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Group Wedding at Goat Island, Niagara Falls USA

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Nik Wallenda Press Conferece Summer 2011

Niagara Falls Railroads

Back in the days when rail travel was the norm, Niagara Falls had many railroad lines and yards, which today are easily forgotten. The city was served by the New York Central RR, Erie RR (and others) as well as the Niagara Junction RR which serviced our industries. 

Today what are left of the rail lines and yards are but a glimmer of what once was. What with the talk of a new passenger station being built in the north end of the city one might reflect on what a tourist attraction our old station at 2nd St and Falls St would have been if it had been restored, instead of torn down. One of the main rail lines came in from Buffalo along the right-of-way paralleling Buffalo Ave/Erie Ave. After discharging passengers at the station it continued alongside Falls St and hooked a right up along the gorge towards the north end basically following what is now the Robert Moses Parkway. Another rail line ran north up what is currently an empty space between 8th and 9th St to a freight yard located approximately where the Harry Abate School is located. There were bridges over the tracks on Walnut, Ferry, and Pierce Avenues.

Prior to and during urban renewal the city put a priority to eliminate and/or relocate the rail lines that ran through the city. Everyone couldn’t wait until the tracks were eliminated from downtown so we wouldn’t have to wait an hour for a long freight to clear the crossings at 3^rd St and others. The fire department even had to have fire halls only a couple blocks from each other in case there was a train blocking the streets. How many of us remember driving up Niagara St to try and find an unblocked path across the tracks?

During the 1960’s, before the tracks were removed, a “high-speed” passenger rail car was running between Buffalo and Niagara Falls, with the intention to bring rapid transit between the cities, but it never was profitable. There were industries where the Aquarium now stands which were serviced by the trains, and there was several businesses around Michigan Ave & 11^th St served by the yards there.

Railroads were a large part of making Niagara Falls a tourist and industrial giant and they still provide necessary service to our community. Of course, should we ever get the high-speed rail line between Albany and here in these days of high gasoline prices, perhaps some of the glory may return.



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Sumbitted by Jim Brunn

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Falls Street - Niagara Falls, USA 1954

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Falls Street 1954 - Submitted to iWitnessNiagara by the Thomas Jacob Family.

DeVeaux Campus - Carriage House (Barn)

The Present is too vivid for ghosts of the past to endure...

"... then the residue of my estate both real and personal, is to be made use of by said Trustees in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth. viz.: for a benevolent institution to train and support orphan and destitute children: to train them up to industry; to learn them trades and professions to give them a mental and manual, and a social and religious education..." (August 3rd, 1852. Will of Judge Samuel DeVeaux) Niagara Gazette July 21, 1974 P 1E:1

Built in 1863 and served as a barn and storage area for the school. Rumored to have an underground tunnel leading from the building to the gorge as part of the Underground Railroad. There is a reference that the barn may have been built in 1858 as part of the initial construction of the Van Rensselaer Hall. The building which is brick with a normal pitched and gabled roof sits on a foundation of piled, rough cut stone in regular courses.

The first floor windows have segmented brick arches and stone sills, with the exception of one round-arched window set between the carriage doors. The second and attic doors have paired and single round-arched windows with stone sills. There is some deterioration on the south side where an addition has been removed and severed deterioraton on the north facade where the brick wall is falling. (From 2004 report by Niagara Falls Historic Preservation Commission.)

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The Victory Grill

These photos were taken at the Victory Grill owned by Joey Sacco 1965. (In the pictures, from left to right: Emilio Giuandinico, Carl Fosseen and Bernie O'Donnell)

"The Victory Grill was a popular bar on lower Main Street two doors down from Defazio's bar and bowling ally. I was one of the first musicians to play there with various bands. The owner was Joe Sacco Sr. who also owned the Buster Brown shoe store on Falls street near 2nd. It was small but had a good following." - submitted by Carl Fosseen

"We were known as Mel & The CB's. During the summer months we played 6 nights a week, with a marathon on Sunday from 3PM to 1AM" - Submitted by Bernie O'.







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