author
Frank H. (Frank Hayward) Severance
1856–1931
A journalist turned historian, he devoted much of his life to preserving the story of the Niagara frontier and early Buffalo. His books are grounded in careful local research and still speak to readers interested in the people and events that shaped western New York.
1 Audiobook
Old Trails on the Niagara Frontier
by Frank H. (Frank Hayward) Severance
About the author
Born in Massachusetts in 1856 and raised in Wisconsin, he learned printing young, studied first at Knox College and then at Cornell University, graduating in 1879. He began his career in journalism, working in Erie, Pennsylvania, before moving more deeply into historical writing and archival work.
He is best known for his long association with the Buffalo Historical Society, where he served as secretary and helped edit and produce many of its publications. His writing focused especially on the history of the Niagara frontier, French exploration, and the colonial and early American past of western New York.
His work stands out for its patient, documentary style: rather than writing history in broad strokes, he gathered records, local accounts, and regional detail with unusual care. A confirmed portrait image was not available from the page reviewed, so no profile image is included here.