BUFFALO, N.Y. - For four decades, a bronze-colored statue of a bison greeted visitors to Buffalo's grand Central Terminal.
It was a symbol of the city as well as the building. It also became a meeting place. People picking up loved ones often said "we'll meet under the buffalo."
After the terminal closed for good the statue was left behind, then during the many years of vandalism, it was knocked from its pedestal and smashed.
Now that the restoration is progressing and visitors are coming through, one of the most asked questions has been "where's the buffalo?"
That question was answered today.
Recently a partner with Mollenberg-Betz Inc. was touring the landmark and came away with a great idea. The company had a buffalo that they could donate. They had purchased at auction one of the "Herd About Buffalo". It sat in front of their building and was beginning to look shabby. So they gave it a fresh coat of paint, constructed a base for it and presented it to the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation.
So as visitors from the National Trust For Historic Preservation Conference came through Thursday, they were greeted by an icon that greeted so many others through the years.