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I wrote this Viewpoint
because I seriously question the statements made about niagara falls canada horseshoe falls. Hopefully you'll find some
useful information to put to good use.
Historical backdrop
While the moniker “Niagara” is supposed to come from an Iroquois word “Onguiaahra”, or “The Strait”, I have discovered the folklore to be a more engrossing story. The legend from Native American Indians tells of Lelawala, a gorgeous maiden affianced by her father to an Indian warrior she abhorred. She opted to sacrifice herself to the Thunder God He-No instead of espousing 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 always in the Thunder God’s refuge behind the Falls.
You in all probability already know that tourism is the areas chief source of income. This really began during the early 1900's and even Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte visited with his bride. After our Civil War the railways began publicising the area as a holiday spot. It wasn't hard given the history to glamourize Niagara Falls as an idealistic honeymoon destination.
The tourism industry savored a second boom immediately after World War One. It was the automobile that furnished a much need boost to the industry. Travel to the area got much easier and was one of the best holiday 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 rule the monumental water flow as an perpetual supply of energy. The first successful endeavor to use the falls as an energy source was documented in 1759 when Daniel Joncairs powered his lumbermill with a small man made canal. The major development came in 1883 when Nikola Tesla invented the three-phase system of alternating current power transmission. This engineering made it possible to transmit electrical energy over long distances. Today Niagara Falls supplies about 4.4GW of power to the bordering areas of both the United States and Canada.
Preservation efforts
Once Europeans started to settle in the Niagara Falls area it was quickly targeted by developers and enterprisers alike as a way to realise 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 natural beauty of the region. As luck would have it a group of caring citizens guided by noted artist Frederick Church organised the Free Niagara social movement. This organisation was successful in convincing the general public that Conservation of the area was in its best concern.
In 1885 the Niagara Reservation State Park, engaged by New York State, set about buying land from developers in an campaign to retard the overpowering development in the region. The Canadians followed suit in the same year with the Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park. Both governances have been staggeringly successful at keeping up the area and cutting back growth so that future generations will be able to enjoy this natural wonderment.
Niagara has so much to offer. From a rich history of romance and adventure to a true natural wonder. If your debating a holiday to the area, I’m sure you’ll be able to discover plenty to do. I have listed many adept books at the closing 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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