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100-582: Buffalo operated an early professional football circuit from at least the late 1800s onward. Among notable predecessors to the team discussed here were the Buffalo Oakdales, whose heyday was in the years 1908 and 1909 and who ceased operations c. 1915; the Cazenovias, who were New York's best team in 1910 and 1911; and the Lancaster Malleables, from the neighboring town of Lancaster, New York , who were

200-441: A Sunday. Maryland permits Sunday automobile sales only in the counties of Charles , Prince George's , Montgomery , and Howard ; similarly, Michigan restricts Sunday sales to only those counties with a population of less than 130,000. Texas and Utah prohibit car dealerships from operating over consecutive weekend days. In some cases, these laws were created or retained with the support of those whom they affected, to allow them

300-412: A Sunday; the distinction between those that could and could not be sold was increasingly seen as arbitrary, and the laws were inadequately enforced and widely flouted. For example, some supermarkets would treat the relatively modest fines arising as a business cost and open nonetheless. The Sunday Trading Act 1994 relaxed restrictions on Sunday trading. This produced vocal opposition from bodies such as

400-848: A benefit to workers at the same time that they enhanced labor productivity". The Ladenschlussgesetz ("shop closing law") on Sundays and public holidays have been in effect since 1956. In Denmark the closing laws restricting retail trade on Sundays were effectively abolished on October 1, 2012. Retail trade is only restricted on public holidays ( New Year's Day , Maundy Thursday , Good Friday , Easter Sunday , Easter Monday , Day of Prayer, Ascension Day , Whit Sunday , Whit Monday , Christmas Day and Boxing Day ) and on Constitution Day , Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve (on New Year's Eve from 3 pm only). On these days almost all shops will remain closed. Exempt are bakeries, DIYs, garden centres, gas stations and smaller supermarkets. Prior to 1994, trading laws forbade sale of certain products on

500-652: A course for bringing the region on par with the Ohio League and the ultimate establishment of the NFL. With that, they could have theoretically staked a claim to being the best team in the nation, especially considering how the team would perform over the next three seasons, but the Professional Football Researchers Association is dismissive of any claim that does not come from the Ohio League , and gives

600-404: A day of rest, repose, recreation and tranquility--a day which all members of the family and community have the opportunity to spend and enjoy together, a day on which there exists relative quiet and disassociation from the everyday intensity of commercial activities, a day on which people may visit friends and relatives who are not available during working days". In March 2006, Texas judges upheld

700-483: A day off each week without fear of their competitors still being open. Blue laws may also prohibit retail activity on days other than Sunday. In Massachusetts , Rhode Island , and Maine , for example, blue laws prohibit most retail stores, including grocery stores, from opening on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Research regarding the effect of the repeal of blue laws has been conducted, with Professor Elesha Coffman of Baylor University writing: Regarding culture,

800-639: A few days later. The game was also going to be the first game back for Koppisch. However, the Bisons, despite a strong defensive showing, could not generate their offensive potential. This game was Koppisch's last appearance in a Buffalo uniform. The team then lost their final two games of the season to the Providence Steam Rollers (10–0) and the Chicago Cardinals (23–6). In July 1926 it was announced that Walter Koppisch would not be returning to manage

900-510: A forfeit), having only one touchdown scored on them in any of their six games. They were one of the few upper-level teams still able to play games that year, with most of the top-level teams (such as the Patricians, Canton Bulldogs and Massillon Tigers ) all having suspended operations due to the pandemic and/or World War I player shortages; this allowed Buffalo to get a leg up on its Ohio competition and sign otherwise-unemployed players, setting

1000-422: A law on Sabbath desecration , is mainly to ensure that church services remain undisturbed on Sundays and Christian holidays. It forbids public festivities on a Sunday before 13:00, as well as making noise that carries farther than 200 metres (220 yd), but activities that are unlikely to disturb church services are exempt. Prior to 2008, no football was permitted to be played on Sundays by clubs affiliated to

1100-493: A lower quality team that played through 1923, including a 1922 game against the All-Americans themselves. The All-Americans had success during its first couple of APFA seasons, posting a 9–1–1 regular season record in 1920, becoming the first professional NFL team to win by margins of 20 or more points in each of its first four games, an asterisked record which was not tied until the 2007 New England Patriots' offense duplicated

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1200-580: A player to the Hall, after the Jacksonville Jaguars had their first player Tony Boselli inducted in 2022. †= Never played in the league Lancaster, New York Lancaster is a town in Erie County , New York , United States, centered 14 miles east of downtown Buffalo . Lancaster is an outer ring suburb of Buffalo. As of the 2020 Census , the town population was 45,106. Located within

