EXPLORE! SUMMER 2022
Raising the history of Niagara Falls’ Oakwood Cemetery offers a glimpse into the past
BY RICK PFEIFFER RICK.PFEIFFER @NIAGARA-GAZETTE.COM
Interested in learning about several of the famous daredevils that tried to brave Niagara Falls? Oakwood Cemetery and its ever-popular Daredevils of the Falls Tour is the place to visit. “That’s the tour that we pitch to tourists,” Oakwood’s Director of Operations Tim Baxter said. “We have some of the biggest daredevils buried here, like Annie Edson Taylor.” But like almost every destination in the Falls, Oakwood Cemetery was hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. “We were just starting to gain momentum (as a tourism option) before the pandemic,” Baxter said. “We’re hoping to get back in the game this summer and begin offering our tours again.” And Baxter said the cemetery is looking to broaden the types of tours it offers this tourist season. The more tourists have a choice, the more likely they are to check 12
Tim Baxter, director of operations at the Oakwood Cemetery Association, shows off a walking tour tourists can use to visit the famous residents at the Niagara Falls cemetery.
Oakwood out. “We’ve talked about expanding our programs,” he said. “A lot of people don’t know who’s (buried) here. We tell them, ‘Niagara’s history is at Oakwood.’ “ Tours can be booked at regularly scheduled times or even on-demand. Every other Sunday, at 11 a.m., Oakwood conducts a regular walking tour of the cemetery grounds. The one-hour walk lets visitors hear behind-the-scenes stories of some of Niagara’s most famous daredevils and other prominent residents while visiting their final resting places. New this summer will be what Baxter called the “What’s In A (Street) Name” tour. “A lot of people don’t know that the streets in the city are named for real people,” Baxter said. Folks will hear about Charles Hyde (Hyde Park Boulevard), John B. Bollier (Bollier Avenue), Alfred Chapin (Chapin Avenue) Asher T, Cudaback (Cudaback
A look at the walking map of Oakwood Cemetery, featuring famous daredevils, decorated military veterans and other historic figures from the region’s past.
