North Tonawanda's famous nickname is "Lumber City" because at one time it was the largest lumber port in the world.  It was said that that the waterway between River Road and Tonawanda Island was so clogged with logs that you could walk from one side to the other without getting wet.  And all of those logs were headed for the city's vast number of lumber mills.

I remember riding my bike past many of those mills as a kid and enjoying the smell of fresh cut lumber.  Yeah, I know, kinda weird, but simple pleasures for a simple guy.

Take a drive down Goundry Street sometime and check out all of the huge mansions.  They were the homes of North Tonawanda's numerous lumber barons.

North Tonawanda also has another connection to trees.  It's also been designated as "Tree City USA" in connection with the Arbor Day Foundation in recognition of the city's commitment to effective urban forest management.

A proclamation read by mayor Art Pappas stated "North Tonawanda is proud to be a community that makes the planting  and care of  trees a priority. Trees bring shade to our homes and  beauty  to our  neighborhoods, along with numerous economic, social and environmental benefits. The City makes an effort to quickly replace any trees that must be removed for whatever reason."

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