The Town of Amherst was carved out of what was then the Town of Buffalo in 1818. It was named for a British lord, Sir Jeffrey Amherst, who was Commander-in-Chief of the British troops in America in
1758-1763. In 1820, 768 people lived in Amherst. Today there are more than 122,000 residents in the town. During the War of 1812, American troops were stationed in Williamsville in the area
between Garrison Road and Ellicott Creek. The log barracks were converted to use as a hospital to treat ill and injured American and British soldiers. Those who didn't survive were buried in a small cemetery on Aero Drive. Originally a n agricultural community and a stop along the road to Buffalo Amherst is now primarily a residential suburb of the city.