Discover the stories of our most well-known permanent residents.
George W. Clinton died on September 7, 1885. He was the son of DeWitt Clinton, governor of New York, and was born in New York City while his father was serving as that city’s mayor. Young William accompanied his father on the first ride on the Erie Canal. He first went to medical school where he acquired his interest in science and botany. Later he would study law and was admitted to the bar in 1831. In 1836 he arrived in Buffalo. Here he would be appointed U.S. district attorney and collector of customs. In 1842 he became the first Democratic mayor elected in Buffalo. In 1861, being a botanist, he helped establish the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences. Mr. Clinton would be the first president of the Society and hold the position for 20 years. In 1881, he was appointed Park Commissioner of Buffalo. On September 7, 1885 while walking through an Albany Cemetery visiting his ancestor’s graves, he would die when he bent over to pick some clover. George W. Clinton is buried in section D in Forest Lawn.