NIAGARA COUNTY

ILLUSTRATED BOOKLET

The early days of Niagara County in New York State, and its various towns and townships, are recalled through a mixture of colorful tales and factual data in this NEW 30 Page Booklet reprinted primarily from two hard-to-find books: the 1841 edition of Historical Collections of the State of New York by John Warner Barber and Henry Howe, and New York, a Guide to the Empire State, a WPA project.
The spiral-bound booklet, sold exclusively on eBay, is one-sided on 60# paper, with the print enlarged for easier reading. A clear vinyl sheet has been added to protect the front cover.
The communities mentioned include: Cambria, Charlotte, Gasport, Hartland, Lewiston, Lockport, Middleport, New Fane, Kempsville, Niagara, Niagara Falls, Pendleton, Porter, Reynales Basin, Royalton, Royalton Centre, Somerset, Wilson, and Youngstown.
Among the many and diverse subjects in the booklet are: Tuscarora Indians, the Battle of Queenston, the Locks on the Erie Canal, Features and Daredevils at Niagara Falls, the Masacre at Devil's Hole, and Devil's Hole State Park , the Battle of Chippewa, the Battle of Bridgwater or Lundy's Lane, the Buring of the Steamboat Carolyn, the History of Fort Niagara; Tuscarora Indian Reservation; Fort Niagara Restoration including the "castle," Poisoned Well, and Underground Passage; and Niagara University. A 1940 street map of Niagara Falls is also included, as well as sightseeing highlights in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
Names mentioned include: Sherard Comstock, Joseph Langdon, Rene Robert Caveliers de La Salle, Gov. Morgan Lewis, John Stedman, John Hodge (promoter of Merchant's Gargling Oil), John J. Raskob, William and John Willink, Mrs. Washington Hunt, Augustus Porter, Jacob F. Schoellkopf, and the Falls Daredevils: Sam Patch, Blondin, William Kendall, Steve Brodie, Annie Taylor, Bobby Leach, Jean Laussier and Martha Wagenfuhrer.
ILLUSTRATIONS include a View of Niagara Falls (of course), Lewiston Landing abd Queenston Heights, Upper Canada, the Locks at Lockport, Schlosser Landing at Niagara, and a Lighthouse with Fort Niagara in the Distance.
The Howe/Barber history covers the development of this area until about 1841, while excerpts from the WPA book, give a nostalgic glimpse from a 1940 vantage point, including interesting historical notes, especially as they relate to sightseeing possibilities. There's also a small map from a 1948 booklet printed by the New York Telephone Company.