1300-510: A range of other endeavors—including travel , fashions , hunting , professional sports , stage performances , movie showings , and gambling. While less prevalent today, blue laws continue to be enforced in parts of the United States and Canada as well as in European countries, such as Austria , Germany , Norway , and Poland , where most stores are required to close on Sundays. In

1400-681: A restaurant festival and charity fundraiser. The Lancaster/Depew high school football game is held in October. The game dates back to 1919. Lancaster once had its own professional football team in the 1910s. The Lancaster Malleables played in the New York Pro Football League and won the league championship in 1913 and 1914. According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 37.93 square miles (98.25 km ), of which 37.70 square miles (97.65 km )

1500-475: A somewhat-rural character. The western town line is marked by NY 78 and, south of NY 130 , US 20 . The New York State Thruway ( Interstate 90 ) crosses the northern part of the town. NY 33 crosses the town immediately south of the Thruway, and US 20 crosses the central part of the town. The town of Clarence is to the north, and the town of Elma is to the south. The town of Alden

1600-663: A unanimous 6–0 decision, the Lord's Day Act was ruled an infringement of the freedom of conscience and religion defined in section 2(a) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms . A Toronto referendum in 1950 allowed only team sports to be played professionally on Sunday. Theatre performances, movie screenings, and horse racing were not permitted until the 1960s. The Supreme Court later concluded, in R. v. Edwards Books and Art Ltd. [1986] (2 S.C.R. 713), that Ontario's Retail Business Holiday Act , which required some Sunday closings, did not violate

1700-508: Is Erie County's largest school in both student population and square footage. With over 2,000 students, the building was expanded twice. First in 1970 and in 2000, a field house was added. In 2003, the high school opened up a new wing to house natural sciences classrooms. Some of the town's biggest events are held in the village of Lancaster. They are the Fourth of July Parade and the Taste of Lancaster,

1800-491: Is William J. Karn, Jr. The Lancaster Volunteer Ambulance Corps responds to all requests for EMS in Lancaster village and town, along with the village of Depew . It is located at 40 Embry Place within the village limits. Lancaster Ambulance operates with a fleet of seven ambulances and one fly car. It is a combination staffed EMS agency, which has career EMTs, AEMTs, and paramedics on duty 24/7/365. The average yearly call volume

1900-407: Is a cessation from labor. In its enactment, the legislature has given the sanction of law to a rule of conduct, which the entire civilized world recognizes as essential to the physical and moral well-being of society. Upon no subject is there such a concurrence of opinion, among philosophers, moralists and statesmen of all nations, as on the necessity of periodical cessation from labor. One day in seven

2000-484: Is actually not located in the town of Lancaster. Millgrove is a hamlet in the town of Alden , but because the small hamlet of Millgrove is so close to the northeastern portion of Lancaster, the fire company serves a very small portion of the town. The Lancaster Village Fire Department serves the village of Lancaster with two stations. The main station is located in the Lancaster Municipal Building, and

2100-552: Is home to Lancaster High School and five operating elementary schools; Como Park, Court Street, Hillview, John A. Sciole (which is actually located on the Cheektowaga side of the village of Depew ), and the former Central Avenue Elementary School. It also includes the William Street Intermediate School (4th, 5th and 6th grades), and the historic Lancaster Middle School (formerly named Aurora Middle School), which

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2200-407: Is land and 0.24 square miles (0.61 km ), or 0.62%, is water. The town is located on the northern and eastern side of Erie County . The center of Lancaster is 14 miles (23 km) east of downtown Buffalo . Much of Lancaster is highly suburbanized, but the eastern section of the town, notably the area east of County Route 242 (Bowen Road), is only starting to undergo development, retaining

2300-404: Is over 4,000 calls and increasing. Lancaster is home to Buffalo-Lancaster Regional Airport , which is located on Walden Avenue on the east side of the town. NEWSPAPERS RADIO STATIONS Blue laws Blue laws (also known as Sunday laws , Sunday trade laws , and Sunday closing laws ) are laws restricting or banning certain activities on specified days, usually Sundays in

2400-497: Is regarded as an unreliable account of the laws and probably was written to satirize their puritanical nature. While the historical roots of Sunday trade laws in the United States are generally known, the origin of the term "blue laws" remains a mystery. According to a Time magazine editorial in 1961, the year the Supreme Court heard four cases on the issue, the color blue came to be associated with colonial laws in opposition to

2500-734: Is served by four volunteer fire companies. The fire companies are the Bowmansville Volunteer Fire Association, Town Line Fire Department, Twin District Fire Company, and Millgrove Volunteer Fire Department. Bowmansville and Town Line each have two fire stations, while Twin District and Millgrove each operate out of one. Two of the fire companies are located within their respective hamlets, Bowmansville and Town Line . All four town companies respond to all alarms of fire along with requests for EMS. The Millgrove Fire Company

