Following La Salle's arrival at the Niagara River in 1678, the waterway between Lakes Erie and Ontario became a natural route to and from the river during the 18th century. Permanent settlement of Western New York began in 1800 after the Holland Land Company purchased three million acres. The company's agent, Joseph Ellicott, surveyed the purchase and laid out Buffalo. Western New York developed rapidly after completion of the Erie Canal in 1825, and Buffalo became an important transportation crossroads. The Erie Railroad, completed in 1851, connected Lake Erie with the Hudson River and was the first railroad to cross the state. As a leading milling and manufacturing center, Buffalo attracted many immigrants from Germany, Poland, Italy, and Hungary. The area possesses several educational and cultural institutions, and Buffalo is the state's second largest city. Grape cultivation began in 1834 in the Chautauqua region, which became famous for its production of juice and jellies. The Women's Christian Temperance Union was founded at Fredonia in 1873. In 1874, the Chautauqua Institution began an educational program that brought music, drama, and lectures to communities throughout the nation.