Niagara Falls in Niagara Region, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
Indian Ossuary
![Indian Ossuary [on north side of stone cairn] - Marker image. Click for full size.](Photos8/893/Photo893108.jpg?830202562000PM "Indian Ossuary [on north side of stone cairn] - Marker. Click for full size.")
Photographed by Dale K. Benington, June 10, 2012
1. Indian Ossuary [on north side of stone cairn] - Marker
200 y'ds N west on the highest point was situated the largest Indian Ossuary yet discovered in the province. First discovered about 1820. Bones and sand removed in 1908.
Erected 1934 by Lundy's Lane Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Cemeteries & Burial Sites. A significant historical year for this entry is 1820.
Location. 43° 8.308′ N, 79° 6.09′ W. Marker is in Niagara Falls, Ontario, in Niagara Region. It is at the intersection of St Paul Ave and Pinestone Rd, on the right when traveling south on St Paul Ave. The plaque is affixed to the north side of the stone cairn. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2334 St Paul Ave, Niagara Falls ON L2J 0C7, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe and in Niagara Canada. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, on the Great Lakes, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Stamford Cottage (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named Indian Ossuary (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Stamford Cottage (a few steps from this marker); Ontario Hydro Memorial (approx. 0.6 kilometers away); Haulage Road Recreational Trail (approx. 0.9 kilometers away); Oswald Regency Cottage circa 1835 (approx. one kilometer away); Stamford Presbyterian Cemetery History (approx. 1.2 kilometers away); 1784 In Memorium 1984 (approx. 1.2 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Niagara Falls.
More about this marker. This 1934 stone cairn bears two unrelated plaques:
- THIS entry HMDB entry 282809 describes the 1934 Indian Ossuary plaque (north side of cairn).
- HMDB entry 283045 describes the 1934 Stamford Cottage plaque (south side of cairn).
Adjacent is a recent black-and-white sign that re-words these two 1934 plaques (one on each side):
- HMDB entry 75853 describes the Indian Ossuary part of
Photographed by Dale K. Benington, June 10, 2012
2. Plaque on south side of cairn - described in HMDB entry 283045
This south-facing plaque bears more evidence of weathering than the north.
- HMDB entry 75856 describes the Stamford Cottage part on the recent sign.
Some history on the plaques: https://ontarioplaques.ca/Plaques/Plaque_Niagara22
Regarding Indian Ossuary. 1. The ossuary was located nearby here, on a high point of land, on sandy soil. It contained bones and artefacts - arrowheads, clay pots, brass and copper kettles, shell necklaces, beads, and clay and stone pipes. (The kettles put a date on the site: early Indigenous people acquired these items via Europeans.)
2. Over the decades, artefacts were pilfered as souvenirs from the site. The area was quarried out for sand in 1908, bones and sand together; and no archaeological value was derived. Housing built after 1995 now covers the ossuary's original location. (A tragedy on many levels.)
(#1 and #2 based on https://nfexchange.ca/museum/discover-our-history/history-notes/the-ossuary )
3. A photo from 1934 shows this stone cairn's unveiling. (https://nfpl.historicniagara.ca/s/images/item/397315)
3. This cairn may or may not have been re-located a short distance, as Niagara Falls expanded. Comparing the 1934 and 2012 photos, these are all
Photographed by Dale K. Benington, June 10, 2012
3. Marker in context
Photo faces north. St. Paul Ave is on the right; the cross-street is Pinestone Rd. The 4-metre cairn is topped with a decorative arrow-head (resembling a decorative plump fish). Visible is the adjacent black-and-white plaque, that re-words the two 1934 plaques on the cairn. The rail overpass (distant right) is for the CNR main line from Hamilton to Niagara Falls.
Also see . . . 1934 photo of the cairn's unveiling. (Submitted on September 3, 2025, by Kevin Westell of St. Catharines, Ontario.)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 21, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 26, 2025, by Kevin Westell of St. Catharines, Ontario. This page has been viewed 55 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on August 26, 2025, by Kevin Westell of St. Catharines, Ontario. 2, 3. submitted on August 30, 2025, by Kevin Westell of St. Catharines, Ontario. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
