While he was well known around town because of his family, William kept a lower profile than his brother and father. He retired in 1900 to private life at his home on the Pine Hill Estate in Cheektowaga. They had six children – Grace, William, Raymond, Ada, Edward, and Louise. William married Miss Louise Burgard of Buffalo in June 1886. He became a member of the firm in April 1897 when the firm incorporated as Urban Milling Company. After graduating from public schools, he became a bookkeeper of the flour business. William Charles Urban was born on July 28, 1861. John Cemetery in Cheektowaga, not far from the road that would later be built and named after the family. He is buried in the Urban Family Plot in St. They had three children: George Jr., Caroline and William C. Fillmore Avenue was originally the other East Side Parkway, but it was converted to commercial purposes in 1906. Humboldt Parkway was destroyed for the construction of Kensington Highway (the 33). Sources claim that the “East Side Park System, including Humboldt Parkway and the Parade owe their existence to his energetic and persistent efforts”. He served as a Parks Commissioner and was influential in the establishment of the East Side parkways and Humboldt Park. He was a member of the Board of Trade and Vice President of the Western Savings Bank. was in high standing among the German community in Buffalo, but also among the greater community as well. Modern view of building on Oak Street that was formerly part of Urban Mills (photo by author) The mill had a capacity of 250 barrels a day, which was increased until they reached a maximum daily capacity of 900 barrels. Before this, mills used traditional grindstones. The business was enlarged in 1881 when they installed the first steel roller mill in Buffalo, across Oak Street from their original store. Urban went into business with his son, George Urban, Jr. He eventually built several buildings at that corner that were known as the Urban Block. His business was located at the northeast corner of Oak and Genesee Streets. Urban established his own business in 1846, specializing in flour wholesale. Urban first worked for a general merchandise store, Colton’s, on Main St at the corner of Genesee Street. They also owned extensive other properties throughout the East Side of Buffalo, including the land where Urban Street is now located and several properties along Doat Street and the land where Rustic Place and Lansdale Place are now located. Woodlawn and Glenwood Streets now run through their property. The Urban family purchased land (shown in blue on above map) in the northeastern part of the City – from Fillmore Avenue to Moselle Street, south of Ferry Street. They were part of the first wave of German Settlers to arrive here in Buffalo. Katherine’s parents (George’s grandparents) had come to Buffalo in 1828. He came to Buffalo in 1835 at the age of 15, with his parents – Philip Jacob Urban and Katherine Gass Urban. When George Urban Sr was born, this region was part of France but is now part of Germany. This area is a mix of French and German and has passed between France and Germany five times since 1681. George Urban, Sr was born in August 1820 in Morsbrunn, Alsatia. Remember, there were no highways at this time, so these radial streets were the quickest way to get to outer suburbs. These radials would connect to the main north-south highways such as Union Road or Transit Road to connect between radials. Traffic planners of the era considered these streets to be extensions of the radial street grid (Broadway, Seneca, Genesee, Niagara, etc) that starts at Niagara Square. Main Street from the city line to Williamsville, Niagara Falls Boulevard and River Road highways were improved as well during this period. The road was designed during the same time when suburban highways such as Millersport Road (now Millersport Highway) in Amherst, Sheridan Drive in Tonawanda were being constructed. The road was designed to serve as an “Eastern Park Drive” to provide a direct highway (with Genesee St) from Buffalo to Lancaster and Alden. George Urban Boulevard is 5 miles long and was constructed in 1924 at a cost of $125,000 a mile. The form boundary of Pine Hill Farm shown in red.
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