|
I wrote this Article
because many people seem to be missing information about Firemens Park Niagara Falls Ontario. With any luck you'll find some
useful information to put to good use.
Historical background
While the name “Niagara” is supposed to come from an Iroquois word “Onguiaahra”, or “The Strait”, I have noticed the folklore to be a more appealing story. The fable from Native American Indians tells of Lelawala, a gorgeous maiden engaged by her father to an Indian warrior she detested. 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 eternally in the Thunder God’s sanctuary behind the Falls.
You most likely already know that tourism is the areas principal source of income. This really started during the early 1900's and even Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte visited with his bride. After this country's Civil War the railroads began publicizing the area as a vacation spot. It wasn't hard given the history to glamourize Niagara Falls as an ideal honeymoon destination.
The touristry industry savored another boom immediately after World War One. It was the auto that provided a much need boost to the industry. Travel to the area got much easier and was one of the best vacation destinations that New Yorkers could drive their shiny new cars to.
Almost from the time that Niagara Falls was discovered man has been trying to harness the monumental water flow as an eternal 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 modest man made channel. The major exploitation came in 1883 when Nikola Tesla formulated the three-phase system of alternating current power transmission. This applied science made it possible to channel electrical energy over long distances. Today Niagara Falls renders close to 4.4GW of power to the bordering areas of both the United States and Canada.
Preservation efforts
Once Europeans began to settle in the Niagara Falls area it was rapidly targeted by developers and enterprisers alike as a way to realize a quick fortune. Unlike today most of the land in the area was privately owned and was easily acquired for development. This came at a price to the innate beauty of the area. Fortunately a group of concerned citizens directed by noted artist Frederick Church conceived the Free Niagara campaign. This establishment was successful in convincing the general community that Conservation of the area was in its best interest.
In 1885 the Niagara Reservation State Park, chartered by New York State, started out purchasing land from developers in an campaign to retard the consuming development in the area. The Canadians followed suit in the same year with the Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park. Both establishments have been enormously successful at upholding the area and constraining development so that new generations will be able to enjoy this natural wonder.
Niagara has so much to offer. From a rich story of romance and adventure to a real natural wonder. If your deliberating a holiday to the vicinity, I’m sure you’ll be able to discover plenty to do. I have named many good books at the end of this article or you can visit Amazon for a overall list of books on Niagara Falls. Please don't forget to leave the area as nice as you found 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
|
