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| 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 200th
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 200th 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.”
Lost among the abundance of large street signs and ongoing traffic, there sits a metal sign in a grass field of sprinkled with snow. This particular sign marks one of many historic sites located on the West Side from the War of 1812. The plaque tells of the Battle of Scajaquada Creek Bridge which took place Aug. 3, 1814. After attempting to capture Black Rock and Buffalo by crossing the Scajaquada Creek, British troops were backed down by our bold American troops where the British ultimately retreated to back to Canada. Approaching its 200th anniversary this year, this battle is one of many which took place in what we now know as the West Side. -- Ebony Linzy
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