From the record
283 National Register listings published here, 13 of them National Historic Landmarks.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
204 topographic sheets cover 176 settlements here, and 283 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
283 National Register listings published here, 13 of them National Historic Landmarks.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.
Drawn when these were printed as single large sheets: the town seen from the air, and the county divided into its farms with every owner named. Each opens the original at the Library of Congress.









Selected from the Digital Public Library of America's 201 image records catalogued for this county. Every one shown here carries a public-domain status or a licence that permits reuse on a site that carries advertising; non-commercial, share-alike and restricted images are excluded. The selection is spread across the county's towns (at most eight per town), so no single institution's bulk upload crowds out the rest. Each opens the holding library's record, and the complete set at the Digital Public Library of America is one click away.









































Flown by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1937 and 1989, the Aerial Photo Single Frames collection is the definitive mid-century view of the land: fields, roads and rivers as the camera saw them. The Survey holds 3,777 frames inside the rectangle that bounds this county; the 48 frames below were taken over the county itself, chosen across the decades of flights (at most four a year from that rectangle), so one flight cannot crowd out the rest. The full set is free to browse and download at EarthExplorer under the dataset Aerial Photo Single Frames.
















































The thermometers that kept this county's weather, and the gages that measured the flow of its streams, as the federal records hold them. The extremes below are measured values from those records, not estimates.
Who lived here in 1950, one enumeration district at a time, as the Census Bureau described each district. Each row opens its official National Archives result, with Population Schedules and ED Maps available there.
Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 3,659 of them, burning about 1,646 acres. 556 started naturally and 388 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2039 |
| Natural | 556 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 388 |
| Smoking | 232 |
| Debris and open burning | 208 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 84 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 68 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 50 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 29 |
| Other causes | 3 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 2 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. One of them was set deliberately.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 July 2016 | Debris and open burning | 16 acres | New York Forest Rangers | MARILLA FARM FIRE |
| 6 July 2017 | Natural | 6.3 acres | Fire Department of New York | N/A |
| 18 April 2017 | Debris and open burning | 6.2 acres | Fire Department of New York | N/A |
| 16 April 2017 | Debris and open burning | 6.2 acres | Fire Department of New York | N/A |
| 18 April 2017 | Natural | 6.2 acres | Fire Department of New York | N/A |
| 14 April 2017 | Debris and open burning | 6.1 acres | Fire Department of New York | N/A |
| 25 April 2020 | Equipment and vehicle use | 5.0 acres | Fire Department of New York | NA |
| 29 April 2016 | Arson/incendiarism | 5.0 acres | Fire Department of New York | N/A |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 790 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 27 injuries and about $34,546,400 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 444 |
| Hail | 131 |
| Flash Flood | 94 |
| Flood | 57 |
| Tornado | 27 |
| Lightning | 16 |
| Heavy Rain | 15 |
| Heavy Snow | 3 |
| Seiche | 2 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 |
The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | 12 hurt, $50,000 | no account filed |
| August 1970 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | 3 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 2006 | Tornado (F1) | Cheektowaga | 2 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| May 2001 | Lightning | Clarence | 2 hurt, $15,000 | no account filed |
| June 2000 | Lightning | Akron | 2 hurt | no account filed |
| July 1987 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 1 hurt, $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| July 2011 | Lightning | Cheektowaga | 1 hurt, $500,000 | no account filed |
| January 1999 | Heavy Snow | Orchard Park | 1 hurt, $35,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Hail | Lancaster | 1 hurt, $15,000 | no account filed |
| August 2001 | Lightning | Grandyle Vlg | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Lightning | Clarence | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| August 2009 | Flash Flood | Helmuth | $15,000,000 | no account filed |
| January 1996 | Flash Flood | West Seneca | $1,000,000 | no account filed |
| January 2014 | Flash Flood | Ebenezer | $700,000 | no account filed |
| August 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clarence | $500,000 | A thunderstorm spawned a small tornado during the early morning hours. Downburst winds with an embedded tornado downed numerous trees. Some of the trees were 1 to 1.5 feet in diameter and at least 100 feet high. Some structural damage to homes resulted from falling trees and limbs. |
| August 1993 | Tornado (F1) | Clarence | $500,000 | A thunderstorm spawned a small tornado during the early morning hours. Downburst winds with an embedded tornado downed numerous trees. Some of the trees were 1 to 1.5 feet in diameter and at least 100 feet high. Some structural damage to homes resulted from falling trees and limbs. |
| November 2014 | Flood | Buffalo | $500,000 | no account filed |
| January 2008 | Flash Flood | Buffalo | $500,000 | no account filed |
| September 1996 | Flash Flood | Tonawanda | $400,000 | no account filed |
| November 1999 | Flash Flood | Tonawanda | $300,000 | no account filed |
| July 2011 | Lightning | Orchard Park | $250,000 | no account filed |
| September 2000 | Flash Flood | Blasdell | $250,000 | no account filed |
| May 1991 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| May 1972 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| July 1961 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| October 2018 | Lightning | Duells Corner | $200,000 | A lightning strike caused a fire that resulted in approximately $200,000 in damage to a home at 35 Lakeridge Drive in Orchard Park. |
| November 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $200,000 | Damage was estimated at $200,000. |
| June 2005 | Flash Flood | Orchard Park | $200,000 | no account filed |
| April 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alden | $200,000 | no account filed |
