Here is an image of Buffalo's lake front. The entire lake front at one time was part of the Port of Buffalo, entirely filled with docks and slips. The far left, with the windmills, was formerly Bethlehem Steel with slips for coal and ore boats. The green area (now a nature preserve) was filled with slips for transition to railroad lines and where boats would winter. Further center and to the right were additional slips and piers for the cargo boats. The remains of a former Ford Assembly plant are still there, with one building now converted to an amphitheater. To the far right (now where Erie Basin Marina and Canalside are) were coal and bulk transfer points, and the entrance to the Buffalo River.
Buffalo From the Air by
bpawlik, on Flickr
The mouth of the Buffalo River was the transition to the Erie Canal, as well as supporting industries along the Buffalo River several miles up to the foreground, including multiple grain elevators (some still active), shipyards, Republic Steel, Mobil refinery, and other chemical plants and industries. The Buffalo River was also where many boats would winter. You can see the newer Tesla plan on former Republic Steel land at the river bend top center. Like the Cuyahoga, the Buffalo River also started on fire many times back in the day. Today it has completed many years of dredging, cleanup, and habitat restoration, and although some commercial shipping remains it now has large recreational use as part of the Buffalo Blue Way.
Not in the picture, but further downstream on the Niagara boats would enter the Black Rock Channel and serve industries just north of Buffalo in Tonawanda, which included chemical plants, coal delivery to the Huntley power station, as well as foundries and other dirty industries supporting local auto manufacturing (GM is still there).
Threaded Mode