Niagara Falls: A Majestic Waterfall Steeped in History
For centuries, painters and photographers have tried to capture the splendor of Niagara Falls. Few were able to bring the essence of those waters and rugged landscape to life the way that Frederick Church did in his iconic painting Niagara (1857). This natural wonder, created by the retreat of the glaciers around 10,000 years ago, lies on the borders of New York State and Ontario in Canada. With a vertical drop of more than 160 feet, the Horseshoe Falls portion of Niagara Falls is the most powerful waterfall in the country, with 5.9 million cubic feet of water flowing over the crest every minute. It is said that due to the constant erosion of the shale rock, the falls will cease to exist in another 50,000 years, and it will just flow into Lake Erie.
Until the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825, getting to that region of the country was quite difficult. The area had been home to Indigenous Americans prior to the explorers and missionaries who found their way there gradually in the 17th and 18th centuries. Tourism expanded rapidly in the early 19th century and some of the attractions that visitors enjoy today were actually created almost 200 years ago.
Visitors in the 1820s would stay at one of three hotels, with the Clifton House being the most renowned. Since the journey to the falls took most people several days, tourists would often stay longer in the area to enjoy the ever-growing number of tourist attractions. One could check out the Burning Spring, an attraction developed after discovering that gas was bubbling up from the waters in today's Dufferin Islands area. The two most popular attractions, the Maid of the Mist and the Journey Behind the Falls, were both created to bring in tourists and tourist dollars. The former has been in existence since the 1850s and brings passengers via boat upriver to get close to the falls and feel the spray. The latter gives people the opportunity to walk along a 150 path behind the falls.
Niagara Falls is still considered a popular destination for honeymooners. As early as 1801, the site was attractive enough to lure Theodosia Burr, daughter of the Vice President Aaron Burr, and her husband Joseph Alston. Napoleon Bonaparte’s brother also honeymooned there a few years later. Even today, newlyweds are making their way to Niagara Falls to bask in its romantic history as a place for lovers to begin their lives together.
President John F. Kennedy spoke of the Niagara Power Project as “an example to the world of North American efficiency and determination” when it launched in 1961. Hydro power had been generating power for decades prior to the 1961 operation, but today produces up to 2.6 million kilowatts of clean electricity from the hydroelectric plants. It is New York State’s largest producer of energy and it is shared with Canada.
Whether you are interested in visiting Niagara Falls for its natural beauty, for the abundant activities in the area, or to follow in the footsteps of the millions who have gone there in their first days of marriage, there is certainly something magical in seeing the falls from above or below. I first visited there after having driven past Niagara, NY, probably 20 times on the way from my parent’s home in Cleveland to the East Coast. On one trip to Cleveland, I was driving with my mother, and we decided at the last minute to go. Neither of us had been there before and we both were up for the experience. I am so glad I went, as it was breathtaking to behold, and without the ability to depict it as Frederick Church was in his painting, I will forever hold its epic beauty in my mind.