Western New York

When the French arrived in the early 16th century, what is now known as Western New York was home to the Haudenosaunee, and the nations of the Erie, the Seneca, and the Wenrohronen. These people became staunch allies of the French in their ongoing wars with Britain, as each lay claim to the New World. Victorious in war, the British acquired the land from the tribes and colonists, land which Americans would later find to have immense value.

With the natural borders of Lake Ontario to the north, Lake Erie to the west, and the Finger Lakes to the east, the territory was an accessible gateway to western and northern trade routes and a crucial military location. Trading and manufacturing thrived in Erie County, and the Erie Canal, which flows eastward from Buffalo, through Orleans County, paved the way for the state to become an international shipping giant. Hydroelectric power generated by Niagara Falls gave the city of Buffalo the nickname “City of Light.” In 1812, the first naval battle of the War of 1812 happened at the mouth of Canadaway Creek in Chautauqua County.

Prosperity in the West grew over the 19th century, and inland counties thrived. The railway brought people and jobs. Oil was discovered in Cattaraugus County, limestone and gypsum deposits were found in Genesee County, and the town of Caneadea in Allegany County became an important stop on the Underground Railroad.

By the 1950s, like the rest of the American “Rust Belt,” western cities and towns saw declines in manufacturing, jobs, and population, and the economy slowed tremendously; however, over the next decades and into the 21st century, the counties have seen growth in tourism, the healthcare industry, and a rebound in manufacturing.  

Top image: Niagara Falls, Niagara County, spanning the border of the United States and Canada, formed over 12,000 years ago as retreating glaciers carved the landscape and filled basins and rivers with water. Niagara Falls State Park was established as the first state park in the nation in 1885.