Letter
Let's make the Whole Waterfront
a Museum!
The Buffalo Waterfront has the military museum with
the cruiser, destroyer, sub, etc., and that's all right. There are people who are
interested in going to see that sort of thing.
However, something that would be of even more interest would be to have the entire
waterfront area one big museum. I don't mean bring in, and put on display, things
that never really were a part of Buffalo's history. No, it seems that for it to be
a major draw to people, it must be a genuine, real McCoy part of Buffalo's history.
I think people would be interested in seeing Buffalo the way it really was... fifty,
a hundred, a hundred and fifty years ago.
For example, Buffalo was once the grain elevator capital of the world. Well, there
remain some elevators in the area. What an interesting and educational experience
it would be to tour a grain elevator that has been renovated and made into a museum.
There could be self-guided tours where people would push a button and a recorded
voice would describe every step of the grain storage process and help persons to
appreciate the grain elevator's place in Buffalo's growth and history. Maybe there
could even be a little souvenir and coffee shop on the top of this grain elevator
museum where one would have an unparalleled view of Buffalo, the harbor, and the
lake.
Is this beyond the realm of possibility? I think not, and I'd venture to say that
such a museum would fascinate and capture the magination of young and old alike.
The same thing could be done with a lake freighter, tug boats, canal boats (if there
are any still around) and anything and everything that was actually here and had
a part in Buffalo's history.
This, the genuine article, is the thing that will bring people here to see for themselves,
to experience, to imagine, and to relive the hustle and bustle of, what was once,
one of the the world's busiest inland seaports. Appreciating, preserving, and MAKING
THE MOST OF WHAT IS ALREADY HERE is a key to Buffalo's future success.
Preserving the remnants of the famous Erie Canal in Buffalo is an excellent start
to this project. However, I believe it's only a start. Buffalo's waterfront has the
potential to be the focal point of a Buffalo renaissance. Will those responsible
for Buffalo's future waterfront development recognize that the key to its success
lies in its past? We hope so...at least I do.
- Jerry Puckett
Though presently residing with my wife and two children in
Vermont where I work for the U.S. Postal Service as a letter carrier, I consider
the Buffalo area home since this is where I grew up...Cheektowaga to be exact. Like
many who have moved away, I have many fond memories and a longing to return, and
that I do as often as I can. Being a history buff I have taken a special interest
in researching Buffalo's past. This has helped me to appreciate and take pride in
the place I grew up in even more. Along with being interested in Buffalo's past,
I try to keep up with what's going on there in the present and have a keen interest
in seeing good things happen in my home town.
- Jerry Puckett |