The Otowega Club of Buffalo, located in the Central Park neighborhood at the corner of Starin and Linden Avenues, was built in 1895 by the architectural firm of Green & Wicks. An integral part of the neighborhood’s social life, its membership consisted of local businessmen, manufacturers and prominent families from the region. A recent acquisition by the Rare Book Room, the Otowega Club Scrapbook, 1895-1905, has now been placed with our numerous collections of local history materials. Included in the scrapbook are many finely printed items such as invitations, programs, flyers, cards, and menus, all enhanced by the addition of over 90 newspaper clippings on the club’s activities.
The scrapbook collection was assembled by Leslie J. Bennett, son of the club’s chief promoter and neighborhood founder, Lewis J. Bennett, Buffalo’s real estate mogul and developer of the Central Park District. He also donated the land for Bennett High School and All High Stadium, which was used as a stand-in for Wrigley Field in the 1984 film, The Natural.
After digitizing the scrapbook, the library plans on making it available to the public through online access. Stay tuned, or keep watching the New York Heritage site where other B&ECPL digital efforts reside: www.newyorkheritage.org
The Grosvenor Room: Genealogy, Local History, Maps, Music & Rare Books 