140 years in the making: New York State Parks Niagara Region opens historic archive

Mon, May 12th 2025 11:00 pm

Collection includes original documents from Olmsted, Welch

√ Opening of ‘The Fight to Preserve Niagara’ exhibit celebrates park’s creation

The Niagara Region of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has opened the first ever public archives, housing thousands of objects related to the New York State Parks located in Erie and Niagara counties.

A ribbon-cutting was held Monday.

Commissioner Pro Tempore Randy Simons said, “The Niagara Regional Archive will preserve the natural and cultural heritage of the Niagara Region and provide visitors with a fuller understanding of the historical events, activities and material culture associated with the region. There is so much history on all our parks and especially Niagara Falls State Park, which was the model for public parkland throughout the country. This is such an exciting opportunity, and we are thrilled to offer the public a chance to experience this history for themselves.”

The archive is in the Niagara Falls State Park Education Building, which is adjacent to the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Welcome Center. The building, which is the former regional headquarters, also houses a community room and the region’s education team.

Niagara Regional Director for New York State Parks Mark Mistretta said, “There's so much more to learn about what else is in our region. We've got 18 state parks and two historic sites. So, what a perfect opportunity to not only tell the story of Niagara Falls, but what else is in the region, and specifically our Niagara Region. Each park has its own special place in history, its own artifacts, treasures; and it's wonderful that, for the first time, we have been able to collect these items from around the region and put them in one location.”

Niagara Regional Director for New York State Parks Mark Mistretta welcomes local tourism leaders and parks staff to the Niagara Regional Archive. (Photo by Joshua Maloni)

Curator Courtney Geerhart. (Photo by Joshua Maloni)

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He added, “I think we can all agree that this building, this location, it has a higher and better use than back-office administrative. We moved down river to DeVeaux, and we have a wonderful space for the community to share – and for anyone that wants to come and learn about State Parks.”

“In addition to the new archives I mentioned, we have a big community room that is very active: People from other agencies, the public, they can come in and use the room on a reservation system. We have our environmental educators here.”

The public is welcome to view items and conduct research in the Barry Virgilio Reading Room, by appointment. Virgilio was a State Parks educator who started and maintained the collection until he retired in 2018. He passed away in 2023.

“He was sought out by historians and authors, and freely shared his knowledge whenever he had a chance – with the general public or whoever would listen. He was so proud of everything,” Mistretta said of Virgilio. “This is where we'll invite scholars and researchers and just general interested visitors to peruse the materials and use this collection to continue to tell the stories of our parks.”

Courtney Geerhart is the archive’s first curator.

“She joins us from the Niagara Falls Public Library – where she was a pleasure to work with – and now we are very lucky to have her as our own, joining our team,” Mistretta said.

Geerhart said, “This past year, I've had the chance to work closely with the Niagara Region parks archive collection as the curator, and it's been a busy and rewarding year. I spent much of the past year moving the collection to this new space, organizing it, preparing it for researchers, staff and the public.

“The goal has always been to make these materials more accessible and to highlight their vital role in the telling of the story of our parks. This collection offers a remarkable window into the history of all of the Niagara Region state parks, from Beaver Island to Golden Hills to Knox Farm, and, of course, Niagara Falls.

“Some of my favorite items are currently on exhibit in honor of the 140th anniversary of Niagara Falls becoming a state park. These include the original founding documents and correspondence from key figures involved in the ‘Free Niagara Movement,’ such as Frederick Law Olmsted and Thomas Welch. Their advocacy and vision were instrumental in protecting and opening these natural spaces, and for the public enjoyment.

“What makes archives like these so valuable is not just what they contain, but what they preserve: the memory of how these parks were built, fought for and experienced by generations of people.

“Archives are more than storage. They safeguard the stories that shape our understanding of where we've been, how we've changed, and why these places matter.

“It's been a privilege and an honor to work with this collection and now to be able to share it with others. And while the work continues, we are happy and excited to welcome researchers and visitors to view our exhibit and research space today.”

As part of the opening celebration, the park will also open the first ever exhibit in the space, “The Fight to Preserve Niagara,” which will highlight documents and artifacts from the creation of Niagara Falls State Park, which celebrates its 140th birthday in 2025.

“With this space and full inventory, what we have, we can now create exhibits to highlight the important stories … and show off some of the amazing pieces that reside here,” Mistretta said. “We're so hopeful that the addition of these exhibits in the archive itself will help draw a different kind of visitor, and not just a seasonal visitor. We want this year-round, to the park and to the community, and lend some context to what people experience when they are here or in any other of the parks.”

A look inside the Niagara Regional Archive and at some of the items now on display. (Photo by Joshua Maloni)

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Though Niagara Falls is a worldwide destination for tourists, Geerhart said, “I think, luckily, Niagara Falls has always loved local history. I think there's a great interest in the community. From what I've always seen by working in the library is that there's a great interest in local history from the community. And so, I think they'll really enjoy being able to see another aspect of that history in the community, by being able to come to this kind of exhibit and seeing it, or coming to the research room and being able to research the archives. I think that's going to be something that's really interesting and exciting for the community that they haven't been able to explore yet.”

Geerhart said she’s excited to share her passion with guests.

“I'm always excited to share history with other people,” she said. “I think there's a lot of stories that you can share that people don't necessarily know about or are aware of, and I always love sharing those stories with others. I just have a passion for history and for sharing those stories.

“Archives are very important to me, especially in this day and age, and I think the importance of making sure archives are properly stored and shared for future generations is always an important thing.”

For more information on the archives, including policies, visit https://www.niagarafallsstatepark.com/park-information/niagara-region-archive/. For information and imagery on the exhibit, visit https://www.niagarafallsstatepark.com/tours-events/the-fight-to-preserve-niagara/.