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Waterfalls The Tourist Seldom Sees(Old Photo Album – Fall 2023)

By Laruen Antkowiak

The fall season brings with it countless activities, in which one can get out and enjoy the cool, crisp air before the onset of winter.  Everything from apple picking and pumpkin patches, to corn mazes, hayrides and waterfalls.  

Wait—waterfalls?!?! That’s right!  Though probably not what comes immediately to mind when thinking about fall, there are multiple places in Western New York to take in the fall foliage and hear the rush of a waterfall. And we don’t mean the obvious choices, such as Niagara Falls or Chestnut Ridge or Letchworth State Park. We are talking about the hidden gems tucked away—spots of scenic beauty that are missed by those that never look beyond what is well-known.

An early 1920s photographer from the Buffalo Courier understood.  He captured a series of off-the-beaten-path waterfalls from North Evans to North Collins, Colden to West Falls and on up to Royalton.  While these exact waterfalls may not be found today, we hope they might inspire a trip to discover other picturesque scenes in these areas. You never know what you might find!

 A pretty scene on the 18-Mile Creek, near the town of North Evans.

One of the falls of Hampton Brook, just south of Hamburg.

Tannery Falls – he found these on the west branch of the Cazenovia Creek at Jewettville.

 Here is another pretty scene – on the Tonawanda Creek, near Akron.

This pretty falls is on the 18-Mile Creek near the town of Hamburg.

A junior Niagara – at Colden, on the Cazenovia Creek.

Another falls on the 18-Mile Creek.

This beautiful cascade can be seen from the brick road at Colden.

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A frozen cascade on the 18-Mile Creek.

Another picturesque spot on Hampton Brook.

 Here we have the “Little Falls” of Pipe Creek near the village of West Falls.

This picture immediately suggests Niagara, but North Collins furnished the picture.

And here is what they call the “Big Falls” on Pipe Creek.

This is also on the 18-Mile Creek, within a few feet of the state road.