The development of Niawanda Park was part of a broader Niagara River beautification effort that began after a large section of riverfront was transferred from Erie County to the City of Tonawanda. In 1950, work began in earnest with grading and seeding the area and installing a roadway along the shoreline. County Supervisor William Hawthorne called it the beginning of a development long needed by Democrats and Republicans alike and expressed hope that it would continue for the city. In the 1960s, the City of Tonawanda extended the park 50 feet into the Niagara River, hauling in fill to cover old wooden pilings from the time when the shore had been lined with wooden docks for the lumber industry. Previously known as Riverfront Park, it was renamed Niawanda in 1960 after a naming contest; the winning name combined Niagara and Tonawanda and was chosen because it was easy to pronounce, had an attractive sound, and retained the area's Native American tradition.