I just have to say that everyone who enjoys Cheerios must attend this tour sometime. The smell of roasted oats fills the air down on the inner harbor. This has been my favorite tour so far. The history of the Erie canal downtown and its impact on shaping society is mind blowing when you realize how big the impact was. If the Erie Canal does not come to Buffalo, the people and culture do not come either. It is sad to see how the canal was abandoned and filled in but the current efforts to renovate and excavate are wonderful. The rest of the tour focused on the impact of grain movement in shaping this area. Two separate canals were dug just to accommodate more barges transporting grain. The grain elevators lining these canals are a testament to man's innovation. When the work load placed upon Irish backs became to much a burden and too costly man turned to technology. The grain elevators were designed as means of storing grain for loading and unloading of barges. The elevators in Buffalo were the skyscrapers of their time and people flocked from all over the world to see them. Tragically, the combination of grain dust and coal fired burners led to many fires that destroyed the towers.
General Mills is one of the few large factories still operating in Buffalo. There plant sits right on the island created by the two canals. This was a prime location for unloading of grain ships. Today they only receive ships a couple times a year. The most tragic part of the tour came when we talked about the Great Northern Elevator which is a truly unique piece of architecture that is going to shambles.
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