The famous Falls ice bridge, circa 1900. It’s doubtful if anyone stayed at the “hotel,” which wasn’t much more than a closed-in shack. Note the inclined railway on the American side, in the background.
James Harris, photographed as he was brought to safety by breeches-buoy in 1918. The scow, from which he was saved, can still be seen in the rapids.
Red Hill, his saviour, poses with the barrel that later took him through the Whirlpool on a trip that almost killed him.
At the turn of the century, this young woman found it easier to pose, not before the falls, but before a painting of the great cataract.
Construction of the cofferdam for the generating station of the Electrical Development Company (later the Toronto Power Company) in 1903.
Across the river, fifteen years earlier, the Americans built this huge discharge tunnel to get rid of the waste water used by the Niagara Falls power company.
The EDC’s powerplant, designed by Edward Lennox after the century’s turn, looked much like an Italian palace. It is now being restored.
In the early days on the American side, factories discharged their waste (here frozen in winter) directly into the Niagara River.
The Upper Steel Arch Bridge, also known as the Honeymoon Bridge, lies shattered on the ice jam that caused its destruction in 1938. It was replaced by the famous Rainbow Bridge.
The river as enemy: a rock slide sends the Schoellkopf power station (above) crashing into the gorge in 1956, two years after similar erosion had doomed most of Prospect Point, railings and all.
Dewatering the Falls: in a vain attempt to remove the rubble that hides so much of the American Falls, U.S. Army engineers dried up the cataract for five months in 1969. In the end, it was decided to let nature take its course.
Lois Gibbs, housewife turned activist, holds a lively press conference on the condemned school site of the old Love Canal.
Young Roger Woodward, the only human being ever to go over the Falls protected by no more than a life jacket, is hauled aboard the Maid of the Mist, July 9, 1960. The experience changed his life.
Acknowledgements
A good many people contributed to this book. I especially want to thank George Seibel, historian of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and also for the Niagara Parks Commission. Don Loker of the Local History Department at the Public Library of Niagara Falls, New York, and George Bailey of the Niagara Parks Commission, Ontario, were particularly generous with their time; both responded with enthusiasm and patience to the stream of requests put to them. The Local History Department at the NFPL, New York, is a rich source for anyone studying various aspects of Niagara history, while the Parks Commission has a room in its basement crammed with interesting and useful items.
Dr. Keith Tinkler at the Department of Geography, Brock University, and Dr. Walter Tovell, formerly of the Royal Ontario Museum, were especially helpful in vetting my sections on the geology of the Falls.
Much of the research for Niagara was done at the Robarts Library, University of Toronto. Other institutions and individuals helped in various ways: Wes Hill, whose family will always be associated with the river; Kevin McMahon; Dwight Whalen, who assisted us with his extensive research on Annie Taylor; Shane Peacock, for infomation on Farini; Inge Saczkowski and the staff at the Niagara Falls (Ontario) Public Library; Frank Roma and Mary Stessing at the New York State Power Authority; the staff at the Ontario Archives; Paul Odom, Ontario Ministry of the Environment; Bob Smart, Glenys Biggar, Trish Wilcox, Kimberly Bean, Al Breadner, Syd Money, and Chuck Sands, all of Ontario Hydro; Craig Boljkovac and Dave Bruer of the Toronto Environmental Alliance; Burkhard Mausberg at Pollution Probe; Mary Bell, Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society; Leon Meyer at the Hulton Picture Company; Phillip LeClaire of LeClaire Photography; Melissa Rombout at the National Archives of Canada.
My research assistant, Barbara Sears, who has worked on many of my earlier books, was indefatigable, as always, in tracking down hard-to-find documents as well as the photographs that appear in this book. Without her, the work would not have been possible. My editor, Janice Tyrwhitt, forced me to rewrite several sections and applied a critical eye to the entire manuscript, which, in its finished form, owes a great deal to her suggestions. My copy editor, Janet Craig, caught scores of the inconsistencies, misspellings, and grammatical gaffes to which I am prone. My wife, Janet Berton, subjected the final manuscript to a painstaking line-by-line examination. My badly typed manuscript was recorded on a word processor at top speed and with great accuracy by my secretary, Emily Bradshaw. I also profited from the advice of my business associate, Elsa Franklin, especially on the execution and design of the jacket. If, after this, there are still some inaccuracies and omissions, I can only blame myself.
Select Bibliography
Archival Sources
New York Power Authority, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Robert Moses files
Local History Department, Public Library, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Miscellaneous vertical files
Niagara Parks Commission
Scrapbooks
Ontario Archives
W.F Munro Papers
RG 18 B-O Royal Commission to Inquire into Alleged Abuses Occurring in the Vicinity of Niagara Falls, evidence
G.A. Farini Papers
Sidney Barnett Papers
RG 38 Niagara Parks Commission Papers
RG 23 Series B1 File 21.59 Ontario Provincial Police records
Whitney Papers
Ontario Hydro Archives
EDC Minute Book No. 1
OR-101 Administration – History of Hydro – general
1965 Blackout files
Government Documents
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Ontario. Hydro Electric Inquiry Commission [Gregory Commission], “General Report”; “General Report – Queenston-Chippawa
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Interviews
Mac Bradden; John C. Bruel; Dudley Burland; Jim Carr; Dennis Dack; William Fitzgerald; Asa George; Lois Gibbs; Jan Gordon; Nicholas Gray; Wes Hill; Fred Hollidge; W.J. Killough; Harry Oakes, Jr.; Jim Simon; Bob Smart; Roger Woodward.
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The Nation, 1 September 1881
Newsweek, 22, 29 November 1965
Time Magazine, 19, 26 November 1965, 11 November 1966
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Buffalo Express
Daily Cataract-Journal
Globe and Mail (Toronto)
Hamilton Evening Times, 12 November 1868
Mail and Empire (Toronto)
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Niagara Falls [N.Y.] Gazette
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