Discovering Buffalo, One Street at a Time

Ganson Street is an industrial street running about a mile across Kelly Island from South Michigan Avenue to Ohio Street.  Ganson Street was named for Congressman John Ganson.  Ganson  was in Congress during one of the most critical periods of America’s history – the Civil War.  He supported every war measure proposed by President Lincoln, including Slave emancipation.

Ganson was born in 1819 in LeRoy NY, son of one of WNY’s pioneers.  He graduated from Harvard at the age of 19 and studied law in the office of Sibley and Worden in Canandaigua.   In 1846, he moved to Buffalo.  The Ganson mansion was at 262 Delaware Avenue, at the corner of Delaware and Chippewa.  His home was later the location of the Buffalo Club for 17 years, before they settled into the Watson mansion, its current location.

His first law partnership in Buffalo was with E.G. Spaulding.  Prior to his election to Congress, he served a full term in the state senate.  He was relected to the state senate in 1873, but his term was cut short by his death a year later, at the age of 54.   He is buried at Forest Lawn.

Source:  “Named for Congressmen”.  Courier Express Sept 11, 1938, sec 5 p 2.