The Postal Service of the United States in Connection with the Local History of Buffalo

This work offers a clear‑cut look at how the United States Postal Service took root in western New York, tracing its origins from the first post‑office at Buffalo Creek in 1804 through the mid‑nineteenth century. The authors piece together fragmented government records, fire‑damaged archives, and local documents to reconstruct the early routes, appointments, and daily operations that shaped communication in the region. Readers will discover how the fledgling service struggled with limited data yet managed to connect a growing frontier town to distant hubs such as Batavia, Erie, and Niagara.

The narrative follows a line of postmasters—from Erastus Granger to Almon M. Clapp—showing how each moved the office across Main Street, Pearl Street, and later the government building. Tables of gross receipts reveal a steady climb in mail volume and revenue as Buffalo grew. This concise account is a valuable resource for anyone interested in local history or the development of early American communications.