Paul Litt

In 1987, the Niagara Police were told about human skeletons being unearth at a construction site west of Old Fort Erie. Eventually an archeological dig was started and over months 23 human remains were discovered. First the cost of recovery was an issue but when the US Military offered to pay part of the cost, the Canadian federal and Ontario provincial government paid their share. After much study and research the officials were convinced that all the bodies were of American soldiers from the 1814 period when Fort Erie had been put under siege by British forces. Identify individual men proved impossible and all bodies were repatriated to the National cemetery in Bath, NY as Unknown Soldiers of the 1818 War

The Snake Hill project was felt to have had significant impact on people's view of the importance of preserving our history through caring for locations that contain historical information. The author suggests that municipalities prepare polices that ensure that before the development starts, that archaeological concerns be addressed first so conflicts like Snake Hill are avoided.… (meer)