The Niagara River

[1] The Ohio River; A Course of Empire, p. 359.

[2] Frank H. Severance in his delightful Old Trails of the Niagara Frontier has several most interesting chapters relating to the Buffalo neighbourhood. Mr. Severance has done, through the Buffalo Historical Society, much good work in keeping warm the affection of the present generation for the memory of the past, its heroes and its sacrifices.

[3] See A. B. Hulbert, The Great American Canals, vol. ii., p. 111.

[4] Congressman Peter A. Porter's Guide Book may be recommended highly; its use to the present writer, taken in addition to its author's personal assistance and advice, must be acknowledged in the most unreserved way. Numerous references to Mr. Porter's various monographs, especially his Old Fort Niagara and Goat Island, in addition to his Guide, will be met with frequently in this volume. To one really interested in Niagara history Old Fort Niagara will be found most attractive and comprehensive; its numerous references to authorities put it quite in a class by itself among local histories.

[5] Frederick Almy in The Niagara Book, p. 51. This volume has been of perennial interest to the author because of the contributions of the venerable William Dean Howells and E. S. Martin. No one who in early life has essayed the life of journalist and correspondent can read Mr. Howells's article in this little book without immense relish: its humour is contagious, and its descriptions of Niagara in 1860, fascinating.

[6] Goat Island, p. 28. This most interesting pamphlet by Mr. Porter will be found quite a complete guide to a study of Niagara Falls, and is most worthy the perusal of those who care to examine more than the mere surface of things at Niagara.

[7] Scribner's Monthly, vol. xxi., pp. 583-6.

[8] The Niagara Book, p. 15.

[9] The Century Magazine, vol. xxxvi., p. 197.

[10] The Century Magazine, xxxvi., 198-201.

[11] The Nation, No. 84 (September 1, 1881).

[12] Mr. Thomas V. Welch, loc. cit.

[13] Senate Document, No. 35, Albany, N. Y.

