Long before 9/11 and the COVID crisis, crossing the border was a lot simpler for locals. One could catch the ferry, shown here, which ran between Youngstown, N.Y., and Niagara-on-the-Lake from the dock at the corner of Melville Street and River Beach Road. The former Customs Shed was located there and if you wanted to summon the ferry boat from Youngstown, there was a light switch on the side of the building which would activate a signal light for the boat operator.