Niagara Falls is a place where lands are contested, industry debated, freedom harbored, the spirit uplifted, and fame won. It overflows with stories. Since before digital technologies made visual reproduction easier and more abundant than ever, writers composed Niagara Falls as symbolically meaningful. But in the face of four centuries of writing on this natural wonder, how does one make these stories new? Niagaras of Ink collects anecdotes of famous writers' experiences—previously untold tales, unique takes on well-known visits, and materials just too good to exclude—with an anthology of some of the most engaging Anglo-American writing on the Falls from the nineteenth to early twentieth centuries. This collection invites readers to re-see Niagara through these lenses.

Blacks in Niagara Falls narrates and analyzes the history of Black Niagarans from the days of the Underground Railroad to the Age of Urban Renewal. Michael B. Boston details how Black Niagarans found themselves on the margins of society from the earliest days to how they came together as a community to proactively fight and struggle to obtain an equal share of society's opportunities. Boston explores how Blacks came to Niagara Falls in increasing numbers usually in search of economic opportunities, later establishing essential institutions, such as churches and community centers, which manifested and reinforced their values, and interacted with the broader community, seeking an equitable share of other society opportunities. This singular examination of a small city significantly contributes to Urban History and African American Studies scholarly research, which generally focuses on large cities. Combining primary source data with extensive interviews gathered over an eighteen-year period in which the author immersed himself in the Niagara community, Blacks in Niagara Falls offers an insightful study of how one small city community grew over its unique history.