[14] Resolved, That this board hereby selects and locates the lands hereafter described, situate in the village of Niagara Falls, and the County of Niagara and State of New York, as in the opinion of this board proper and necessary to be reserved for the purpose of preserving the scenery of the falls of Niagara, and restoring the said scenery to its natural condition, and does hereby determine to take such land for the purposes aforesaid, and which said land is bounded and described as follows, to-wit: All that certain piece or parcel of land situate in the village of Niagara Falls, town and County of Niagara, State of New York, distinguished in part as part of lots numbers forty-two (42), forty-three (43), and forty-four (44) of the mile strip, as the same was surveyed and conveyed by the State of New York, in part as islands known as Goat island, Bath island, the Three Sisters, Bird island, Luna island, Chapin island, Ship island, Brig island, Robinson's island, and other small islands lying in Niagara river adjacent and near to the islands above-named, and in part as lands lying under the Niagara river, bounded and described as follows, to-wit:
Beginning at a point on the easterly bank of the Niagara river, where the same is met and intersected by the division line between lands now or formerly occupied by Albert H. Porter, and lands now or formerly owned or occupied by the Niagara Falls Hydraulic and Manufacturing Canal Company; running thence on a course north three degrees forty-nine and one-fourth minutes west; along said last mentioned division line, one (1) chain and ninety-five (95) links to a stone monument standing in the southerly line of Buffalo street, in the village of Niagara Falls; thence on a course south eighty-six degrees forty-five and one-fourth minutes west along said southerly line of Buffalo street ninety and nine-tenths (90.9) links to a point in the division line between lands now or formerly owned or occupied by Albert H. Porter, and lands now or formerly owned or occupied by the estate of Augustus S. Porter; thence on a course south eighty-six degrees forty-five and one-fourth minutes west along said southerly line of Buffalo street ninety and nine-tenths (90.9) links to a point in the division line between lands now or formerly owned or occupied by the estate of Augustus S. Porter and lands owned or occupied by Jane S. Townsend; thence on a course south eighty-six degrees forty-five and one-fourth minutes west, along said southerly line of Buffalo street, two (2) chains and seventy (70) links to the intersection of the same with the easterly line of Seventh street; thence on the same course south eighty-six degrees forty-five and one-fourth minutes west, across said Seventh street, one (1) chain and three-tenths (.3) of a link to the westerly boundary thereof; thence along said westerly boundary of Seventh street and on a course south three degrees forty-nine and one-half minutes east, one (1) chain and fifty-four and seventy-seven one-hundredths (54.77) links to a point in said westerly line of Seventh street, distant seventy-six (76) links northerly, measuring on said westerly line of Seventh street, from the intersection of the same with the northerly line of River street; thence on a course south fifty-seven degrees forty-seven and one-fourth minutes, west one (1) chain and sixteen (16) links to a point in the division line between lands now or formerly owned or occupied by Albert H. Porter and lands now or formerly owned or occupied by Mrs. George W. Holley, which said point is distant northerly measuring along said division line seventy (70) links from the northerly line of River street; thence on a course south fifty-six degrees fifty-five and one-half minutes west, one (1) chain and sixteen (16) links to a point; thence south fifty-eight degrees forty minutes west, one (1) chain and fifteen (15) links to a point; thence south sixty-three degrees forty-three and one-fourth minutes west one (1) chain and eleven (11) links to a point; thence south sixty-seven degrees nineteen and one-fourth minutes west, one (1) chain and sixty (60) links to a point in the division line between lands owned or occupied by Mrs. George W. Holley and lands owned or occupied by Jane S. Townsend distant sixty (60) links northerly measured on said division line from the northerly boundary of River street; thence on a course south seventy-two degrees nineteen minutes west, two (2) chains and ten (10) links to a point in the division line between lands owned or occupied by Jane S. Townsend, and lands owned or occupied by Josephine M. Porter, distant, measuring on said division line sixty-four (64) links northerly from the northerly boundary of River street; thence on a course south seventy-three degrees thirty-four and one-half minutes west, one (1) chain and four (4) links to a point; thence south seventy-six degrees twenty-eight and one-half minutes west, one (1) chain and two (2) links to a point; thence south eighty-two degrees four and three-fourths minutes west, one (1) link to a point, thence south eighty-six degrees forty-three and one-fourth