Designates the Scajaquada heritage area

• Democratic1

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why the sponsor says this is needed

Scajaquada Creek is a spring fed creek rising well to the east of the proposed heritage area, in the Town of Lancasrer, but emerging into the center of Forest Lawn Cemetery in the City of Buffalo and flowing to the Niagara River. The proposed site for the Scajaquada Heritage Area is rich in Indigenous and United States History. This area, site of the Battle of Scajaquada Creek (1814) a major strategic victory for the United States in the War of 1812, has been a significant location in multiple layers of history and the development of Buffalo and Western New York. In the pre-colonial era, Scajaquada Creek corridor was a vital part of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy) homeland. The creek and its surrounding lands provided essential resources such as fish, water, and fertile grounds for agriculture, many lived and farmed along the shores. The creek served as a natural transportation route. Native Americans used it to connect with other waterways, facilitating trade, communi- cation, and movement between settlements. This area contains six significant War of 1812 sites, the Market Square National Historic District, the Lower Black Rock and Upper Black Rock Historic Districts, and Forest Lawn Cemetery. Post War of 1812, the Village of Black Rock and the Harbor thrived as an industrial engine and competed for the terminus of the Erie Canal. This area is also home to an underground railroad site in the fight for freedom against slavery (Freedom Park) and a launch pad for the fight for freedom for the Irish by the Fenians (Tow Path Park). The proposed Heritage Area contains many significant cultural and academic institutions, such as Delaware Park, the Buffalo Zoo, the Buffalo History Museum, the AKG Museum, SUNY Buffalo State University, and Canisius University. In acknowledgement of the historical, cultural, and economic signif- icance of this area, this bill would establish the Scajaquada Heritage Area and would preserve and enhance the historic, cultural, economic and architectural resources of the area through tourism and enhanced econom- ic development opportunities. With a focus on revitalizing the upstate economy, the Scajaquada Heritage Area would serve as an important vehi- cle and force, providing the foundational momentum to create various economic opportunities and investments in Western New York.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.