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Hoffman Tower and Dam

The Hoffmann tower and dam site was a natural dam originally named Riverside Ford. It was augmented with a man-made dam around the late 1820s to provide power for a mill. Olmsted originally wanted a curved dam on the site, which eventually got built in 1907 when brewer George Hoffmann, Jr. bought the property and developed the area into an amusement complex called Niagara Park. The tower was modeled after Dellwood Park in Lockport, IL. The amusement park continued until prohibition and pollution got the better of it.

The pollution issue led to modifications of the curved dam in 1928 and 1936. The dam was replaced with a straight dam in 1950. Although removal of the dam was proposed in 2003 to restore the ecosystem, historic preservation and aesthetics ultimately prevailed.

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