Works to which the author is most indebted, especially the historical writings of Hon. Peter A. Porter, Severance's _Old Trails of the Niagara Frontier_, _The Niagara Book_, and the writings of the scholar of the old New York frontier, the late O. H. Marshall, and the collections of the historical societies along the frontier, are indicated frequently in footnotes and in text. The author's particular indebtedness to Mr. Porter is elsewhere described; he is also in the debt of F. H. Mautz, Henry Guttenstein, Superintendent Edward H. Perry, whose kindness to the author was so characteristic of his treatment of all comers to the shrine over which he presides, E. O. Dunlap, and many others mentioned elsewhere. He has appreciated Mr. Howells's characteristic conscientiousness when he wrote concerning Niagara, "I have always had to take myself in hand, to shake myself up, to look twice, and recur to what I have heard and read of other people's impressions, before I am overpowered by it. Otherwise I am simply charmed." The author has laboured under the difficulty of attempting to remain "overpowered" during a period of several years. That there have been serious lapses in the shape of lucid intervals, the critic will find full soon! It has seemed best to treat of modern Niagara under what might have been called "Part I." of this volume. The history of the Niagara region proper begins in Chapter VII., the problems of present-day interest occupying the preceding six chapters. A. B. H. Marietta College, Marietta, Ohio, _January 26, 1908_. Contents CHAPTER PAGE I.--Buffalo and the Upper Niagara 1 II.--From the Falls to Lake Ontario 23 III.--The Birth of Niagara 52 IV.--Niagara Bond and Free 72 V.--Harnessing Niagara Falls 99 VI.--A Century of Niagara Cranks 123 VII.--The Old Niagara Frontier 153 VIII.--From La Salle to De Nonville 171 IX.--Niagara under Three Flags 196 X.--The Hero of Upper Canada 231 XI.--The Second War with England 263 XII.--Toronto 292 Index 315 List of Illustrations PAGE View of Horseshoe Falls from the Canadian Side From a photograph. _Frontispiece_ A Glimpse of Buffalo Harbor 4 Lafayette Square 8 St. Paul's Church, Buffalo 12 Niagara Falls 14 From the original painting by Frederick Edwin Church, in Corcoran Gallery. The American Rapids 16 The View from Prospect Point 20 From a photograph by Notman, Montreal.