Presidents in Buffalo
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1) The Forest Lawn Connection
Millard Fillmore: Resided in Buffalo from 1820-1874. State Assemblyman (3 terms) 1829-1831; U.S. Congressman (4 terms) 1833-35; 1837-43; State Comptroller 1848; Vice-President to Zachary Taylor 1849-1850; 13th President 1850-1853. He campaigned unsuccessfully for President in 1856, and after was an acclaimed attorney, civic servant and philanthropist until his death in 1874. Buried in Buffalo’s Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Shirley Chisholm: Living in Brooklyn, she was a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly from 1965 to 1968, sitting in the 175th, 176th and 177th New York State Legislatures. In August 1968, she was elected as the Democratic National Committeewoman from New York State. With her campaign slogan, "Unbought and Unbossed,” she thus became the first black woman elected to Congress, where she served from 1969-1983. She was also a 1972 Democratic Hopeful Candidate for President. After leaving Congress, Chisholm made her home in Williamsville, New York and resumed her career in education. She is buried in Buffalo’s Forest Lawn Cemetery.
1-a) The Buffalo Resident-Elected Presidents
Millard Fillmore: Resided in Buffalo from 1820-1874. State Assemblyman (3 terms) 1829-1831; U.S. Congressman (4 terms) 1833-35; 1837-43; State Comptroller 1848; Vice-President to Zachary Taylor 1849-1850; 13th President 1850-1853. He campaigned unsuccessfully for President in 1856 and after was an acclaimed attorney, civic servant and philanthropist until his death in 1874. Buried in Buffalo’s Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Grover Cleveland: Moved to Buffalo 1857; Passed bar 1859; Erie County Sheriff 1871-73; Buffalo Mayor 1882 ; NYS Governor 1883-85; Elected 22nd President 1885-89; Lost re-election campaign in 1888 to Benjamin Harrison; Elected 24th President 1893-97; Last known visit to Buffalo 10/9/03 to serve as honorary pallbearer for his friend Wilson Bissell. This was Cleveland’s first visit to Buffalo in “11 or 12 years,” according to the Buffalo Morning Express. It was also his final visit to Buffalo. Retired to Princeton, NJ in 1897 until his death in 1908.
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Millard Fillmore Statue,
City Hall, Buffalo., New York
Grover Cleveland Statue,
City Hall, Buffalo., New York
Theodore Roosevelt Statue,
Roosevelt Inaugural Site, Buffalo.
Abraham Lincoln Statue,
History Museum, Buffalo., New York
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George Washington Statue,
Old County Hall, Buffalo., New York
Young Lincoln Statue,
Delaware Park, Buffalo., New York
6) Other Buffalo Notables Visits
Belva Lockwood: American attorney, politician, educator, author and the first woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court in 1880. She visited the Pan Am Expo on July 12, 1901 and the Buffalo News noted she was no stranger to the city having made the trip from home town, Royalton, many times starting when she was a child. Lockwood was the Equal Rights Party and first woman candidate for President in both 1884 and 1888.
Shirley Chisholm: Living in Brooklyn, she was a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly from 1965 to 1968, sitting in the 175th, 176th and 177th New York State Legislatures. In August 1968, she was elected as the Democratic National Committeewoman from New York State. With her campaign slogan, "Unbought and Unbossed,” she thus became the first black woman elected to Congress, where she served from 1969-1983. She was also an unsuccessful Democratic Hopeful Candidate for President in 1972. After leaving Congress, Chisholm made her home in Williamsville, New York and resumed her career in education. She is buried in Buffalo’s Forest Lawn Cemetery. Credits and appreciation to CYNTHIA VAN NESS at the Buffalo History Museum's Research Library.
Check this link:
https://buffalohistory.org/Contact%20Card/research-library/
A special thanks and credits to MARTIN NOWAK, Author of Buffalo & its Presidents. Visits to Buffalo includes those to the WNY region, like the Chautauqua Institute, Lockport, and Niagara Falls
Those Presidents NOT KNOWN to have visited Buffalo: Washington, J. Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Jackson, Polk, Pierce, Buchanan ( 8 for sure). Still in question: Hayes and Arthur (2)
*9 Presidents visited nearby Chautauqua Institute in Chautauqua County, New York, (T.R., FDR, and Clinton on several occasions). Thanks to Jon Schmitz, Archivist and Historian at the Chautauqua Institution.
**Does not include Fillmore, Cleveland, McKinley and T. Roosevelt
This list is in-progress, so contributions with dates and sources are welcomed to
Information still in question. Changes made on 4/26/17