There are plenty of things that will make you do a double-take here in Western New York, but hearing about how one of the region’s towns came to be known as the country’s first toxic ghost town is one that often sounds too terrible to be true. Like something out of a horror movie that you’ll be surprised to hear happened so close to Buffalonian’s homes, keep reading to hear about the history of Love Canal.

Less than 20 miles north of Buffalo, the neighborhood of Love Canal was once a charming place to visit.
rik-shaw 黄包车/Flickr
In fact, there was an actual canal here where you'd find locals swimming and even ice skating.
Unfortunately, Love Canal's charm wasn't everlasting.
rik-shaw 黄包车/Flickr
Thousands of tons of toxic waste would come to be buried in the ground here, something that many people were unaware of later in history.
When the neighborhood of Love Canal was booming and full of families during the 1970s, things began to take a turn for the worse after more and more residents began to complain of terrible smells.
Lauri Heikkinen/Flickr

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To make matters worse, in 1977 Buffalo and the rest of Western New York was hit with a record-breaking snowstorm, leading to a mass amount of melted snow that combined with spring rain, lead to a complete here in Love Canal.
Wikimedia Commons/Jeff Wurstner
Quite literally creating the perfect storm, more than 20,000 tons of toxic waste and discarded pesticides began to leak out of the metal drums that had been buried beneath the homes of these residents - all unbeknownst to the people living here.
After the continuation of reported bad smells and even black liquid seeping up from the ground, Love Canal became known as America's first case that would cover the topic of dumping toxic waste materials.
rik-shaw 黄包车/Flickr
After terrible colored liquids began to show up in people's yards, smells continued, and reports of health issues stemming from the buried toxic waste were all reported, Love Canal residents were forced to evacuate their homes.
Google Maps
A state of emergency was declared by the President in 1978, it would ultimately take $400 million and more than 20 years to clean up and restore the abandoned neighborhood of Love Canal.
Today, the majority of the 70-acre Love Canal neighborhood in Niagara Falls has become overrun by nature, with the remaining areas blocked off by fences. Love Canal is now known as the country's first toxic ghost town.
Wikimedia Commons/Buffalutheran
Did you realize this all happened just north of the Queen City back in the late 1970s? Did you live in the area when this disaster occurred?

Feeling ready to learn more about Western New York’s eerie history? Then be sure to also check out The Haunting Museum In Buffalo That Celebrates All Things Paranormal!

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Love Canal, Niagara Falls, NY 14304, USA