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    Tonawanda and North Tonawanda
    Tonawanda and North Tonawanda
    Tonawanda and North Tonawanda
    Ebook183 pages1 hour

    Tonawanda and North Tonawanda

    By Historical Society of the Tonawandas

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    About this ebook

    From a backwater village on the Erie Canal to a world-renowned lumber distribution and manufacturing center, the growth of the twin cities of Tonawanda and North Tonawanda resonates with the sounds of a growing nation. By the beginning of the 20th century, the little village of Tonawanda had expanded into two cities, one on each side of the canal, with a burgeoning population of European immigrants and a landscape overwhelmed by industry. In Tonawanda and North Tonawanda, over 200 photographs, many never before published, transport the reader from 1860 to 1960 as the influx of immigrants and industry transformed the landscape and character of western New York. The images speak of rich lumber barons, craftsmen, inventors, bankers, and entrepreneurs with names like Rand, Richardson, Herschell, Spillman, Wurlitzer, and White. Photographs capture manufacturing products from silk garments to office equipment, pig iron to cruise boats, carousel horses to player pianos, and boxboards to jukeboxes. ?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateSep 18, 2012
    ISBN9781439639177
    Tonawanda and North Tonawanda
    Author

    Historical Society of the Tonawandas

    In celebration of their 50th anniversary, the Historical Society of the Tonawandas proudly presents these vintage photographs from their collection of over 8,000 indexed images. All written material was meticulously researched by society members using the extensive resources available at their museum.

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      Tonawanda and North Tonawanda - Historical Society of the Tonawandas

      collection.

      INTRODUCTION

      We, the city historians of Tonawanda and North Tonawanda, are pleased to provide in this introduction an abridged history of the Tonawandas, from their inception in the early 19th century up to the 1960s. This is the same period that is represented by photographs and captions in this new publication from the Historical Society of the Tonawandas. This synopsis is based on the work and files of the late Willard Dittmar, former City of Tonawanda historian and cofounder of the historical society.

      The lumber industry that defined the Tonawandas for close to a century began back in 1833, when the East Boston Timber Company purchased 16,000 acres on Grand Island and began cutting the great white oak trees that were growing there. These huge timbers were transported to the company’s shipyard in Boston Harbor, which was where they were used in construction of the famous Yankee Clipper ships, the fastest ocean craft of their day.

      Headquarters of the company was located on Tonawanda Island, where Stephen White, the head of the company, built a magnificent mansion, from which he directed operations. Steam sawmills, the largest in the world, were erected on the Grand Island shore, opposite Tonawanda and along the mainland. By 1840, however, the oak trees had all been cut down, and the company sold their holdings on Grand Island for farming purposes.

      The Erie Canal, which had opened in 1825, together with the natural harbor facilities along the Niagara River gave the lumber industry a renewed impetus. Timber from the forests of Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Canada were shipped to the Tonawandas. Logs, in the form of huge rafts, were towed from Canadian and Michigan points to the local area. As many as 100 million logs were shipped to the Tonawandas in a single season.

      At the turn of the 20th century, Tonawanda and its neighbor to the north became jointly known as Lumber City, the largest lumber supply center in the world. As many as 40 to 50 lake lumber carriers, known as lumber hookers, anchored in Tonawanda Harbor during the winter months. In 1890, two local customs offices reported a total of 1,422 vessels entering and 1,412 vessels clearing the Tonawandas.

      Lumber docks extended for a distance of 6 miles along the river, from Two Mile Creek to Gratwick. Lumber was unloaded onto these docks from the ships by gangs of men, often referred to as lumbershovers or dockwallopers.

      Along with lumber, shingle making became an important part of the local scene. Not only were white pine shingles imported, but in 1890, the local mills were also manufacturing about 100 million of them.

      The railroads, competing with the shipping interests for the immense lumber freight business of the Tonawandas, extended their tracks throughout the area and gave the shipper a great advantage as far as rates were concerned. During 1906, a total of 86,611 cars were handled in and out. This placed the Tonawandas as the third largest producer of original freight in the state of New York, being exceeded only by New York City and Buffalo.

      The extensive supply of lumber in the Tonawandas led to the development of other industries dependent upon wood for their final products. Not only were ships sailed into and out of the area, but many types were also built here. The F. N. Jones shipyard was located at the confluence of Tonawanda Creek and the Niagara River and constructed steam yachts to oceangoing vessels, which weighed around 3,000 tons. A dozen or more Erie Canal boat yards were located along Ellicott’s Creek. Later the Niagara Boat Company, the Disappearing Propeller Boat Company, and the Richardson Boat Company produced pleasure crafts of great distinction, which were known the world over. During World War I, concrete canal boats were produced, and in World War II, landing craft and U.S. Army vessels were built on Tonawanda Island.

      Merry-go-round horses and animals were hand carved from wood, and the Armitage-Herschell Company, which later became the Allan Herschell Company, was the largest manufacturer of carousels in the world. Merry-go-rounds led to the manufacture of band organs by DeKleist’s Musical Instrument Works. This in turn led to the establishment of the great Wurlitzer organ factory, the largest of its kind in the world, which made the Mighty Wurlitzer theater organ.

      The availability of wood pulp and the excellent shipping facilities resulted in the manufacture of paper and its related products by the Tonawanda Board and Box Company and the International Paper Company. There were many other smaller industries in the Tonawandas, too numerous to mention.

      In the beginning of the 20th century, the forests in the timber producing states were quickly depleted, and as no trees were replanted in those areas, the source of supply was eventually exhausted. The shrinking lumber business, however, was being replaced with other industries, notably what were known as heavy industries.

      The manufacture of iron and its related steel industries became a close rival of the lumber business for the place of first importance in the Twin Cities. The Tonawanda Iron Company consumed hundreds of thousands of tons of iron ore annually from the rich iron mines of the upper lakes. The Buffalo Bolt Company, the largest manufacturer of nuts and bolts in the world, was located here. Radiators, engines and boilers, structural steel, steam pumps, gasoline motors for automobiles and boats, and many other forms of machinery and manufactured iron were extensively made in the Tonawandas. Remington Rand, the world’s largest maker of steel filing equipment, originated here and was started by a local man.

      All of the previously mentioned world-famous industries and manufacturers eventually disappeared from the Tonawandas. To fill the void, scores of light manufacturing concerns sprang up throughout the Twin Cities. Most of these called for skilled and semi-skilled help.

      The transition from lumber to other industries took place gradually but steadily. The disappearance of the heavy industries and the birth of the light industries was also a gradual phenomenon, starting just after World War II. Many reasons have been given for the loss of these industries. It has been claimed that as the factories aged, the machinery and processes became obsolete, and the owners were reluctant to replace them. Many of the local owners passed away with the result that the companies were sold, moved, razed, or were merged with other companies. High taxes were

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