Chapter I: Front Matter

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The
Niagara
River

Archer Butler Hulbert

_By Archer Butler Hulbert_

The Ohio River

A Course of Empire

_Large Octavo, with 100 Full-page Illustrations and a Map. Net, $3.50.
By express, prepaid, $3.75_

The Niagara River

_Large Octavo, with many Full-page Illustrations and Maps. Net, $3.50.
By express, prepaid, $3.75_

G. P. Putnam's Sons
New York London

The Niagara River

By

Archer Butler Hulbert

Professor of American History, Marietta College; Author of "The Ohio
River," "Historic Highways of America," "Washington and the West";
Editor of "The Crown Collection of American Maps."

With Maps and Illustrations

G. P. Putnam's Sons
New York and London
The Knickerbocker Press
1908

Copyright, 1908
BY
G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS

The Knickerbocker Press, New York

TO
HENRY CARLTON HULBERT
IN
APPRECIATION OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND FRIENDSHIP
AND AS A TOKEN OF
ESTEEM

Note

In the endeavour to gather into one volume a proper description of the various interests that centre in and around the Niagara River the author of this book felt very sincerely the difficulties of the task before him. As the geologic wonder of a continent and the commercial marvel of the present century, the Niagara River is one of the most remarkable streams in the world. In historic interest, too, it takes rank with any American river. To combine, then, into the pages of a single volume a proper treatment of this subject would be a task that perhaps no one could accomplish satisfactorily.

Works to which the author is most indebted, especially the historical writings of Hon. Peter A. Porter, Severance's _Old Trails of the Niagara Frontier_, _The Niagara Book_, and the writings of the scholar of the old New York frontier, the late O. H. Marshall, and the collections of the historical societies along the frontier, are indicated frequently in footnotes and in text. The author's particular indebtedness to Mr. Porter is elsewhere described; he is also in the debt of F. H. Mautz, Henry Guttenstein, Superintendent Edward H. Perry, whose kindness to the author was so characteristic of his treatment of all comers to the shrine over which he presides, E. O. Dunlap, and many others mentioned elsewhere. He has appreciated Mr. Howells's characteristic conscientiousness when he wrote concerning Niagara, "I have always had to take myself in hand, to shake myself up, to look twice, and recur to what I have heard and read of other people's impressions, before I am overpowered by it. Otherwise I am simply charmed." The author has laboured under the difficulty of attempting to remain "overpowered" during a period of several years. That there have been serious lapses in the shape of lucid intervals, the critic will find full soon!

It has seemed best to treat of modern Niagara under what might have been called "Part I." of this volume. The history of the Niagara region proper begins in Chapter VII., the problems of present-day interest occupying the preceding six chapters.

A. B. H.

Marietta College, Marietta, Ohio,
_January 26, 1908_.

Contents

CHAPTER PAGE

I.--Buffalo and the Upper Niagara 1

II.--From the Falls to Lake Ontario 23

III.--The Birth of Niagara 52

IV.--Niagara Bond and Free 72

V.--Harnessing Niagara Falls 99

VI.--A Century of Niagara Cranks 123

VII.--The Old Niagara Frontier 153

VIII.--From La Salle to De Nonville 171

IX.--Niagara under Three Flags 196

X.--The Hero of Upper Canada 231

XI.--The Second War with England 263

XII.--Toronto 292

Index 315

List of Illustrations

PAGE

View of Horseshoe Falls from the Canadian Side
From a photograph. _Frontispiece_

A Glimpse of Buffalo Harbor 4

Lafayette Square 8

St. Paul's Church, Buffalo 12

Niagara Falls 14
From the original painting by Frederick Edwin Church, in
Corcoran Gallery.

The American Rapids 16

The View from Prospect Point 20
From a photograph by Notman, Montreal.

Goat Island Bridge and Rapids 24

Horseshoe Falls from Below 26

"The Shoreless Sea" 28
From a photograph by Notman, Montreal.

