Images of downtown Buffalo in the 1940's

To see more of Natalie Green Tessier's photos, see page 26 of the Winter 2004 Heritage Magazine. Subscribe now!

Unless you reside on property along the Niagara River on the historic Mile Strip or on one of the Western New York's Indian reservations, your property deed begins with the surnames of the partners of the Holland Land Company. Who were these Dutchmen: Wilhelm Willink, Pieter van Eeghen, Hendrick Vollenhoven, Nicholas van Staphorst and Rutger Jan Schimmilpennick whose names you see in Western New York property deeds? Why was Buffalo originally named New Amsterdam? Why was the village's principal thoroughfare called Willink Avenue and Van Staphorst Avenue? Why was Church Street originally named Stadnitski Avenue or Niagara Street called Schimmelpennick Avenue? Who was the Italian Paul Busti, whose name graces one of Buffalo's west side streets now but whose name originally appeared on today's Genesee Street? Why is Joseph Ellicott's name found all over Western New York two centuries later? Let's take a look at the process by which Western New York was surveyed and prepared for settlement as well as identify important people involved in that process.

To read the rest of John W. Percy's story, see page 40 in the Winter 2004 issue. Subscribe now!

For a few years in the late 1920's, the village of Eden, NY was home to a small press with a colorful history.

The American Arts and Crafts movement was inspired by the work of the Englishman William Morris who captured the imagination of many like-minded individuals. Morris's vision was to create fine goods with a high level of craftsmanship as an alternative to the mass-produced "cheap and nasty" materials flooding the world as a result of the industrial revolution. The quality of book printing had become particularly bad...

As famous as the Roycroft was, it was not the only Western New York fine press to achieve notoriety. South of Buffalo and less than 10 miles away from East Aurora was the Aries Press of Eden, NY. This small press was the vision and child of Spencer Kellogg, Jr. Kellogg was a writer, photographer, and all-around aesthete. Being born into privilege did not make Kellogg in any way idle. From his activity with the Buffalo Photo-Pictorialists to his membership on the board of the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy, his support of and activity in the arts was fully committed.

To read more of Richard Kegler's story, see page 50 of the Winter 2004 Heritage Magazine. Subscribe now!