20 Items That Were Invented In Western New York

We all know that chicken wings were invented in Buffalo, New York.

But did you know that Western New York is home to tons of inventions outside of this tasty meal?

Buffalo has a rich history of inventors that has led to a lot of "firsts" in Western New York.

From massive technological inventions like hydro-powered Electrical Plants to weekend entertainment like movie theaters, many items that we use daily were done first in Western New York.

Buffalo has been the home to early inventors and innovators. When the Model-T car first came off the assembly line, people could keep the rain and dirt off their windshields when driving. Enter Buffalonian John Oishei who founded the Tri-Continental Corporation now known as Trico. After a bicyclist ran into his car during a rainstorm and he never saw him, he set out to solve that problem. He created the first-ever automobile windshield wiper.

From windshield wipers to something a bit darker. Buffalo is known as the home of the electric chair. An accident involving arc lighting from wires led to the invention of the electric chair to be used for executions in the United States. The first one took place in 1890.

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It wasn't all doom and gloom for inventions in Buffalo. From the wing to pacemakers, to the first-ever daycare center, Buffalo has been at the forefront of modern technology and innovation.

Check out 20 things you probably didn't know were invented in Buffalo.