On the shores of Lake Ontario, at the mouth of the Niagara River, is the pretty old town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Lined with trees on wide open streets, the town is located in the southern province of Ontario, Canada.
Niagara-on-the-Lake was founded in the late 1700s when the British Government purchased land from the Mississaugas, a First Nation tribe, and was initially settled by British Loyalists who fought for the Crown during the American Revolution.
The town grew in size and economic prosperity, as can be seen by the old stately homes. However, the town was set on fire in 1813 during the war with the Americans and the current buildings are part of the rebuild.
Niagara-on-the-Lake was initially named Newark and served as the first capital of Upper Canada from 1792-1797. Newark was first renamed to Niagara and then once again in 1970 to its current name.
For wine enthusiasts, the town is well renowned for its production of ice wine, a sweet dessert wine made from grapes frozen on the vine.
Making ice wine is a delicate and risky process as it requires a large labour force to pick the crop at a moment’s notice and within a few short hours. The crop needs to be picked in the morning, when it is cold enough (at least -8°C / 18°F) but not so cold that grapes are too solidly frozen making it difficult to press. Sometime in the 1990s, one of the wineries broke its press because the grapes were too hard, having been picked when the temperature was nearly -20°C / -4°F. The intense sweetness and strong flavours of honey, citrus and florals may not be for everyone’s palate but it pairs well with soft cheeses such as brie or as an accompaniment to simple desserts such as panna cotta.
My journey begins southeast of the town at the historic Fort George, a military fortification used by the British Army until it was captured by the US armed forces in the War of 1812. The American occupation was short-lived, only seven months, and when they withdrew their forces, they razed the fort’s settlement, leaving only the gunpowder magazine standing. In the early 20th century, Fort George was restored and replicas of the original buildings constructed. Today, it is a living museum, showcasing military life in the 19th century.
From Fort George I will be heading south towards the famous Horseshoe Falls, cross the border into the US at Unity Island to head north on the opposite side of Niagara River with a pitstop at the American Falls and then finish my journey at Fort Niagara.
On that note, time to get started.
km od začátku : 0023
Horseshoe Falls
As I travelled along Niagara’s scenic parkway and followed the river, I arrived at Niagara Whirlpool, a natural whirlpool located in the Niagara Gorge. Formed about 4,200 years ago, the whirlpool is a result of the river’s rapid flow through the gorge, creating the turbulent swirls. It usually spins in a counterclockwise motion unless there’s more water in the river when the swirl reverses. Above the whirlpool is an antique cable car that’s been delighting visitors with a ride across the gorge since 1916.
It was here in 1886 that Carlisle Graham made the first successful rapid crossing in a barrel. He improved on the design of the barrel and successfully crossed the rapid another five times. Other daredevils weren’t as fortunate. Captain Matthew Webb, a British sailor, was an accomplished swimmer known for being the first person to swim across the English Channel. Webb wanted to conquer Whirlpool Rapid but his 1883 attempt ended in his drowning, with his body washing ashore four days later.
As I crossed beneath Rainbow Bridge, I could hear the roaring thunder of Niagara Falls and 300m later I had my first view of the three falls that make up Niagara Falls. Across the river on the US side is the American Falls with the smaller Bridal Veil Falls beside it and, in the distance, I could see the mist rising in the air from the sheer force of Horseshoe Falls on Canada’s side. Collectively referred to as Niagara Falls, the three waterfalls are a result of Goat Island and Luna Island, splitting Niagara River as it flows from Lake Erie into Lake Ontario.
Reaching Horseshoe Falls, I was in awe of its force and power, as the river noisily gushed over the edge and I tried to imagine what it might have been like that one night in 1848 when the Falls went “dry” and the residents were woken from their sleep because of the silence. Imagine standing at the top of the gorge’s edge and seeing nothing but rocks and cliffs and only a trickle of water flowing. The residents were sure “the world was coming to an end” but in actuality a strong, southwest wind drove large chunks of ice across the mouth of Niagara River, plugging Lake Erie’s flow for two days. When it finally cleared, the Falls were back in business.
Horseshoe Falls is not the tallest nor the widest but it still ranks in the top 10 for its sheer volume, with a flow rate of 2,400 cubic meters per second, plunging 167 ft (51 m) into the river below. In the winter, half of the water is diverted for hydropower generation.
Niagara Falls has seen its fair share of daredevils, accidents and rescues so let me share some of the more incredible ones:
-Annie Edson Taylor was a 63-year-old woman with no previous daredevil experience, who in 1901 rode in a sealed barrel called Queen of the Mist over Horseshoe Falls. She was the first person to execute such a stunt and live to tell the tale.
