Fort Niagara siege re-enactment

[gearheart]

My wife and I tried to get down to this event on Friday but the line up at the border crossing was so long they were not even estimating the delay. It was just noted as "severe". The actual line was 4 km long by 2 cars wide. Gave up and went home. Reloaded for Saturday and had a great time. There was a good turn out of re-enactors. The weather was superb. It was sunny and quite warm but there was enough wind to keep it from being stifling. I am definitely coming to this event again and also the 1812 event on Labor Day weekend.

 

[trent/OH]

Canadian Independence Day and US Independence Day on the same weekend pretty well guarantees a slow border, and crowds like I never want to see again.

But I love the Niagara area. I was stationed with the US Coast Guard just a stone's throw away from Fort Niagara. So much history in so small an area, and so much other stuff to do as well. Beef on weck AND the Anchor Bar both in Buffalo = worth the trip. And to me there's something special about the Welland Canal.

 

[gearheart]

The first time I saw Ft. Niagara I was visiting Fort George on our side. All earth and wood construction except for the stone powder mag. Really rustic. I looked across the river and there was this stone built edifice and I went Holy Cow now there's a fort. :hatsoff: Then I figured it out. You all got that fort ceded to you after independence. When 1812 came along there was a need for something on our side built PDQ and on a budget so we got earth and wood. Amazing at that distance it was possible to exchange pleasantries by cannon and actually have the "package" arrive on target.

 

[trent/OH]

Earthen walls absorb cannonballs a whole lot better than stone or brick, but stone/brick is a lot easier to maintain and is easy on the eyes.

I toured Fort George as a kid before I went to Fort Niagara, and loved the infantry square which was demonstrated. The narrator spoke of the enemy, and my mom asked if I understood by enemy, he meant "the United States"? I think that was the first true history lesson I ever learned.

 

[gearheart]

Enemies once, pretty good friends since. I hope that doesn't change. I remember a teacher in school saying that we had the longest undefended border in the world between you and us and it was a good thing. I'll try to get down there again for Labor Day. They're doing 1812 that weekend. The war that changed nothing except for the NDNs. They lost big time.