2600-424: Is the largest school district in population in Erie County with one high school. The district serves most of the town and village, including a large majority of the northern part of the village of Depew, on both the Lancaster and Cheektowaga sides. The Depew Union Free School District serves most of the southern part of the village of Depew and almost none of the town or village of Lancaster. The town of Lancaster

2700-505: Is the rule, founded in experience and sustained by science. ... The prohibition of secular business on Sunday is advocated on the ground that by it the general welfare is advanced, labor protected, and the moral and physical well-being of society promoted. Many states prohibit selling alcohol for on and off-premises sales in one form or another on Sundays at some restricted time, under the idea that people should be in church on Sunday morning, or at least not drinking. Many blue laws in

2800-609: Is to the east, and the town of Cheektowaga is to the west. As of the census of 2000, there were 39,019 people, 15,053 households, and 10,506 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,031.1 inhabitants per square mile (398.1/km ). There were 15,627 housing units at an average density of 413.0 per square mile (159.5/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 98.00% White , 0.81% Black or African American , 0.18% Native American , 0.39% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 0.12% from other races , and 0.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.67% of

2900-615: The 13 state holidays in Poland – these are both religious and secular days of rest. In 2014, an initiative by the Law and Justice party failed to pass the reading in the Sejm to ban trading on Sundays and state holidays. However, since 2018, the ruling government and the President of Poland has signed a law that restricts store trading from March 1, 2018, to the first and last Sunday of the month, Palm Sunday ,

3000-686: The Buffalo Indians and Tigers of the third American Football League , the Buffalo Bisons of the AAFC , or the Buffalo Bills of today which was one of the new AFL teams (formation announced in 1959) that first played in 1960. As of 2022, no All-Americans, Bisons or Rangers player had been named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame . It is currently the longest existing team to have never contributed

3100-608: The Chicago Staleys manage to capture second place in the APFA in 1921 , with their only loss of the season against Buffalo. McNeil scheduled the two additional games against the Pros and Staleys back-to-back. The first game was scheduled for December 3 against the tough Pros, after which his team would take an all-night train to Chicago to play the Staleys the next day. The All-Americans defeated

Buffalo team (NFL) - Misplaced Pages Continue

3200-518: The Decatur Staleys , who would have a season that counted 11 wins to 2 losses (.846). On November 27, 1921, the All-Americans claimed the APFA title with a record of 9–0–2. However, for reason still unknown, owner Frank McNeil agreed to play two more games. He did tell the Buffalo media that the two games were exhibitions and would have no bearing on the team's claim to the APFA title. George Halas and

3300-574: The Irish Football Association in Northern Ireland. Shops with a floor area of over 280 square metres (3,000 sq ft) may only open from 1 to 6pm on Sundays. In Belfast , public playgrounds were closed on Sundays until 1965. Swings in public parks were tied up and padlocked to prevent their use. Similar laws formerly applied to cinemas, pubs and parks. Since 2007, blue laws were enacted and resulted in stores closing on

3400-553: The Jamestown Colony in 1619 by the first General Assembly of Virginia . Among the 70 laws passed by the assembly was a mandate requiring attendance by all colonists at both morning and afternoon worship services on Sundays. The laws adopted that year also included provisions addressing idleness, gambling, drunkenness, and excessive apparel. Similar laws aimed at keeping the Sabbath holy and regulating morals were soon adopted throughout

3500-500: The John P. Sommers House . The twelve latter properties are located within the Village of Lancaster. The US Post Office-Depew , which is located on the town of Lancaster's side of the village of Depew , is technically in the town of Lancaster, so it is included on the list of historic sites. A domed football stadium was planned to be built in Lancaster. A plan from January 30, 1970, called for

3600-642: The Keep Sunday Special campaign, and the Lord's Day Observance Society : on religious grounds, on the grounds that it would increase consumerism, and that it would reduce shop assistants' weekend leisure time. The legislation permits large shops (those with a relevant floor area in excess of 280 square metres; 3000 sq. ft.) to open for up to six hours on Sunday. Small shops, those with an area of below 280 square metres (3000 sq. ft.), are free to set their own Sunday trading times. Some large shops, such as off-licences , service stations and garages, are exempt from

3700-638: The Lord's Day Alliance in North America and the Lord's Day Observance Society in the British Isles, were supported by labor unions in lobbying "to prevent secular and commercial interests from hampering freedom of worship and from exploiting workers". In Canada, the Ligue du Dimanche , a Roman Catholic Sunday league, supported the Lord's Day Act in 1923 and promoted first-day Sabbatarian legislation. Beginning in

