Buffalo Historical Museum

Location :

409 3rd St, PO Box 93, Buffalo, Iowa 52728
Added by Jopie, at 01 January 2020

History of Buffalo, Iowa
Buffalo, being the first town in Scott County, was settled by Captain Benjamin W. Clark in December, 1833. Named in honor of Buffalo, N.Y., it was ‘officially platted in 1836. Following is how it happened:
Upon the signing of the Black Hawk Treaty, ending the war in 1832, the land known as the Black Hawk Purchase was opened up. Captain Benjamin W. Clark came across the Mississippi from Andalusia and erected a log cabin, making claim in what is now Buffalo. Clark was the first white settler in Scott County.
Imagine what Buffalo must have looked like to Captain Clark as he came across the river from Illinois. As he approached the shoreline he saw a land of low lying, heavily wooded hills. The hills were set well back from the river, with a fairly gentle grade to the top of those hills where the rich, fertile Iowa prairie stretched into the horizon. Stone for the building of homes, stores and factories were evident wherever he looked. An ample supply of water was readily available from the many small creeks which flowed into the Mississippi. The river itself had a pebbly beach making for easy access to the shore. There were many other great resources, as settlers would later discover.
Captain Clark established the first public ferry across the Mississippi between Burlington and Dubuque. Clark’s Ferry provided easy access to the new territory. During the summer of 1833, he also broke the first sod and; planted the first corn crop in Scott County.
In December if 1833, Captain Clark brought his family across the river to become the first permanent white settlers in this new territory and the only settlers on the Iowa side between Burlington and Dubuque.
There was an abundance of rich farming land, and an excellent stand of timber. Industries dealing with coal and stone products had ample resources which could be used. Buffalo was also proving to be the most noted ferry crossing. Easy passage across the Mississippi was possible at Buffalo. Most all white settlers came through Buffalo in those early years. This was in spite of the fact that many other ferry operations had begun. Clark’s Ferry stayed in continuous operation for more that 50 years, outlasting all other public ferries of its kind. The ferry probably fell into disuse as more and more attention was centered on Davenport. It was in Davenport where steamers for the river passage first started being used and where the railroad made its way across Illinois into Iowa.
The precise route of Clark’s Ferry stretched between Andalusia and Buffalo, going between the river islands as you look south across the river from Buffalo. The ferry landing was between what is now Jefferson and Hacker Streets. Standing to greet the weary immigrants was a public house built by Clark in 1835-1836. The hotel, 40x60 feet and two stories high, which still remains located on Front Street, was considered a great enterprise. The structure was completed in 1836. The lumber was brought to Buffalo from Cincinnati and cost $60 per 1,000 feet. This is the building that is now owned by Kaufman Co. As time went on, several other businesses geared to meet the needs of the pioneers, were located in the general area as well. Capt. Clark's hotel was the first in Buffalo Township and Scott County. Thereafter came other places-the Washington house, the Mississippi house and the Heckle hotel. There were many other businesses as well. The principle industries of the town, aside from agriculture and stock raising were coal mining, brick and tile making, and pearl button manufacturing. The natural resources were used to best advantage by those who settled in Buffalo.
Buffalo began to thrive as a community because of the work which Captain Clark and others put into developing the land’s resources. Many settlers decided to make Buffalo their home. By 1836, Buffalo was in a position to seriously be considered as the sight of the county seat. Buffalo also held promise in becoming an important import and commercial center.
Prior to 1837, the new Iowa territory was divided between two counties, Dubuque and DesMoines. However, because of the tremendous increase in new settlers, it soon became obvious that smaller county units were needed. At a meeting of the territorial legislature in Burlington in December of 1837, the lines for the present counties in Iowa were drawn up.

If you look at a reference map, you would soon discover that Scott County lacks one township of being square. The reason this occurred goes back to the desire of the many new settlements to be the new county seat.
The settlements at Rockingham, Davenport, Bloomington (now Muscatine) and Geneva were especially envious. Land speculators, from these communities, were more than willing to do what they could to influence the legislature so that their community would be central. For reasons unknown, a developer from Geneva convinced the territorial legislature that the upper line of Muscatine County should be as far up river as possible. This made Geneva and Bloomington central for Muscatine County. This also made Buffalo too close to the Scott/Muscatine County line to become the county seat. Representatives from Davenport and Rockingham had the same aspirations for their communities. The net result was that Buffalo, due to swift politics, lost out in the race for the county seat.
It was not too surprising that Buffalo grew so quickly, so that by 1837, a mere five years after Captain Clark had established this claim, this was the most prosperous town in the area. As so often happens when growth occurs quickly; that growth can disappear. Buffalo’s existence switched from a commercial and trade basis to a farm economy base. Fortunately, there were several men who did keep Buffalo going as a community after the disappointment of the county seat. It is to their credit that Buffalo survived during this period from 1838-1850. These farmers knew the value of the land they were on. They were willing to work for what the land would offer them. There were other businessmen as well, but it was the farmers who brought a sense of stability to Buffalo.
Buffalo has survived through the years, but today, is often times overlooked for its contributions in the beginnings of this Quad City area. For example, despite several attempts from citizens, our name fails to show up on the map provided on the covers of Quad City area phone books. Another major disappointment, despite the valiant attempt of the community, was the loss in retaining the Buffalo School System independent of outside involvement. Unfortunately, after much effort was expended, the Buffalo School System was taken in by the Davenport School District in 1966. Residents of Buffalo need to remain diligent in preserving our town’s rich history and independence.
Don’t forget that Buffalo was a town of many firsts in Scott County:
1833 The first claim, first settlement, the first sod broken, the first corn crop, the first Ferry established.
1834 Coal discovered and first mined, first birth (David H. Clark), first merchandise sold, first surgery, first baptism.
1835 First public house, first real estate deed, first physician, first girl birth (Harriet Mounts)
1836 First criminal trial
Descendants of many of the founding families still reside in Buffalo. All one has to do is speak with them, and you will hear many wonderful stories of what life was like in the early times. This is one of the beauties of small towns. People have roots going back through the generations. They have a stake in what is going on in the town. The stories they tell bring richness to a community which is lacking in many of the more modern suburbs and housing developments, that seemingly pop up overnight. Despite the cohesiveness of the longtime family roots, it is important to keep in mind that everyone was a newcomer to Buffalo at one time.

Credit for the above consolidated history is given, in part to the writers of “Buffalo, Then and Now. Please read the complete book, and visit our Buffalo Historical Museum to learn more.

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