| January 1996 | Flash Flood | Buffalo | $200,000 | no account filed |
| September 1996 | Flash Flood | Tonawanda | $200,000 | no account filed |
| June 2013 | Flood | Kenmore | $150,000 | no account filed |
| January 1999 | Flash Flood | Angola | $135,000 | no account filed |
| August 2020 | Flash Flood | Buffalo | $100,000 | Hertel Avenue near Homer Avenue was reported to have one foot of water on it with video indicating so on Snapchat, as well. |
| July 2017 | Tornado (EF0) | South Wales | $100,000 | A NWS storm survey confirmed an EF1 tornado touched down in Holland. |
| February 2014 | Flood | Ebenezer | $100,000 | no account filed |
| August 2009 | Flash Flood | Sardinia | $100,000 | no account filed |
| July 2006 | Flash Flood | Kenmore | $100,000 | no account filed |
| April 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $100,000 | no account filed |
| January 2001 | Flash Flood | West Seneca | $100,000 | no account filed |
| January 1999 | Heavy Snow | Depew | $100,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Flash Flood | Collins | $100,000 | no account filed |
| July 1998 | Flash Flood | Boston | $100,000 | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Flash Flood | Concord | $80,000 | no account filed |
| September 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $75,000 | Downburst winds damaged three buildings. |
| August 1999 | Flash Flood | Buffalo | $75,000 | no account filed |
| January 1998 | Flash Flood | Lancaster | $75,000 | no account filed |
| August 1999 | Flash Flood | Alden | $60,000 | no account filed |
| January 1999 | Flash Flood | Angola | $55,000 | no account filed |
| September 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cheektowaga | $55,000 | no account filed |
| March 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Depew | $50,000 | Tree fell onto a house on Ransom Rd. |
| June 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $50,000 | Several massive 100 year old trees were downed onto Horton Place and damaged several vehicles. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Harris Hill | $50,000 | Several parked tractor trailers tipped over. |
| June 1994 | Tornado (F0) | Angola | $50,000 | Thunderstorms which moved onshore from Lake Erie produced damaging winds and spawned a weak tornado. The tornado mainly uprooted trees, one of which fell onto a house. |
| September 1993 | Tornado (F0) | Grand Island | $50,000 | An isolated thunderstorm spawned a small tornado. The tornado first touched down on Grand Island where it ripped the antenna off a house and flipped over outdoor lawn furniture. The tornado moved southeast downing some trees in Tonawanda. |
| July 2017 | Flash Flood | Sloan | $50,000 | no account filed |
| August 2015 | Flash Flood | Willow Ridge Estates | $50,000 | no account filed |
| May 2014 | Flash Flood | Evans Center | $50,000 | no account filed |
| May 2014 | Flash Flood | Derby | $50,000 | no account filed |
| January 2014 | Flash Flood | Sandy Beach | $50,000 | no account filed |
The Survey's mineral resources record lists 54 workings inside this county. 16 still produce and 38 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Sand and Gravel, Construction | 20 |
| Gypsum-Anhydrite | 7 |
| Salt | 7 |
| Clay | 5 |
| Stone, Crushed/Broken | 5 |
| Limestone, General | 4 |
| Iron | 3 |
| Natural Gas | 2 |
| Bloating Material | 1 |
| Sulfur | 1 |
| Gold | 1 |
| Perlite | 1 |
The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Gypsum Co. Shaft | Gypsum-Anhydrite, Sulfur | Past Producer | ||
| Buffalo Perlite Plant | Perlite | Plant | ||
| West Falls | Bloating Material | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Williams Gold Refin./ Buffalo, N.Y. | Gold | Unknown | ||
| B.Feldman No.1 Well | Salt, Natural Gas | Prospect | ||
| F.W.Heist No.1 Well | Salt, Natural Gas | Prospect | ||
| Bethlehem Steel/ Lackawana, N.Y. | Iron | Unknown | ||
| Hanna Furnace Corp/ Buffalo, N.Y. | Iron | Unknown | ||
| Republic Steel/ Buffalo, N.Y. | Iron | Unknown | ||
| Buffalo Quarry and Mill | Limestone, General | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Federal Crushed Stone Quarry & Mill | Limestone, General | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Lancaster Quarry and Plant | Limestone, General | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Limestone Quarry and Plant | Limestone, General | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Boston Valley Clay Pit | Clay | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Boston Valley Clay Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Eastern Limestone Operation | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Federal Crushed Stone Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Lancaster Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Limestone Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| North and South Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Olivieri Pit | Clay | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Orchard Park Pit | Clay | Producer | ||
| West Falls Clay Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Akron Gypsum Co.Shaft | Gypsum-Anhydrite | Past Producer | ||
| Atlas Gypsum Company Mill | Gypsum-Anhydrite | Past Producer | ||
| Clarence Center Mine | Gypsum-Anhydrite | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Clarence Center Mine & Mill | Gypsum-Anhydrite | Past Producer | ||
| Fred Howe Well | Salt | Past Producer | ||
| Henry Jones Well | Salt | Past Producer | ||
| Iroquois Gas Corp.Well No.796 | Salt | Prospect | ||
| National Gypsum Company Mill | Gypsum-Anhydrite | Past Producer | ||
| Springville Well | Salt | Past Producer | ||
| Test Holes For Gypsum | Gypsum-Anhydrite | Occurrence | ||
| Unnamed Salt Well | Salt | Prospect | ||
| Clarence Sand and Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Clarence Sand and Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Genessee Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Genessee Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Gernatt Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Gernatt Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Hagerer Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| John L. Beny Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| John L. Beny Pit and Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Jones Road Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Jones Road Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Lancaster Dredge E | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Mauls Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Peppermint Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Peppermint Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Peters Corners Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Peters Corners Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Sardinia Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Sterling Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Sterling Pit and Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary |
Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on.
