Stereoview

"Lower Fall of Genesee and Gorge at Portage NY"

"Views on the Line of the Erie Railway."

1870's

L.E. Walker, Publisher, Warsaw, NY

This view is looking south into the Flume at the Lower Falls- a narrow channel of the gorge which the all the waters of the Genesee River had to pass through! You can see the Lower Falls as it was in Mr. Letchworth's day in the background. A larger image is shown below.

This appears to be the same group of visitors as found in Image 4

Modern tourists will find that the falls have receded dozens of feet up the River - and they will find it much easier to reach the Flume. (See a modern view of the area below)

This photograph of the Flume was taken in August 2001 slightly north (down river) from the photograph above. The bank that the people were standing on in the older image is to the right of the Genesee River, just beyond the western end of the Lower Falls Bridge. (The Bridge was built by the CCC during the 1930's.)

The modern day Lower Falls is barely visible beyond the bridge - note the vast changes in the the century that has passed since the original photograph was made.

For more information see our Glimpse of the CCC and CCC Work Projects in Letchworth Park.