Steve Peere
TIGHTROPE WALKER

An amateur tightrope walker from Niagara Falls named Steve Peere was the only tightrope walker to ever come to a tragic end. Stephen Peere was born in 1840 in the Stamford Township. He was just a young man when he saw Blondin perform on the tightrope.

In 1873 Stephen Peere became an assistant to Balleni, helping him install his ropes across the gorge. Peere’s first attempt across the gorge took place with Balleni’s equipment, but without his consent.

Mr. Balleni, seeing how the crowds took to this hometown amateur decided to cut the tightrope. He was discovered and his plan thwarted and poor Mr. Ballini was run out of town. On July 22, 1887 Peere walked across the gorge on a cable ¾ of an inch thick.

This was a remarkable feat considering that performers in the past had used cable wire 2 inches thick. Three days later the lifeless body of Stephen Peere was found on the bank of the river, beneath his rope. It appeared that Mr. Peere had attempted to make a night crossing in his street shoes after an evening of drinking and had lost his balance and fallen to his death.