minutes west, one (1) chain to a point; thence south eighty-nine degrees fifty-six minutes west, one (1) chain to a point; thence north eighty-eight degrees forty-three minutes west one (1) chain and one (1) link to a point in the easterly boundary of Fourth street, distant ninety (90) links northerly, measuring on said easterly boundary of Fourth street, from the intersection of the same with the northerly boundary of River street; thence across said Fourth street and on a course north eighty-two degrees thirty-two and one-half minutes west, one (1) chain and one (1) link to a point in the westerly boundary of Fourth street, distant eighty-six (86) links northerly measuring on said westerly boundary of Fourth street; from the intersection of the same with the northerly line of River street: thence on a course north seventy-eight degrees fifty-three minutes west, two (2) chains and six (6) links to a point in the division line between lands owned or occupied by Peter A. Porter, and land owned or occupied by S. M. Whitney, which point is distant seventy (70) links northerly, measuring on said division line, from the northerly line of River street; thence on a course north seventy-nine degrees seventeen and three-fourths minutes west, one (1) chain and three (3) links to a point; thence north seventy-six degrees eight minutes west, one (1) chain and four (4) links to a point; thence north seventy-three degrees seven and one-fourth minutes west, ninety-five (95) links to a point; thence north seventy-one degrees twenty-five and one-fourth minutes west, fifty (50) links to a point in the division line between lands owned or occupied by S. M. Whitney, and lands owned or occupied by Albert H. Porter which point is distant northerly, measuring on said division line, seventy (70) links from the northerly line of River street; thence on a course north sixty-eight degrees thirty-five and one-fourth minutes west, sixty-eight (68) links to a point; thence north sixty-three degrees thirty-eight and one-fourth minutes-west, ninety-eight (98) links to a point; thence north fifty-three degrees fifteen and one-fourth minutes west, one (1) chain and thirteen (13) links to a point in the division line between lands owned or occupied by Albert H. Porter and lands owned or occupied by Jane S. Townsend, which point is distant northerly, measuring on said division line, ninety-two (92) links from the northerly line of River street; running thence on a course north forty-eight degrees fifty-six and one-fourth minutes west, eighty-nine (89) links to a point; thence north fifty degrees one and one-half minutes west, one (1) chain and two (2) links to a point; thence north fifty-five degrees two and one-half minutes west, one (1) chain and one (1) link to a point; thence north sixty degrees ten minutes west, fifty (50) links to a point in the division line between lands owned or occupied by Jane S. Townsend and lands owned or occupied by the heirs of Augustus S. Porter, which point is distant northerly, measuring on said division-line, one (1) chain and fifty-six (56) links from the northerly line of River street; thence on a course north sixty degrees fifteen and one-half minutes west, fifty (50) links to a point; thence north sixty-seven degrees ten and one-half minutes west, ninety-nine (99) links to a point; thence north sixty-eight degrees nineteen and three-fourths minutes west, one (1) chain to a point; thence north seventy-one degrees forty-five and one-fourth minutes west, one (1) chain to a point distant one (1) chain and twenty-eight (28) links, measuring on a course north twenty-seven degrees east from the northerly line of River street; thence on a course north sixty-three degrees fifty-five and one-half minutes west, one (1) chain and eleven (11) links to a point; thence north fifty-five degrees one and one-fourth minutes west, one (1) chain to a point; thence north fifty-one degrees forty-one and one-half minutes west, eighty-nine (89) links to a point; thence north forty-seven degrees fifty minutes west eighty-three (83) links to a point; thence north forty-five degrees forty-two minutes west, one (1) chain and two (2) links to a point; thence north forty-two degrees twenty-five minutes west, two (2) chains and two (2) links to a point; thence north forty-three degrees seventeen and three-fourths minutes west, one (1) chain and nine (9) links to a point in the easterly boundary of Mill street, distant northerly, measuring along said easterly boundary of Mill street, twenty (20) links from the intersection of the same with the northerly boundary of River street; thence on a course north twenty-eight degrees nineteen and one-fourth minutes east, and along said easterly boundary of Mill street, two (2) chains and thirty (30) links to the intersection of said easterly line of Mill street with the southerly line of Buffalo street; thence on a course north sixty-two degrees forty-five minutes west, across said Mill street, one (1) chain to the westerly boundary line thereof, and to the point of intersection of the westerly line of Mill street with the southerly line of Buffalo