During the
American Revolution Fort Erie was used as a supply depot for British troops. After the war the territory of what is now the Town of Fort Erie was settled by soldiers demobilised from
Butler's Rangers, and the area was named Bertie Township in 1784. The original fort, built in 1764, was located on the
Niagara River's edge below the present fort. It served as a supply depot and a port for ships transporting merchandise, troops and passengers via Lake Erie to the Upper
Great Lakes. The fort was damaged by winter storms and in 1803, plans were made for a new fort on the higher ground behind the original. It was larger and made of flintstone but was not quite finished at the start of the
War of 1812. there is no evidence of this being true. After a thorough investigation by Niagara Parks, no historical records were found that agreed with the local legend. The plaques which commemorated the false history were removed in 2021. In 1866, during the
Fenian raids, between 1,000 and 1,500
Fenians crossed the Niagara River, occupied the town and demanded food and horses. The only payment they were able to offer was Fenian bonds; these were not acceptable to the citizens. The Fenians then cut the
telegraph wires and tore up some railway tracks. Afterwards, they marched to
Chippewa and the next day to Ridgeway where they fought the
Battle of Ridgeway, a series of skirmishes with the Canadian
militia. The Fenians then returned to Fort Erie and fought the
Battle of Fort Erie, defeating the Canadian militia. Fearing British reinforcements, they then decided to retreat to the U.S. In 1869 the population was 1,000 and Fort Erie was served by the
Grand Trunk and the Erie & Niagara railways. The Grand Trunk Railway built the
International Railway Bridge in 1873, bringing about a new town, originally named Victoria and subsequently renamed to Bridgeburg, north of the original settlement of Fort Erie. By 1876, Ridgeway had an estimated population of 800, the village of Fort Erie has an estimated population of 1,200, and Victoria boasted three railway stations. By 1887, Stevensville had an estimated population of "nearly 600", Victoria of "nearly 700", Ridgeway of "about 600", and Fort Erie of "about 4,000". In 1888, the amusement park at
Crystal Beach opened. From 1910, the steamship (and until 1929, the steamship SS
Americana) brought patrons from Buffalo until 1956. The park continued to operate until it closed in 1989. A gated community was built in this area. In 1904, a group of speculators bought land at Erie Beach, planning to build an amusement park and other amenities, and sell lots around the park to vacationers from Buffalo. Erie Beach featured a hotel, a casino, a race track, regular
ferry service from Buffalo and train service from the ferry dock in Fort Erie, and what was billed as the world's largest outdoor swimming pool. Erie Beach and Crystal Beach were in competition to provide bigger thrills to patrons, until Erie Beach went bankrupt during the Depression and closed down on Labour Day weekend, 1930. The
Niagara Movement meeting was held at the Erie Beach Hotel in 1905. The movement later led to the founding of the
NAACP. The
Point Abino Light Tower was built by the Canadian government in 1918. The lighthouse has been automated in 1989. Since its decommissioning in 1995, the Point Abino Lighthouse was designated as a
National Historic Site. The lighthouse is now owned by the Town of Fort Erie and is available for weekend tours in the summer. On August 7, 1927, the
Peace Bridge was opened between Fort Erie and Buffalo. On January 1, 1932, Bridgeburg and Fort Erie amalgamated into a single town. The ruins of Fort Erie remained until they were rebuilt through a depression era "work program" project, as a tourist attraction. Work started in 1937, and the fort was opened to the public in 1939. In 1970, the provincial government consolidated the various villages in what had been Bertie Township, including the then town of Fort Erie, into the present Town of Fort Erie. ==Geography==