The Tonawanda Daily Herald
Thursday, June 30, 1887
Steve Peer, the daring but dissipated rope walker at Niagara Falls, fell down the Canadian bank by his rope last Saturday evening and dashed his brains out. It will be remembered that he walked over the Erie here from North Canal to South canal streets, on a cable stretched from the tops of buildings, eight years ago. He has taken his last walk.
Thursday, October 17, 1889
Tonawanda is peculiar in two particulars: It has not a negro family residing within it's precincts, nor has it any professional beggars. Either fact is rare in a community of nearly ten thousand inhabitants.
Thursday, May 1, 1890
An occasional Indian is seen around these days and his inevitable basket of new sassafras bark and roots. They find ready sale at five cents per package.
Thursday, June 19, 1890
Detectives are visiting various places throughout the state gathering evidence against merchants who are selling tobacco to minors. Look out for them.
Thursday, July 3, 1890
The laying of the first brick pavement in Tonawanda is reported in this paper.
Thursday, July 10, 1890
A Rochester paper says that in 1790, one hundred years ago, only 900 human beings dwelt in the region between Seneca Lake and the Niagara River.
Thursday, July 11, 1890
There will be forty three stars in the American flag hereafter.
Thursday, July 17, 1890
Bicycle riders are often annoyed by farmer's dogs rushing out and snapping at the legs of riders. One of them uses a clever device in carrying some large torpedoes in his pocket. One of them exploding under a vicious canine, whilst not injuring him, completely cures him of the desire to attack any more bicycles. Our boys here might profit by the hint on some of their outings.
Thursday, August 21, 1890
A wheelman discovered a plan better that the one of using torpedoes to frighten away dogs who delight to bark and bite at the passing cyclist. It consists of a rubber bulb provided with a stopper and filled with ammonia water. A dog that gets a whiff of the contents departs to find some place where he can hide his disgusted nose, and he never craves to partake of a wheelman again.
Friday, August 29, 1890
Next week will be a blue one for kids of the male persuasion. Schools begin and the new law goes into effect prohibiting boys under sixteen from smoking cigarettes in any public place.
1890 Census:
Buffalo - 255,543 Tonawanda - 2,000 North Tonawanda - 1,200 Niagara Falls - 5,330 Suspension Bridge - 3, 915
Grand Island - 1, 028 Lockport - 15, 688
Wednesday, October 15, 1890
There are more and fouler saloons and dens and more foul odors to the square inch along South Canal Street beyond the second bridge than in any other place on the face of the earth we venture to say. They all constitute a disgrace upon civilization which it should not take long to obliterate.
A crowd gathered on the Young Street crossing this morning, their object of curiosity being a fellow with a good sized "jag" on who had tumbled down the embankment and lay against the building on a piece of roofing tin. He attempted to walk up the bank, but took a "header" and with a curse said it was too "slippery." He was helped up and started down Young Street in search of another beer.
Friday, December 12, 1890
Emil Schnitzer and Dominicus Greiser are having a hearing before Commissioner Pound, charged with selling liquor to Indians.
Thursday, February 19, 1891
Everybody here is familiar with the good natured and busy dog that runs all day with the American Express delivery wagon. He is a hard worker, and thoroughly enjoys his self-imposed task. There is a black dog of his own size on North Canal Street that seems to take a quarrel every time he passes. The Express dog generally tries to avoid the useless and ill-mannered canine, but is often forced to stand his ground and suffer punishment. If some one would give that black cur a button there would be few to morn for he picks more quarrels everyday than any other four-legged beast on the street.
Thursday, March 19, 1891
A large body of summer tourists passed our door yesterday. en route from winter quarters to a hotel in the South Village, where they will remain for a time before going east. We mean those picturesque individuals - canal mules.
Thursday, May 7, 1891
The houses and lots in the South Village are to be numbered preparatory to securing free postal delivery.
Thursday, May 21, 1881
A much needed improvement to the property of St. Francis Church is a new parsonage for the Pastor, Rev. A.A. Bachmann. A $3,000 house would be none too good and would be a pleasant contrast to the dilapidated shell he has so long and patiently been contented to occupy while the Church and school have had all the attention and expenditures bestowed upon them. Let the ladies take the matter in hand, and the funds will not be long forthcoming.
Thursday, June 25, 1891
An embalmed whale on a canal boat is on it's way to Buffalo, and will doubtless be exhibited here for a few days.
Thursday, July 30, 1891
Saturday afternoon a drunken sailor ran foul of a passenger train at the Tremont and Webster Street junction and was picked up in a bad condition, his head being severely cut. He was taken to Coroner Smith's office and cared for. Some thought he would not recover, but after a few hours he was on his feet again and proceeded on his way as hilarious as ever.
Thursday, August 13, 1891
An intoxicated boatman named George Williams made quite a stir in the vicinity of the canal back last Monday forenoon by falling into the canal. He was rescued in a very exhausted condition.
Thursday, February 4, 1892
There are now six Buffalo breweries represented in this village, Viz Lang, Beck, Weyand, Zeigele, International and Poos, besides one delivery from Niagara Falls. The town will certainly be well supplied with lager the coming season.
Thursday, March 3, 1892
Population of the Town of Tonawanda is 8, 732. Grand Island is 1,021.
Thursday, July 7, 1892
Glenwood Avenue is the name of a new highway soon to be opened between Young and Delaware Streets, beginning near Fries & Muck's Store.
Thursday, August 11, 1892
We hear of more saloons offered for sale here this season than usual. It is evident that the business is overdone.
