At one time, Black Rock and Riverside had a large German and Polish population. The title for the Dayton House shows a number of German names. One of the more prominent names was Esser. It is uncertain if John Esser lived in the house, but he did own it at one time. Esser was part of the group of businessmen who owned Riverside and there is a street named after him.
We can deduce that the owners of the Dayton House in 1969 were German or of German descent. The name on the title is Ansbak. More telling, is the July 25th 1969 edition of Der Buffalo Volkesfreund found under the floor boards of the side porch. This issue shows the first lunar landing. While the Volksfreund is no longer in publication and few Black Rockers are even aware of it, the influence of German immigrants is still felt in this part of the city.
A wonderful German/Eurpean spot of mine in Black Rock, is Spars European Sausage. The shop has been selling fine pork products since 1989 and we love the sausage they make. A whole pig comes in once a week and it is processed into high quality pork products. Their motto is "Pigs, not just cute but delcious."
A double treat would be to buy a couple of pounds of their Blizzard Bach Brats and then head up to Ontario Street to pick up a growler of that fine brew at the Flying Bison Brewery. One very wonderful thing about Black Rock is that it still has some rather old fashioned opportunities. Where else can you make a few quick stops and pick up freshly brewed beer and hand crafted sausage -- at a reasonable price too!
Whether or not the current population of Black Rock is German, the influence is still felt.
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