For those who have never considered this aspect of Niagara Falls, the city was important in the Underground Railroad network for a number of reasons.
- Location
- Tourism
- Politics
Before we go into any of that though, what is the most special about the Heritage Center is that it focuses on the real life stories of people who lived in Niagara Falls, or made their escape to freedom through the city. We can learn all we want about the history, but until we hear through the words of real people, who were there, we cannot begin to understand. We hear their stories as they told them, or as they wrote about them, in their own words.
Why Niagara Falls?
There were numerous Underground Railroad stops across the northern states during the later years of slavery, several along the border separating the northern states from the southern states, such as Quincy, Illinois, and Cincinnati, Ohio. But the sad fact is that even making it to the northern states did not ensure the safety of a person seeking freedom from slavery. So while getting north took off a bit of the danger, the only way to ensure freedom, and avoid all possibility of being taken back by a vengeful slave owner, was to make it to Canada.
Location
The journey to Canada would have been dangerous enough were it a direct line, but there was no such thing, with the Great Lakes blocking access across much of the eastern portion of the continent. This left only two potential crossing points without venturing far west into Minnesota, or far east into New England: the Detroit area, and the Niagara Falls area. The rivers forming the border between the two countries near these cities were at their narrowest points.
Tourism
During the 1800s, Niagara Falls were a huge attraction, and one that drew people from across the country and Europe to see the amazing wonder. Anyone with the money to make the journey, hoped to make it to the falls, especially those trying to establish their position in society as someone of importance. “Why yes, of course I have been to the wondrous falls!” This included plantation owners in the south, who typically traveled with sufficient servants to attend to their personal needs.
Politics
Upper New York was known at that time for a very strong abolitionist stance. There were many who openly pushed for an end to slaverly, and there were many others who quietly played a role from their own homes and businesses. The city was known to be a place where free blacks could find employment, particularly in the hospitality industry. It is now known that there were a number of homes and business throughout Niagara Falls that provided safe havens and assistance for those escaping. The Cataract House was one of those businesses.
The Cataract House was the preeminent hotel on the US side of the falls. It was staffed primarily with free black employees, including a number of men who waited tables and entertained guests in the dining hall. Rumors abounded during the mid 1800s about the suspicious circumstances surrounding escaping slaves in and around the Cataract House.
Through extensive research and pulling together records and documents from numerous sources, it is now known that the majority of the hotel staff were actively involved in hiding and making arrangements for transport to Canada for those seeking freedom, and for causing diversions at critical times. In some cases, specific events are detailed through the accumulated records. For in depth information about the owners and staff of the Cataract Hotel, and their abolitionist efforts, read this document that is part of the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Assets.
Visiting the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center
The center is located on the lower foor of the Niagara Falls Amtrak station. This location is significant, as it sits alongside the Freedom Bridge, built upon the same foundations as the suspension bridge that once led black men and women to their freedom.
Upon entry visitors are greeted with the display One More River to Cross. Signage includes reprints of actual newspaper listings offering rewards for the recapture of fugitive slaves. They are not easy to read, building a sense of anger and disgust before even entering the main exhibits.
The entrance to the Heritage Center leads to a replication of a customs house, as well as a recreation of the reception and dining areas of the Cataract House. Through a series of interactive exhibits, the stories of some of the people who aided those seeking freedom, and some who sought freedom.
We learn the story of John Morrison, the head waiter at the Cataract, who aided freedom seekers courageously, at times ferrying people across the Niagara River himself. And we learn the story of Patrick Sneed an employee of Cataract House, whose former owner attempted to regain custody by framing him for murder.
We hear the story of Martha, who barely escaped in a small rowboat that was shoved into the river as she was chased by an angry mob. The stories shared have brighter endings, giving visitors a sense of celebration on their behalf, but we know this was not often the case.
As these personal stories come to a conclusion, we leave the Cataract House, crossing a wooden bridge, symbolic of those who came before us crossing the Freedom Bridge.
The Heritage Center moves to the broader scope of the quest for freedom. One room highlights other key figures in the quest for freedom and equality for black Americans, including Harriet Tubman, and Frederick Douglas, both who spent time in Niagara Falls.
In the next room the focus expands to encompass the continuing fight for freedom and justice for all people. These fights continue around the world today, and we all have a role to play.
Reflecting on my experience at the Underground Railroad Heritage Center
For me, one of the greatest aspects of traveling is the opportunity to discover pieces of our family heritage and an understanding of the culture that we have come out of. Some of us our lucky, and history has been good to our ancestors. We can trace our lineages back centuries. However, others among us are not so blessed. Our ancestors were subjected to horrible atrocities, and some even attempted genocide.
Even though the conditions may now be gone, the impacts and injury continues. Being robbed of the ability to know ones roots, and trace ones ancestors back centuries, and have the comfort of knowing where you came from, is a gentler atrocity that will continue throughout progeny. It can never be undone. For cultures that put high value in ancestral lineage, this will impact for untold generations.
For me personally, to understanding my heritage, meant coming face to face with the burdens my people endured. In some lines, this was easy, and a cause for celebration. I am quite proud of my fathers who fought for freedom in WWII, in the Civil War, and even the American Revolution. These were struggles they willingly went into, for causes they believed in.
In other cases, it was difficult. Visiting the Irish Workhouse was critical to me, to understand that my ancestors endured and survived conditions that wiped out 20% of the population. Knowing that they fought for freedom and survived, that the escaped and emigrated, to give me this abundant life that I have is a source of both strength and pride.
But I also must accept that there were slave holders in some of my lines. Knowing the crimes of my fathers may have been committed against the fathers of my black sisters, the women I love most in the world, is hard to swallow. Knowing that they cannot consider their long-term lineage, or even ever know exactly where they come from, pains me. I am thankful that their forefathers were strong, tenacious, and ingenuous; that they survived to bestow upon my sisters the abundant lives they have, and share with me. I am thankful my sisters forgave me before I ever asked.
The Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center is not a large center, and does not take too long out of a day. Certainly there are displays that will rouse anger, and there are narratives that may bring tears. But it also reveals the strength and ingenuity of those who survived, that is deserving of great pride.
Slavery is a horrible part of US history that even 150 years later, many of us still look away from. We cannot absolve ourselves of the crimes of our fathers. It is only by remembering them, and facing them, that we can move forward to make a better future. The Underground Railroad Heritage Center should be added to every Niagara Falls itinerary. But most importantly, Americans should visit.
For those who will not be in the Niagara Falls area any time soon, there are a number of Underground Railroad sites that can be visited from Colorado to New England. You can find a good list on the National Park Service Site.