3800-504: The western world . The laws were adopted originally for religious reasons, specifically to promote the observance of the Christian day of worship . Since then, they have come to serve secular purposes as well. Blue laws commonly ban certain business and recreational activities on Sundays, and impose restrictions on the retail sale of hard goods and consumables , particularly alcoholic beverages . The laws also place limitations on

3900-428: The "Staley Swindle." McNeil eventually went to his grave trying to get the league's decision overturned. In their decision, based on a generally accepted (but now obsolete) rule that if two teams play each other more than once in a season, the second game counts more than the first, the executive committee followed established tradition. Had Buffalo not played the last game, they would have had an undefeated season and won

4000-444: The 1840s, workers, Jews, Seventh Day Baptists , freethinkers, and other groups began to organize opposition. Throughout the century, Sunday laws fueled church–state controversy, and as an issue that contributed to the emergence of modern American minority-rights politics. On the other hand, the more recent Dies Domini , written by Pope John Paul II in 1998, advocates Sunday legislation in that it protects civil servants and workers;

4100-412: The 1922 season, forcing his early retirement and beginning the team's decline. In 1924, owner Frank McNeil sold the team back to Hughitt and Warren D. Patterson, who immediately changed the team name to Bisons (a stock name for Buffalo sports teams) and signed several players ( Pete Calac , Benny Boynton and Jim Ailinger being among them) to make another run at the title. After starting the season 6–2,

Buffalo team (NFL) - Misplaced Pages Continue

4200-401: The 3rd and 4th Advent Sundays, as well as trading until 14.00 for Easter Saturday and Christmas Eve. In 2019, the restriction was extended, and trading was permitted solely on the last Sunday of the month, as well as Palm Sunday , the 3rd and 4th Advent Sundays, as well as trading until 14.00 for Easter Saturday and Christmas Eve. From 2020, stores may only be open on seven Sundays in

4300-519: The All-Americans are generally shown as the third-place team in league standings from that year (the confusion stems from a statement in the minutes from the league's April 1921 reorganization meeting admitting an unidentified team from Buffalo; this may have instead been the Tonawanda Kardex , who joined the league in 1921, playing only one game). Patterson held on to the Prospects name and put together

4400-399: The All-Americans to a scoreless tie in front of only 3,000 fans. At the game, Akron owners Frank Nied and Art Ranney agreed to sell Bob Nash to Buffalo for $ 300 and five per cent of the gate, in the first known player deal between NFL clubs. Along with the Decatur Staleys and Akron Pros, Buffalo claimed a share of the 1920 league title. That same season the Pros held the best record in

4500-695: The Bisons defeated the Columbus Tigers , 17–6. However tragedy struck the team just a few days later when, team captain Walter Koppisch was injured in a car accident and was advised to sit out a few games to allow his injuries to heal. A week later, the Bisons were defeated by the Frankford Yellow Jackets , 12–3. However, the team was scheduled to play the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds,

4600-547: The Buffalo Bisons in the upcoming season. Meanwhile, Jim Kendrick was announced to be taking over as the team's manager, and serving as a player-coach . Jim Kendrick announced his " Buffalo Rangers " experiment, fielding an exhibition team of players from Texas and the Southwestern United States for the 1926 season. His plan was that this exhibition squad would then represent Buffalo in the NFL. Because most of

4700-643: The Charter because it did not have a religious purpose. Nonetheless, as of today, virtually all provincial Sunday closing laws have ceased to exist. Some were struck down by provincial courts, but most were simply abrogated, often due to competitive reasons where out-of-province or foreign merchants were open. In the United States, judges have defended blue laws "in terms of their secular benefit to workers", holding that "the laws were essential to social well-being". In 1896, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Johnson Field , opined with regard to Sunday blue laws: Its requirement

4800-673: The Christian Sabbath tradition. In the Kingdom of Tonga , the Vavaʻu Code (1839) was a form of blue law inspired by the teachings of Methodist missionaries . With the inauguration of the Tongan Constitution on June 4, 1875, the sixth clause stipulates: "The Sabbath Day shall be kept holy in Tonga and no person shall practise his trade or profession or conduct any commercial undertaking on

4900-532: The Hull House property for preservation. The Lancaster Bee News stated it was stored in a barn on the original property and not taken for restoration. The Lancaster District School No. 6 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. In 1857, the town's southern half was taken to form the town of Elma . In the late 1960s, Buffalo developer Edward H. Cottrell proposed what would have been

5000-661: The North Dakota Catholic Conference in 2011 likewise maintained that blue laws, in accordance with the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church , "ensure that, for reasons of economic productivity, citizens are not denied time for rest and divine worship". Similarly, Chief Justice Earl Warren , while recognizing the partial religious origin of blue laws, acknowledged the "secular purpose they served by providing