street; thence on a course north sixty-one degrees thirty-two minutes west, along the southerly boundary of Buffalo street, five (5) chains and thirty-two (32) links to the point of intersection of the southerly line of Buffalo street with the easterly boundary line of the Mill slip (so called), which point is distant northerly measuring on said easterly line of the Mill slip, seventy-one (71) links from the intersection of the same with the northerly line of River street; thence on a course north sixty-one degrees thirty-two minutes west, across said Mill slip, fifty-one and forty-two one-hundredths (51.42) links to a point in the westerly boundary line thereof, distant northerly, measuring along said westerly line of said Mill slip, seventy-five and twenty-three one-hundredths (75.23) links from the intersection of the same with the northerly line of River street; thence along said westerly boundary line of said Mill slip and on a course south fifty-four degrees four and three-fourths minutes west, seventy-five and twenty-three one-hundredths (75.23) links to the intersection of said westerly boundary line of said Mill slip with the northeasterly boundary line of River street; thence on a course north thirty-three degrees ten minutes west, along said north-easterly boundary line of River street, five (5) chains and seventy-four and two-tenths (74.2) links to a point in said northeasterly line of River street, where the same is intersected by the southerly line of Bridge street, which point is marked by a stone monument erected at the intersection of said lines of said streets; thence on a course north six degrees thirty-six and one-fourth minutes east, across said Bridge street, one (1) chain and three (3) links to the northerly boundary line thereof, and to the point of intersection of the northerly boundary line of Bridge street with the northeasterly line of Canal street; thence on a course north thirty-seven degrees thirty-three and one-half minutes west, and along said northeasterly boundary line of Canal street four (4) chains and eighty-seven (87) links to the intersection of said northeasterly line of Canal street with the southerly line of Falls street; thence on a course north thirty-seven degrees thirty-six and three-fourths minutes west, one (1) chain and eighty-two (82) links across Falls street to the northerly boundary thereof; thence on a course north thirty-seven degrees thirty-six and three-fourths minutes west, and along said north-easterly line of Canal street, one (1) chain and twenty-two (22) links to an angle in said north-easterly line of Canal street; thence on a course north two degrees thirty-eight and one-fourth minutes west, and along the easterly line of Canal street, ten (10) chains and one and eighty-five one-hundredths (1.85) links to the intersection of the easterly line of Canal Street with the southerly line of Niagara street; thence on a course south eighty-seven degrees fourteen minutes west, across said Canal street, one (1) chain and fifty and thirty-four one-hundredths (50.34) links to the westerly boundary line thereof; thence on a course south two degrees fifty-one minutes east, along said westerly boundary line of Canal street, two (2) chains and sixty-seven and twelve one-hundredths (67.12) links to a point in the westerly line of Canal street, supposed to be the northeasterly corner of Prospect Park (so called); thence on a course south eighty-six degrees nineteen and one-half minutes west, along the north boundary of said Prospect Park, one (1) chain and three (3) links to an angle in said boundary line; thence on a course north fifty-two degrees eighteen minutes west, along said northerly boundary of said Prospect Park, six (6) chains and eighty-five (85) links to the water's edge of the Niagara river; thence along said line prolonged into said river, and on a course north fifty-two degrees eighteen minutes west, more or less, to the boundary line between the United States of America and the Dominion of Canada; thence along said boundary line up the middle of said river to the Great Falls; thence up the falls through the point of the Horse Shoe, keeping to the west of Iris or Goat island and the group of small islands at its head, and following the bends of the river, and along said boundary line to a point at which said boundary line meets, and is intersected by the prolongation of the line running north three degrees forty-nine and one-fourth minutes west, first above mentioned; thence following said line, and on a course north three degrees forty-nine and one-fourth minutes west, more or less, to the point or place of beginning.
Together with all the right, title, and interest of all persons or corporations of, in, and to the premises embraced within said boundary lines, including all water-rights, made-land (so called), débris, titles, or claims (if any) to lands lying under the Niagara river, rights of riparian owners, easements, and appurtenances of every name and nature whatsoever, including all the rights of, in, and to all streets, or portions of streets, embraced and included within said boundary lines.

