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I wrote this Editorial
because I felt compelled to clarify some of the uninformed statements made about niagara falls wedding package. 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 discovered the folklore to be a more fascinating story. The fable from Native American Indians tells of Lelawala, a gorgeous maiden engaged by her father to an Indian warrior she abhorred. She opted to sacrifice herself to the Thunder God He-No instead of wedding 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 probably already know that tourism is the areas principal source of income. This really began during the early 1900's and even Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte visited with his bride. After this country's Civil War the railroads began advertising the area as a vacation spot. It wasn't hard given the history to glamorize Niagara Falls as an idealistic honeymoon destination.
The tourism industry enjoyed 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 became much easier and was one of the best holiday destinations that New Yorkers could drive their shiny new automobiles to.
Almost from the time that Niagara Falls was found man has been trying to harness 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 exploitation came in 1883 when Nikola Tesla devised the three-phase system of alternating current power transmission. This applied science made it possible to channel electrical energy over long distances. Today Niagara Falls provides more than 4.4GW of power to the encompassing areas of both the United States and Canada.
Preservation efforts
Once Europeans began to settle in the Niagara Falls area it was rapidly targeted by developers and entrepreneurs alike as a way to take in a speedy 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 area. As luck would have it a group of caring citizens led by noted artist Frederick Church formed the Free Niagara drive. 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, started purchasing land from developers in an effort 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 staggeringly successful at preserving the area and confining development so that succeeding generations will be able to enjoy this natural marvel.
Niagara has so much to offer. From a robust chronicle of romance and adventure to a true natural wonder. If your looking for a vacation to the vicinity, I’m certain you’ll be able to find enough to do. I have numbered many fine books at the end of this article or you can visit Amazon for a total list of books on Niagara Falls. Please remember to leave 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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