5100-643: The Northside Station Two is on West Drullard Avenue. The LFD does not respond to EMS calls, except when requested for calls such as MVAs or lift assists. The Lancaster Police Department serves the town and village of Lancaster. Prior to the 21st century, the town and village had separate police departments. It was the first major consolidation of law enforcement in Western New York. The LPD operates with roughly 51 officers, which includes road patrol, bike team, 3 school resource officers, detective bureau, and

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5200-475: The Pros also held the All-Americans to scoreless tie. Both the All-Americans and the Staleys complained about the championship, arguing that Akron had only tied, but not defeated them. However, because league president Jim Thorpe and vice president Stan Cofall were absent from the meeting, Akron's owner Art Ranney was presiding over the meeting. Joseph Carr , owner of the Columbus Panhandles , moved at

5300-537: The Pros, arriving in Chicago worn out and in no condition to play the Staleys, and lost. McNeil still believed his team was the APFA's 1921 champion, and even invested in tiny gold footballs for his players to commemorate the achievement. However Halas declared that the title was Chicago's, basing his claim on his belief that the second game of the Buffalo-Chicago series mattered more than the first. He also pointed out that

5400-657: The United States held in its landmark case, McGowan v. Maryland (1961), that Maryland 's blue laws violated neither the Free Exercise Clause nor the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution . It approved the state's blue law restricting commercial activities on Sunday, noting that while such laws originated to encourage attendance at Christian churches ,

5500-722: The United States restrict the purchase of particular items on Sundays. Some of these laws restrict the ability to buy cars, groceries, office supplies, and housewares among other things. Though most of these laws have been relaxed or repealed in most states, they are still enforced in some other states. In Texas, for example, blue laws prohibited selling housewares such as pots, pans, and washing machines on Sunday until 1985. In Colorado , Illinois , Indiana , Iowa , Louisiana , Maine , Minnesota , Missouri , Oklahoma , New Jersey , North Dakota , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin , car dealerships continue to operate under blue-law prohibitions in which an automobile may not be purchased or traded on

5600-555: The United States, the Supreme Court has upheld blue laws as constitutional , recognizing their religious origins but are supported by secular justifications. This has resulted to the provision of a day of rest for the general population. Meanwhile, various state courts have struck down the laws as either unenforceable or in violation of their states' constitutions. In response, state legislators have re-enacted certain Sunday laws to satisfy

5700-472: The Village of Lancaster's Multiple Property Submission properties, including the Bruce-Briggs Brick Block , Clark-Lester House , DePew Lodge No. 823, Free and Accepted Masons , US Post Office-Lancaster , Lancaster Municipal Building , Liebler-Rohl Gasoline Station , Miller-Mackey House , Dr. John J. Nowak House , Herman B. VanPeyma House , John Richardson House , Zuidema-Idsardi House and

5800-607: The aggregate score of the two games was 16–14 in favor of the Staleys. McNeil insisted the Buffalo All-Americans were the champions, still maintaining that the last two games his team played were merely exhibitions. It didn't matter. The league awarded the championship by a vote of the Association's executive committee in January 1922 to the Staleys. This episode is referred to by several sports historians and Buffalo sports fans as

5900-569: The area because of the 1918 flu pandemic ; Dooley and Lepper discontinued the All-Stars. Shoe salesman Warren D. Patterson, at the same time as this, formed a new team known as the Buffalo Niagaras, signing former Youngstown Patricians quarterback Ernest "Tommy" Hughitt as his quarterback. As the Niagaras, the team won a citywide championship in 1918, going undefeated with a 6–0–0 record (including

6000-403: The average family size was 3.11. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males. The median income for a household in the town

6100-485: The best team in the region in 1913 and 1914. These teams played each other and teams from nearby cities (for example, the Rochester Jeffersons ). The All-Stars played from 1915 to 1917 under the leadership of Eugene F. Dooley; in 1917, Dooley, along with his star player Barney Lepper , took the team on a barnstorming tour of midwestern pro football teams. In 1918, the city's teams were not allowed to play outside

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6200-524: The colonies. The first known example of the phrase "blue laws" in print was in the March 3, 1755, edition of the New-York Mercury , in which the writer imagines a future newspaper praising the revival of "our [Connecticut's] old Blue Laws ". In his 1781 book General History of Connecticut , the Reverend Samuel Peters (1735–1826) used the phrase to describe numerous laws adopted by 17th-century Puritans that prohibited various activities on Sunday, recreational as well as commercial. Beyond that, Peters' book

6300-500: The constitutionality of Pennsylvania's Sunday law. As in cases in other states, litigants pointed to the provisions of state constitutions protecting religious liberty and maintained that Sunday laws were a blatant violation. Though typically unsuccessful (most state supreme courts upheld the constitutionality of Sunday laws), these constitutional challenges helped set a pattern by which subsequent minorities would seek to protect religious freedom and minority rights. The Supreme Court of

