Buffalo Car Manufacturing Company , also known as Buffalo Car Company or Buffalo Car Works , was an American manufacturer of railroad freight cars in the late 19th century. In 1899, this company was merged with twelve others to form American Car and Foundry Company .
19-638: Buffalo Car Works was founded in 1853 in Black Rock, New York by D.J. Townsend and George Coit, Jr. to build railroad cars. By 1854, the company had also adopted the name "Buffalo Car Company". By 1856, its plant on land between the New York Central Railroad 's main line through Buffalo and the Niagara River encompassed 15 buildings. During the Panic of 1857 , the company experienced a financial failure and
38-584: Is a public park situated on Unity Island in the Niagara River in Buffalo , New York , United States. It was originally named for Michael Broderick (died 1951), one of the founders of the West Side Rowing Club , which had a clubhouse on the southern point of Unity Island until 1975, when it was destroyed by fire. In 2023, it was renamed Freedom Park in honor of African-American freedom seekers who caught
57-506: Is now a neighborhood of the northwest section of the city of Buffalo, New York . In the 1820s, Black Rock was the rival of Buffalo for the terminus of the Erie Canal , but Buffalo, with its larger harbor capacity and greater distance from the shores of Canada, a recent antagonist during the War of 1812 , won the competition. Black Rock took its name from a large outcropping of black limestone along
76-686: The National Register of Historic Places in 2011. In the 1870s, the International Railway Bridge connected the two nations at Black Rock, an engineering marvel at the time. The Black Rock Rail Yard handled both passenger service and commercial transport of goods into and out of Canada. Following the completion of the St. Lawrence Seaway , the construction of the United States's Interstate Highway system, Canada's Queen Elizabeth Highway, and
95-462: The Niagara River from Canada, Black Rock was an important crossing place for African-Americans escaping slavery via the Underground Railroad . This heritage was celebrated for about ten years with an annual Underground Railroad Re-Enactment at Freedom Park (Buffalo, New York) on Unity Island at Niagara and West Ferry Streets, the site of the former ferry dock. The area's first industry
114-520: The Niagara River , which was blasted away in the early 1820s to make way for the canal. The earliest known European settlement in Black Rock dates back to around 1795, when the Black Rock Ferry, which crossed the treacherous Niagara River to Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, began operation. Ferry service from Black Rock to Fort Erie continued under various proprietors until May 1951. In spite of losing
133-584: The Underground Railroad . These activities were particularly precipitated by the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 , 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 who, as president of
152-780: The Black Rock Ferry there to escape from slavery in the United States and land in safety in Canada. Freedom Park, following an elongated shape, is located on the southern tip of Unity Island between the Niagara River and the Black Rock Canal. The park overlooks the Canada–US border and is within view of the Peace Bridge , which links the State of New York with the Canadian Province of Ontario at Fort Erie . Freedom Park offers recreational facilities for local residents and visitors. Under
171-539: The Buffalo Micro Parks system within the City of Buffalo, contribution is made toward the maintenance and improvement of amenities. Given the park's proximity to Canada, it served as a transit area for African-Americans heading for the border on the opposite side of the Niagara River from the park. The park once housed docks for the Black Rock Ferry, which is known to have transported fugitive slaves to Canada as part of
190-520: The Erie Canal terminus to Buffalo and twice being burned to the ground by the British during the War of 1812 , Black Rock continued to prosper. In 1814, a small group of American riflemen defended Black Rock and neighboring Buffalo from a British assault and, in 1839, it was incorporated as a town. In 1853, the City of Buffalo annexed the town of Black Rock. Because of its ferry and strategic position across
209-534: The United States , signed this measure into law. (See also: Presidency of Millard Fillmore#Fugitive Slave Act .) After the American Civil War period and the Emancipation Proclamation , the park ceased to have the same clandestine focus for African-Americans fleeing from slavery. In the 1990s, reenactments and commemorations of Underground Railroad events were regularly held at Freedom Park under
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#1732898861647228-483: The corner of Amherst and East Streets from 1990 to 2003. Another prominent resident was US Secretary of War Peter Buell Porter . Former US Congressman John M. Holley lived in Black Rock. Black Rock is covered in the [REDACTED] West Side travel guide from Wikivoyage. 42°56′06″N 78°54′00″W / 42.935°N 78.900°W / 42.935; -78.900 Freedom Park (Buffalo, New York) Freedom Park , formerly known as Broderick Park,
247-468: The increase of commercial air travel, the Black Rock Rail Yard lost its passenger service and later most of its commercial freight service. The railroad bridge, however, remains in heavy usage and is one of the most important rail crossings between the United States and Canada. Black Rock's best-known resident was American poet Robert Creeley , who lived with his family in a converted firehouse at
266-414: The next decade despite their business relationship and their manufacturing shops being located in relatively close proximity to each other. In 1895, Buffalo was awarded a contract, valued at $ 900,000, from New York Central Railroad to build its most expensive freight cars to date with an order for 1,500 boxcars . The cars were to feature air brakes , automatic couplers and all-steel trucks . Buffalo
285-498: The sponsorship of Buffalo Quarters Historical Society. In 2010, Freedom Park was recognized by the U.S. National Park Service as a National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site. Freedom Park — visibly close to the Peace Bridge — has sometimes been used as a backdrop to public meetings on subjects of law and administrative reform as they relate to cross-border issues. In 2008, funding shortfalls led to an unsuccessful proposal calling for Freedom Park to be transferred from
304-573: Was awarded another lucrative contract in 1898 to build 500 hopper cars for the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway ; although the cars included drop doors to unload the cars through the floor, the cars were intended to be used in conjunction with a car dumper that would unload the car through end doors directly into the hold of a coal-fired ship. In 1899, Buffalo and twelve other companies, including Union Car Company, were merged to form American Car and Foundry Company (ACF). The former Buffalo plant
323-468: Was shipbuilding, later supplanted by foundries, manufacturing, and canal commerce. Today Black Rock boasts some pre-annexation houses and many excellent, sometimes vacant examples of early 20th century brick and masonry industrial architecture. Black Rock's history is amply documented in the library collections of the Buffalo History Museum . The Market Square Historic District was listed on
342-708: Was sold off by the government. The newer company was founded as the Buffalo Car Company in 1872 by William Williams . The company's facility in Buffalo was leased by the Gilbert Car Company in 1879. Buffalo merged with Niagara Car Wheel Company in 1890. The consolidated company became known as Buffalo Car Manufacturing Company and entered into a business relationship with Union Car Company , based in Depew, New York . Buffalo and Union were both operated independently for
361-416: Was used during World War I to manufacture munitions for the war. ACF closed the Buffalo plant in 1931 and then reopened it in 1940 to produce munitions for World War II ; the plant closed again after the war and reopened again in 1951 to produce parts needed for nuclear weapons. ACF closed the Buffalo plant permanently in 1954. Black Rock, New York Black Rock , once an independent municipality,
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