-William “Red” Hill Sr. was a riverman, daredevil and rescuer. He challenged himself to travel in a steel barrel from the base of the falls, through the Whirlpool Rapids, across Niagara Whirlpool and finish in Queenston. The 9mi (14km) journey took him 5 hours to complete. William has also been credited with saving 28 lives during an ice bridge collapse, recovering 177 bodies from the river and rescuing 2 men off a barge (see next postcard). He was awarded several medals during his lifetime: two bravery medals during WWI, one when he was nine years old for saving his sister’s life from a burning house, and one for saving the lives of the two men from the barge.
-Roger Woodward was only seven years old when one day in 1960, following a boat ride that went awry, he plunged over the Horseshoe Falls and survived. The life vest he was wearing helped to swiftly bring him back to the surface and be rescued by a nearby tourist boat. Amazingly, he was uninjured, bar a slight concussion. At the same time, his 17-year-old sister was saved, just before the crest of the falls, when she reached with all her might and managed to grab a hold of her rescuer’s thumb. A second man joined in the rescue, helping to pull her to safety.
Finishing my Falls exploration, I am now moving onto Unity Island and crossing international borders. Best check I have my virtual passport in my pocket.
km od začátku : 0051
Unity Island
About half a mile (800m) past the crest of Horseshoe Falls is the wreck of a barge that in 1918 was part of dredging operations. It was being towed when the rope snapped from the tug and the barge drifted out of control with two men on board. It eventually became grounded on a rock shoal.
Rescue was mighty difficult. Boats could not enter the area as it was too close to the edge of the Falls, until an army truck arrived and shot a rope to the barge from the Toronto Power House. The two men began the arduous task of winding the rope to the barge, whilst onshore more than 100 men were battling the raging river trying to extract the rope in the water that was being pulled downstream. Once the rope was secured, a breeches buoy (rope-based rescue device) was attached. As it was sent towards the barge, it got caught partway due to the rope tangling. Local daredevil William “Red” Hill Sr, volunteered to cross the rope hand over hand and attempt to untangle it and release the buoy. It took several hours between Hill and the two men on the barge, now weakened by exposure and hunger, to complete the task. Nineteen hours later both men were successfully rescued.
Continuing along the parkway, I reached the International Railway Bridge, a two-span swing bridge that crossed Niagara River, connecting Canada with the United States via Unity Island. Built in 1873, it continues to be in operation today, with approximately 15 trains per day passing through. The bridge used to have a pedestrian walkway originally but it was removed in 1900, following expansion works.
Unity Island is a 160-acre (0.65km²) island with two parks and a water treatment facility. Once owned by Seneca people (indigenous people of southern Ontario), the island was gifted, then sold and finally transferred into public ownership.
At the southern end of the island is Broderick Park, which during the early 19th century was used as a crossing point of the Underground Railroad into Canada. The Underground Railroad was a series of safe houses that helped runaway slaves reach freedom in the northern United States and Canada.
Attached to Broderick Park was the Bird Island pier, a narrow mile long (1.6km) walkway built through the middle of the Niagara River. The pier once used to connect to Bird Island, a small rock formation which has since disappeared as the rock was used to build another pier to support a canal.
The pier provides for a lovely stroll to see a variety of birds, most commonly seagulls and ducks, and passes beneath the Peace Bridge, another international bridge that was named to commemorate 100 years of peace between Canada and the United States.
Now I’m off to explore Delaware Park in Buffalo before I make my way north towards the American Falls.
km od začátku : 0090
American Falls
Heading east, I arrived at Delaware Park, a 376-acre historic park consisting of Hoyt Lake, the Buffalo History Museum, Buffalo Zoo, a statue of Abraham Lincoln (16th US President), a replica of Michelangelo’s David, and home to the second largest free outdoor Shakespeare festival in the US.
Within its grounds is the 1840s landscaped Forest Lawn Cemetery and the final resting place of: 13th President Millard Fillmore; born and raised singer/songwriter Rick James; Seneca tribe orator, Sagoyewatha, who spoke for the rights of his people and was a prominent negotiator with the US government; and explorer Frederick Cook, who claimed to be the first man to reach the North Pole in 1908 (although that’s a much-debated topic).
Two blocks away east of the park is Martin House, one of world-renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright's prairie style designs. Frank was an exceptional late 19th century to mid-20th century architect, who, over a period of 70 years, designed more than 1,000 structures. Over 300 buildings exist across the United States with a handful in Canada and Japan. His creative style was so extraordinary that eight of his buildings were listed as UNESCO sites.
