From Forest to Front Lawn June 5, 2009

The Museum’s new long term exhibit exploring the development of Amherst from the earliest settlement to the present opens June 6, 2009. Like many Western New York communities, the search for opportunity determined Amherst’s growth. Visitors will discover how Amherst evolved into the diverse and vibrant community it is today, from the earliest surveying of the land to its expansion as a suburb after World War II and the location of the SUNY at Buffalo campus in the 1960s.

The exhibit takes a close look at the people who settled in the area and what they did. In the early 1800s, settlers and adventurers moved to the land that is now Amherst for the natural resources and available land. Jonas Williams and other early entrepreneurs used resources like Glen Falls and Ellicott Creek to power ventures like a grist mill, tannery, furnace, distillery or carding works. In the 1840s – 1860s farmers drained lands in the Northern part of the town allowing for greater settlement and farming. Amherst’s proximity to Buffalo and the Erie Canal profoundly affected its development by creating markets for produce and other products.

Images, artifacts and ephemera are used in the exhibit to illustrate all aspects of Amherst’s development, including Amherst’s involvement in the War of 1812 and the Civil War, and how these conflicts affected residents and local businesses.

In the 1900s, families moved to Amherst for good schools, jobs and quality of life. As the population of Buffalo grew, increasing numbers of people sought life in outlying areas. Trolley cars, automobiles and buses made it possible for people to live in suburbs and work in Buffalo. Like much of America, Amherst evolved into a major suburb after World War II, and continues growing today. From Forest to Front Lawn will give visitors a chance to explore their vision of the future of America’s suburban development, its problems, challenges and opportunities.

Amherst Museum is open to the public Tuesday - Friday 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. April through October, it is open Tuesday - Friday 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and Saturday - Sunday 12:30 - 4:40 p.m. Open year-round, Amherst Museum is located at 3755 Tonawanda Creek Road, corner of New Road, in Amherst, midway between Buffalo and Niagara Falls. The Museum is just minutes from I-990 or Millersport and Transit Road. Visit the Museum at www.amherstmuseum.org.

Official Website: http://www.amherstmuseum.org