6400-484: The contemporary Maryland laws were intended to serve "to provide a uniform day of rest for all citizens" on a secular basis and to promote the secular values of "health, safety, recreation, and general well-being" through a common day of rest. That this day coincides with Christian Sabbath is not a bar to the state's secular goals; it neither reduces its effectiveness for secular purposes nor prevents adherents of other religions from observing their own holy days. McGowan

6500-418: The domed stadium on Pleasant View Drive that would allow for football and baseball games. It would have been modeled after the Houston Astrodome . The Erie County Legislature scrapped the plan a week after Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson, Jr. demanded a definitive stadium plan within 60 days. After scrapping the plan, legislators passed a resolution to seek an alternative project immediately. The domed stadium

6600-591: The feat; the asterisk is because, in the early NFL, the All-Americans played five of its 11 games against non-league opponents. Unique for a professional football team, the All-Americans had a sharing agreement with the Union Club of Phoenixville , a side project managed by All-Americans player Heinie Miller . Miller would take himself and seven other All-Americans to Phoenixville, Pennsylvania to play games on Saturdays (Pennsylvania had blue laws that prevented play on Sunday), and then return to Buffalo on Sundays. This sharing agreement lasted into 1921 when Miller formed

6700-419: The following Sunday. Lepper teamed up with Hughitt and Patterson in early 1920 to create the Buffalo All-Americans, then quickly sold the team to Frank McNeil, a somewhat abrasive and aggressive owner who was able to get the team into the National Football League for its first season. However records indicate he may not have actually entered his team into the American Professional Football Association until 1921,

6800-521: The impact of vanishing blue laws could be larger. A study in New Mexico in 2006 found a sharp increase in drunken driving on Sundays after that state dropped its Sunday ban on packaged alcohol sales. A broader study published by MIT and Notre Dame economists in 2008 found that the repeal of blue laws led to decreased church attendance, decreased donations to churches, and increased alcohol and drug use among religious individuals. These wide-ranging effects cannot easily be pinpointed to specific causes, but one of

6900-433: The indignity of a winless season in 1929. With the Great Depression underway, the Bisons folded, never to return again. During the season, the Bisons set an NFL record of six consecutive games without ever having a lead in regulation play. The record was tied in 2012 by the Kansas City Chiefs . With the exception of the two teams that have direct descendants still in the NFL — the Bears and Arizona Cardinals — Buffalo

7000-495: The latter study's authors, Daniel Hungerman, suggested to Christianity Today that blue laws might have been fulfilling their original intent, to keep people pious. Beginning in the mid-19th century, religious and ethno-cultural minorities arrested for violating state and local blue laws appealed their convictions to state supreme courts. In Specht v. Commonwealth (Pa. 1848), for example, German Seventh Day Baptists in Pennsylvania employed attorney Thaddeus Stevens to challenge

7100-495: The league's meeting in April 1921 to give Akron the sole title and the rights to the Brunswick-Balke Collender Cup . Buffalo finished in third place, with Chicago in second place. In a separate motion, Carr would be elected league president. According to modern NFL tie-breaking rules, the 1920 Buffalo All-Americans would be co-champions. They would be tied with the Akron Pros in win percentage, 9 + 1 ⁄ 2 wins to 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 losses (.864), both teams beating out

7200-526: The league, and only had to avoid losing a game. Meanwhile, Buffalo and the Staleys had to win in order to capture the APFA Championship. The Pros were able to hold the Staleys to a scoreless tie at Cub Park . However, the Pros still had to play the All-Americans who were fresh from a 7–3 win over the Canton Bulldogs at New York City's Polo Grounds . Despite Buffalo's confidence going into the match,

7300-530: The mythical "national title" to the Dayton Triangles , who also went undefeated that year. When the New York Pro Football League reopened in 1919, the team, now reorganized into a franchise known as the Prospects, defeated the Rochester Jeffersons for the league title in a two-game Thanksgiving weekend tournament . The two teams tied the Thanksgiving Day game, but Buffalo handily defeated Rochester 20–0

7400-516: The new Union Quakers of Philadelphia , but All-Americans owner Frank McNeil put a halt to the agreement halfway through the 1921 season after the Quakers played the Canton Bulldogs and wore out the All-Americans players. Five All-Americans left the team to play for the Quakers full-time; Buffalo had the pickings of the then-defunct Detroit Tigers to replenish their roster. In 1920, the Akron Pros held

