|
I wrote this Viewpoint
because many people were confused about niagara falls weekend packages. Hopefully you'll find some
useful information to put to good use.
Historical setting
While the moniker “Niagara” is told to come from an Iroquois word “Onguiaahra”, or “The Strait”, I have observed the folklore to be a more intriguing story. The legend from Native American Indians tells of Lelawala, a gorgeous maiden bespoken by her father to an Indian warrior she despised. She chose to sacrifice herself to the Thunder God He-No instead of marrying a man she did not love. The story 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 sanctuary behind the Falls.
You likely already know that tourism is the regions primary source of income. This really commenced 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 holiday spot. It wasn't difficult given the history to romanticize Niagara Falls as an ideal honeymoon destination.
The touristry industry enjoyed another boom immediately after World War One. It was the car 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 instance that Niagara Falls was discovered man has been seeking 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 sawmill with a modest man made canal. The major development came in 1883 when Nikola Tesla invented the three-phase system of alternating current power transmission. This engineering science made it possible to transmit electricity over long distances. Today Niagara Falls furnishes roughly 4.4GW of power to the surrounding areas of both the United States and Canada.
Preservation efforts
Once Europeans commenced to settle in the Niagara Falls area it was quickly targeted by developers and enterprisers alike as a way to make 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 cost to the innate beauty of the area. Fortunately a group of worried citizens guided by noted artist Frederick Church organised the Free Niagara effort. This governance was successful in convincing the general community that Conservation of the area was in its best interest.
In 1885 the Niagara Reservation State Park, engaged by New York State, set about purchasing land from developers in an movement to slow down the overpowering development in the region. The Canadians followed suit in the same year with the Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park. Both administrations have been enormously successful at upholding the area and cutting back growth so that the next generations will be able to enjoy this natural wonderment.
Niagara has so much to offer. From a rich account of romance and adventure to a major natural wonder. If your shopping for a holiday to the metropolitan area, I’m certain you’ll be able to locate plenty to do. I have named a few effective books at the closing of this article or you can visit Amazon for a overall list of books on Niagara Falls. Please remember to depart the area as nice as you found 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
|
