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I wrote this Editorial
because I want to share what I thought about niagara falls information or kids in school. Hopefully you'll find some
useful information to put to good use.
Historical setting
While the name “Niagara” is stated to come from an Iroquois phrase “Onguiaahra”, or “The Strait”, I have noticed the folklore to be a more enthralling 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 marrying 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 forever in the Thunder God’s sanctuary behind the Falls.
You likely already know that tourism is the regions principal source of income. This really started during the early 1900's and even Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte visited with his bride. After our country's Civil War the railways began advertising the area as a holiday spot. It wasn't difficult given the history to romanticize Niagara Falls as an idealistic honeymoon destination.
The touristry industry enjoyed a second boom immediately after World War One. It was the motorcar that supplied 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 automobiles to.
Almost from the instance that Niagara Falls was found man has been attempting to harness the monumental 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 little man made channel. The major development came in 1883 when Nikola Tesla devised the three-phase system of alternating current power transmission. This applied science made it possible to transfer electricity over long distances. Today Niagara Falls furnishes close to 4.4GW of power to the encompassing 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 make 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 toll to the innate beauty of the area. As luck would have it a group of concerned citizens led by noted artist Frederick Church formed the Free Niagara campaign. This governance was successful in convincing the general community that Preservation of the area was in its best interest.
In 1885 the Niagara Reservation State Park, chartered by New York State, commenced buying land from developers in an attempt to slow down the consuming development in the area. The Canadians followed suit in the same year with the Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park. Each administrations have been enormously successful at maintaining the area and curbing exploitation so that succeeding generations will be able to enjoy this natural wonder.
Niagara has so very much to offer. From a robust story of romance and adventure to a true natural wonder. If your taking a vacation to the region, I’m certain you’ll be able to discover enough to do. I have numbered several sound 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 decent 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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