EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second report in an occasional series about the famed Lockport Cave and the flood of rumors that persist about underground Lockport.
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Thirsting knowledge, a man goes into a bar and orders a drink…
On a cold and dismal afternoon, between bands of lake effect snow, I stopped at the Niagara Hotel bar at North Transit and Niagara streets to inquire about its rumored buried rooms, secret tunnels and a Prohibition-era speakeasy in the basement. It has been said that these spaces were used on the Underground Railroad, were part of the Lockport Cave, and spirits not of the 151-proof variety were present.
I walked past the “Sorry we are open” and “Free advice” neon signs casting their dim light and took a seat at the bar, below the poster advertising “Shot and a Beer Special 3.00,” what a bargain!
For these articles, Scott Ensminger and I are investigating all rumors of passages to the Lockport Cave, secret rooms and tunnels under Lockport. We are interested in the facts and, just as important, what the residents think after all these years, of the legends and other mysteries surrounding the cave. The Niagara Hotel is one of those places that has been mentioned many times.
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The early history of the Niagara Hotel was difficult to find despite helpful visits to the Niagara County Historian’s office, the Niagara County Historical Society and Lockport Public Library. The files were thin and the information confusing.
As I sort it out, in the 1800s, it looks like there were at least three, maybe four, Niagara hotels in Lockport, but not all at the same time. The mid 20th century county historian Clarence Lewis mentions the first Niagara Hotel, built in 1823 on the north side of Niagara Street between Transit and Hawley streets. It was a frame building constructed by John Gooding just a few hundred feet west of the present hotel. This was early in Lockport’s history as the Erie Canal didn’t open until 1825. There is a brief record of another Niagara Hotel on Market Street, and the 1863 business directory also has a Niagara Hotel at 58 Market Street operated by S. Wilcox.
I have learned from sources that the present Niagara Hotel, the stone building at 58 North Transit Street (also listed as 54 Niagara Street), was built by Dr. Alexander R. Chase, circa 1848. Some of the former proprietors are Dr Alexander R. Chase, A.H. McLean, W.J. Jackman, J.C. Hovey and the Hawkes family 1911-1965.
In its early days the Niagara was viewed as one of Lockport’s finest hotels and a civic centerpiece. As described in early 1900s advertisements: The Niagara is bordered with fine maples and the area is densely foliaged with a park-like view; the building is entirely stone and contains 40 rooms with an old colonial style of architecture, lofty columns, and a roomy porch, electric bells, fire alarm and steam heat in each room. It was claimed to be the nearest hotel to the county Court House and county offices. A stable for horses was provided.
Multiple announcements in local newspapers mention the hotel as a meeting area for local groups. The Nineteenth New York Battery of Light Artillery held its 25th annual reunion there in 1890 (that was a Civil War unit organized in Lockport). The Second New York Mounted Rifles had their reunion there in 1889 (another Civil War unit, organized in Lockport in 1863). The Niagara County Medical Society met there in 1892 with Dr. Gould reading a paper on asthma.
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Back at the bar, many of the patrons had ordered the special, and a few drank coffee, as we discussed why I was there. They had much to say about the cave and the Niagara Hotel; this was not difficult for me, the stories came pouring out in a very cordial drinking establishment. The bartender mentioned that the cellar is called the “catacombs” because it is so unusual. The regulars mentioned an abandoned bowling alley, which turned out to be at the rear of the first floor, not in the basement. The story is that the cellar was once the ground floor of the hotel, and the saloon was in the back, which is now the basement.
Today’s bar used to be the hotel lobby. The street level of Transit and Niagara, and the surrounding area, were built up and graded. After the leveling, the tavern, once on the ground floor of the hotel, was buried. As you descend the steps you quickly enter the 1850s pub with a stone floor and small cut stone rooms, all still there. The old street level features, such as slate walkways and stone framed windows, are now below ground. In 2024, with a recent change in ownership, the basement is now locked and off limits.
At the bar it took about five minutes more for the ghost stories to surface: what they had seen, what someone told them. A vision of a lady in white, named Elizabeth, has been witnessed by several people. The presence of a deceased former bouncer has been felt, playing tricks with the cash box.
With only a few questions the rumors poured out. The hotel’s involvement in the Underground Railroad could not be proven although the dates are correct. The story of Marilyn Monroe staying at the nearby, fancy Park (Avenue) Hotel and “partying” at the Niagara Hotel, while she was filming the movie Niagara in 1952-1953, is still under investigation, but at this point there is no evidence she visited Lockport. During that time, Monroe and her husband, Joe DiMaggio, dined at Schimschack’s Restaurant in Pekin, not far away.
Then we got into a reported visit by Abe Lincoln that I was not able to verify. It does not look like Lincoln was ever in Lockport, however his wife did shop at a dress shop on Main Street.
A basement speakeasy was mentioned, which seems likely as there were numerous Prohibition-era arrests at the hotel for the illegal sale of liquor.
As the low winter afternoon sun hit the windows, the stories were getting better, so I signaled David Byers, the bartender on duty, and bought a round for the bar.
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The cellar of the Niagara Hotel has some interesting features, such as the stone walls and floors of a buried 1850s tavern. It did not have any visible tunnels leading to other buildings or the Lockport Cave, although these could be bricked up, as there were repairs on the foundation walls. The most I can say is: The Niagara is a friendly place with a compelling history and a spooky basement.
Strengthening the theory that Lockport residents have an obsession with the underground, the Niagara’s customers and bartenders were remarkably familiar and fascinated with this history and gave me several places to explore in the future.