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Echota in Niagara Falls gets some needed attention

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Contributed by: Norma Higgs on 9/26/2007

First, some history about a section of Niagara Falls that got some needed attention this week.
In 1893, The Niagara Falls Power Company built a model city for its employees. 112 units were built - 67 of which were residential buildings with clapboard walls and shingles. The house shown below is a two family and contained central heat, electric and gas and running water. They were considered the best houses in the area at the time of shanty towns for workers. Rent was from $9 to $30 monthly.
The city was named Echota (a Cherokee word meaning shelter or a place of refuge). Echota was built on 84 acres of reclaimed swampland. Echota was located along the banks of Gill Creek in Niagara Falls, The streets were name "A" Street, "B" Street, "C" Street, "D" Street and "E" Street. Some of the buildings still exist today. In the late 1940s the boundaries were extended and additional housing was built for employees of Carborundum and duPont and these were known as "factory housing" . Most are occupied by the original owners or their family members. Habitat for Humanity received several vacant lots from E. I. duPont and are building homes under their program. The Echota subdivision islocated just west of the intersection of Buffalo Avenue and Hyde Park Boulevard near the shore of the Niagara River. The western boundary is Packard Road.

One of the long time residents recently noticed some changes in his neighborhood involving car breakins and unruly children roaming through the district. He called Roger Spurback of the Niagara Falls Block Club Council to see if they could form a neighborhood watch group. Roger and I went to his front yard on a Saturday morning during the summer where he had assembled several of his neighbors to share their concerns.

In addition to Bob's concerns, most of the residents stated this area has not received the attention they deserve as taxpayers as respects tree trimming, street and sidewalk repair.There was also a lot of discussion about the overgrowth along the bank of Gill Creek.

The block club was formed at a second meeting at the end of August and I agreed to help them get some work done. Bob and I visited the City Neighborhood Services Department and a date was picked for a "clean team" effort. The director, John Caso went with us on a walk through where Bob pointed out some other problems such as abandoned housing that is open and assessible and used by these visiting children as hangouts. The Inspections Department was notified and they were boarded and a garage was put on a demolition list.

On September 24th the City crews rolled in and trees were trimmed and some were taken down where necessary. Some of the brush along the Gill Creek was cleared and you can actually see the water now. The bulk of the work performed was tree trimming as it has been many years since this was done and in some areas the street lights were not visible. The next day the sidewalk crew arrived to patch some of the lifted areas and residents were told that the budget allowed for sidewalk replacement on "D" Street and the rest would be done in the coming year.

Needless to say the residents are happy with the results. Take a look at the photos (click on them to see a larger version) and you will see that the NFPD also spent some time here to talk to the residents about their problems.

Roger also spent a lot of time talking with the residents and solved a lot of problems. Roger says this is what block clubs are all about - residents and government working together to solve problems.

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