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I wrote this Point of View
because I seriously question the statements made about Map of Niagara Falls attractions. 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 phrase “Onguiaahra”, or “The Strait”, I have discovered the folklore to be a more remarkable story. The legend from Native American Indians tells of Lelawala, a gorgeous maiden affianced by her father to an Indian warrior she detested. She opted 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 forever in the Thunder God’s refuge behind the Falls.
You likely already know that tourism is the regions main 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 railways began publicizing the area as a holiday spot. It wasn't hard given the history to glamorize Niagara Falls as an ideal honeymoon destination.
The touristry industry savored another boom immediately after World War One. It was the automobile that supplied a much need boost to the industry. Travel to the area went much easier and was one of the best vacation destinations that New Yorkers could drive their shiny new motorcars to.
Almost from the time that Niagara Falls was found man has been seeking to harness the massive water flow as an perpetual supply of energy. The first successful effort to use the falls as an energy source was documented in 1759 when Daniel Joncairs powered his sawmill with a modest man made canal. The major evolution came in 1883 when Nikola Tesla formulated the three-phase system of alternating current power transmission. This engineering made it possible to channel electricity over long distances. Today Niagara Falls supplies close to 4.4GW of power to the encircling areas of both the United States and Canada.
Conservation efforts
Once Europeans started to settle in the Niagara Falls area it was rapidly targeted by developers and enterprisers alike as a way to pull in 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 cost to the innate beauty of the area. Luckily a group of concerned citizens guided by noted artist Frederick Church organized the Free Niagara crusade. This governance was successful in convincing the general populace that Conservation of the area was in its best concern.
In 1885 the Niagara Reservation State Park, engaged by New York State, set out buying land from developers in an campaign to retard the consuming development in the region. The Canadians followed suit in the same year with the Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park. Both establishments have been hugely successful at maintaining the area and restricting growth so that the next generations will be able to enjoy this natural wonder.
Niagara has so much to offer. From a deep history of romance and adventure to a true natural wonder. If your shopping for a holiday to the area, I’m certain you’ll be able to discover plenty to do. I have listed a few dependable books at the closing of this article or you can visit Amazon for a full list of books on Niagara Falls. Please remember to depart the area as decent as you encountered 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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