Driving along the Outer Harbor I spotted a lighthouse out on a spit of land.  Then I passed a sign:

"Boquard's Boat Livery - Lighthouse Keepers Since 1894."  I pulled in and was greeted by this gentleman seated in a chair in front of the trailer house.  He explained that the "boss lady" didn't let nobody walk out to the lighthouse because of liability.  He said he didn't have a boat to rent me and then bemoaned the lack of business.  They didn't rent boats anymore because people wrecked 'em.  It had been a mild winter with no snow and there was no ice fishing; he was actually quite loquacious.  However, he did permit me to take his photograph.

Historically, fishermen's clubs along the Niagara River and the Eire Towpath were popular social systems. Alongside the fishing clubs and sometimes sharing the same buildings were the boat liveries where boats, bait, and fishing tackle could be acquired. Most fishermen rented boats rather than owning them. Until after World War II, most Buffalonians relied on public transport - buses and streetcars - to get around the city. For a fisherman who did not own a car, trailering a boat home after a day's fishing was out of the question. Even if they did own an automobile, there was often little room to store a boat. Houses were built close together, and garages and backyards were very small.  Boquard's is still in business today, one of Buffalo's last boat liveries. 

Boquard's Boat Livery

Outer Harbor

Buffalo, New York