West Side figured notably in War of 1812

Historical sign marks a War of 1812 battle fought on the West Side

By Ebony Linzy

Bengal News West Reporter

Located near the corner of Grant  and Amherst streets,  the stand-alone sign appears be out of place. With bold gold letters  navy blue background,   the sign is almost unnoticeable among the passing traffic and pedestrians.

However the sign is actually a historical marker for a significant part of our American history. And while it may be posted on a busy city street near the entrance of a major highway, it marks one of the many battle sites between America and the superpower Great Britain during the War of 1812.

Often described as very brief but bitter time period, the war of 1812 is not only essential to the history of Western New York, but especially essential to the West Side. Although the area was young and developing during the time of the war, the West Side was actually home to a lot of its key events. 

Starting in June of 1812, the war resulted due to a number of growing issues between Great Britain and America, including British attempts to restrict American trade and growth. As Canada was the nearest British colony at the time, American troops began a series of attacks using areas in Buffalo as a station for its troops, meanwhile using the Niagara River as a forefront for fighting the war. 

“There were burial grounds, cannon batteries and several battle sites on today’s West Side,” said Author and Paranormal Expert Mason Winfield. 

Having studied the war for years, ultimately publishing a book  of the war titled “Ghosts of 1812: History, Folklore, Tradition and the Niagara War,” Winfield said that regions in Buffalo were gravely impacted by the war which lasted until December 1814.

“Buffalo’s West Side   was taking a lot of cannon fire constantly for three solid years of the war,” said Winfield.

Referring to a number of battles including the first battle of Black Rock in July 1813, the second battle of Black Rock in December 1813   and the battle of the Scajaquada Creek in August 1814, the areas we   see today are actually where a lot of these events took place, said Winfield.

Of course with these challenging battles, there were also came a number of casualties.

“I think a lot of people are not aware of the tragedies,” said Historian John Percy.  “Buffalo was totally destroyed. The sad thing was that a lot of people were killed.”

Working for the Town of Tonawanda Historical Society Museum, Percy said that Buffalo has come a long way since it was completely destroyed during the tragic burning of Buffalo in December   1813.

“After the burning of Buffalo, there were only three buildings left standing. Oh yes, a jail, a cottage and a blacksmith shop,” said Percy. 

Professor Andrew D. Nicholls, on the War of 1812:

Speaking positively of the short lived war, Andrew D. Nicholls, said that although there were hundreds of casualties, Buffalo did play a large role in the American victories.  

“Buffalo was the place of training that helped American forces bring in those victories including the Battle of Chippewa in 1814,” said the chair and professor  of the history department at SUNY Buffalo State.

Nicholls is among many people who have studied the war over the years and say that there is no doubt about important role of the West Side in the war.

In celebration of its 200^th anniversary, there also have been a number of events taking place locally to commemorate the war.

Celebrating peace between the United States and Canada, “Flames Across Niagara” took  place on Dec. 8 in Squaw Island Park. The bi-national event  included a bonfire, canons and re-enactment of certain parts of the war.

Hosted by a number of organizations including The Niagara 1812 Legacy Council, Nicholls  said that such events usually have a wonderful turnout.

As 2014 is right around the corner and will still be within 200^th mark of the war, similar events and commemorations are also set to take place.

In the meantime Professors like Nicholls are spreading the word teaching the facts about this unforgettable war.

“The U.S. stood up to fight a superpower,” said Nicholls. “It was a coming of age for us.” 

W.S. beer gardens: What's old is new again

By Lauren Coppola and Samantha Wulff
Bengal News West Reporters

The year was 1946 when Lottie Gall  took a boat from her hometown in Michigan to Buffalo.

“I just came to visit my Aunt Sally, she lived on Roswell,” Gall said. “She introduced me to Ellen Jensen, she took me to the bars – the beer gardens they called them a long time ago.” 

            Gall had never been to a bar or beer garden before coming to the Queen City, but they, along with the people inside them, convinced her to stay. Gall has seen Buffalo beer gardens in their heyday, seen them fall apart, and, with the opening of Resurgence Beer Company and beer garden at 1250 Niagara St. come April, is now witnessing their rebirth.

Gall and her future husband both relocated to Riverside in July 1946. Stanley, a Polish accordion player, soon became the apple of Gall's eye. She recalls them dancing and drinking at Peggy's.  What made Peggy’s more than just a bar was that it had a spot to play shuffleboard. Such games are quite common in beer gardens, for they allow patrons to bide their time while having a pint or so. 

Dave Mik, Buffalo beer historian,  said that places like Peggy's were formed in response to prohibition being lifted. The typical German beer gardens were suddenly a thing of the past.

“Once prohibition took effect in 1919, the beer gardens closed, along with most of the breweries in the city,” Mik said. “Once prohibition ended in 1933, neighborhood taverns and saloons were opened, taking the place of the large German beer gardens.”

