 Edwin Lang Miller was born in Buffalo, NY on August 25,
1887. He became one of Buffalo's leading financiers and
industrialists and was also prominent in local politics.
He was president of Wright-Hargreaves Gold Mines, Ltd, a
leading mining company in Canada and also director of the
Liberty Bank of Buffalo. He served as president of the Grosvenor
Library and the Erie County Parks Commission. He was tapped
as a trustee of the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge
Authority as well as the Millard Filmore Hospital. He was
also a member of the Council of the University of Buffalo
and a member of the Advisory Committee of both the Community
Chest and the Catholic Charities of Buffalo.
Miller graduated from Georgetown University where he played
varsity football, baseball and was on the track team. Besides
racing pigeons, he raised thoroughbreds, and even owned
two sons of Man O' War. He engaged in horse showing with
his children.
In 1895 he acquired his first pigeons, a tumbler and a
tippler. In 1900 his father, who was president of one of
the largest breweries in New York, was presented with several
pair of homing pigeons by one of his saloonkeepers and the
younger Miller began active racing. In 1902, Miller won
his first diploma, and in 1904 was 2nd and 4th in the Western
New York Concourse Association Race, comprising fanciers
from Buffalo, Rochester, Jamestown, Niagara Falls and other
West New York towns.
After graduating from Georgetown, he traveled to Europe
and acquired several pair of Wegges. Miller later acquired
some A. H. Osmans, a British strain, and the Wegge/Osman
crosses became the foundation of his loft. He bragged that
he went 25 years without a cross.
Mr. Miller's strong forte was long distance racing -- the
500s and 600s. He flew 600 miles for 38 years. In the Grand
International 600 Mile Championship, the premier long distance
race in the first half of the 1900s which pitted American
and Canadian fanciers against each other, he had an average
position 6th over the course of 20 years against an average
birdage of 600 to 1000 pigeons. He won the race on more
than one occasion.
Miller was so dominant in long distance racing that in one
season in 1920, the Greater Buffalo Combine flew four 500
miles races. Miller won all four. That same year, he won
1st, 2nd and 3rd in the 1000 mile Combine Championship race.
Several of Miller's birds won 400 and 500 mile youngbird
races.
In 1973, Edwin Lang Miller's entire library and breeding
records were the first major materials donation to the American
Homing Pigeon Institute, under whose auspices the World
of Wings exists.
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