Bird Avenue runs approximately 1.5 miles between Delaware Avenue and Niagara Street, just south of Forest Avenue.
Buffalo has Eagle Street and Swan Street. It’s natural to assume that Bird Street was named after the birds that make their home along the Niagara River. Well, it’s not named after our fine feathered friends, but there were some Birds who made their home along the river…
Colonel William Bird was born in Connecticut in 1797. He spent a year at Yale, but decided that he was more interested in engineering than greek and latin. During the War of 1812, he served with his uncle, Peter Buell Porter (a very important man in his own right, but we’ll get to him another time). He became a Colonel and assisted General Porter with the boundary commission that determined the boundary between the U.S. and Canada in 1817. When he came to WNY in 1818, it was only natural that he settle in Black Rock, where his uncle lived. He built a large house at 1118 Niagara Street (near where Rich Products is located today), on the west side of the street, with the Niagara River as his backyard.
When the foundations of his home were being dug, a large brass kettle was found. In the kettle were 12 skeletons, each with a hatchet in its head! The bodies are believed to have been those of a lost party of French Explorers who were heading to Detroit in 1763. It is believed they were sleeping by their fire when surprised by natives americans. Col. Bird lived in his house on Niagara Street for 58 years.
Upon arriving in Black Rock, Col. Bird built WNY’s first flour mill. The mill ground the first cargoes of wheat that came across the Great Lakes. He served as Government Inspector of Marine Navigation for the Great Lakes and the code of rules he established for boats is still valid today. He laid out many of the streets of Black Rock and built many of the earliest mills along the Niagara River. These mills were run by water power.
He was one of the builders of Black Rock Harbor and its piers. He was president of Erie County Savings bank for 24 years. He was a founder of the Buffalo Niagara Falls Railroad and superintendant of its construction. He died in 1878 and is buried in a family plot at Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Sources: Smith, Perry. History of Buffalo and Erie County. D. Mason and Co, Publishers: Syracuse NY, 1884.
“Bird Avenue named after Col. William A. Bird.” Courier Express July, 31, 1938. section 5, p.3. Clipping found in BECPL Buffalo Streets Scrapbook, Vol 2.
Discovering Buffalo, One Street at a Time 
I have been researching a family branch of mine, Germain. I think it likely that Germain street is named for James Germain 1783-1865.He built the first mill in Block Rock using overflow water from the Erie canal.Then about 1836 ,he was part of the deal to sell most of Black Rock.When the deal fell through it was divided up,but did he get a street name?. His son-in-law was Stephen Wheeler Howell (1st wife Wealthy Germain 1813-1839)and the parallel street is Howell. A memorial to James’ daughter?
Warren Rauch
I haven’t spent a lot of time researching those two streets, but I can let you know if I come across anything! Your theory does sound plausible.
I just found your site and find it fascinating ! I am trying to find out about the MacMillan family ) .) as we often walk up the rear steps from Delaware Ave. near the S- curves,just under the 198. On the other side,facing the 198 lanes , is the big stone with the name ‘MacMillan” carved. And,just the other day I heard of the MacMillan tennis courts ( Delaware Avenue South exit.’. Have you covered this anywhere on your writings ? Keep up your wonderful work !
William McMillan was the Superintendent of Parks when Olmsted was here. He was one of the founders of the field of Landscape Architecture. He died in 1899 in New Jersey, but was buried in Forest Lawn. In 19045, the large fountain was dedicated at Delaware Park. A fountain was selected b/c his family did not want a statue. The fountain was neglected and fell into disrepair over time and the water to the fountain was shut off.
[…] Fillmore, George Clinton, Ira Blossom, Thomas Foote, Joseph Masten, Isaac Sherman, Gaius B Rich, William Bird, George Babock, Nathan Hall, James Wadsworth, Theodotus Burwell, John Shepard, Hiram Tucker, […]
Hi,
Love buffalostreets.com,
Did you explore the chance that the street named after William Bird was actually Hertel Avenue and that Mr. Bird lived there at what is now Hertel and Niagara. I think Bird Street. became Hertel sometime after 1880 as that is the last map I have seen showing it to exist. A map of 1884 on BuffaloResearch.com shows the name change to Hertel. The 1880 Ward map found on that same website will show you the Bird Estate as well as Bird Street. Hope this helps.
Hi! My understanding is that the William A Bird land at the foot of what is now Hertel was owned by Col. Bird’s son. In 1880, both streets were named Bird, actually. It is possible that Hertel Black Rock street was also named after Col Bird (or perhaps his son), but my source references the street just south of Forest.
Thanks Angela, The William Bird Farm being further north up at Hertel seemed like a bigger parcel and a likely place for his home.
The passage below by Perry Smith (one of your references) confirms your view. Sorry to be a bother.
Black Rock.—Many graves were on or near the premises of Colonel
William A. Bird, Sr. In the battle of July 11, 1813, at Black Rock, in which Colonel Bishop was killed, and Captain Saunders was wounded
and taken prisoner by our men, there were eight British and three
American soldiers killed ; they were buried on the brow of the river
bank, back of Colonel Bird’s house. From his residence south as far as Albany street, there were at the close of the war many grave mounds,
which since that time have all been leveled.
It is all so interesting to think about. Esp when street numbers change over time, it makes research so difficult sometimes! Didn’t they know that 200 years later we’d want more exact information written down? Haha!
[…] site of the Black Rock Burying Grounds. The Black Rock Burial Grounds had been established by William A. Bird on behalf of the Village of Black Rock in 1818. This burial ground was used for the […]