Wright’s prairie style design is recognised by its deep overhanging eaves, beautiful geometric stained-glass windows, terracotta tiles, verandas and custom-made furniture to complement the building’s internal architecture. Martin House was built in 1905 and it was a complex of six buildings that included Barton House, Wright’s first officially completed building in Buffalo.
Less than a mile away is another of Wright’s buildings, the Walter Davidson House, which is characterised by its double-storey height bay window filled with diamond-shaped leaded glass. Wright also designed an administration building that was demolished 46 years later and the one and only boathouse that was built 102 years after it was drafted. For any architectural enthusiast a tour of his many buildings is certainly worth the effort.
Leaving Buffalo, I travelled across Grand Island and headed to Niagara Falls State Park for a wander around Goat Island where the Niagara River splits. At Terrapin Point, I had another thundering view of Horseshoe Falls, then headed to Luna Island. Crossing an arched pedestrian bridge onto Luna Island, I arrived at a central viewing point of the smaller Bridal Veil Falls to my left and the American Falls to my right. Nearby is a 9ft (2.74m) bronze statue of Nikola Tesla, in recognition of his contribution to the construction of the first power plant in Niagara Falls. Diagonally opposite on the Canadian side is another Tesla monument.
Back onto the mainland, I finished this stretch of my journey at the Niagara Falls Observation Tower. The Tower’s outdoor observation deck extended over Niagara Gorge, affording me uninterrupted views of all three waterfalls. Here, I lingered as I absorbed the magnificence of Niagara Falls and kept my eyes on the lookout, hoping to spot a peregrine falcon or America’s national bird, the bald eagle.
km od začátku : 0113
Fort Niagara State Park
Before leaving the park, I visited the remains of the former Schoellkopf Power Plant. Built between 1905 to 1924, it was the largest hydroelectric power station in the world. Unfortunately, in 1956, leakage through cracks behind a back wall turned into a catastrophic collapse, destroying two-thirds of the plant. Of the crew on duty, one died and about 40 escaped within minutes of destruction.
The damage was so extensive that rebuilding was not financially feasible. The disaster paved the way for the 1957 Act of Congress that shifted private power ownership to the government. The last remaining building was demolished a few years later and all that is left today is a stone wall that runs from the river level to the top edge of the gorge. Viewing is accessible to visitors via a lift.
Northbound, I passed the Michigan Central Railway Bridge. Opened in 1925, it replaced an earlier cantilever bridge and remained in service until 2001. Following its closure, barriers were installed to stop illegal crossings. Adjacent to it is the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge. Opened in 1897, the double-decker bridge has a vehicular lane on the lower deck and rail lane on the upper deck. The bridge replaced an earlier one that was regarded as the world’s first railway suspension bridge and was used by abolitionists to help slaves escape to freedom in Canada. Both are arched bridges which were the new designs for railway bridges at the time of construction.
The Whirlpool Rapids begin below the Whirlpool Bridge, tumbling forcefully for the next mile (1.6km) into the Niagara Whirlpool, before the river takes a sharp right turn and flows towards Ontario Lake. It was also here that in 1876, Maria Spelterini became the only female to tightrope walk across the gorge.
Travelling adjacent to the river, I made my way to Fort Niagara State Park and finished my journey at Fort Niagara. The fort’s location was the site of Fort Conti (c. 1678), the first fort built by the French, which was then replaced with Fort Denonville (c. 1687) and then once again with Fort Niagara (c. 1726). Of the few buildings remaining, one of them is the grand two-storey Maison à Mâchicoulis, now referred to as French Castle. Built in 1726, it is located at the northern-edge of the fort and was used as a meeting venue for fur trading and negotiations between the French and Native Americans. The Castle is the oldest original building on the Great Lakes.
Following a 19-day siege during the 1759 Battle of Niagara, the fort fell to the British, then to the Americans in 1796, then back to the British and then for the final time back to the United States. The fort was used to train troops for the 1898 Spanish-American War and WW1, then served as a prisoner-of-war camp during WW2 and after the war as temporary housing for returning veterans. Deactivated by the US Army in 1963, the fort was one of the longest serving military bases in the US. Today, it is a museum and the site of 18th century battle re-enactments. I take a final tour into the dark side of the fort, where the story of a headless ghost soldier rises from a well on full moon nights, looking for his wayward head.
This is the end of my Niagara Falls travels. Beginning in Canada and ending in the US, I enjoyed travelling along the Niagara River, was awed by the powerful Niagara Falls, appreciated Frank Lloyd Wright’s prairie homes, visited colonial forts and pondered at the courage of the many daredevils who looked for fame and fortune.
