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As winter approaches, the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area has been actively working on various public art projects. Artists have been creating multiple murals across the city to honor our history and heritage.
In August, we put out a call for artists to paint five murals on Main Street and Depot Avenue. These murals tell stories of freedom and people who have made positive changes in the Highland Community of Niagara Falls. The murals are a collaborative effort between artists and the community, focusing on both historical and modern themes. This initiative aims to transform our public spaces and inspire our local residents. After a thorough selection process, including community involvement, the chosen artists are now working on these new murals and some have been completed.
In addition to the Main and Depot murals, Justin Suarez has returned to create a mural in the community that pairs with his mural "Light Bearers" that he completed a short time ago in Niagara Falls High School. It is located at 1220 Main St. on the side of Ninja Stylez Barbershop.
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Artist Saira Siddiqui discusses her new mural on Depot Ave. in Niagara Falls, NY.
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Stranger's Rest In Oakwood Cemetery, Strangers’ Rest is the final resting place for some of Niagara Falls’ most famous residents and daredevils. |
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Founded in 1852, historic Oakwood Cemetery is in the center of downtown Niagara Falls. It is the final resting place for over 22,000 residents. Some of its most interesting, and famous, resi-dents are buried in a triangular shaped plot known as Strangers’ Rest. Among them are ordinary townsfolk, travelers, tourists, stunters, and daredevils.
Old maps reveal that Strangers’ Rest has been a part of Oakwood Cemetery since the 1850s. When the cemetery was established, the bodies and tombstones from the original burial grounds were relocated to Oakwood and plots like Strangers’ Rest. John Rish is ‘reburied’ there, having died in 1803 at the age of fifteen. He is perhaps the oldest resident in the cemetery.
Francis Abbott, known as the ‘Hermit of Niagara,’ is buried there too. When he visited Niagara Falls in 1829, he was so impressed that he decided to stay. For two years, Abbott lived in a log hut on Goat Island near the Falls. He was an eccentric loner who spent his days and nights roaming the island. He drowned in 1831 while bathing in the river below the Falls.
Elizabeth Howe is also buried in Strangers’ Rest. In 1919, she moved to Niagara Falls to estab-lish the International Institute. Howe was a social worker and women’s rights advocate whose work at the Institute helped thousands of immigrant women adjust to new life in Niagara Falls. She died in 1922.
At the front of Strangers’ Rest are some of the most popular gravesites. Here lie the daredevils and stunters “[j]ust a few miles from the falls which lured and, in many cases—killed them.”
Take Captain Matthew Webb. He was the first person to successfully swim the English Channel, but he didn’t survive the Whirlpool Rapids when he challenged the waters on July 24, 1883.
There’s Carlisle D. Graham, an English barrel maker who lived in Philadelphia. Between 1886 and 1889, he made four successful trips through the Whirlpool Rapids in an oak barrel designed, of course, by his own making.
And most famous of all, Annie Edson Taylor. On October 24, 1901--her 63rd birthday--Taylor be-came the first person to travel over the Horseshoe Falls in a barrel and live to tell the tale. She is also credited with making Oakwood Cemetery famous because visitors from all over the world come to the cemetery just to see her grave.
These are just a few stories about Strangers’ Rest. Visitors can learn more by booking a general walking tour or a daredevil tour. Oakwood Cemetery also holds a variety of special events throughout the year.
Author: Hope L. Russell, Ph.D.
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The LiveNF Makers Market Presented by the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area |
The LiveNF Makers Market Presented by the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area returns on Small Business Saturday, November 25, 2023 as part of Jingle Falls USA. LiveNF welcomes everyone to shop with over 100 local makers and vendors while enjoying live music, concessions and festivities. Once again, we are proud to host the Mini Makers Market as part of the event, featuring the talented Niagara Falls Housing Authority Youth Entrepreneurship Program.
Date: Saturday, November 25, 2023
Time: 11 am – 4 pm
Location: The Niagara Falls Convention Center 101 Old Falls Street – Niagara Falls, NY 14303
Admission: $1 per person
Musical Guest: Jamie Holka
Parking is free in municipal lots, on-street and in the Niagara Falls State Park lot as part of the 2023 Jingle Falls USA.
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Polly King Portrait of the Month Each month, we'll feature one of the countless portraits painted by Polly King. Each portrait, each person has a story! |
As you enter the Polly King Gallery, this is one of the first paintings to greet you.
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