Seal of Buffalo, New York facts for kids

The municipal seal of Buffalo is the official symbol of the City of Buffalo in the United States. It's like a special stamp that represents the city. This seal shows a picture of Buffalo's old harbor. Around the picture, it says, "Seal of the City of Buffalo."

The Story of Buffalo's Seal

When Did Buffalo Get Its First Seal?

Even though the City of Buffalo started in 1831, it didn't have an official seal until 1919. A company in New York City asked for a description of the city's flag. Because of this, the Common Council decided to create Buffalo's first official flag and seal.

The Common Council described this first official seal. It showed a lighthouse on a pier on the left side. A ship was sailing past it into the harbor. On the lower right, a canal boat was moving into a canal. All of this was inside a circle. Around the circle, it said, "City of Buffalo, Incorporated 1832."

Why Did Buffalo Have Two Seals?

The city flag was supposed to include this new official seal. But when the flag was made, it had a different seal. This new seal showed a slightly different port scene. The pier and the ship looked different. Also, two animals were pulling the canal boat in the opposite direction.

By 1930, the Common Council had removed the law about the first seal. For the next ten years, Buffalo didn't have an official city seal. Instead, two unofficial seals were being used. One seal was the one the Common Council approved in 1912. Most city departments used this one. The other seal was the one on the flag. It said, "Seal of the City of Buffalo" around it. The Mayor and Comptroller used this seal on all their official papers.

How Buffalo Got Its Current Seal

In early 1939, a Buffalo News article pointed out that Buffalo didn't have an official seal. It also showed everyone that the city was using two different seals. Just two days later, the Common Council suggested a new official seal. This was the version the Mayor had been using.

By mid-November, the new seal was approved. But by mid-December, it was canceled! The city found out it would cost $3,200 to carve the new design onto Convention Hall. So, they decided not to use it.

Eight days after it was canceled, the law about the seal was put back in place. The official seal of the City of Buffalo was described again. It showed a lighthouse on a pier on the left. To the right of the lighthouse, there was a ship with three masts and sails. On the lower right, a canal boat was being pulled by two animals. They were moving towards or past the pier. All of this was inside two circles. Between the circles, it said, "SEAL OF THE CITY OF BUFFALO."

It seems that the seal used today is a newer version of an older Buffalo seal from the mid-1800s.