Thursday, September 15, 1892
Messes, Frank and William Batt have gone into the bottling business on a large scale, and are making daily deliveries of Lang's Bohemian Beer. Their telephone number is 36. Goods delivered free to any part of the City. The price is but 50 cents per dozen pints.
Thursday, November 10, 1892
A South Side saloon advertises in it's window that beer is only four cents. It is a Buffalo product, of course, and probably not worth anymore.
Friday, August 11, 1893
Some fine black bass are being caught in the Niagara River.
Tuesday, May 15, 1894
A telephone was installed in the Tonawanda Police Headquarters.
Thursday, April 1897
A tramp named Daniel Higgins was found dead drunk in a ditch in the latter part of last week by a North Side policeman. He had just been released from jail for vagrancy and was probably returning here to be again picked up and re-committed. He had imbibed an overdose of poor whiskey or alcohol. He proved an unmanageable patient and in three days he died. The town was put to the expense his burial in the cemetery at Martinsville.
Thursday, May 6, 1897
If you have a bill to collect of any saloon man just now for goodness sake, don't bother him at this particular time, for that $300 license fee had made him dreadfully poor. It's like drawing eye teeth to meet obligations at this writing. A little later he'll be in better humor.
Thursday, June 10, 1897
Niagara County is the only one in the state that was three cities - Lockport, Niagara Falls, and North Tonawanda.
Thursday, November 11, 1897
Certain Polack saloonkeepers in the Ironton district have been making themselves disagreeable lately by allowing boisterous evening parties their place of business, much to the annoyance of the quiet, law-abiding people of the community. The police are making an effort to suppress the nuisance.
Thursday, March 17, 1889
The former Port of Suspension Bridge has been changed by Act of Congress to Port of Niagara Falls. The President's approval is expected any day. The new title should have been effected long ago.
Thursday, June 30, 1898
A young man, name unknown, while walking along Sweeny Street Tuesday morning last in a slight state of intoxication, stepped off the sidewalk and put up his hand to stop a passing car. The conductor pulled up. The young man had an unlighted cigar in his mouth and a match in his fingers. When the car stopped he walked over to it, carefully scratched his match on the side of it and lighted the weed. When it was drawing freely he simply nodded his thanks to the conductor, waved his hand as a signal that the car might proceed, and walked to the sidewalk. Everything happened so rapidly and so naturally that the threshing attitude which the conductor had assumed changed to a look of admiration at the man's nerve.
Thursday, July 21, 1898
Fishing in Niagara River is decidedly good this season. Quite a number of persons may be found on the docks from the Island Bridge down to Gratwick and along the river clear to LaSalle. They are telling of big catches of black bass and muskellunge at the latter place.
Thursday, September 1, 1898
Tit is said that there is a saloon-keeper on the south side who is selling $180 worth of beer per week these hot days. His customers consume a carload of beer every seven days and he claims that he does not make enough profit out of this large business to buy a pair of pants for himself. His trade is mostly with the Polacks.
Thursday, February 16, 1899
The new suspension bridge now in course of erection between Lewiston and Queenston, below the Falls and Whirlpool Rapids, will be finished about May 1st. There is talk of a big celebration in honor of the event.
Thursday, February 23, 1899
The changeable weather of the past two months has been responsible for an unusually high death rate in this vicinity. The undertakers have been favored with a larger per centage of business the past few weeks than they have known in a long time.
Thursday, March 30, 1899
During the past two weeks several Buffalo shoeblacks have made daily visits to the Twin Cities in search of business. They have managed to pick up a large number of nickels and this had made local "newsies" and shoeblacks jealous. Monday afternoon about two score small boys attacked the Buffalo "kids" and routed them with a fusillade of snowballs. They shouted "Dago, Dago," at the youngsters from the big town and warned them to clear out. Being outnumbered, the "Dagoes" retreated in good order, and a number of them boarded freight and other trains near the north side depot and shook the snow of this chilly city off their dilapidated shoes.
Thursday, April 20, 1899
All nickel-in-the-slot machines have been abolished in North Tonawanda. The finishing touch was put on last Saturday by cleaning out even the penny machines in the cigar stores.
Patrons on north-side saloons do not take offense now when the proprietors politely ask them to retire at midnight on Saturdays. How things have changed, and all concerned are apparently satisfied.
Thursday, October 26, 1899
A gang of malicious boys from Niagara Falls came to this city last Sunday and turned switches in the Central Railroad yards. A policeman was detailed to capture the youngsters. He was heroically assisted in the chase by Nelson Tully, a lad only 14 years old. The patrolman was too fat to run fast enough and as Nelson was fleet-footed as a deer he started in hot pursuit of one of the miscreants and captured him on Oliver Street. Then he set out up the Central tracks in pursuit of others. He came up with the switch turners but they turned upon him and forced him into a shanty, where they were about to pour water down his back when his older brother came to his rescue. Nelson is now known as the detective.
Thursday, July 20, 1900
Chief of Police Chase of Tonawanda has received fresh and vivid impressions of the depravity of some of our young Tonawandas. Saturday night he arrested a North Tonawanda boy named Willie Harkness for being drunk and acting strangely at the corner of Delaware and Young Streets. The Chief started to take the boy home, and says that as he was crossing the canal bridge into North Tonawanda the fresh youth, who is only 13 years old. tried to get a number of other boys to assist him by shouting "Come on, boys, help throw the cop into the canal." The intoxicated boy was taken home and turned over to his parents.
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