7500-598: The players were Texans, the team was nicknamed the "Rangers" in deference to the state's legendary peacekeeping force . Along with the West Coast's Los Angeles Buccaneers and the South's Louisville Colonels , it was one of three teams that represented cities outside the NFL's existing footprint. Kendrick believed that if the players have no outside interests or anything to divert their minds from playing football, they can play better. The season's outcome would determine if his theory

7600-598: The police tactical team, the ERT (Emergency Response Team). The Lancaster Police Department operates out of the Lancaster Town Center, located at 525 Pavement Road. It was the site of a former United States Army Nike base, where the police still operate out of the former administration building. A new police and courts center was built on the Pavement Road site and officially opened February 5, 2014. The current Chief of Police

7700-409: The population. There were 15,053 households, out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and

7800-509: The red emblem of British royalty. Other explanations have been offered. One of the most widely circulated is that early blue laws adopted in Connecticut were printed on blue paper. However, no copies have been found that would support this claim and it is not deemed credible. A more plausible explanation, one that is gaining general acceptance, is that the laws adopted by Puritans were aimed at enforcing morality and thus were "blue-nosed", though

7900-538: The remaining players went their separate ways, citing their dislike for Buffalo's cold winters as the primary reason for leaving. Dim Batterson , a local high school and college coach and an assistant with the team since 1925, was brought in to coach the 1927 season. After five games ( all losses , all but one being a shutout), the team suspended operations and failed to finish the season. The team did not return to play in 1928, but returned in 1929 with former Oorang Indian Al Jolley as coach. Among their players that year

8000-712: The restrictions. Some very large shops (e.g. department stores) open for longer than six hours on a Sunday by allowing customers in to browse 30 minutes prior to allowing them to make a purchase, since the six-hour restriction only applies to time during which the shop may make sales. Christmas Day and Easter Sunday are non-trading days. This applies even to garden centres, which earlier had been trading over Easter, but not to small shops (those with an area of below 280 square metres; 3000 sq. ft.). Prior to 1996, shops were generally closed on Sundays. A new law regarding opening times changed that and leaves that decision mostly up to local municipalities. The Zondagswet ("Sunday law"),

8100-542: The rulings while allowing some of the other statutes to remain on the books with no intention to enforce them. The Roman Emperor Constantine promulgated the first known law regarding prohibition of Sunday labour for apparent religion-associated reasons in A.D. 321: On the venerable Day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed. The earliest laws in North America addressing Sunday activities and public behavior were enacted in

8200-653: The state blue law that requires car dealerships to close either Saturday or Sunday each weekend. Blue laws also exist in the Polynesian islands of Cook Islands and Niue . In the Cook Islands, these were the first written legislation, enacted by the London Missionary Society in 1827, with the consent of the ariki (chiefs). Laws in Niue ban certain activities on Sunday, reflecting the country's history of observing

8300-538: The team lost their last three to once again end up marginally above .500. Hughitt retired at the end of the season. After Hughitt's retirement at the end of the 1924 season, the team struggled for the rest of its lifespan. However, on October 1, 1925, the Bisons managed to wrestle Jim Kendrick from his contract with the Hammond Pros and signed him to play for Buffalo. In 1925 the Bisons were led by former Columbia University star and Buffalo native Walter Koppisch , who

8400-688: The term "blue" may have been used in the vernacular of the times as a synonym for puritanism itself, in effect, overly strict. As Protestant moral reformers organized the Sabbath reform in 19th-century America, calls for the enactment and enforcement of stricter Sunday laws developed. Numerous Americans were arrested for working, keeping an open shop, drinking alcohol, traveling, and engaging in recreational activities on Sundays. Erwin Fahlbusch and Geoffrey William Bromiley write that throughout their existence, organizations advocating first-day Sabbatarianism , such as

8500-495: The title. In both the 1920 and 1921 seasons, Buffalo played all of its games at home (the lone exceptions being the two 1921 matches in Chicago and one against the Detroit Tigers ). Under the leadership of player-coach Tommy Hughitt , the All-Americans, though they never equaled the success of the first two seasons, continued to post winning records in 1922 and 1923. Star running back Ockie Anderson 's knees deteriorated during

8600-471: The town entered a period of rapid growth, with much development in the southern and eastern parts of the town. The William Street Intermediate School opened in the southern part of town in the mid-1990s, and in 2003, the town and village police departments merged. Additions to the middle school and the William Street School to accommodate rising enrollment were finished in 2005. Lancaster High School

8700-505: The town is the village of Lancaster and the eastern half of the village of Depew . Depew's western half lies within the town of Cheektowaga . In 1803, the Holland Land Company sold its first plot of land in the future town. The town of Lancaster was formed from the town of Clarence in 1833. The town was named after Lancaster, Massachusetts , but the reason for applying this name is not known. Originally called "Cayuga Creek",

