The Cataract House was a hotel in the neighborhood of Buffalo Avenue in

Niagara Falls, New York Niagara Falls is a City (New York), city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a total population of 48,671. It is adjacent to the Niagara River, across from the city of Niagar ...

. The hotel was established in 1825 but destroyed by fire in 1945. It was a major stop on the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was an organized network of secret routes and safe houses used by freedom seekers to escape to the abolitionist Northern United States and Eastern Canada. Enslaved Africans and African Americans escaped from slavery ...

and it was the largest hotel in Niagara Falls. The hotel's name refers to the large and powerful waterfall next to property.

History

The Cataract House Hotel was built on the

Niagara River The Niagara River ( ) flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, forming part of the border between Ontario, Canada, to the west, and New York, United States, to the east. The origin of the river's name is debated. Iroquoian scholar Bruce T ...

bank in 1825 by owner David Chapman. The land for the hotel near what is now Old Main Street and Buffalo Avenue between Red Coach Inn and Niagara Falls State Park was originally owned by Judge Samuel DeVeaux. In 1831, Parkhurst Whitney purchased the hotel and ran it for several years. Whitney later leased the hotel to a corporation run by his son, Solon Whitney (who owned the Whitney Mansion in Niagara Falls), and sons-in-law, James Fullerton Trott and Dexter Ray Jerauld. After Whitney's death in 1862, his son Solon owned the Hotel until 1891 when it was sold to Peter A. Porter (who served as a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from 1907 to 1909). Porter was the son of Peter Augustus Porter, who was the only son of Gen.

Peter Buell Porter Peter Buell Porter (August 14, 1773 – March 20, 1844) was an American lawyer, soldier and politician who served as United States Secretary of War from 1828 to 1829. Early life Porter was born on August 14, 1773, one of six children born to Dr ...

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

fame. The Porter family sold the hotel to John McDonald in 1909, who owned it until 1945. Cataract House, which became "the most elegant and popular hotel on the American side," was host to

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

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Horace Greeley Horace Greeley (February 3, 1811 – November 29, 1872) was an American newspaper editor and publisher who was the founder and newspaper editor, editor of the ''New-York Tribune''. Long active in politics, he served briefly as a congres ...

William Seward William Henry Seward (; May 16, 1801 – October 10, 1872) was an American politician who served as United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869, and earlier served as governor of New York and as a United States senator. A determined opp ...

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

, King

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(when he was the

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), and King

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1939 This year also marks the start of the World War II, Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Events related to World War II have a "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Coming into effect in Nazi Ger ...

. The hotel, which by then had occupied an entire city block was across the street from Red Coach Inn, was destroyed by fire in 1945. The site today is Heritage Park located between Buffalo Avenue and Riverway with roadway providing access to the Niagara Reservation – Niagara Falls State Park.

Role in the Underground Railroad

Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center interior

The Cataract House employed an entirely African-American wait staff, who helped many enslaved people to freedom in Canada. White families would bring enslaved African Americans with them on their vacations to view the Natural Wonder of Niagara Falls. Black hotel staff would privately engage the enslaved people and offer to take them to freedom in Canada, if they could be ready quickly. Those who chose the daring escape would be given the route from a side door, along just a few city blocks, to a steep, slippery staircase down to the gorge below of the falls. There they met the rowboat that would ferry them across the treacherous gorge to safety on the Canadian side. This system, supported by all the Black staff and enabled by the white management, operated from 1825 until 1865. In 2018, a model of the hotel was constructed at the

Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center The Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center is a museum in Niagara Falls, New York, based on the history and legacy of the Underground Railroad. Opened in 2018, it is located on the first floor of a historic former U.S. Customhouse buil ...

to highlight its history and importance to the Underground Railroad and the history of Niagara Falls.

Photos

File:Rapids and Cataract House, Niagara, by Barker, George, 1844-1894.png, Rapids and Cataract House, 1844–1894 File:North wing of Cataract House, Niagara Falls, N. Y., by Barker, George, 1844-1894.jpg, North wing of Cataract House, 1844–1894 File:76 William England - The Cataract House, Niagara.jpg, Cataract House from Goat Island, Niagara, N.Y.

References

External links

History of the Cataract House and the Underground Railroad
from the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Area Commission {{DEFAULTSORT:Cataract House Buildings and structures in Niagara Falls, New York 1825 establishments in New York (state) 1945 disestablishments in New York (state) Underground Railroad locations Demolished hotels in New York (state) African-American history of New York (state)