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
Title
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
Subject
Love, William T.
Love Canal Chemical Waste Landfill (Niagara Falls, N.Y.)--History
Hazardous waste sites--History
Description
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.
Source
State University of New York at Buffalo. University Archives
Publisher
State University of New York at Buffalo. University Libraries
Date
1894
Contributor
Ecumenical Task Force of the Niagara Frontier
Rights
Format
image/jpeg
Type
Image
Identifier
MS65.T1-8
Date Created
2009-01-28
Is Part Of
Love Canal Images
Ecumenical Task Force of the Niagara Frontier Records
Love Canal: The Issues and Controversies slide show by Dr. Adeline Levine
LIB-003
Collection
Citation
“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,” Digital Collections - University at Buffalo Libraries, accessed July 13, 2025, https://digital.lib.buffalo.edu/items/show/16663.