Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Borneo orangutan
Malaysia • 12 days, 11 nights
Wild Borneo: Secrets of an Ancient Rainforest
from
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Glymur
Bones on display in the museum.
RSU Anatomy Museum
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The Phono Museum features decades of different sound technology.
Phono Museum Paris
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Ivan the Terra Bus
The Bus, the Myth, the Legend: Ivan the Terra Bus
about 20 hours ago
Pigeons were included in a series of 1891 illustrations entitled “Household Pets.”
What Makes a Pest a Pest?
1 day ago
Burros Alfa and Beto, seen here with Luis Soriano in 2008, have been helping the teacher deliver books for more than 20 years.
How One Man and His ‘Biblioburro’ Spreads Literacy in Rural Colombia
4 days ago
Price Tower
What Happened to Price Tower, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Only Skyscraper?
5 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States New York State New York City Buffalo Edward M. Cotter

Edward M. Cotter

This vessel is believed to be the oldest operating fireboat in the world.

Buffalo, New York

Added By
noeldtroll
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Edward M. Cotter (fireboat).   Buffaboy/cc by-sa 4.0
Edward M. Cotter (fireboat).   Buffaboy/cc by-sa 4.0
The boat.   noeldtroll / Atlas Obscura User
Picture from a kayak.   Nicpicname / Atlas Obscura User
  Traveler Tim / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

This Place Is a Stub

Help improve this place with additional information or photos.

Make an Edit

About

Originally named the William S Gratton, the Edward M. Cotter was built in 1900 and is believed to be the oldest operating fire boat in the world. It has served Buffalo for the entirety of that time except for a period in the late 1920s when it was gutted by a fire from an oil barge and a period of repair and maintenance in the 1950s. The boat was notably used in 1960 to aid fire crews in Port Colborne, Ontario, in what is said to be the first instance of a U.S. fire boat crossing an international border to assist in a foreign country.

Related Tags

Boats Fire Fighters

Community Contributors

Added By

noeldtroll

Edited By

Kerry Wolfe, Traveler Tim, Nicpicname

  • Kerry Wolfe
  • Traveler Tim
  • Nicpicname

Published

May 13, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Edward M. Cotter
155 Ohio St
Buffalo, New York, 14203
United States
42.872133, -78.872676
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Pierce-Arrow Museum

Buffalo, New York

miles away

Shark Girl

Buffalo, New York

miles away

Casimir Pulaski Monument

Buffalo, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Buffalo

Buffalo

New York

Places 25
Stories 6

Nearby Places

Pierce-Arrow Museum

Buffalo, New York

miles away

Shark Girl

Buffalo, New York

miles away

Casimir Pulaski Monument

Buffalo, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Buffalo

Buffalo

New York

Places 25
Stories 6

Related Places

  • Although in need of funding, volunteers come together to repaint and restore Fireboat No. 1 in fall.

    Tacoma, Washington

    Fireboat No. 1

    This landmark vessel dry-berthed in Tacoma's harbor served in emergencies and ceremonies for more than 50 years.

  • The building sports a strikingly photogenic red-and-white exterior.

    Glen Arbor, Michigan

    Cannery Boat Museum

    Swing by this brightly painted former cannery on the water for a crash-course in local boating history.

  • Welcome to one of the only floating pubs in the world.

    London, England

    Tamesis Dock

    Take in the views of Big Ben with a Guinness in hand at this floating pub aboard a 1930s Dutch barge.

  • Munich, Germany

    Alte Utting

    From open waters to open dance floors—this decommissioned ferry has been transformed into a lively nightclub.

  • LV78 in Ocean Village.

    Southampton, England

    Calshot Lightship

    This bright ship once guided vessels towards the Port of Southampton.

  • Port Townsend’s Fire Bell Tower.

    Port Townsend, Washington

    Fire Bell Tower

    Built in 1890, this is the last remaining wooden fire bell tower in the United States.

  • Monument als Raiers at Pàrquing de les Morreres.

    Hortoneda, Spain

    Monument als Raiers (Monument to the Raftsmen)

    These long, lean figures pay tribute to the daring feats of the historical raftsmen of Catalonia.

  • The three castaways, depicted on the memorial at Fort Vancouver

    Vancouver, Washington

    Japanese Castaways Memorial

    A monument dedicated to three unlikely visitors to North America.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.