Our communities
Youngstown
A lakeside village in the shadow of Old Fort Niagara
A little history
Youngstown grew up beside Fort Niagara, where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario. The fort's French Castle dates to 1726. The post passed from France to Britain in 1759 and to the United States in 1796. The village is named for John Young, a merchant from across the river who opened a store at the landing in 1809 and bought land here in 1811. In December 1813, after American troops burned Newark (today's Niagara-on-the-Lake), British and Native forces captured Fort Niagara in reply and burned most buildings from there south to present-day Buffalo.
Recovery took time, but by the 1840s the village had homes and stores again, and it was incorporated on April 18, 1854. Fruit farming drove the local economy and supported barrel making, fruit packing, cider and vinegar. Today Youngstown is a small lakeside village in the Town of Porter and the gateway to Old Fort Niagara State Historic Site.
🌊 Things to Do in Youngstown
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Old Fort Niagara
A 300-year-old fort at the mouth of the Niagara River, held by France, Britain and the United States, with musket demonstrations and the 1726 French Castle.
🥾 State Parks & Hiking in Youngstown
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Fort Niagara State Park
Woodland trails, pools and Lake Ontario views where the Niagara River meets the lake, next to historic Old Fort Niagara.
🥾 Easy -
Four Mile Creek State Park
A Lake Ontario bluff-top campground with a wooded nature trail. On a clear day you can see Toronto. Open to campers and their guests only.
🥾 Easy