Downtown Buffalo in 1965 was on the eve of a dramatic transformation. In this photograph, the downtown landscape is seen looking south from the upper stories of One M&T Plaza, under construction since the previous year. Visible are two landmarks, the Old Post Office and Ellicott Square Building, that are still familiar today. Less familiar, the Hotel Buffalo, built in 1907 and demolished in 1968, is  in the foreground at Washington and Swan streets. Built by Ellsworth Statler, the Hotel Buffalo was the first in the country to offer a bathroom, hot and cold water, and a wall-mounted light switch in each guest room. The hotel and nearly every building  around it would be parking lot within five years.

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