From the past...Cross Border Shopping, circa 1869

The success of the Whirlpool Bridge created the demand for a similar bridge to be built two miles upriver near the Falls of Niagara. During the winter of 1867-1868 a rope was carried across the river over the ice bridge at the site of the proposed new bridge establishing the physical link between the two shorelines.

 The first bridge was built on a site known as "Falls View". It was located 300 yards north of the American Falls and within sight of the mighty Horseshoe Falls.

 Built by Samuel Keefer, this bridge was of the suspension type with a timber deck and with stiffening truss and timber towers supporting the cables at each end of the bridge. The towers measuring 100 feet (30m) tall were built of 12 inch by 12 inch pine timbers. Each leg of the tower consisted of four timbers and the 16 were grouped together under the saddle plate for the support of the main cables. Guy wires were run from the bridge span to shore anchors to prevent the bridge from swaying.

On Tuesday December 29th 1868, the flooring of the new bridge was completed. Residents were invited to examine the bridge for free until the formal opening.

This bridge was completed and officially opened on January 2nd 1869.  The first carriage to pass over the bridge was drawn by four horses driven by Captain Filkins. The carriage contained Hollis White, Vivus V. Smith, Samuel Keefer, and the Honorable William Pool. They were followed across by a large number of pedestrians.

On the Sunday following the official opening of the bridge and estimated 10,000 trips were made over the bridge.

The bridge deck was only 10 feet wide so traffic could only pass in one direction at a time. As a carriage entered the bridge from one end, a bell would ring at the other end to notify them that a carriage was about to cross. This sometimes necessitated a long traffic lineup waiting to cross the bridge. Traffic consisted mainly of hack drivers and market gardeners. No electric street cars were in existence.  

In 1872, the sides were enclosed with wood and corrugated metal and a steam powered "Otis" elevator was installed in the Canadian tower to take tourists to an enclosed observation deck at the top of the tower. Tourists could then walk up a flight of stairs to an outdoor promenade on the roof of the tower. The elevator ride cost 10 cents.

A few years later the towers were reconstructed. The elevator was abandoned because it was not a financial success.