BUFFALO, NY - Looking at a street map of Buffalo is like looking into history. On the west side, you can see the original street grid of the Village of Black Rock which was laid out by the state of New York in 1802. You can also see a pattern of patriotism, like the 13 stripes on the flag, 13 of these original streets were named in honor of the 13 original colonies..
Black Rock and Buffalo were rivals back in the early 1800's, many might not realize it, but the Black Rock street plan extended down to just about Niagara Square and makes up much of what is the west side today. As you drive up Niagara Street today, those colonial names just pop out at you, from Georgia at the south end, to Hampshire at the north.
There are just two streets that break the order, Hudson and Porter, with good reason. Hudson was originally named Delaware Street, when Black Rock became part of Buffalo, there was already a Delaware Avenue, so it was changed. Porter Avenue is named after General Peter Porter, a war hero, former congressman, John Quincy Adam's Secretary Of War, and a community leader in Black Rock. The street, however, was originally an extension of York Street, in honor of New York.
So the next time you find yourself in downtown Buffalo, you may want to take a quick cruise through history and the Unknown Stories fo WNY.