| Bridge Name: | Niagara Clifton Bridge |
| Crosses: | Niagara River |
| Design: | Suspension Bridge with Cable Stays[1] |
| Mainspan: | 12680NaN0 |
| Length: | 12680NaN0 |
| Width: | 100NaN0 expanded to 170NaN0 in 1887-1888 |
| Height: | 1000NaN0 |
| Begin: | Winter 1867-1868 |
| Complete: | December 29, 1868 |
| Open: | 1869 |
| Collapsed: | January 9, 1889 |
| Followed: | 2nd Falls View Bridge |
The Niagara Clifton Bridge, also known as the first Falls View Suspension Bridge, was a suspension bridge over the Niagara River between Niagara Falls, New York and Clifton, Ontario. It was designed by Samuel Keefer, with construction starting in 1867. It was officially opened for traffic on January 2, 1869 and was destroyed in a storm on the night of January 9, 1889.[2]
Shortly following the collapse of the first Falls View Suspension Bridge, a second bridge of the same design was ordered to be built. Construction began on March 22, 1889 and erection work took only 38 days to complete. It was opened on May 7, only 117 days after the preceding bridge disaster. The second Falls View Suspension Bridge was dismantled in 1898 when construction of the Honeymoon Bridge was complete. The dismantled bridge was moved to Queenston–Lewiston where it was re-erected and became the second Queenston–Lewiston Bridge and remained in service until 1962 when it was replaced with a larger and more modern bridge. The suspension bridge was finally dismantled and sold to a Buffalo, New York firm.[3]