5 Facts You May Not Know About Buffalo

Here at Dave’s, we’re proud to be based out of the great city of Buffalo. This city is filled with a rich history and some memorable facts. Our city is known as the home of wings and Dyngus Day, but there is more to city  that you may not have heard before! Here are some great obscure facts about Buffalo that you may not know:

1: City of Light:

Many people know Buffalo as “The Queen City”, being the 2nd largest city in New York. But Buffalo also can be referred to as the “City of Light”. This is because Buffalo was one of the first cities to have electric street lamps, thanks in part to the hydroelectric power we were able to get from Niagara Falls.

2: No Snowballs Allowed:

Although we’re known for being pounded with lake effect snow every year, you can’t legally throw this stuff around. City law actually prohibits the throwing of snowfalls except for in certain designated areas.

3: The Turkey Trot

Can you remember a year where the YMCA Turkey Trot didn’t exist? We’re sure you can’t! The very first Buffalo Turkey Trot was in 1896 and has continued on every year since then, making it the oldest and longest running public footrace in the United States!

4: We’re Actually Quite Rich in Presidential History:

We’re sure most people know that President McKinley was fatally shot in Buffalo. What’s less often talked about is that afterwards, Teddy Roosevelt was sworn in while in Buffalo, becoming one of few presidents to be sworn in outside of Washington D.C.

On top of that, two Buffalonians also served as president: Millard Fillmore and Grover Cleveland. Both spent many years building their political careers in Buffalo before becoming president.

5: Our City is Part of the Strangest Sentence You’ll Ever Hear

“Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.” That is a real sentence, and it’s grammatically correct! It uses variations of the word “buffalo”: the city, the animal, and as a verb meaning “to confuse, intimidate, or bully”. I’d love to explain more about what it means, but trying to fully understand it gave me a headache.

With all these great facts and such a rich history, there are plenty of reasons to love the city of Buffalo, so why not flaunt it? Stop by our locations in Cheektowaga or Depew and browse some of the Buffalo memorabilia and gifts that we have available to choose from.