The Great Gorge Route or Niagara Belt Line was a trolley belt line encompassing the Niagara Gorge, operated by the International Railway and Niagara Gorge Railroad. Many dignitaries rode this line and they used to use a flat car with search light to illuminate the Niagara Whirlpool at night (during the tourist season).
In 1895, the International Railway Company established the Great Gorge Route scenic attraction. This electric trolley line ran from Niagara Falls (Prospect Park) to Lewiston, NY along the banks of the Niagara River. The trolley line ceased in 1935, victim to the Depression and the change in tourist transportation preferences (bus and automobile).
The Canadian route ran from Niagara Falls, Ontario to Queenston, Ontario, on top of the gorge with a bridge crossing at Queenston.
The American side ran in the gorge along the river bank from Youngstown, New York to Niagara Falls, New York, where it gradually ascended to cross the Upper Steel Arch Bridge. On the way it passed under the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge and the Michigan Central Railway Bridge.
Goat Island has no residents but is a destination for tourists visiting the falls on the U.S. side. It has several viewing points. Goat Island is connected to the U.S. mainland by two 121-year-old stone bridges that carry foot, car, and trackless train traffic first to Green Island and then from Green Island to Goat Island. It is connected to the smaller Luna Island (adjacent to the American Falls) by a pedestrian bridge. Goat Island is largely wooded and is interlaced with foot trails. The Cave of the Winds tour elevator provides access down to the foot of the falls.
Bridge Type: Stone Arch Bridge (each three spans)
Built: 1905
Goat Island Bridge features a thoroughfare crossing that connects Goat Island and the city of Niagara Falls on the New York side, with an intermission going through Green Island. Each section has three spans but according to data, the total length of the entire structure with the island in between is between 180 and 200 feet. Originally, the bridge provided vehicular access, but as of present, access has been reduced to pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
The Cataract House was a hotel in the neighborhood of Buffalo Avenue. The hotel was established in 1825 but destroyed by fire in 1945. It was the largest hotel in Niagara Falls and the favorite on the American side. Near the lower rapids, the hotel was just a short walk from Goat Island. It even had a small diversion flume providing hydropower from the rapids to its building.
When Niagara Falls was a village and later a city, this hotel was the center of the many social and cultural events taking place in its ballroom. Famous personages registered as guests were Abraham Lincoln, Grover Cleveland, Franklin D. Roosevelt, King Edward VII and King George V.
It was a major stop on the Underground Railroad. The Cataract House employed an entirely African-American wait staff, who helped former slaves to freedom in Canada.
At top left is a white shield with a maple leaf. Canada - Land of the Maple.
The original “Cave of the Winds” was a cavern located behind the Bridal Veil Falls or Luna Falls. The Bridal Veil Falls is the smaller waterfall located between Luna Island and Goat Island, beside the American Falls.
The Cave of the Winds was an overhanging ledge. Originally this portion projected more than 30.5 metres. Due to this overhang of rock, a cavern behind the cascading water was formed.
Until the Biddle Staircase opened in 1829, the only access into the gorge was by the use of a ladder or a rope. By 1879, the Cave of the Winds became so popular that Augustus & Peter Porter began charging $1 per person to visit. In 1925, elevators were installed to provide efficient transportation from above the gorge to the bottom of the cave. The Cave of the Winds, which had always been popular, became a major attraction at Niagara Falls.
Engineers determined that the entrance to the cave was too dangerous because the ledge which had blocked the water was at risk of collapsing. In 1955 the cave was destroyed by a controlled dynamite blast.
Today the new Cave of the Winds attraction is located on Goat Island in Niagara Reservation State Park in Niagara Falls, New York. A guide leads tourists on an exhilarating adventure to the base of the Niagara Gorge. Tourists then travel over a series of wooden decks below the Bridal Veil/Luna Falls coming within 7.6 metres from the Falls. From the hurricane deck guests can feel the force of the Falls and the wind combine.