Fort Niagara is short drive down the Niagara river from the falls to its mouth on Lake Ontario at what is now Youngstown, NY. It was here that the French established a "House of Peace" in 1726 with permission of the Seneca tribe, who spoke for the Iroquois nation. The Senecas were also the western gatekeepers of the Iroquois territory that stretched across nothern New York from the Hudson to Lake Erie. Disguised as a trading post, the House of Peace was really constructed as a fortified castle to secure the Niagara river pathway from Lake Ontario into the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. This was a vital link between Montreal and New Orleans that supported the New France territorial claim in North America. Thirty years later the House of Peace had developed into a full-fledged fort defending the Niagara river portage route up to Lake Erie.
Today, the New York Seaway Trail is a scenic parkway along the waterways of Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the Saint Lawrence that traces the former eastern frontier of New France, including Fort Niagara.
With the outbreak of The French and Indian War of 1756–63, the colonies of British America fought for western expansion into the territory of New France and Fort Niagara was captured by 2,300 British and New York troops with their indian allies in 1759. This spelled the begining of the end of a New France in what was to become the western United States.
Driving along the southern shore of Lake Ontario from Fort Niagara to Oswego we noticed the same lack of tourists mentioned earlier.
Roadside stands of luscious fruit grown in this region had few customers and we had the scenic parkway to ourselves.
