Below is a list of resources that provide additional information ranging from the East Falls Neighborhood to Urban Renewal across the country
By Dr. Michael Boston (SUNY Brockport)
The culmination of 20 years of extensive research, Blacks in Niagara Falls represents the most fulsome story of African American history in Niagara Falls. Dr. Boston traces the history of the African American community from the Antebellum era through its early foundations and into its post Urban Renewal resettlement.
Dr. William Feder's dissertation Evolution of an Ethnic Neighborhood that Became United in Diversity has become a staple amongst local historians and enthusiasts. This book tracks the foundation of the East Falls neighborhood around the turn of the 20th century. Here Feder delves deep into the details surrounding the European immigrant communities that too called this area home at this time.
Rev. Dr. Bank's dissertation is one of the few remaining period resources that documents the African American community of the city. This represents an indispensable resource for anyone interested in understanding what life was like for African Americans during the height of the Great Migration.
*Note: A copy of this dissertation is held by Niagara University, but that copy is not listed in Worldcat. To read this dissertation, contact the Niagara University Library.
Chivers' memoir tells the story of her experience in Niagara Falls before, during, and after the Moonglow Hotel Fire of 1957. One of the deadliest fires in Western New York History, Chivers lost many of her young siblings to this tragedy. This has since been deemed the impetus of the Urban Renewal Era in Niagara Falls.
Similar to Dr. Feder's dissertation, Kratts' Melting Pot documents the stories of the immigrant communities that called Niagara Falls home throughout the early part of the 20th century. This features text from both Bill Bradberry and Dr. Michael Boston, both of which delve into the history of the African American community.
This brief text outlines the short-lived school for the disabled African American children that existed in Niagara Falls right before the Civil War.
Throughout the years there have been a number of prominent African American Newspaper Columnists who would commonly contribute articles about current and historical events within the African American community of Niagara Falls. Three of the most prominent contributors are:
- Bill Bradberry (Niagara Falls Gazette/Niagara Falls Reporter)
- Denise Easterling (Niagara Falls Gazette)
- Ken Hamilton (Niagara Falls Gazette/Niagara Falls Reporter)
The Niagara Falls Public Library holds a collection of Denise Easterling and Bill Bradberry's Articles. Easterling's articles are located in the Blacks in Niagara Falls Newspaper Binders, while Bradberry's are being processed at the time of writing.
Dr. Boston's first publication on the history of the African American community in Niagara Falls, this brief article summarizes a significant amount of information from his book bearing the same name.
This is an article written by Dr. Boston which covers the story of local civil rights activist and community leader Bloneva Bond. Over the years Bond has become revered within the community for her strong leadership and drive. Bond's story is also told in Michelle Ann Kratts' Melting Pot.
Another of Boston's many publications on the city's history, this article tells the story of desegregation in the Niagara Falls school system. An entire chapter is dedicated to this topic in Boston's book Blacks in Niagara Falls.
Privately operated by Tom Tryniski, Fultonhistory.com has become a indispensable resource for historians around the country. The website acts as a search engine for millions of newspaper articles from throughout the country, with the largest collection being from New York State. While the website is quirky in its design and has somewhat steep learning curve, once proficient this can become one of the most powerful tools for any historian. As of March 2022, the website has scans of the Niagara Gazette from ~1900-1972. The optical character recognition software running behind the scenes is far from perfect, but it still serves as a useful tool nonetheless.
Similar to Fulton History, NYS Historic Newspaper acts as a search engine for historic newspaper articles though it is supported by larger institutions like the Niagara Falls Public Library and Niagara University. As grant funding is secured more articles are digitized through this website. As of March 2022 Articles from the Niagara Gazette up to 1916 have been added to this service.
Operated by the University of Richmond Digital Scholarship Lab, Mapping Inequality serves as a repository for a significant amount of Redlining maps and supporting documentation created by the Home Owner's Loan Corporation.
A major digital archive, this is where regional archives such as the Niagara Falls Public Library will host their digitized collections through. For instance early editions of the Niagara Falls City Directory are stored here.
A personal blog that contains many historic photos of Niagara Falls.
Another personal blog on the history of Niagara Falls. This contains many photos and personal accounts of this history.
A personal blog that discusses both current events and history of the region.
An encyclopedia-like website that documents the stories of prominent African American community leaders in the Buffalo/Niagara Falls area.
An encyclopedia-like website that discusses broad topics in African American history from around the country.
Below is a list of prominent Facebook groups dedicated to sharing memories about the city of Niagara Falls. Many photos used in the creation of this website were sourced from these Facebook groups.
- The Real "Old Falls Street" People
- Growing up in Niagara Falls, NY
- Vintage Niagara Falls U.S.A. Photos
- If You Grew Up in Niagara Falls, NY You Remember....
- The GOOD things about Niagara Falls, New York.
