Annie Edison Taylor, in 1901, at the age of 63, on October 24 of that year, became the first person to survive a trip over Niagara Falls in an oak barrel. She hoped to parlay that adventure into fame and fortune, but like so many with similar motives, it was not to be.
Growing up, when I thought or heard of Niagara Falls, it was about someone in a barrel over the falls or a honeymoon destination. I'm from Southern California, so Niagara Falls might as well have been on Mars; I had no idea where they were and why anybody cared about them.
Portia and I had a nice day hiking along the Niagara River and ending at Horseshoe Falls. We were on the Niagara Falls, Ontario, CA side, but not far; on the other side of the falls is Buffalo, NY. The falls are unbelievable! To think of someone considering going over that incredible onslaught of water is insane.
If you've been there, you know. The power is inconceivable. 748,000 gallons of water per second! I included a long video of the falls after all the pics.
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