“There are stretches of the Scajaquada where the maple burns with as ruddy a flame, and the asters smile with as divine a blue, as may be found in any of Nature’s garden.” —Buffalo Express, October 18, 1896

Scajaquada Creek is perhaps the most abused, obscured, and untapped waterfront resource in Western New York. In this undated photograph by Wilbur H. Porterfield, Scajaquada Creek is seen looking north from its southern banks between Grant and Rees streets, well before construction of the NY-198. In the foreground, the creek, surrounded by grassy wetlands, is wider than it is today by several multitudes. A New York Central railroad trestle crosses the creek and passes from view behind a shady tree. In the background, at 1 Howell Street, the still-extant factory of the American Buffalo Robe Co., maker of Buffalo fur and astrakhan robes and lap blankets, is visible. The creek was not celebrated then, except perhaps by photographers like Porterfield. Then as now, and even as early as 1896 when the Buffalo Express penned the following, “Those unfamiliar with this modest stream may laugh at the idea of beauty on its banks; but beauty it still has, and rare picturesqueness.” In a matter of time, the asphalt, aluminum guardrails, and concrete viaducts that make up the Scajaquada Expressway will reach the end of their lifespan and require replacement. Citizens will then have a choice: rebuild the expressway in-kind, or remove it entirely and restore the creek as an open space resource.

Image courtesy of The Buffalo History Museum. Used by permission.