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 A short History of Niagara Falls
In 1615 missionary explorers arrived in Ontario. They were followed a decade later by the Jesuits. It was a Jesuit father, Gabriel Lalemant, who first recorded the Iroquois name for the river- Onguiaahra, meaning "the Strait". "Niagara" is a simplification of the original.
In December 1678, Recollet priest Louis Hennepin visited Niagara Falls. Nineteen years later, he published the first engraving of the Falls in his book Nouvelle Decouverte.
Tourism travel to the Falls began in the 1820s and within 50 years it had increased tenfold to become the area's dominant industry.
The photo on the right shows the Falls complete frozen over in the winter of 1911.
After World War I, automobile touring became popular. As a response, attractions and accommodations sprang up.
The Falls bring 50,000 honeymooners a year to the region. And it is thanks to the Falls that attractions such as Cave of the Winds, Maid of the Mist boat ride, and Schoellkopf Geological Museum exist. Not to mention the dozens of tour companies coming from all over North America to deposit tourists to the spot where the "Thunder of Waters" takes place.
Around Niagara Falls proper lie a series of historic towns and villages including: Lewiston, home of Artpark and Lewiston Museum; Lockport, with its Erie Canal heritage and Underground Boat Ride; and Youngstown, with historic Old Fort Niagara, built in 1726, an authentic fort open for visitors..
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