200 Ways To Celebrate Erie County's Bicentennial

This year we will reach an important milestone in Erie County. Today, April 2, 2021, Erie County will celebrate its bicentennial anniversary, kicking off a year of celebration. This significant milestone is an opportunity for the community to reflect on the history, stories, and legacies of the many men and women who came before us.

On April 2, 1821, New York State officially recognized Erie County. After the American Revolution, the Holland Land Company acquired 3.2 million acres of land from the Seneca Nation of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois). In 1808, New York organized the western most land as Niagara County. By 1821, the population had increased so much that Niagara County was split. Erie County, the land south of Tonawanda Creek, consisted of ten towns and the Buffalo Creek Reservation. Today, Erie County has twenty-five towns, three cities, two tribal reservations, and a population of approximately 920,000.

Erie County has ties to several U.S. Presidents. Millard Fillmore practiced law in East Aurora before serving as President. He returned to Erie County and helped establish the University of Buffalo, Buffalo General Hospital and the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society. Grover Cleveland practiced law in Buffalo before becoming Erie County Sheriff. He married Buffalo’s Frances Fulsom. In 1901, President William McKinley was assassinated at the Pan-American Exposition, and on September 14th, Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in as the 26th President at the Wilcox Mansion.

Once heavily forested frontier, the Erie Canal, completed on October 26, 1825, brought prosperity and made the region one of the largest shipping and rail center in the country offering an easy and assessable gateway to the west. Erie County is home to numerous inventors. The Ball Jar, the Barca Lounger, and air conditioning were invented in Buffalo. Wilson Greatbatch developed the implantable pacemaker in Clarence, and Bell Aircraft was one of the largest suppliers of aircraft during WWII. The county boasts major works by both local and national architects: Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, H. H. Richardson, E.B. Green and William Wicks and Louise Bethune. Famous writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Mark Twain and Lauren Belfer have called the area “home.” The county has given the world Fisher Price toys and the chicken wing.

Today, we celebrate our heritage and look forward to a bright future. The county has capitalized on history, art, and architecture to become a heritage tourism destination. The bio-medical research corridor is at the forefront of international scientific research. Companies from across the county do business internationally and even in outer space!

We brainstormed with a group of collaborators, thanks to help by Burchfield-Penney, to produce a list of 200 ways that you can celebrate all that Erie County has to offer while maintaining social distance. Naturally the initial list contained well over 200 different ways but managed to whittle the list down based on these categories:

Historic/Business districts
Museums
- Science Cultural Centers
Parks, Gardens and Beaches
Architecture
- Churches
Arts, Music and Theatres
- Visual Arts
- Performing Arts and More

Of course there is no way we could include everything in this list but its a great cross-section of what this area has to offer.

Historic and Business Districts

Over its history, Erie County has had areas all around the county blossom, where small, locally owned businesses have taken root and served as areas where the community comes together. When we think of these places, we think of the more obvious like Elmwood Village, Allentown and the Broadway Market, all located within the City of Buffalo. There are areas all around the county that are just as significant, whether its East Aurora, Clarence Center, Main Street in Williamsville or Delaware Avenue in Kenmore, small businesses thrive in these areas.

Allentown
Broadway Market
Canalside
Chandler/Pierce Arrow
Clarence Center
East Aurora
Elmwood Avenue / Elmwood Village
Hertel Avenue
Larkinville
Village of Kenmore – Delaware Ave.
Main Street, Clarence
Main Street, Village of Hamburg
Main Street, Village of Williamsville
Old First Ward
Oliver Street, North Tonawanda
Silo City
University Heights
West Side Bazaar

Museums

Erie County has a wealth of museums that will satisfy all manner of tastes. Our rich history has seen a variety of events transpire, while at the same time we have had our fair share of innovations that have contributed to the betterment of mankind. We hosted the Pan-American Exposition of 1901, which showed the world the wonders of electricity as well as the assassination of President William McKinley and the inauguration of President Theodore Roosevelt. We are a community made better by the groups of immigrants who came before us and who continue to come. These groups continue to shape our community in wonderful ways. This list of museums, science and cultural centers are all great ways to celebrate the bicentennial.

Science and Cultural Centers

Parks, Gardens & Beaches

We are extremely lucky in this region. Erie County has a bevy of parks, gardens and beaches. These cater to interests in a variety of areas, from outdoor sports to the casual hiker or bicyclist. We have a first class system of parks across the county. We are lucky here because we get to experience all four seasons and as a result of that, each season offers new and different ways we can enjoy the outdoors, whether its bird watching, gardening, swimming, skiing or snowmobiling.

Architecture

Erie County has a rich and storied history. In 1900 Buffalo was the 8th largest city in the United States and 6th busiest water port in the world. Large cities tend to attract talent in all shapes and sizes. Erie County also has a strong faith community. As a result, Erie County has some amazing architectural treasures. People immediately think of Frank Lloyd Wright when you talk about architecture and Buffalo but other talent. The first female architect in the country, Louise Bethune, designed the iconic Lafayette Hotel. In a November 14, 2006 article, Nicolai Ourousoff, architecture writer for The New York Times wrote “Buffalo was founded on a rich tradition of architectural experimentation. The architects who worked here were among the first to break with European traditions to create an aesthetic of their own, rooted in American ideals about individualism, commerce and social mobility.” What better way to celebrate Erie County then to visit not just the well-known architectural masterpieces, but the hidden gems as well.

Churches

Art, Music, & Theatre

When it comes to art, music and theatre, Erie County has a strong and vibrant community. This should come as to surprise given the fact that University at Buffalo ranks in the top of Performing Arts and Visual Arts Schools in the United States and number 12 and 11 in New York State. We have a large variety of art galleries, not just the Albright Knox, but places like K Art (the first Native American owned commercial art gallery), Hallwalls and Squeaky Wheel. Erie County also has an amazingly strong and talented performing arts community. What a great way to celebrate Erie County by checking these places out, it will help support all the local talent that this area has to offer.

Visual Arts

Performing Arts & More…

200 Ways To Celebrate Erie County’s Bicentennial

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Historic and Business Districts

Museums

Parks, Gardens & Beaches

Architecture

Art, Music, & Theatre

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