NFNHA Launches Uncovering Mysteries in Niagara Falls - A Digital Archive Initiative

The Niagara Falls National Heritage Area (NFNHA) has launched a Digital Archive Initiative called, ‘Uncovering Mysteries in Niagara Falls.’ The waterfalls of Niagara Falls may be known as a natural wonder of the world, but the City of Niagara Falls role in the Underground Railroad among other historical events has intrigued researchers for decades. The highly anticipated initiative has led to the Oakwood Cemetery Burial Permit Digital Archive Project and the Niagara Falls Public Library Local History Collection Project.

Oakwood Cemetery Burial Permit Digital Archive Project

Founded in 1852, Oakwood Cemetery in Niagara Falls, NY holds some of the city’s oldest records. The cemetery’s brittle and yellowing burial permits provide a rare and unique glimpse into early life in Niagara Falls. These documents track information such as the deceased person’s place of birth, occupation, and cause of death. Tim Baxter, Director of Operations at Oakwood Cemetery is pleased to have the opportunity to digitize their extensive burial records collection.

“We were able to partner with Shane Stephenson, owner of Archives in the Buff, a small archiving business dedicated to helping families and organizations arrange their records,” Baxter said. “He digitized over 19,000 of our records, providing an overlooked snapshot of the area throughout our 160 years. We couldn’t have done this without a grant from the NFNHA. Their continued support of history and preservation is unrivaled in Western New York.”

Phase I of the Oakwood Cemetery Burial Permit Digital Archive Project has already uncovered mysteries such as a handwritten note from 1884 by Lewis H.F. Hamilton, referred to as L.H. Hamilton. L.H. Hamilton was an important Black abolitionist and waiter at the famed Cataract House hotel, one of the most important transit points for the Underground Railroad along the entire U.S.-Canadian border. The note is a spine tingling find for anyone hungry for a physical connection to this history, and it is a rare clue for researchers, referring to a woman named Mary Cosby who was buried in L.H. Hamilton’s family plot. 

Chris Bacon, NFNHA Director of Education and Development believes the archives will continue to unravel the deep history of Niagara Falls.

“The Underground Railroad was secretive by nature, but the lack of physical evidence relating to African American history reveals more about how history was recorded and preserved by those in power, such as historians, archivists, and curators,” Bacon said. “The L.H. Hamilton note is just one mystery we hope to solve as Mary Cosby has been unknown to researchers until now.”

Funding provided by the NFNHA allowed Oakwood Cemetery to digitize 19,900 burial permits dating from 1883. Preliminary work has also begun on a master index that will serve as a searchable finding aid. The NFNHA will fund Phase II of the project in 2021 with a goal of finishing the master index and making the digital records accessible to researchers.

Niagara Falls Public Library Local History Collection Project

The Niagara Falls Public Library’s (NFPL) Local History Collection launched Phase I in the Summer of 2020, uncovering stories of 19th and 20th century Niagara Falls. Records were created for 648 boxes and shelves, as well as 5,198 folders and other items. The focus of Phase I was on paper materials, documenting 7,407 prints, 469 glass and film negatives, and 1,456 slides which were all cataloged.

Courtney Geerhart, NFPL Local History Librarian, and her department are grateful for the support and funding from the NFNHA.

“Through the course of this endeavor, we hope to inventory and catalog the entirety of the Local History archives and museum objects,” Geerhart said. “This will allow for more transparency, give the public greater access to these precious resources, and allow more community engagement.”

Among the stories uncovered in Phase I are: 19th-century travel accounts and living accounts in Niagara Falls, 19th and 20th-century clerk records of the villages of Niagara Falls and Suspension Bridge, late 19th and early 20th century photographs of Niagara Falls, and DeVeaux photographs and alumni records. A letter from the Deveaux collection relating to a 1914 smallpox epidemic in Niagara Falls revealed similarities to what the nation as a whole is enduring amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. 

NFPL will launch Phase II this year with funding support from the NFNHA, the Dunlap Trust and the Friends of Local History.

ABOUT THE NIAGARA FALLS NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA



The Niagara Falls National Heritage Area is one of 55 National Heritage Areas in the United States. Designated by the United States Congress in 2008, its mission is to preserve, protect and promote the historic, natural and cultural resources of the area stretching from Niagara Falls to Old Fort Niagara in Youngstown, New York. Through partnerships and initiatives, the National Heritage Area supports small grants to community partners, develops significant projects such as the Discover Niagara Shuttle and #NFMurals, and is a leading advocate for enhancing appreciation of the significant historic, cultural and natural resources within the National Heritage Area. Learn more at discoverniagara.org.