Exploring the History of Grand Island: A Journey Through Time
Fourth-grade students embark on a school bus tour organized by the Grand Island Historical Society to learn about the rich local history of Grand Island, situated in the upper Niagara River. Discover the island's significance, settlers' arrival by boat, the legacy of Whitehaven Sawmill, and the transition to farming post-timber industry decline.
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Keeping Alive Our Local History: Fourth Grade students learn about Grand Island. The school bus tour is organized by the Grand Island Historical Society.
Where is Grand Island? Grand Island is located in the middle of the upper Niagara River. The island is 8 miles long and 6 miles wide (at its widest point.) The branches of the Niagara River to the east and west of Grand Island begin in Lake Erie. These two branches rejoin at the north end of the Island. From there, the water continues over Niagara Falls and into the lower Niagara River. Eventually, the water reaches Lake Ontario.
Did you know? There are 19 islands in the Niagara River between Lake Erie and Niagara Falls; Grand Island is larger than all the others put together. After the War of 1812, there were questions about who would own the islands in the Niagara River United States or Canada. In the Treaty of Ghent (1814), a decision was made that gave all the islands in the Niagara River, except Navy Island, to the United States. On September l2, 1815, New York purchased Grand Island and other small islands in the Niagara River from the Native Americans for $1000. In 1825, when the Erie Canal opened, people became interested in the land of Grand Island.
How did the settlers reach Grand Island? The only way to reach Grand Island was by boat. There was a ferry, run by horse power, that travelled back and forth. The horses walked across a treadmill which powered a paddle wheel. Many years later, in 1874, these horse-powered ferries were replaced by two steam ferries. One was called the Tonawanda Ferry and the other was called the Buffalo Ferry.
Whitehaven Sawmill and Settlement In 1830, the East Boston Company purchased land on Grand Island and began cutting down the abundant white oak trees. In 1834 the sawmill town of Whitehaven, named for Stephen White (the manager of the East Boston Company), was established on the East River shore of Grand Island with what was said to be the largest sawmill of that time. The Island's oak forest was quickly stripped, and by 1836 frames for ships up to 700 tons in size were being made and shipped down the Erie Canal to Albany and eventually to Boston Harbor. Whitehaven continued as an active town until about 1840, when all the oak trees were gone and the sawmill shut down. Little remains of the original town and the hundreds of feet of docks, but the Whitehaven Cemetery still may be seen on the East River road.
Farming With the timber company out of business, many of the workers turned to farming. Farm communities formed around the island s shores. The farms produced crops to feed their families and crops that could be sold to people on the mainland. Farmers opened stores to serve their neighbors. To get their produce to market, farmers used the ferries. The settlers were turning Grand Island into a community.
Community In 1852, Grand Island established their own town government. Their communities had church services in English, German, and Latin showing the diversity of the population. About a dozen one-room schools were built around the community to educate the children. The landscape of Grand Island was changing rapidly.
Golden Era In the early days, Grand Island was known as a popular hunting and fishing resort. By the mid-19thcentury, leading citizens of some of the mainland cities came to Grand Island to build exclusive private clubs. As more private clubs were added, wealthy Buffalonians built mansions that they used to get away from the city. Large hotels and inns were built for tourists. Amusement parks were added so families could relax and picnic. Although many people visited Grand Island, the population was declining. Other cities built recreation destinations and it was easier for people to travel to these cities. When the automobile was introduced in the 1920s, Grand Island fell behind in modernization and people continued to leave the island for other opportunities. Oakfield Club It was clear that a bridge to connect to the mainland was needed.
Bridges to Opportunity The first time that a bridge was proposed for Grand Island was in 1819. In 1933, the State of New York was able to get funding to build a north and south bridge. By July 1935, the two bridges connecting Grand Island to the mainland were completed. The state built Grand Island Boulevard to connect the two bridges. Grand Island experienced rapid population growth which brought new homes and businesses to the island.
Revitalization The state of New York wanted to restore Grand Island to a major recreation area. In 1935, both Beaver Island State Park and Buckhorn State Park opened to the public. A parkway was built to connect the parks to each other and then the south bridge. Grand Island was now in a position to grow. As time went on, more residential developments, new roads, new shopping plazas, and other businesses grew on the island. This once small isolated farming community is now a place of business and recreation for the people who call Grand Island their home.
Tour of Grand Island Pen and Ink Drawings by Albion Ende (1980)
Works Cited Carpenter, Gerald and June Crawford. Grand Island. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2015. "History of Grand Island." History of Grand Island, NY. Grand Island Historical Society, http://www.isledegrande.com/gihist.htm. Web. 29 July 2017. Macleod, Rob Roy. Cinderella Island. Grand Island: Grand Island Chamber of Commerce, 1969. Maurer, Melissa. History of Grand Island for Young Folks. Grand Island: n.p., 1990.