Evans town · 14006 · On Muddy Creek · Farnham quadrangle
17 sheets, 1899 to 1986
Evans town · 14006 · On Delaware Creek · Angola quadrangle
17 sheets, 1899 to 1986
Cheektowaga town · 14227 · On Slate Bottom Creek · Lancaster quadrangle
19 sheets, 1905 to 1984
Elma town · 14052 · On Tannery Brook · Orchard Park quadrangle
21 sheets, 1905 to 1984
Hamburg town · 14219 · On South Branch Smoke Creek · Buffalo SE quadrangle
25 sheets, 1894 to 1984
Amherst town · 14228 · Near Threemile Island · Tonawanda East quadrangle
28 sheets, 1897 to 1984
Evans town · 14006 · On Little Sister Creek · Angola quadrangle
17 sheets, 1899 to 1986
Hamburg town · 14075 · Buffalo SE quadrangle
25 sheets, 1894 to 1984
No longer a settlement
Clarence town · 14051 · On Got Creek · Clarence Center quadrangle
27 sheets, 1897 to 1984
Lancaster town · 14086 · On Little Buffalo Creek · Lancaster quadrangle
19 sheets, 1905 to 1984
West Seneca town · 14224 · On Ebenezer Brook · Buffalo SE quadrangle
25 sheets, 1894 to 1984
Grand Island town · 14072 · On Gun Creek · Tonawanda West quadrangle
30 sheets, 1897 to 1984
Grand Island town · 14072 · Near Pirates Island · Buffalo NW quadrangle
26 sheets, 1894 to 1984
West Seneca town · 14224 · On Slate Bottom Creek · Buffalo SE quadrangle
25 sheets, 1894 to 1984
Evans town · 14047 · On Eighteenmile Creek · Eden quadrangle
15 sheets, 1905 to 1984
Lackawanna city · 14218 · On South Branch Smoke Creek · Buffalo SE quadrangle
25 sheets, 1894 to 1984
Lancaster town · 14086 · On Plum Bottom Creek · Lancaster quadrangle
19 sheets, 1905 to 1984
West Seneca town · 14224 · On Slate Bottom Creek · Orchard Park quadrangle
21 sheets, 1905 to 1984
Cattaraugus Reservation · 14091 · On North Branch Clear Creek · North Collins quadrangle
16 sheets, 1905 to 1984
North Collins town · 14111 · On Franklin Gulf · North Collins quadrangle
16 sheets, 1905 to 1984
Grand Island town · 14072 · Near Beaver Island · Buffalo NW quadrangle
26 sheets, 1894 to 1984
Lancaster town · 14086 · Clarence quadrangle
19 sheets, 1905 to 1984
No longer a settlement
Evans town · 14006 · On Big Sister Creek · Angola quadrangle
17 sheets, 1899 to 1986
Grand Island town · 14072 · On Woods Creek · Tonawanda West quadrangle
30 sheets, 1897 to 1984
Buffalo city · 14222 · On Scajaquada Creek · Buffalo NE quadrangle
25 sheets, 1894 to 1984
Grand Island town · 14072 · On Twomile Creek · Tonawanda West quadrangle
30 sheets, 1897 to 1984
Newstead town · 14001 · On Murder Creek · Wolcottsville quadrangle
27 sheets, 1897 to 1984
Collins town · 14034 · On North Branch Clear Creek · North Collins quadrangle
16 sheets, 1905 to 1984
Aurora town · 14052 · On East Branch Cazenovia Creek · Colden quadrangle
16 sheets, 1925 to 1984
Tonawanda city · 14150 · On Ellicott Creek · Tonawanda West quadrangle
30 sheets, 1897 to 1984
Hamburg town · 14085 · On Eighteenmile Creek · Eden quadrangle
15 sheets, 1905 to 1984
West Seneca town · 14210 · On Cayuga Creek · Buffalo SE quadrangle
25 sheets, 1894 to 1984
West Seneca town · 14224 · On Cayuga Creek · Buffalo SE quadrangle
25 sheets, 1894 to 1984
The vanished settlements of Erie County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.