Rustic Bridge, Willow Island 30

The Cave of the Winds 32

The American Fall 36
From a photograph by Notman, Montreal.

Remains of Stone Piers of the "First Railway in
America"--the British Tramway up Lewiston
Heights, 1763 38

Amid the Goat Island Group 40
From a photograph by Notman, Montreal.

Horseshoe Falls from the Canadian Shore 44
From a photograph by Notman, Montreal.

Looking up the Lower Niagara from Paradise Grove 46
From a photograph by Wm. Quinn, Niagara-on-the-Lake.

The Mouth of the Gorge 48
From a photograph by Notman, Montreal.

The Whirlpool Rapids 50

The American Fall, July, 1765 54
From an unsigned original drawing in the British Museum.

The Horseshoe Fall, July, 1765 60
From an unsigned original drawing in the British Museum.

Ice Mountain on Prospect Point 64

Cave of the Winds in Winter 66

"Maid of the Mist" under Steel Arch Bridge 70

Beacon on Old Breakwater at Buffalo 72

Winter Scene in Prospect Park 74

Bath Island, American Rapids, in 1879 80
From New York Commissioners' Report.

Path to Luna Island 86

Green Island Bridge 92

Bird's-eye View of the Canadian Rapids and Fall 100
From a photograph by Notman, Montreal.

American Falls from Below 106

The Riverside at Willow Island 118

Goat Island Bridge, Showing Niagara's Famous Cataract
and International Hotels 124

The Path to the Cave of the Winds 130
From a photograph by Notman, Montreal.

American Falls from Goat Island 136

Horseshoe Falls from Goat Island 142

Ice Bridge and American Falls 148

Colonel Roemer's Map of the Country of the Iroquois,
1700 154

Champlain 160

Map of French Forts in America 164

Niagara Falls by Father Hennepin 166
The first known picture of Niagara, dated 1697.

R. Rene Cavelier, Sieur De La Salle 172

Frontenac, from Hebert's Statue at Quebec 178

Luna Island Bridge 184

"Carte du Lac Ontario." A Specimen French Map
of the Niagara Frontier Dated October 4, 1757 190
From the original in the British Museum.

Stones on the Site of Joncaire's Cabin under Lewiston
Heights, where the "Magazine Royale" was
Erected in 1719 198

Specimen Manuscript Map of Niagara Frontier of
Eighteenth Century 204
From the original in the British Museum.

A Drawing of Fort Niagara and Environs Showing
Plan of English Attack under Johnson 208

A Sketch of Fort Niagara and Environs by the
French Commander Pouchot Showing Improvements
of 1756-1758 210 and 211

Canadian Trapper, from La Potherie 212

Youngstown, N. Y., from Paradise Grove 214

The Stone Redoubt at Fort Niagara, Built in 1770 216
From the original in the British Museum.

Pfister's Sketch of Fort Niagara and the "Communication."
Two Years before the Outbreak
of the Revolutionary War 220

Fort Erie and the Mouth of the Niagara, by Pfister,
in 1764 226
From the original in the British Museum.

Major-General Brock 232

A Plan of Fort Niagara after English Occupation,
by Montresor 238

"Navy Hall Opposite Niagara" 244
A drawing on bark by Mrs. Simcoe.

Queenston and Brock's Monument 250
From a photograph by Wm. Quinn, Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Brock's Monument 260

"Queenston or Landing near Niagara" 266
A drawing on bark by Mrs. Simcoe.

Lieutenant Pierie's Sketch of Niagara, 1768 272
From an old print.

Old View of Fort Mississauga 278

Monument at Lundy's Lane 284

Lieutenant-General Simcoe 294

"York Harbor" 296
A drawing on bark by Mrs. Simcoe.

"The Garrison at York" 302
A drawing on bark by Mrs. Simcoe.

Captain Sowers's Drawings of Fort Niagara, 1769 308
From the original in the British Museum.

The Niagara River