8800-654: The town later incorporated and obtained the current name. Lancaster has the oldest stone structure in Erie County, the Warren Hull House . It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. Also within the town is the Gipple Cabin, the oldest wooden structure in Erie County. The cabin is on private land just south of the northern town line. The cabin was dismantled in the fall of 2013 and relocated to

8900-519: The village of Depew , and the two largest hamlets, Town Line and Bowmansville . The town also contains other smaller communities and hamlets. Streams and waterways: The town and village of Lancaster contain the following parks: The town of Lancaster contains several historic buildings, listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The buildings include the Warren Hull House , the Lancaster District School No. 6 , and many of

9000-455: The world's second domed stadium in Lancaster. The Dome Stadium Incorporated was formed but the County refused to participate and resulted in a 20-year breach of contract litigation and eventually lead a dismissal in 1986. Once known as a small town with a small town atmosphere, Lancaster has, in recent years, evolved into a suburban community, due to the white flight from Buffalo. In the early 1990s,

9100-470: The year: Palm Sunday , the 3rd and 4th Advent Sundays, the last Sunday of January, April, June and August as well as trading until 14.00 for Easter Saturday and Christmas Eve. As a result of restrictions in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic , the 2nd Advent Sunday was later added as a shopping day. The Lord's Day Act , which since 1906 had prohibited business transactions from taking place on Sundays,

9200-472: Was Jess Rodriguez , the first Hispanic-American player in the NFL (the Frankford Yellow Jackets had hired Ignacio "Lou" Molinet two years prior, but Molinet was a Cuban national). Much like in 1927, the Bisons failed to win a game until their final game, when in a case of cosmic irony they upset the Chicago Bears 19–7; thus, the very team that had spoiled their undefeated season in 1921 saved them from

9300-402: Was $ 48,990, and the median income for a family was $ 59,712. Males had a median income of $ 41,501 versus $ 28,049 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 21,723. About 2.5% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line , including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over. The town's most populated areas include the village of Lancaster , half

9400-586: Was but one of four Sunday closing cases decided together by the Court in May 1961. In Gallagher v. Crown Kosher Super Market of Mass., Inc. , the Court ruled against a Kosher deli that closed on Saturday but was open on Sunday. The other two cases were Braunfeld v. Brown , and Two Guys from Harrison-Allentown, Inc. v. McGinley . Chief Justice Earl Warren declared that "the State seeks to set one day apart from all others as

9500-521: Was correct. The Buffalo media alternately referred to the team as the "Bison Rangers," combining the old name with the new so that fans might more easily identify with the team that was on its third name in seven years. The one-year experiment brought a 4–4–2 (.500) season. Buffalo expected Kendrick to return to field the Rangers for the 1927 season , however he signed with the New York Giants, and most of

9600-501: Was declared unconstitutional in the 1985 case R. v. Big M Drug Mart Ltd. Calgary police officers witnessed several transactions at the Big M Drug Mart, all of which occurred on a Sunday. Big M was charged with a violation of the Lord's Day Act . A provincial court ruled that the Lord's Day Act was unconstitutional, but the Crown proceeded to appeal all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada . In

9700-556: Was expected to return the team to championship contention but never lived up to his billing due to a number of issues with the team surrounding him. Prior to Kendrick joining the team, the Bisons were already 0–2 on the season. Kendrick's first game with Buffalo came on Sunday, October 4, 1925, against the Rochester Jeffersons . With Kendrick in the line-up, the Bisons tied the Jeffersons and the Akron Pros in their next two games. A week later

9800-526: Was first proposed in 1967 but its implementation was blocked over disputes about the location. In 2001, VFW Post 7275 was named in honor of Medal of Honor recipient Lt. Col. Matt Urban . The Lancaster Central School District includes the majority of the town. Other parts of the town are in Alden Central School District , Clarence Central School District , Depew Union Free School District , and Iroquois Central School District The town

9900-481: Was the longest-lived of the league's original 13 teams. At least one further game against an NFL team was played in Buffalo in the wake of the Bisons' failure: the independent Buffalo Bears narrowly lost, 8–6, to the Cleveland Indians in a 1931 contest. Buffalo would become a regular "neutral site" for NFL exhibitions from 1938 to 1958. The team has no official relation to future Buffalo pro football franchises:

10000-796: Was the town's high school prior to the construction of the current one in 1953. They are all part of the Lancaster Central School District . There are also a number of private schools (with the Catholic schools being affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo ), including St. Mary's High School , Chesterton Academy of Buffalo , St. Mary's on the Hill Elementary, and the now closed Our Lady of Pompeii Elementary. Our Lady of Pompeii closed in 2014. In January 2014 it had 14 employees and 70 students. The Lancaster District

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