Lutherans in Western New York

During the construction of the Erie Canal in the early 1820s, the population of Western New York increased 145 percent. Many of these pioneers were European immigrants, with a high concentration hailing from the German-speaking states. These immigrants brought their Lutheran ideals and continued to practice the religion in their new homeland. By 1827, the first official Lutheran church in Erie County had been incorporated as the German Reformed Church, known today as St. Paul's Lutheran Chu...