The City of North Tonawanda is the youngest of Niagara County’s three cities. Like Lockport, North Tonawanda traces its existence to the early days of the Erie Canal. The “Lumber City” became a village in 1845 and was incorporated as a city in 1865. The Twin Cities of Tonawanda and North Tonawanda are closely connected, and in many peoples mind, ought to be one city. The Tonawanda Creek, as it flows into the Niagara River, forms the boundary line between the two cities and also between Niagara and Erie Counties.

The Twin Cities had more than just geography in common. The industrial history of the cities is closely linked, too. The Tonawandas, with their adjacent Erie Canal ports, grew along with their Erie Canal commerce. In fact, at one time, with over six miles of docks, the cities enjoyed more boat traffic than even Buffalo. The cities boasted industries of lumber, iron, steel and many more, to name a few.

North Tonawanda, known as the “Lumber City,” held the record in the country for lumber production at the end of the 19th century. Its principal competitor for the title was Chicago who would vie each year in a seesaw battle with the Twin Cities. Lumber production here resulted from a cut of about 100,000 acres of timber per year at the turn of the century, which equated to an annual output of nearly a half-billion board feet of lumber shipped through the city in 1921.

North Tonawanda, in addition to its Erie Canal shipping enjoyed record transportation on its railroads, too. In its heyday, the Tonawandas would receive 43,000 freight cars of timber and iron ore each year, and would dispatch an equal number of freight cars with finished lumber, iron and steel.

Douglas Farley, Director
Erie Canal Discover Center
24 Church St.
Lockport NY 14094
716.439.0431
CanalDiscovery@aol.com
www.NiagaraHistory.org