Black Rock, once an independent community, is now part of the city of Buffalo, New York. Black Rock was once the competitor of Buffalo for the terminus of the Erie Canal, but the canal was completed by building a lock on the Niagara River allowing it to terminate in Buffalo on Lake Erie in 1825. The large black boulder along the Niagara for which the area was named was blasted away to make way for the canal. Flag Seal Location Location of Buffalo in New York State Government County Erie County Mayor Byron Brown Geographical characteristics Area     City 136. ... The Erie Canal (currently part of the New York State Canal System) is a canal in New York State, United States, that runs from the Hudson River to Lake Erie, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. ... View from near Horseshoe Falls looking across the Niagara River toward Rainbow Bridge in winter Niagara Glens features many treacherous rapids downstream of Niagara Falls The Niagara River flows to the north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. ... Lake Erie, looking southward from a high rural bluff near Leamington, Ontario Lake Erie (pronounced ) is one of the five large freshwater Great Lakes in North America, which are among the largest in the world. ...

In 1839, the Town of Black Rock was formed from the northern part of the Town of Buffalo. When Buffalo was re-incorporated as a city in 1853, its territory was expanded to include the Town and Village of Black Rock. Black Rock is now a neighborhood in the northwest part of the city. 1839 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...