The History of Niagara Falls



Niagara Falls, also known as Chutes du Niagara, and the surrounding area has a rich and interesting history. Beginning well over 10, 000 years ago, the landscape which is now honored as Niagara Falls was far different from how it appears today. Once a place where Native Americans made their homes along the river banks and in the natural woodlands all around the falls, Niagara Falls is a body of water that is currently used for a natural source of hydroelectric power and a main tourist attraction located in Niagara Falls, New York and Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Niagara Falls, sometimes referred to as the Canadian Falls, draw tourists by the thousands each year. The falls are situated right on the border of Canada and the United States. Further, the name Niagara Falls may at first be deceiving to people who have never visited the falls as it sounds as if it only refers to one waterfall. In essence, Niagara Falls is actually a total of three falls: the American Falls, the Bridal Falls and the Veil falls. This immense water feature allows the passage of well over 160,000 cubic meters of water to topple over its immense crest line every sixty seconds!

The state of Wisconsin was once covered with natural ice formations; ice formations that are responsible for the creation of various land formations and bodies of water. Eventually, the glaciers continued to move through the Niagara region and form the geographical formations that exist today. Further, the melted glaciers are responsible for creating the bodies of water in the surrounding area, including the Niagara River and the Great Lakes.

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Annie Taylor Survives a Barrel Trip over Niagara Falls



Its hard to imagine; someone actually going over Niagara Falls in a barrel and surviving the attempt. Its even harder to imagine that someone would even consider doing such a thing. Nevertheless, Annie Taylor was the first person to pull off this stunt successfully in the year 1901, and she managed to come out of it with nothing more than a minor cut on her forehead.

Annie Taylor had a manager for the event and she had high hopes that her successful trip over the falls would make her rich enough to pay off her debts. Hopping into a rowboat, with her wooden barrel trailing closely behind, the widowed Michigan schoolteacher rowed out to an area just before the falls and climbed into the barrel on October 24, 1901. After her safe arrival at the bottom of the falls, the stunt being successfully accomplished did not gain her the fame she desired.

Since Annie Taylors successful attempt, others have tried to go over the falls, and although they have succeeded, it is not without significant injury. Bobby Leach went over the falls in a barrel made of steel just ten years after Annie Taylor and broke both of his knees in the process. Further, Jean Lussier made a successful trip over the falls in a rubber ball, but not without his share of nail biting moments.