How the Falls Became the Falls
A journey back in time some 12,000 years to the very beginning of the Falls.
The Dawn of a Legend
Geologists estimate that the Falls started to form at the end of the Ice Age about 12,000 years ago when massive torrents of water, released from melting ice caps, drained into the Niagara River. The deluge plunged over the edge of the Niagara Escarpment, near where Lewiston, New York, sits today. Over millennia, its force eroded back the rock layers, creating the mighty Niagara Gorge in its wake. This massive shape-shifting over time also means that, today, the mighty Falls are located 7 miles upstream from where they were first created. They continue to retreat about 1 foot every year!
Human Settlers
The first record of human settlers to the Niagara Peninsula dates from between 1300 and 1400 AD when native tribes journeyed south to the region from Ontario. They settled on the game-rich forests on the shores of Lake Erie and the Niagara River, hunting the likes of moose and elk to survive. One of the earliest of these tribes was the Onguiaahra, which is said to be one of the names from which “Niagara” first originated.
![](https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/Niagara-painting.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=ee64f77316d9908d64bbc0c1ac514c87 320w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/Niagara-painting.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=c396be80706261906ee4c2d8b29d94c4 540w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/Niagara-painting.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=d64b170be93342b83a4ea68da0b78be8 768w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/Niagara-painting.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=d6af98b66fa2c2c35c460d7237e67d92 900w)
![](https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/Old-Fort-Niagara-firing.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=62bb1a118174d58127beeb69428426b2 320w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/Old-Fort-Niagara-firing.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=d63c6ab81f487a02edb41757f545c65a 540w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/Old-Fort-Niagara-firing.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=14a66fc13c46de5e7ca61f4149fcfce5 768w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/Old-Fort-Niagara-firing.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=79507329510357535db328fd430d93e4 900w)
Did you know in more recent times, the Niagara Region became a French stronghold? French explorers and missionaries were the first Europeans to discover the Falls in 1678, beginning a strong tradition in the area. Fort Niagara, which was first built at the mouth of the Niagara River to protect the land of New France, can be still visited today and is best known for its impressive historical reenactments.
Birth of Tourism
The 1800s saw a huge shift in development in the Niagara Falls region. The mighty Erie Canal was constructed in 1825, paving the way for the beginning of Niagara Falls’ epic industrial history. During this period, there are accounts of the first honeymooners starting to visit the wonder, the earliest hotels were built in Niagara Falls and even the first guided tours started to take place! In fact, the city’s popular Cave of the Winds attraction officially began tours as early as 1841 while just a few years later in 1846, the iconic Maid of the Mist boat trip was first launched. Both these iconic attractions remain must-do experiences in Niagara Falls today.
![](https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/Image-by-Dennis-Stierer_2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=9eacae692fdb38068ca9bb7acc7ca5ed 320w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/Image-by-Dennis-Stierer_2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=78c145d2a3035033b76934248ff42379 540w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/Image-by-Dennis-Stierer_2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=73a2aac64afeb1900abb14296c5acd5d 768w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/Image-by-Dennis-Stierer_2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=d1df023b1d6ff4fa5336a3f194c5d69f 900w)
![](https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/signage-bridge.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=a9beb7bb61bfefa736a283a68c3d0dc2 320w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/signage-bridge.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=e479e90cce82e93b71c4999a3a565840 540w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/signage-bridge.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=1d6d04f588bb1b1e76b187d358a86f7c 768w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/signage-bridge.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=a95b55acb949915c92511d3f03fc852f 900w)
Powering Up
In order to preserve the natural beauty of the region and protect it from exploitation, Niagara Falls State Park was established in 1895, becoming the first of several such reservations and a pioneering poster child for conservation throughout the U.S. Just one year later in 1896, the now world-famous inventor Nikola Tesla developed the alternating current system, opening up the transmission of power generated along the mighty Niagara River to homes and businesses all over the Niagara region and ultimately to much of New York State. More than 100 years later, Niagara Falls continues to lead the charge for green energy.
![](https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/old-picture-of-niagara.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=135a70b91aa166b78e0ae4f81a76f8be 320w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/old-picture-of-niagara.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=8233c6a9207c3c1fb201a1bf3509105a 540w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/old-picture-of-niagara.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=97b9224d76400911b70234a1272c23df 768w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/old-picture-of-niagara.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=70a06f08bdcf57abaf2e6bcbd7e639df 900w)
Preserving a Wonder
While the 1950s saw tourism in Niagara Falls boom (a certain movie by Marilyn Monroe may have helped!), it also marked a keystone date in the fate of the Falls. The year 1950 saw the signing of the historic Niagara River Water Diversion Treaty between Canada and the U.S. This agreement was drawn up to safeguard both the preservation and enhancement of the Niagara region’s scenic beauty, while also harnessing the power of the mighty river in the most beneficial and sustainable manner for both nations.
2024 and Beyond
Just like the Falls themselves, the vibrant tourism scene in Niagara Falls USA continues to shapeshift towards the future! Pay a visit this year and you’ll play your part in the region’s history, from witnessing Niagara Falls’ murals documenting contemporary life, enjoying exquisite wines along the Niagara Wine Trail, USA or even by taking a trip aboard the electric-powered Maid of the Mist!
![](https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/maid-of-the-mist-boat.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=39bb0f1ebc3cc7cfedcf7a368d6e170c 320w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/maid-of-the-mist-boat.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=d07816cbb97a678316983aed407d9c39 540w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/maid-of-the-mist-boat.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=50c375376a809fe623f763046f6487e3 768w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/maid-of-the-mist-boat.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=8f4d805616acf340987037a903658dd5 900w)
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