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The Lower Lakes Marine Historical Society is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the collection, acquisition, preservation, and exhibition of historical artifacts, documents, iconography, and other memorbilia relating to the marine and maritime history of the great Port of Buffalo, New York, the connecting water ways, the surrounding region, and Lakes Erie and Ontario.
The Society maintains a museum open to the public in the former Howard H. Baker Ship Chandlery located at 66 Erie Street in the City of Buffalo's historic old harbor district.
Preserving the Rich Historical Heritage of the Port of Buffalo
Buffalo was once the fourth largest port in the world, giving it the title QUEEN CITY OF THE LAKES.
The Erie Canal in 1825 brought a boom in shipping, grain milling, and manufacturing, that is still part of the economic life of the area today.
Over the years, far more immigrants passed through Buffalo heading west, than ever went through Ellis Island.
The first sailing vessel on the Great Lakes, the GRIFFON, was built near Niagara Falls in 1678.
The first inland English Naval Fleet was built at Navy Island in the Niagara River. At the historic Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812, two vessels of Commodore Perry's American squadron were built at Black Rock and another was outfitted there. One vessel of the opposing British fleet, the LITTLE BELT, was also built there.
Buffalo shipyards built more vessels of all types than any other city on the Great Lakes.
The first steamship on the Upper Great Lakes, the WALK-IN-THE-WATER, was built at Black Rock. This ship is memorialized in the Society's logo.
The first iron hulled freighter, the MERCHANT, was built at Buffalo in 1862.
The first grain elevator was invented in Buffalo. This development helped make Buffalo the grain storage capital of the world and a leading miller of grains. Buffalo was home to Canal Street one of the roughest two blocks anywhere in the world rivaling Singapore and San Francisco.
To learn more about the people, places, events, buildings, and vessels that comprise the history of the great Port of Buffalo, please consider a visit to our museum or membership in the Lower Lakes Marine Historical Society.
For a virtual tour of our museum, please click here.
This website has been funded in part by a generous grant from
Clicking on some of the pictures on this website will produce a larger image of that picture in a new window. Please feel free to explore!
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