Niagara Falls

By the mid-19th century, tourism was the area’s main industry. In the 1870s, access was limited and sightseers often paid to see the falls. Frederic Edwin Church, Frederick Law Olmsted and Henry Hobson Richardson led the US conservation movement. The 1887 park plan called for scenic roads, paths and a few shelters to protect the landscape while admitting visitors. The first hydroelectric station began operating in 1881, followed by a large alternating-current system in 1895. The Adams Power Plant Transformer House remains a landmark of the original hydroelectric system.

1. 12,000 years agoRetreating glaciers formed the Niagara River and began forming the falls.
2. 1750Daniel Joncaire built a canal to run a sawmill, first harnessing the falls’ power.
3. 1762Thomas Davies surveyed the area and painted the first eyewitness image of the falls.
4. 1881The first hydroelectric station on the Niagara River began operating, generating electricity for mills and village streets.
5. 1885The Niagara Reservation became New York’s first state park.