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Historical background
While the moniker “Niagara” is alleged to come from an Iroquois phrase “Onguiaahra”, or “The Strait”, I have discovered the folklore to be a more gripping story. The legend from Native American Indians tells of Lelawala, a gorgeous maiden betrothed by her father to an Indian warrior she loathed. She chose to sacrifice herself to the Thunder God He-No instead of wedding a man she did not love. The tale 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 in all likelihood already know that tourism is the areas primary 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 publicising the area as a vacation spot. It wasn't difficult given the history to glamorise Niagara Falls as an ideal honeymoon destination.
The tourism industry enjoyed a second boom immediately after World War One. It was the car that offered a much need boost to the industry. Travel to the area turned much easier and was one of the best holiday 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 harness the monumental water flow as an eternal supply of energy. The first successful campaign to use the falls as an energy source was documented in 1759 when Daniel Joncairs powered his lumbermill with a modest man made channel. The major development came in 1883 when Nikola Tesla formulated the three-phase system of alternating current power transmission. This engineering made it possible to channel electrical energy over long distances. Today Niagara Falls provides nearly 4.4GW of power to the bordering areas of both the United States and Canada.
Conservation efforts
Once Europeans started to settle in the Niagara Falls area it was quickly targeted by developers and entrepreneurs alike as a way to pull in a fast fortune. Unlike today most of the land in the area was privately owned and was easily acquired for development. This came at a toll to the innate beauty of the region. As luck would have it a group of worried citizens directed by noted artist Frederick Church conceived the Free Niagara social movement. This establishment was successful in convincing the general public that Preservation 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 endeavor to slow the overwhelming development in the region. The Canadians followed suit in the same year with the Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park. Both organizations have been tremendously successful at preserving the area and curtailing growth so that succeeding generations will be able to enjoy this natural wonder.
Niagara has so very much to offer. From a rich chronicle of romance and adventure to a real natural wonder. If your deliberating a vacation to the area, I’m certain you’ll be able to locate plenty to do. I have numbered a few fine books at the end of this article or you can visit Amazon for a total list of books on Niagara Falls. Please don't forget to depart the area as nice 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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