Buffalo, New York

Buffalo, New York is a city at the eastern tip of Lake Erie, where the Niagara River drains the lake into Lake Ontario.

Buffalo first rose to prominence in the early 19th century, as it was the western terminus of the important Erie Canal. While the barges that transitted the first Erie Canal were small, by modern standards, in the decades that preceded railroads, the canal was the only practical means to transport bulk cargo across the Appalachian Mountains. Since the barges weren't seaworthy enough to sail Lake Erie cargo had to be transferred to sailing ships.