Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
INDUSTRY ALONG THE NIAGARA RIVER
As you approach Niagara Falls from the south, along the Robert Moses Parkway,
you'll notice the juxtaposition of the beautiful Niagara River on your left and rusted
factory infrastructure on your right. The city has always tried to balance the seem-
ingly conflicting goals of natural preservation with promoting heavy industry.
For many years, big names in manufacturing had a presence at the falls, lured by
the cheap electric power, a willing labor force, and the availability of local land and
waterways for pollution disposal. Companies such as Alcoa, Union Carbide, Hook-
er Chemical, DuPont, Carborundum, and Occidental have since left or significantly
scaled back production.
The area along the parkway was an important incubator for new technology. The
secret Manhattan Project turned to the electrochemical industries of Niagara Falls
to produce the world's first atomic weapon during World War II. What remains is a
hulking infrastructure of aging chemical plants functioning at partial capacity and a
lot of brown field cleanup.
Freedom Crossing Monument
Lewiston's
Freedom Crossing Monument
is a dramatic yet uplifting monument that pays
tribute to the brave people of Lewiston who helped transport fugitive slaves to Canada via
the Underground Railroad. The bronze statue portrays a family of escaped slaves as they
board a rowboat for the journey across the Niagara River to freedom. Also depicted in the
monument is Josiah Tryon, the Lewiston man who risked his own freedom by assisting the
fugitive slaves along the Underground Railroad. The monument is located between Center
Street and the banks of the Niagara River, near the Silo restaurant.
Fatima Shrine
The inspiring
Fatima Shrine
(1023 Swann Rd., Lewiston, 716/754-7489,
www.fatimashrine.com
,
9am-5pm daily Jan.-mid-Nov., 9am-9pm mid-Nov.-Dec., free) is
formally known as the
National Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima.
Thousands of
Roman Catholics make a pilgrimage to this site each year to see the glass-domed basilica,
Avenue of the Saints, and the bell tower. This 16-acre site is for prayer and contempla-
tion, but secular people also appreciate the beauty of religious art and statuary. Also on the
shrine's campus is the Pilgrim Center, which has a gift shop and cafeteria.
