Buffalo River Tours 2008 Schedule
Joseph Dart perfected the grain elevator in Buffalo in the 1842, first constructed of wood and steel but plagued by fire and explosions, steel reinforced concrete was introduced by the end of the century. Over one hundred years later many of these mammoth monoliths, a tribute to Buffalo's heyday as a transportation hub, remain mostly unused. Some argue they should be demolished and the land reclaimed for other use; but tearing down one of these is a very expensive proposition. The Buffalo History Works website describes their construction and function: "These structures required special skills and design, as a 1,000,000 bushel capacity elevator contains about 30,000 tons of grain. This creates an average load on the foundation of about 10,000 pounds per square foot....In 1907 the American Elevator was built of reinforced concrete, a method of taking steel rods and embedding them in the concrete to provide the reinforcement. This method was used to keep the bins from bursting open due to the outward pressure of the grain while at the same time directing the massive load of the grain down to the foundation." They were also built to contain the explosions which occurred from an extremely volatile mixture of grain dust and the atmosphere.
Urban Explorers have been venturing through these structures for decades, something definitely not for the faint of heart or inexperienced. But now by boat you can get a unique perspective of these gargantuan grain monoliths and a learn of their history and functions. The Industrial Heritage Committee is a non-profit organization interested in documenting Buffalo's significant industrial and commercial history. The long range goals of the Committee focus on development plans for the Buffalo Waterfront, including an Industrial Heritage Trail with designated markers of important historic sites with noe of the major sites serving as a working meseum of industry and commerce. In 2006 a Seaway Trail Marker was dedicated and Trail implementation began.
Tour dates:
Friday, July 4th
Saturday July 19th
Sunday August 17th
All Tours 12:30-2:30 pm
Adults: $14 Children 6-12: $9 Children 5 & Under Free
For reservations call 716-856-6696 | All boats depart from the Miss Buffalo dock at Erie Basin Marina | Website
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driz716
cool! what time?
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bisonherd
for those interested there is only one grain elevator that is in danger and it also happens tobe the most historic grain elevator remaining in buffalo. Yes, its the Great Northern.
The ADM building could easily find redevelopment but the Great Northern is not getting any interest. Its a shame because if the roof could be secured and the silos removed...it would make a great waterfront armory, museum, retail space for sailboats or any number of uses.
Unless someone comes up with a plan for the Great Northern, its going to be demolished
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bisonherd
for those interested there is only one grain elevator that is in danger and it also happens tobe the most historic grain elevator remaining in buffalo. Yes, its the Great Northern.
The ADM building could easily find redevelopment but the Great Northern is not getting any interest. Its a shame because if the roof could be secured and the silos removed...it would make a great waterfront armory, museum, retail space for sailboats or any number of uses.
Unless someone comes up with a plan for the Great Northern, its going to be demolished
Report this
bisonherd
for those interested there is only one grain elevator that is in danger and it also happens tobe the most historic grain elevator remaining in buffalo. Yes, its the Great Northern.
The ADM building could easily find redevelopment but the Great Northern is not getting any interest. Its a shame because if the roof could be secured and the silos removed...it would make a great waterfront armory, museum, retail space for sailboats or any number of uses.
Unless someone comes up with a plan for the Great Northern, its going to be demolished
Report this
RaChaCha
Driz, more than cool: way, WAY cool! In 2006 I got a couple of dozen friends and historians from My Fair City and Buffalo to go on the tour in mid-July. After the tour, we had lunch at the Hatch, then hustled over to the Col. Ward pumping station, where the Industrial Heritage Committee was giving a tour inside. And afterward, many of us headed over to the Central Terminal to see an old car show. In short, it was a day of seeing monumental Buffalo structures, and the folks who came along are still kvelling about it.
The times can vary (in 2006 the July 4 tour was in the afternoon, but the mid-July tour was in the morning), so best to phone the Miss Buffalo number (above) for details. I saw Jerry Malloy and Lorraine Pierro at the canal harbor a few weeks ago, and I believe they said that the IHC will be hosting another tour of the Col. Ward station this year (or perhaps more than one). You can find out by e-mailing them at ihcdart@netscape.net.
BTW, Campaign For Greater Buffalo had a traditional cruise tour on the Buffalo River every July 4 - notable for Tim Tielman telling the story of harbor boss Fingy Connors - but this year their tour along the Buffalo River is on land in the Open Air Autobus. Details at GreaterBuffalo.blogs.com.
Don't miss the chance to tour the Buffalo River or the Col. Ward station - they're unforgettable!
George, great article and great to see you at Buffalo Homecoming!
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georgethomasapfel
driz716, all tours run from 12:30pm- 2:30pm and all boats depart from the Miss Buffalo Dock at Erie Basin Marina. And RaChaCha, thanks! It was great to see you, too at Buffalo Homecoming!
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siloman02
Having spent some time in a few of these great structures one can only admire the engineering and skilled craftspeople that built these monuments. That being said, as Mies said, form follows function. The grain elevators were designed for storing grain. That is/should be their sole purpose. The remaining grain elevators must regain their integrity and serve their original function. To view them as rusted, derelict relics of the past with no future other than deteriorating tourist attractions is a disservice to the designers, the builders, the people who worked them and the City of Buffalo
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