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“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Niagara Falls in Niagara County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
 

Edgewater Landing

 
 
Edgewater Landing Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Doda, April 9, 2023
1. Edgewater Landing Marker
Inscription.
The spot where you are standing is near the current northern boundary of North Tonawanda. Two hundred years ago this site was consumed by virgin forest and inhabited by cougars and wolves; its freshwaters teeming with aquatic life. It was this magnificent untamed wilderness that greeted one of the first settlers to North Tonawanda - Stephen Jacobs.

In 1896 William Voetsch, owner of the Edgewater Amusement Park located directly across the river on Grand Island, shrewdly acquired riverfront property across the road from the Log Cabin Hotel. He constructed a dock from which he could ferry his amusement park customers and a hotel to serve as a local restaurant and entertainment venue. Strategically located along the main route between Buffalo and Niagara Falls, easily accessible by water, rail and road, Voetsch's new facilities, featuring the Edgewater Landing Hotel, achieved immediate and sustained success.

In 1817 Stephen Jacobs, a Revolutionary War veteran who had fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill, purchased 196 acres of land here along the old Military Road. Jacobs cleared a small area of forest and built his family a log cabin home amidst the rugged wilderness. The cabin remained a family residence for 75 years. In 1892 the Riverside Land Company purchased the cabin with hopes of developing the surrounding area
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into a new suburb lying between the industrial cities of Niagara Falls and North Tonawanda. A hotel was soon annexed onto the old log cabin. The natural beauty of the area made it a popular destination for travelers for many years. However its location just outside the city limits gave rise to a raft of raucous goings-on- cock fighting, women wrestlers, liquor sales on the Sabbath and other assorted clandestine pleasures. The ultimate demise of all this decadence was delivered by fire in 1934.

Constructed in 1896, the Buffalo and Niagara Falls Electric Railway, with its dramatic Ely Trestle crossing the old Military Road and NY Central Railroad tracks at this location, brought an influx of travelers and visitors. A 1917 fire destroyed Voetsch's original hotel but the rebuilt Edgewater Landing Hotel remained a hugely popular restaurant and music venue. From 1940 until the late 1970s it operated as the locally famous "Wa-Ha-Kie"- where area musicians would rock'n roll while the young and restless drank and danced the night away.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1896.
 
Location. 43° 3.427′ N, 78° 54.271′ W. Marker is in Niagara Falls, New York, in Niagara County. Marker is at the intersection of River Road (New York State Route 265) and Witmer Road
Edgewater Landing Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Doda, April 9, 2023
2. Edgewater Landing Marker
, on the right when traveling east on River Road. Located in Gratwick Riverside Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: North Tonawanda NY 14120, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Lumber City (about 800 feet away, measured in a direct line); Tesla Coil (approx. ¼ mile away); Nikola Tesla Legacy Corridor (approx. ¼ mile away); Nikola Tesla (approx. ¼ mile away); Gratwick Riverside Park (approx. ¼ mile away); a different marker also named The Lumber City (approx. ¼ mile away); Shoreline Trail (approx. 0.7 miles away); Gratwick (approx. 0.7 miles away).
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on April 22, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 19, 2023, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 89 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on April 19, 2023, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Michael Herrick was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 28, 2024