[15] Vol. lvi., p. 106, seq.

[16] Canada, p. 72, Story of the Nations Series.

[17] A very excellent account of the battle of Lake Champlain is found in The St. Lawrence River, Ch. vi., by George Waldo Browne.

[18] The Old Northwest, p. 25. A novel, The Road to Frontenac, presents a clear picture of French-Iroquois hostility on the St. Lawrence.

[19] Hennepin's exaggerations add a spice to his marvellous stories as is true of Arabella B. Buckley's The Fairyland of Science (p. 122) wherein we read: "The river Niagara first wanders through a flat country and then reaches the Great Lake Erie in a hollow plain. After that it flows gently down for about fifteen miles and then the slope becomes greater and it rushes on to the Falls of Niagara." Every age has its Hennepins!

[20] Discovery of the West, pp. 115-16.

[21] The exact spot of building is the subject of a monograph The Shipyard of the Griffon by Cyrus Kingsbury Remington (Buffalo, N. Y. 1891), in which the author, while advocating his own theory, presents liberally views held by those in disagreement with himself. We find O. H. Marshall in accord with Mr Remington that what is known as the "Old Ship Yard" or Angevine place, at La Salle, was the site of the building of the Griffon.

[22] The Narrative is given in full with careful introduction and explanations in Marshall's Writings, pp. 123-186.

[23] A most thrilling account of this fort-building effort at the mouth of the Niagara is to be found in Severance, Old Trails of the Niagara Frontier, on which the present writer has based his description here given.

[24] Colonial Documents of New York, vol. ix., p. 773; in the history of the French régime at Niagara special acknowledgment must be made to Porter's Brief History of Old Fort Niagara (Niagara Falls, 1896), which is particularly rich in references to the important sources of information concerning the French along and at the mouth of the Niagara River.

[25] Colonial Documents of New York, vol. ix., pp. 952, 958.

[26] Logstown?

[27] In the author's Historic Highways of America, vol. iv., chap. 2, this whole problem is discussed and Cumberland's instructions quoted.

[28] The record of these bloody years is hinted in the number of prisoners brought to Niagara. On this topic Frank H. Severance writes [In Old Trails on the Niagara Frontier, pp. 89-91. Mr. Severance, Secretary of the Buffalo Historical Society, has ably taken the place of the eminent scholar of the Niagara country O. H. Marshall. In his volume above quoted Mr. Severance provides a most interesting, scholarly series of papers which no one who loves New York's old frontier should miss. Our story of the famine at De Nonville's fort was written with Mr. Severance's book open before us.]:

"Just how many American prisoners were brought into Fort Niagara during this period I am unable to say, though it is possible that from the official correspondence of the time figures could be had on which a very close estimate could be based. My examination of the subject warrants the assertion that several hundred were brought in by the war-parties under Indian, British, and Tory leaders. In this correspondence, very little of which has ever been published, one may find such entries as the following:

[29] Here, the story runs, the brother of Sir Walter Scott concocted the plots and outlines of Sir Walter's famous novels and sent them on to England to be polished up for publication—a story worthy of a Hennepin.

[30] The Life and Correspondence of Major-General Sir Isaac Brock, K.B., by Ferdinand Brock Tupper, p. 16. This most interesting volume has furnished very much of the material for this chapter. D. B. Read's Life and Times of General Brock is an excellent book for popular use and will be found quoted herein.

[31] One cause of desertion seems to have been the ubiquitous American girl. In a later letter Brock wrote:

[32] A letter from Colonel Kempt runs: "I have just received a long letter . . . giving me an account of a splendid ball given by you to the beau monde of Niagara and its vicinity, and the manner in which she speaks of your liberality and hospitality reminds me of the many pleasant hours I have passed under your roof. We have no such parties now, and the indisposition of Sir James having prevented the usual public days at the castle, nothing more stupid than Quebec now is can be imagined."

[33] British Ambassador to the United States.

[34] In the face of the fact here divulged concerning Proctor's attitude toward Brock's determination to move upon Detroit it is interesting to remember Brock's very high praise of Proctor in his report of the capture. His words, so characteristic of the gentleman, were: "I have been admirably supported by Colonel Proctor. . . ."

[35] P. 60.

[36] The reference here is to the failure of the British to assist the Indian confederacy withstand General Wayne's invasion of the Maumee Valley which ended in the victory of Fallen Timber.

[37] That Brock feared the Indians when acting in unison, that is, when not "interspersed" among the troops, is perfectly plain from his letter to General Prevost of July 3d.

[38] Named in honour of a French Minister of Colonies. The Rouillés are a celebrated family, later on styled Rouille-de-Marboeuf. The above-named Rouille is highly praised by St. Simon as a statesman of ability and integrity.

[39] Five Years' Residence in the Canadas.