Niagara Basin

At the western end of Lake Ontario, the Niagara River brings water down from Lake Erie, passing over the great falls before reaching the lake. A portage around the falls connected the two lakes and made the river mouth a prized position for trade. In 1726 the French began building Fort Niagara there despite Seneca protests. During the War of 1812, the British Fort George across the river became the scene of fierce fighting and was taken by American forces in 1813.