Niagara Frontier

Touring the Restored Forts

Fort Mississauga

by James P. Werbaneth, Alison Park, Pennsylvania

Not all of the major Niagara forts have been resurrected from a state of ruin. The replacement for Fort George, Fort Mississauga, was the primary guardian of the mouth of the Niagara River during the mid-nineteenth century, when the American Civil War and agitation by Irish Fenian nationalists in the United States raised tensions. Later, according to one of the guides at Fort George, it served as an important training center for the Canadian army during both World Wars and the Korean conflict. But today, Fort Mississauga is totally unrestored. It consists of an earthen berm around a brick tower, officially open to public view, but with decidedly limited access. A fence prevents visitors from doing more than walking around it, and since Fort Mississauga is surrounded by a busy golf course, it is difficult to get closer than the road.

The Forts: A Summary

The Niagara region is a tourist magnet, and the corridor through Niagara-on-the-Lake is very heavily visited. In fact the latter, though it looks quiet and picturesque from the American side of the river, is congested in warm weather with large tour groups, many from Europe and Japan.

Most people, it seems, go to Niagara Falls for the obvious natural wonders and for the largely pleasant tourist environment that they support. Others go to Niagara-on-the-Lake for its place in the Canadian wine country, and its old-time boutique atmosphere.

But the region is also steeped in history. Empires struggled there for control of a continent, then two new nations fought for their own existence. As a result, it has a high concentration of battlefields, and three of the finest and most accessible examples of late-eighteenth century forts. All are impeccably restored and maintained, but Forts Niagara, Erie and George are varied in size and construction, as well as how they are presented to visitors.

The last can be just as revealing as the architecture and engineering. The tone of the presentation says much about how the people maintaining each site today look at their work and themselves. On one hand, the mixed French, British and American heritage of Fort Niagara omes forth easily and unselfconsciously. This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that the flags of all three countries fly together over the fort.

On the other, the two Canadian forts pay less attention to their occupation by the Americans. Fort Erie does have some interesting exhibits on Britain's attempts to recapture it, and particularly on the American military cemetery that used to be located nearby. Fort George goes further, with much stronger appeals to Canadian nationalism. Nonetheless, they share one trait, and that is that only one flag, the Union Jack, flies above their walls. Together, Forts Niagara, Erie and George are a very good reason to visit the towns around Niagara Falls. They are an education in fortification in the fortification during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and much more.

Niagara Frontier Touring the Restored Forts

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© Copyright 1996 by David W. Tschanz.
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