort of rubbing elbows,"
viduals of influ-
Hawley said of the mix of rail-rid-
ers. "It helped forge the develop- ence who
emerged during
ment of middle class neighborhoods
such as Parkside….It was one of the industrial era
included local
those aspects of foresight and city
planning, as part of a profound plan- business mag-
nate John D.
ning document. Industrialists locat-
ed on the Belt Line through the Larkin as well as Cling Surface Co. n Chris Hawley slide presentation.