The Milk-Bone District is among the most recognizable, least understood industrial centers of the Buffalo Belt Line. Chris Hawley, urbanist and history buff, will give what is believed to be the first ever historical walking tour of the Milk-Bone District on Saturday, May 4, 1 pm, starting at The Guild @ 980, 980 Northampton Street. Interestingly, word on the street is the Wonder Bread plant is under contract to a known developer.
“I’m tentatively calling the Belt Line industrial center around Fougeron Street the ‘Milk Bone District,’” says Hawley. “This is half in jest, but I think it sounds pretty catchy. Milk Bone dog treats are an iconic American product made exclusively in Buffalo, and what is now Del Monte Foods is one of the great legacy manufacturers along the Belt Line.”
Hawley will be your guide to industrial heritage sites built around the Belt Line’s Genesee Street commuter station in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The National Biscuit Company, Valdutten Hofer Sons, General Electric Company, George Urban Milling Company, Continental Baking Company, and others put bread on the tables of hundreds of Buffalo laborers. Today, these historic sites are well positioned for economic development and job creation. Learn more about the past, present, and potential future of the Milk-Bone District at this event.
“The Milk-Bone District is a place where labor created value through globally known products like Wonder Bread, Hostess Cakes, and Milk Bone dog treats,” says Hawley. “The buildings where these products were made are still here, and they tell a great story.”
The Milk-Bone District tour, part of the international Jane’s Walk series of walking events, will be dog friendly. Any dog present will receive free Milk-Bone dog treats, made exclusively here in Buffalo. The Guild @ 980 will offer complimentary refreshments for human walkers.
If you plan to attend this free walk, sign up at the Facebook event page.