William T. Love wielding a ceremonial shovel gathered with a large group of onlookers in attendance at the commemorative groundbreaking of his proposed Love Canal in 1894

Love, William T.

Love Canal Chemical Waste Landfill (Niagara Falls, N.Y.)--History

Hazardous waste sites--History

A sepia-toned historical photograph showing a large group of people standing in a field attending the 1894 groundbreaking ceremony for the Love Canal. The white-bearded man in the center holding the ceremonial shovel is William T. Love whose vision of diverting the waters of the Niagara River in order to develop a Model City outside Lewiston, New York required the building of this canal which was never completed. It, ultimately, was abandoned and resulted in one of the worst environmental disasters in American history after local chemical company Hooker began dumping toxic waste at the site. Most of the people pictured are dressed in long coats and bowler or top hats and are arranged in a semi-formed line facing the camera. A wooded area is visible in the background, and the ground is covered in grass and light brush.

State University of New York at Buffalo. University Archives

State University of New York at Buffalo. University Libraries

1894

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MS65.T1-8

2009-01-28

Love Canal Images. LIB-003

Ecumenical Task Force of the Niagara Frontier Records. MS-0065

Love Canal: The Issues and Controversies slideshow by Adeline Levine