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I wrote this Article
because many people seem to be missing information about Niagara Falls NY Canada border crossing. Hopefully you'll find some
useful information to put to good use.
Historical background
While the moniker “Niagara” is told to come from an Iroquois word “Onguiaahra”, or “The Strait”, I have noticed the folklore to be a more fascinating story. The fable from Native American Indians tells of Lelawala, a gorgeous maiden pledged by her father to an Indian warrior she despised. She opted to sacrifice herself to the Thunder God He-No instead of espousing a man she did not love. The history 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 sanctuary behind the Falls.
You most likely already know that tourism is the areas chief source of income. This really started 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 vacation spot. It wasn't hard given the history to glamourize Niagara Falls as an idealistic honeymoon destination.
The tourism industry enjoyed another boom immediately after World War One. It was the motorcar that offered 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 cars to.
Almost from the time that Niagara Falls was found man has been attempting to rule 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 little man made channel. The major growth came in 1883 when Nikola Tesla devised the three-phase system of alternating current power transmission. This technology made it possible to transmit electricity over long distances. Today Niagara Falls renders nearly 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 quickly targeted by developers and entrepreneurs alike as a way to take in 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 raw beauty of the area. As luck would have it a group of caring citizens directed by noted artist Frederick Church formed the Free Niagara movement. This administration was successful in convincing the general community that Conservation of the area was in its best concern.
In 1885 the Niagara Reservation State Park, engaged by New York State, started out purchasing land from developers in an attempt to retard the overpowering development in the area. The Canadians followed suit in the same year with the Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park. Each governances have been enormously successful at maintaining the area and limiting growth so that future generations will be able to enjoy this natural wonder.
Niagara has so much to offer. From a robust chronicle of romance and adventure to a major natural wonder. If your taking a vacation to the metropolitan area, I’m certain you’ll be able to locate enough to do. I have numbered various effective books at the end of this article or you can visit Amazon for a entire list of books on Niagara Falls. Please remember to leave 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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