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I wrote this Point of View
because I want to share what I thought about Niagara Falls. With any luck you'll find some
useful information to put to good use.
Historical background
While the name “Niagara” is told to come from an Iroquois word “Onguiaahra”, or “The Strait”, I have observed the folklore to be a more captivating story. The legend from Native American Indians tells of Lelawala, a gorgeous maiden bespoken by her father to an Indian warrior she abhorred. She chose to sacrifice herself to the Thunder God He-No instead of marrying a man she did not love. The chronicle says that she paddled her canoe over the falls and into He-No’s arms. Together their souls will live evermore in the Thunder God’s refuge behind the Falls.
You likely already know that tourism is the regions chief source of income. This really commenced during the early 1900's and even Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte visited with his bride. After our Civil War the railroads began advertising the area as a vacation spot. It wasn't hard given the history to glamourise Niagara Falls as an ideal honeymoon destination.
The tourism industry savored another boom immediately after World War One. It was the automobile that offered a much need boost to the industry. Travel to the area went much easier and was one of the best holiday destinations that New Yorkers could drive their shiny new motorcars to.
Almost from the instance that Niagara Falls was found man has been trying to harness the massive water flow as an perpetual supply of energy. The first successful attempt to use the falls as an energy source was documented in 1759 when Daniel Joncairs powered his sawmill with a little man made channel. The major exploitation came in 1883 when Nikola Tesla invented the three-phase system of alternating current power transmission. This engineering made it possible to transmit electricity over long distances. Today Niagara Falls renders just about 4.4GW of power to the encircling areas of both the United States and Canada.
Preservation efforts
Once Europeans started to settle in the Niagara Falls area it was rapidly targeted by developers and enterprisers alike as a way to produce a speedy fortune. Unlike today most of the land in the area was privately owned and was easily acquired for growth. This came at a price to the raw beauty of the region. Luckily a group of caring citizens directed by noted artist Frederick Church forged the Free Niagara drive. This organization was successful in convincing the general populace that Preservation of the area was in its best concern.
In 1885 the Niagara Reservation State Park, chartered by New York State, began purchasing land from developers in an attempt to slow down the consuming development in the region. The Canadians followed suit in the same year with the Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park. Both administrations have been staggeringly successful at maintaining the area and constraining exploitation so that succeeding generations will be able to enjoy this natural marvel.
Niagara has so very much to offer. From a robust account of romance and adventure to a true natural wonder. If your looking for a vacation to the vicinity, I’m certain you’ll be able to find plenty to do. I have numbered many beneficial books at the end of this article or you can visit Amazon for a complete list of books on Niagara Falls. Please remember to leave the area as nice as you discovered it and to leave the barrel at home.
Niagara Falls : An Intimate Portrait - by John Grant
Fodor's Toronto 2006 : With Niagara Falls & the Niagara Wine Region (Fodor's Gold Guides) - by Fodor's
In the Mad Water: Two Centuries of Adventure and Lunacy at Niagara Falls - by T. W. Kriner
Niagara Falls Volume II (Images of America) - by Daniel M. Dumych
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