Gall, now 90, often passes by the old bars in the town where she used to live.

“The bars look so broken down,” she said.

Although Gall said she is past the age of going to such places, a new look to Niagara Street would give her hope for a beer garden similar to what she experienced in her youth. Jeff Ware,  owner of Resurgence Beer Co., hopes his brewery and beer garden will foster a family-friendly environment to the West Side.

“We really like the West Side,” Ware said of him and his wife. “Elmwood is our neighborhood so we feel the West Side is just an extension of our neighborhood.”

Ware met his future wife when he was working at the Boston Brewing Company in New York City. He soon became enamored by the large beer gardens in the area.

“They had these big beer gardens down there, they're these really great places,” he said. “They're probably like 20,000 square foot places that are really a community style.”

He thought: “Wouldn't it be even cooler if these places made their own beer on site?”

That thought turned into an inspiration for his own business. Originally from Orchard Park,  Ware came back to Western New York to take a risk on a new beer garden. Such waters are basically uncharted.

“I don't think it's a huge risk,” Ware said. “I think that people are going to appreciate it...I think people will take the opportunity to go outside and get a pint.”

Ware will have the traditional back yard game, bocce, available for patrons to play outside. He wants his establishment to be the type of place where somebody can sit next to a complete stranger or bring their children down in strollers, have a pint it the garden, and feel comfortable doing so. Resurgence will not be open late, nor will it have a party-atmosphere such as Chippewa Street.  It will be community and family based. 

“I think the idea of opening a new beer garden on Niagara Street is very interesting,” Mik said, “and if done properly, could be very successful.”

Magazine keeps 'old neighborhood' alive

By Marybeth Calabrese and Ally Selva

Bengal News West Reporters

            Italian families left their windows open and doors unlocked and when the smell of Sunday sauce wafted through the street, everyone was invited for dinner.

             That’s what the West Side use to be like. 

The memories and history of Italian culture on the West Side are kept alive through the magazine and club called "Per Niente", which means “for nothing” in Italian. Per Niente is a way for subscribers to share their experiences of living on the West Side.  

Per Niente started out nine years ago as a way for the publisher Joe Di Leo, to remind his close group of friends what their childhood was like on the West Side.  Little did Di Leo know that the articles he had written for fun would soon turn into an ongoing success. 

“People started asking me to write more articles so that they could share their own memories with others. Word of mouth began to spread time about us and more people wanted to contribute as well,” Di Leo said. 

Per Niente editors, on the magazine's mission:

The goal of the Per Niente club is to share the history of what the West Side use to be like.   The members of the club have bonded over the friendships and cultural connections that they’ve made growing up. Membership in the club is $40 a year, which covers four quarterly issues made per season.  Per Niente is non-profit and uses the membership money towards the magazine’s publication fees and uses the leftover money to donate to local charities. 

“Putting together the magazine has been very enjoyable for me because I get to listen to the heartfelt  stories about the West Side. It has helped others relive their childhood and the relationships they had with their families and friends, “ Di Leo said.

What started out as a one-page newsletter, turned into an anticipated publication for Italians who have once lived on the West Side who moved else where in the city and in the country. Di Leo had his hands full trying to write, print and edit the articles himself for his friends. In early 2009, about 150 people wanted to start contributing stories as well.  That’s when Di Leo decided to ask his old friend Joe Giambra to help out with the editing and publication. 

After the pair began working together the magazine’s popularity skyrocketed to having about 400 people subscribe.  Today, the club brings in enough money so that Keller Bros. and Miller Inc. ? can do the magazine’s printing layouts.

“I remember when Joe first came to me and asked me to write an article for the magazine and of course I was willing to help out my friend. Later down the road, Per Niente became so popular that for the last six years this is what I’ve been doing all year round,” Giambra said.

The working relationship between Giambra and Di Leo has been going strong, as they both share the same passion for their Italian culture. The way of life that was once shared on the West Side doesn’t exist anymore, which makes the Italians of Buffalo eager to get their voices heard. 

“We’ve given a lot of people a whole new perspective on the way they look at their past and the future of their children. Per Niente has also helped share with today’s generation the Italian lifestyle that once existed and was never forgotten,” Giambra said.

The members of Per Niente feel passionately about sharing their stories and experiences. They all intend to stay in touch and remind each other of where they came from. Local resident and Per Niente club member, Carmella Gata, decided to join in 2010, as a way for her to get in touch with her roots. Gata’s family had owned a  bar on the West Side in the 1930s - called Nick’s Tavern.

“Ever since I joined Per Niente I have been actively keeping in contact with other members who share the same memories as me about the West Side,” Gata said.  “If you grew up in my neighborhood, everyone was family to you and that’s just the way us Italians are.”