Niagara is on the west side of the
Granby River, near the junction with Fisherman Creek, in the
Boundary Country
The Boundary Country is a historical designation for a district in southern British Columbia lying, as its name suggests, along the boundary between Canada and the United States. It lies to the east of the southern Okanagan Valley and to the west ...
region of south central
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
. The small community is about north of
Grand Forks on North Fork Rd.
Prosperity
In 1898, a
Spokane syndicate bought part of the "Gunnysack Jones" ranch, and laid out a townsite, in anticipation of the coming
Columbia and Western Railway (C&W), which was acquired by the
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway () , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...
. The source of the name is unclear, but could either be the
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the Canada–United States border, border between the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York (s ...
, or the
USS ''Niagara'', which served in the Spanish–American War that year.
During the railway construction, a work camp was cut out of the mountainside for the nearby tunnel. The town experienced rapid growth and brief prosperity. Having 12 hotels at its peak, a stage coach ran daily to Grand Forks.
Fading
In 1900, the train station name changed to Fisherman, but the locality faded away after the railway construction workers moved on.
The C&W siding was named for the creek, first mentioned in 1894, but not officially adopted until 1956.
By 1918, all permanent residents had left.
Niagara was by rail north of Grand Forks, and southeast of Eholt.
The stop closed in 1955.
The former residential and commercial properties are a
ghost town
A ghost town, deserted city, extinct town, or abandoned city is an abandoned settlement, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economi ...
. Several much later residences are concentrated near the river.
Virginia City
In 1898, upstream on the Granby, another town seeking to cash in on railway construction and mining prospects was surveyed. Although a hotel was allegedly under construction, the place faded into obscurity.
References
{{Reflist
Ghost towns in British Columbia