1678, Was the Forerunner of of Europe Even Before Plymouth Rock and the 9,000,000 Visitors Who Come to Niagara Jamestown, Virginia
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City of the 48 The ,. Falls THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS ADDRESS followed him, many of whom were artists, the Falls of Niagara became known to the people Father Louis Hennepin, who first saw the Falls of Niagara in 1678, was the forerunner of of Europe even before Plymouth Rock and the 9,000,000 visitors who come to Niagara Jamestown, Virginia. As each year passed more Falls each year. While there are indications that and more men came to see the Fal}s and con other explorers may have seen or heard about tributed to the written records. Dozens of the Falls of Niagara before Hennepin, it was widely published accounts of the (Jea�ty of the he who first wrote about them and depicted them Falls and the works of art reproduced in them in his now famous sketch. He was the man who made a trip to Niagara Falls the fashionable stimulated the imagination of the people of thing in the nineteenth Century_ George Heriot's Europe, making them want to come to see the Falls for themselves. "Travel Through Canada" published in 1807 is Through the writings of Hennepin and the a noteworthy example of the valuable works left priests, soldiers, explorers and fur traders who to us. Public Archives of Cauada I �. -· , '1-: ! i ' t I ' " · l. L . £. I_ I J,' ,'·'·. '' .' .. _._, ........... .JOO : J . : . .... ,. .•./. � I /,•r l ''/,.1· /.f ! :..nlu ._/)�"' /1,,·. J. v I I .Jv '- � - ' � /.>'" .. ,/ Jl ! i .. ,1 \ fi .. .,,,: "r�··v. /fl 1 / '.JJ rr° ,t)P. ,_/!.:�· .· /o � ;::... nl' _/)� � • ,..,, _ • £;- _/J.r�,,· {t' .N \ \ Tv:_:.'_c_- ·_· _- _• ,_ / _ _!_ ,{ \ )I._ . #- , ,, ?- A City Grows 49 Early visitors to the Falls of Niag;i.ra came by Forsyth was aggressive and in order to assure horseback, stagecoach, wagon, by ship from that his hotel would get the bulk of the trade, Toronto, Buffalo and other lake ports, some he ran stage coaches on the Portage Road, from came a on foot. AH were obliged, at first, to find Newark (Niagara-on-the-Lake) nd Fort Erie accommodation either at Chippawa, or at one to Niagara Falls. He provided fo_r the diversion of the inns along the Portage Road. The first of his visitors when in 1818, he built the first man to see the financial possibilities in catering stairway down the bank at Table Rock and o th, to the needs of tourists was William F rsy began the first ferry service ;icross the lower Hotel. who built the Pavilion river: He undertook these ventures without the 1798 Forsyth's father, James, received a In formality of asking for Government permission Crown Grant of 388 acres, frontin on the g to operate these projects on the Military Reserve. Niagara River, right at the crest of the Horse Later, others applied for the right to operate shoe Falls. \Vhilc this was a choice piece of the ferry and Forsyth Jost this business. Other property, the boundary line stopped one chain obstacles were placed in his way by people who length (66 feet) short of the river bank. This feared and envied him. In retaliation he built 66 foot frontage along the river was reserved a fence down to the river bank in 1827, enclos , by the Government for possible use as a military ing his property and shutting off access to the road and was called the Military Reserve, or the Falls and the M litary Reserve. Only those Chain Reserve. The foresight of this action is i staying at his hotel were to be allowed to view evident today, when we realize that the Military the .eserve extended from Lake to Lake. Because cataract from this point. Government inter n this strip of land was held in reserve we have vention, instigated by Sir Peregri e Maitland, o the Niagara River Parkway, which runs un brought F rsyth into litigation with the Crown. obstructed from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. The cost of this legal battle finally broke Forsyth In 1822, Forsyth built the Pavilion Hotel, on and he sold his holdings in 1832, estimated by the hill overlooking the Falls, just north of the him in 1829 to be worth $50,000, to his arch present Seagram Tower. James Morden in his enemy Samuel Street. The sale price was book "Historic Niagara Falls" wrote: "It was reported to be no more than $15 ,000, Forsyth in for many years the principal hotel the vicinity then moved to Bertie Township. of the Falls and retained that proud distinction While in business, he was always active and until the era of the steam railway was ushered at times co-operated with his competitor John in. From the balconies of this house, a fi ne Brown of the Ontario House. To Forsyth, view could be had". The popular and far famed Brown and Parkhurst Whitney of the Eagle Pavilion and the Ontario House, built farther Hotel in the "United States Falls" belongs the south on Portage Road, by John Brown, were dubious credit of having staged the first sensa listed in all early guide books. n n tional stunt with the avowed aim of e tici g visitors to the Falls. In 1827, they co-operated The Pavilion Hotel, Portage Road, c. 1829, by in promoting the voyage of "The Pirate Michi James Cockburn. gan", a lake schooner fitted out like a pirate ship and sending it, with a cargo of animals, over the Falls. The event took place on September 8, 1827 and was witnessed by a crowd estimated to number from 15,000 to 30,000 people. On board at the beginning of the trip were two bears, • All a buffalo, two racoons, a dog and a goose. 48 The City of the Falls THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS ADDRESS followed him, many of whom were artists, the Falls of Niagara became known to the people Father Louis Hennepin, who first saw the Falls of Niagara in 1678, was the forerunner of of Europe even before Plymouth Rock and the 9,000,000 visitors who come to Niagara Jamestown, Virginia. As each year passed more Falls each year. While there are indications that and more men came to see the Falls and con other explorers may have seen or heard about tributed to the written records. Dozens of the Falls of Niagara before Hennepin, it was widely published accounts of the beauty of the he who first wrote about them and depicted them Falls and the works of art reproduced in them in his now famous sketch. He was the man who made a trip to Niagara Falls the fashionable stimulated the imagination of the people of thing in the ninete'enth Century. George Heriot s Europe, making them want to come to see the ' 1807 is Falls for themselves. "Travel Through Canada" published in a noteworthy exampl 9f the valuable works lef Through the writings of Hennepin and the e t priests, soldiers, explorers and fur traders who to us. Public Archives of C:rnad., L \ � ].I. ·""'\ ' J :. :' 't·�!-� : II . -�' \ .