hose of males, reflecting the sexist bias of that period. No mention is made of the size of the households of which these men were heads; however, it can be assumed that the total black population in Buffalo during that period was probably roughly 200 men, women, and children. Blacks predominantly settled in the vicinity of Michigan and Williams Streets.
The first known group activities of Black Catholics in Buffalo were nurtured by Reverend Serge de Stchoulnepknoff in 1856. Father Stchoulnepknoff, impressed by the faith of the small congregation of Blacks in the city, rented a house on the East side to serve as a center of religious activity for them. The house functioned as a chapel, catechetical center, and clubhouse, and was known as the St. Augustine's Club. When Father Stchoulnepknoff left, the Black congregation generally dispersed to other parishes or to other faiths.
Meanwhile the population of Blacks in the Buffalo area experienced a significant growth spurt due to the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. Many Blacks who had fled to Canada for freedom returned to the United States. From an estimated 300 blacks in 1850, the city's population increased to about 700 Blacks by 1870. Concerned whites aided the newcomers through an annual collection for Negro and Indian Missions established by the 2nd Plenary Council of Baltimore. Their fundraising efforts resulted in $361,000 collected for these causes between 1887-1891.
Despite the early evangelistic efforts of Catholics, the Protestant faith proved more successful in gaining Black converts. The oldest black church in Buffalo was the Vine Street Colored Methodist Church, organized in 1831. Later, the Michigan Avenue Baptist Church was established in 1845. By 1866, only about 1-2 percent of America's four million Blacks were Catholics.
Black Catholics in Buffalo again found a true crusader for their race in the person of Rev. John D. B...