Buffalo, Iowa, celebrates its 175th birthday

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By Tamara Fudge | Saturday, July 05, 2008 |

BUFFALO, Iowa — This small town of 1,300 on the northern banks of the Mississippi River can claim to be the “first settlement in Scott County.”

At 175 years, no other town in the county, not even Davenport next door, can count as many years in its history.

Still cleaning up after major flooding last month, the town hosted its parade heralding the “Buffalo or Bust” 175th anniversary on Saturday.

Moving down Front Street, the parade included police and fire vehicle sirens, the wail of bagpipes from Blackhawk Pipes and Drums, horses and ponies, and children dressed in pioneer garb alongside a goat-driven cart. Candy was thrown to anxious young parade-goers and Iowa state Sen. David Hartsuch rode a Segway to greet the crowds.

The two-day Buffalo Days also hosted a flea market, children’s games, a bake-off, fireworks Saturday night and even a buffalo chip tossing contest.

Residents have a lot to celebrate, as Buffalo, Iowa, has a long and rich history.

Captain Benjamin Clark laid claim to the land there in June 1833 and began planning the town, a brochure at the Buffalo Historical Society headquarters says. The name “Buffalo” was chosen since a friend of Clark was from Buffalo, N.Y.

“This was the first wooden building in the county,” said historian Anna Marie Figg of a long building on Front Street between Jefferson and Main streets. Although it has been altered many times over the years, the initial structure was built in 1835 as the Clark Hotel.

Close by, Jack’s Tavern was built in 1858. “My grandfather helped build it,” said resident Ernest Schroeder. At first a one-story building, it now has a second floor and houses Biscuit’s Bar and Grill.

By 1881, the town boasted a train depot and passenger train service.

“It was thought at one time that Buffalo might be the county seat,” said Schroeder.

The river has always been important. “When I was a kid, you could see Andalusia (Ill.) across the water,” said Schroeder. “On Sundays we used to row boats there to get beer.”

“And we used to have showboats in the summertime,” he added.

Schroeder said that up the hill there were the James Coal Mine and an old post office. “The intersection was nicknamed ‘Jimtown,’” he said.

Over 100 years ago, Ferdinand Bald helped preserve history through his photography hobby.

“My grandfather was a painter and paper hanger,” said historian Dorothy Adams, Ferdinand Bald’s granddaughter. She explained that residents of the town would ask Bald to finish their houses and then he would take a photograph.

These glass negatives still exist, and resident Dick Abbott said that Augustana College put the images on a DVD.

At one time Buffalo had a brick factory, glassworks and seven button factories that mined shells and cut blanks to send to Muscatine, Iowa, for hole drilling.

The city desk can be contacted at (563) 383-2450 or newsroom@qctimes.com.