One of the places I want to see is Niagara Falls. Since last week, when my uncle sent a video of the Canadian “Horseshoe” Falls, I have been hooked; the sheer number of Niagara Falls videos available on YouTube has not helped.
I decided the hours I spent reading about Niagara Falls did not need to be wasted, so I dug a bit more in order to turn what I already learned into a Twenty Interesting Things… post. As a person who longs to see the Falls in person, there is a slight agenda at the end of this post, but for now…
Here are 20 interesting things you may or may not already know about Niagara Falls.
1. When European explorers began mapping the Great Lakes basins, they used accounts from local tribes. The name Niagara came from the tribe of the “thundering waters”, a neutral tribe who inhabited the Niagara region. Their actual name is long forgotten, but they were referred to as “Ongniaahra” by the Iroquois Nation of which they were a part.
2. The Niagara Falls is the collective name for three waterfalls that straddle the international border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York. The Niagara River drains water from Lake Erie into Lake Ontario.
3. The 3 waterfalls (American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and the Horseshoe Falls) combine to produce the highest flow rate of any waterfall on earth. The average American residence would need 7 1/2 years to use the same amount of water that flows over the Niagara Falls in one second (750,000 gallons).
4. It is estimated that roughly 13 million people visit Niagara Falls every year.
5. The average depth of the water below Niagara Falls is 170 feet, which is as deep as the Niagara Gorge banks are high.
6. The American Falls is 180 feet from the top of the Falls to the river. The crest line is 850 feet wide. The Canadian Horseshoe Falls drops 188 feet and the crest line is 2200 feet.
7. Niagara Falls has been one of the world’s most popular honeymoon destinations for nearly 200 years. If on the Canadian side of the Falls, honeymooners should contact the tourism office to receive a commemorative certificate and a pass for free admission to several area attractions.
8. The Maid of the Mist boat ride that takes visitors past the base of the American Falls, and into the basin of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, is North America’s oldest tourist attraction. The maiden voyage was in 1846.
9. “The Old Scow” is the name of the wreck seen caught on the shoal just out of reach of Horseshoe Falls. In 1918 two men were on this scow dredging up sand banks from the Niagara river upstream of the waterfall. The scow broke loose from the tugboat that was to bring it back to shore, coming perilously close to plunging over the Falls. Both men were rescued 17 hours later via breeches buoy after the US Coast Guard sent a lifeline over to the barge.
10. The Falls current rate of erosion is estimated at 3-4 inches every 10 years. Scientists believe the Niagara Falls will be gone in around 50,000 years.
11. The Niagara Falls water power is shared between the U.S. and Canada. Today, Niagara is the biggest electricity producer in New York state – generating 2.4 million kilowatts; that is enough power to light 24 million 100-watt bulbs at once, and saves the state’s residents and businesses hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
12. Goat Island sits in the middle of the Niagara Falls, between Horseshoe Falls and Bridal Veil Falls.
13. On June 30, 1859, Charles Blondin, dressed in pink tights, was the first man to walk a “not even an inch thick” tightrope suspended above Niagara Falls.
14. On October 24, 1901 Annie Taylor was the first person to ride over Horseshoe Falls in a custom-made, airtight barrel of oak and iron–padded with a mattress to cushion the impact of hitting the lower river. After Taylor climbed inside, the barrel’s air pressure was compressed to 30 p.s.i. using a bicycle pump; the hole used was plugged with a cork. She survived the stunt with only a small gash on her head.
15. Two days before Taylor’s attempt, a domestic cat survived the Horseshoe Falls in Taylor’s barrel to test its strength.
16. On July 25, 1911, Bobby Leach was the second person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel (a steel barrel). He spent six months in the hospital recovering from his injuries, including two broken knee caps and a fractured jaw.
17. On July 11th 1920, Englishman Charles G. Stephens was the first person to lose their life going over the Horseshoe Falls. Stephens had made a fatal mistake of attaching an anvil to his feet. All that was found of Mr. Stephens was his arm, identified by a number of tattoos, still strapped into the harness.
18. There have been a total of fifteen (15) people challenge and survive the Horseshoe Falls in a craft or barrel, and one (1) who went over with just the clothes on his back. There are 5 who intentionally challenged the Falls and died.
19. Every year between 20 and 25 people commit suicide at the Falls; over 5,000 bodies have been recovered from the bottom of the Falls since 1850.
20. An attempt at becoming a Niagara Falls “Daredevil” comes with a maximum fine of $10,000, plus the cost of rescue.
And now for my Niagara Falls agenda…
For those who have experienced Niagara Falls, please tell me the good, the bad, and the ugly (or not). What is the best way to see the Falls? What do I not want to miss? What is not worth the time? I would love to gather information from those who have “been there/done that” to plan a future anniversary trip!
Maybe you don’t have a Niagara Falls experience to share, but do know some other interesting facts not mentioned in the above list. Please feel free to list them in the comments below!
Heather Sanders is a leading homeschooling journalist who inspires homeschooling families across the nation. Married to Jeff, Heather lives in the East Texas Piney Woods and homeschools her three children, Emelie, Meredith and Kenny.