North Tonawanda History Museum © Collections

The focus of this section of the Museum will be on General History of our City. Stay tuned for regular additions as we continue our catologuing of the actual Museum collections.

Photo: North Tonawanda City Seal, courtesy of "The Talk of the Tonawandas... Online!" MyTonawandas.com

The North Tonawanda History Museum has received word from Heritage Preservation: The National Institute for Conservation, in Washington, D.C. that the Museum has been determined eligible for the 2006 Conservation Assessment Program (CAP). The Museum will be allocated $6,540 to hire a professional conservator to assess the Museum's collections and a preservation architect to assess the facilities for the future Museum home. Assessors will meet with Museum staff and volunteers, as well as with members of the Board of Trustees, so that everyone will play a part in the CAP assessment and will be invested in carrying out the assessor's recommendations. The Museum will need to match the grant with $610.

Heritage Preservation’s Conservation Assessment Program is supported through a cooperative agreement with the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is an independent federal grant-making agency dedicated to creating and sustaining a nation of learners by helping libraries and museums serve their communities.

The City of North Tonawanda, located midway between Niagara Falls and Buffalo, is the second largest community in Niagara County, and the 15th largest city out of 62 in the State of New York. Today, North Tonawanda is focused on waterfront development, tourism, and entertainment.

The Holland Land Co. purchased land in what is now North Tonawanda through Robert Morris in 1797. Morris was also the financier of the Revolutionary War. The earliest known settler in North Tonawanda is said to have been George N. Burger. He built a log cabin here in 1809, on a site later occupied by the Vincent Koch and Co. lumber yard. In 1810 Joshua Pettit built a log tavern on the site eventually occupied by Tonawanda Iron Corporation on the shore of the Niagara River. In 1810 Garrett VanSlyke built a tavern on the north side of Tonawanda Creek.

In 1817 Stephen Jacobs cleared land for a farm. At the age of 17, he was in the Battle of Bunker Hill. He furnished the timber for the first guard lock where the Erie Canal enters the Niagara River. North Tonawanda was known as the “Lumber Capital of the World” in the late 1800's. It was an industrial center which developed because of its fantastic location at the juncture of the Niagara River and the Erie Canal. In addition, it thrived because it was a transportation hub for the railroads which came right through the City and were an additional means of carrying natural resources in and out. The first transmission of AC electrical current came through North Tonawanda in 1895. The industrialization of North Tonawanda was powered by this 25-cycle current. The same water routes that provided for the lumber industry provided cheaper transportation as well for the other industries. We went from a strip village along the water to an incorporated city in a very short time after electrification.

The immigrants who came here in the 1800's provided a large labor pool of skilled and unskilled craftspeople. Businesses which were the offshoots of the lumber industry developed, including the carrousel factories, home building industries, manufacturers of sleds and wagons. This created a need for the music industry and other industries. They were primarily of Polish, German, Italian, Irish, Hungarian, and Ukrainian heritage. Industry and housing spread out rapidly. The rapidly-developing lumber center and manufacturing center required retailing and supportive services, all associated with the lumber and industrial businesses. Those interested may compare the 1875 and the 1908 maps, both available in the North Tonawanda Public Library. Until the 1950's, North Tonawanda was an industrial center.

North Tonawanda is located on the Niagara River, between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. When there is not enough breeze to stir a leaf, a few miles away from the Niagara River there is a current of air following this body of water. The location has been likened to a chimney with a natural draft in one direction or another which proved an effective agent in curing the lumber in a natural, inexpensive way. An old time lumberman once said, “The Niagara River forms a veritable flue and gives a natural draft between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. This draft is of great assistance to the lumberman because it dries the lumber cleanly and thoroughly. The winds from the west follow the water courses between the lakes and not being laden with cinders, coal smoke and gases, the lumber does not depreciate in value when on the yards.” Its location made it a natural, dry kiln.

North Tonawanda was incorporated as a village on May 8, 1865, with a population of 440 and an area of 681 acres. The first Village President was James Carney. It became a City on April 24, 1897. Albert E. McKeen was the last Village President and First Mayor in 1897.

    Thanks for the kind reply and I again applaud your efforts toward remembering the past and from where we came. Our descendants will appreciate this and I am glad to help in any way possible.
    Please use my letter as you need and I am happy to offer networking with my experience with museums. Our Cape Fear Museum has been in existence since 1898 when it was created with artefacts from the War Between the States that were collected by the ladies of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Since then, it has grown from poorly ventilated rooms and buildings into a 80,000 sf facility with exhibits that bring the region's history and culture to residents and visitors. As our museum here had humble beginnings, your vision of a museum in NT will certainly bear fruit and be a lasting legacy to our children.
    Please keep me up to date on your progress!
    With best regards,

I remain,
John Bernhard Thuersam

I was born in NT and lived at 126 Christiana St. until I was 20 in 1955. At one time I peddled papers in the Goundry School block where you are now. Would that be the old Rand house? I moved around the town and finally moved my family to Sidney in 1959. My Grandmother, Coletta B. Smith was on the Board of Education for 22 years 1921 to 1943 and was President for 11. I have fond memories of NT and your neighborhood in the 40's having personally known Grace Wurlitzer, Norma DeGraff, Mary Kerr Cole and Beth McLean. My father was shop supervisor for the old Ironton Vocational school from 1945 to 1950. I live thirty-five miles north-east of the city of Binghamton who calls itself the carousel city because they have 6 operating carousels, 5 of which were built by Alan Herschell in NT. NT should be the " Carousel City "

Yours truly,
Dave Plummer

Use whatever you would like. Many of the items were submitted by fellow "NTers." As a "born and raised" North Tonawandan, I am very glad to see the new museum becoming a reality! (I have been following your progress via the on-line version of the Tonawanda News and the Buffalo News). Now living in Florence/Darlington, SC. I miss all my old NT friends...BUT not the snow! Most likely I will be visiting T-NT during the Canal Fest. The full website is DavidFill.com. I also have a tribute website to the former WKBW Radio.

webmaster@davidfill.com
Monday, March 22, 2004 11:38 PM

Greetings: I was given this address by a dear old friend from my NT days, John Paczos. I was born and raised at 221 Wheatfield Stree and have many fond memories of growing up in NT. Born in the above address in the downstairs bedroom on 2/5/33 . Graduated in 1951 (One of the last Jan. graduates) from NT High. I'm presently living in Galway , NY (outside of Saratoga Springs ).

What a wonderful idea you folks have hit upon. It should collect many memories from people like myself of what it was like growing up in NT. I had a wonderful childhood. I am looking forward to having access to this site and maybe I can share some memories and family history.

Enclosed is my check in the amount of $15 for annual individual membership. Looking forward to the newsletter which I am sure is destined to become a historical piece itself.

Joyce (Kutlak) Morgan-Ronketty
Penns Grove , New Jersey 08069

From: Wendy Nikolich - Vienna, VA (formerly of North Tonawanda) - October 17, 2005

I was a visitor back in July. I need to get a copy of the book I mentioned in the subject line. I tried the publisher and they aren't printing it. Can anyone help me with this? Used would be ok if in good condition...I actually would like 2 copies if possible.