Column by Bill Bradberry — Earlier this summer, on a warm, sunny bright and breezy lazy day while I was sitting comfortably in my favorite chair under the umbrella on my front porch, sipping ice cold, home-brewed tea and paging through George A. Seibel’s “Bridges Over the Niagara Gorge: Rainbow Bridge 50 Years 1941-1991” I heard the unmistakable sound of horses approaching.

I squinted my eyes against the glare of the sun and sure enough, there they were; horses pulling a carriage of newlyweds along Lewiston Road, on their way toward wedded bliss and a lifetime of sweet happiness.

I thought about their road ahead; the bumps, crevasses and the rugged ride they’d face not only on the pavement of a road well beyond repair, but of the challenges that married life brings to so many who begin that hard journey focused more on the wedding than on the marriage.

I stood up, waved and shouted “Best Wishes” to the gleaming bride and the shinning groom, and then I sank back into my seat, my mind no longer focused on the book, or the newlyweds for that matter; for some reason I thought about the history and the future of the road.

Living within a few hundred feet of Devil’s Hole, once the site of the original falls before they receded to where they are today, I am always mindful of the significance of the geography and the amazing history that surrounds me; I live on the Portage’, a route that made and ultimately changed history, and like so many, I am as mesmerized by the history of this place as I am fascinated about the potential future of Niagara.

Known as "Onguiaahra," by the Iroquois Nation, a name given either to the place, or the people who lived here according to a map commissioned by Samuel de Champlain in 1612, the stories of the Portage’ routes pepper this region’s history, and not surprisingly, spice the dialogue that seasons the route’s future, especially when it comes to the ever-lasting debates about what to do about the Robert Moses Parkway which just happens to approximately begin and end in almost the same identical historic terminals; Fort Niagara on one end and Fort Schlosser on the other.

Now that we have a clearer picture of our city’s likely immediate future leadership, we, as voters may wish to take this opportunity (campaign season leading up to the general mayoral and city council elections in November) to frame some of the larger (bigger than potholes) looming questions about which direction we want our city to take.

First, a little history as I understand it, and please, anyone; feel perfectly free to correct me where I’m mistaken, but let’s start with Fort Schlosser. It was a fortification built right around 1760 by British Colonial forces as a way to protect the upper entrance to the Portage around Niagara Falls, near where the twin pumping stations now stand on the river at what was once known as the Porter-Barton Dock from the Seneca who originated and relied heavily on it for trade.

Named for its first commander, Captain Schlosser, it replaced Fort Petite Niagara, which had been constructed by the French who later, in retreat, burned it prior to the Siege of Fort Niagara in 1759. The original chimney, which is all that’s left of the fort, now stands unceremoniously near the foot of the Buffalo Avenue exit of the ill-famed Robert Moses Parkway, patiently awaiting rescue.

At the other end of the Portage’ stands Fort Niagara on the eastern bank of the Niagara River at the mouth of Lake Ontario near Youngstown, originally built to protect French trade interests, the fort has hosted a dizzying number of commanders including the French, British and American loyalists during the American Revolutionary War.

During the War of 1812, on the night of December 19, 1813, the British forces finally captured Fort Niagara and with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, it was relinquished to the United States where it has peacefully remained ever since, but not without controversy; we are still arguing about control of the route, formally known as the Portage’, and now irreverently referred to as, “The Parkway.”

On this day exactly 248 years since the worst battle over control of the Portage’ occurred in what we now commemorate today as the Battle at Devil’s Hole, or the Massacre at Devil’s Hole, we pause to recall that at least 80 people and possibly as many as 130 people died in that tragedy.

Sadly, like many, this tragedy could have been avoided. Historians report that as early as 1757, Seneca in Niagara Falls had been complaining about the loss of control of the routes along the Niagara River, “They resented the Europeans trying to take over their traditional territory and displace them from their work.”

But their concerns apparently fell on deaf ears as the British eventually took control of the area displacing hundreds of Seneca. As discontent rose, many tribes cooperated to fight off encroachment onto their land resulting in what became known as Pontiac’s Rebellion causing Sir William Johnson, superintendent of Indian Affairs in the New York colony to write, “Our people in general are ill calculated to maintain friendship with the Indians. They despise those in peace whom they fear to meet in war."

Of the terrible battle that ensued, one historian wrote (see Wikipedia):

“On September 14, 1763, a large Seneca band of an estimated 300-500 warriors ambushed a wagon train and its armed escort en route from Fort Schlosser to Fort Niagara as it passed through Devil's Hole, an area known for its difficult terrain. One part of the trail was in a heavily wooded area with a deep ravine on either side; there the Seneca warriors attacked the wagon train. The escort party and teamsters, led by Porter Master John Stedman, were caught completely by surprise; animals broke into a stampede or were driven into the ravine along with their wagons and drivers. The Seneca moved in to fight at close quarters, making musket fire useless, and only three of the party of 24 (including Stedman) managed to escape to Fort Schlosser for help.”

I took another sip of my iced tea as the clop, clop, clop of the horses and the image of the happily married couple faded up the road toward what was once Fort Schlosser, into their future, and I wondered what would become of them and of the Portage’.

Contact Bill at bill.bradberry@yahoo.com