Inventing Niagara: Beauty, Power, and Lies | 
 enlarge | Author: Ginger Strand
Creator: Karen White
Publisher: Tantor Media
Category: Book
List Price: $34.99
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Avg. Customer Rating:  11 reviews
Format: Audiobook, Cd
Media: Audio CD
Edition: Unabridged
Number Of Items: 11
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 6.6 x 5.2 x 1.1
ISBN: 1400107717
Dewey Decimal Number: 304.20971339
EAN: 9781400107711
ASIN: 1400107717
Publication Date: June 9, 2008
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Product Description
Ginger Strand reveals the hidden history of America's most iconic natural wonder, Niagara Falls, illuminating what it says about our history, our relationship with the environment, and ourselves.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
 One of the better books I have read in 2008!! August 5, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
When most Americans conjure up an image of Niagara Falls what most likely comes to mind is artist Frederick Church's iconic 1857 painting. In those days the Falls really were wild and wonderful and although a certain amount of development had already begun to take shape in the surrounding area those who loved revelling in the spendor of nature were likely to make a trip to Niagara a top priority. But unbeknownst to most of us what we see today at Niagara Falls is largely a mirage. The powers that be in New York state and Canada literally have the ability to turn the Falls completely off if they choose to! Just what has occurred over the past two centuries that has led this venerable natural wonder to be degraded so dramatically? Ginger Strand has had a lifelong fascination with Niagara Falls. In "Inventing Niagara: Beauty, Power and Lies" Strand traces the largely unknown and unreported history of this national treasure. What you will discover will likely surprise and greatly disturb you.
I certainly had no idea of the long and diverse history of Niagara Falls. Although my wife and I have visited the Falls twice in the past 15 years we were totally unaware of just how much of the scene we were observing was being manipulated. For nearly 200 years vastly competing interests have been vying for economic advantage at Niagara Falls. In the pages of "Inventing Niagara" you will be introduced to many of the key players in the ongoing saga of the Falls and the adjacent communities. With the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 the Falls area immediately became a popular tourist attraction. It was fun reading about so many of the offbeat amusements that sprang up in the area during the middle of the 19th century. One of the most popular attractions was a colorful high wire artist named Blondin who wowed audiences for several summers with dramatic jaunts across the gorge. You will also discover how the long lost mummy of the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses I wound up in the popular Niagara Falls Museum. A fascinating story! Another important slice of Niagara history is that Harriet Tubman ran her Underground Railway System from Niagara before the Civil War. Later on in the nineteenth century a group of well-heeled individuals emerged who had other ideas about how to best utilize the enormous hydro resources at the Falls. The Industrial Revolution was in full swing and power was badly needed to turn the wheels of industry. Soon chemical factories appeared all over the area spewing their toxic fumes and waste and forever altering the landscape. Sadly, in the 1940's thousands of workers at these plants were exposed to radioactive materials as they unwittingly did work on "The Manhatten Project" for the U.S. Department of Defense. You will also learn how the Army Corps of Engineers and an assortment of other state and federal agencies and private industry interests would come to be involved in altering and reshaping the Falls.
Author Ginger Strand brings a boatload of important new material to light in "Inventing Niagara". Through exhaustive research and extensive interviews she succeeds in bringing to life the checkered history of this once beloved region and speculates what the future might have in store. It turns out that Niagara Falls was so much more than merely "the honeymoon capitol of the world". This is a book that grabbed my attention in Chapter One and just would not let go. I simply could not put it down. One of the surprise hits of 2008! Highly recommended!
 A Journalistic Account July 30, 2008
This book, although well-researched, doesn't give the whole story of Niagara. It focuses great indignation upon the abuse of this natural wonder in the name of such evils as progress, commerce, and electrical power generation. The author's fascination with her own thought process, and her diary-like recounting of her everyday experiences in researching the book, does little to advance the cause.
On the positive side, I felt the book was factually honest, and it's probably useful, and certainly convenient, to have this material gathered in one place. Hence, three stars (a neutral, not a negative rating) overall.
Niagara is a Wonder but a Manufactured Wonder July 25, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
If you live in the US or Canada, I would imagine that you would be in the minority if you say that you have never been to Niagara Falls. According some sources, over 2 million people visit the Falls every year. But what you see is just a small portion of the area. Ginger Strand, in her book, Inventing Niagara, shows you Niagara Falls and the surrounding area in a way that no travel guide will; She debunks the myths, shows you the environmental damage, takes you behind the scenes of the massive power plants, and introduces you to the many people that have shaped the area. And when I say "shaped," that is exactly what you see - men who have turned a natural wonder into something fake. At the end of the book, you have to wonder if Disney had something to do with the Falls, as what you see is manufactured realism.
Contents:
Introduction: Down the Memory Hole
Chapter 1: White Man's Fancy, Red Man's Fact
Chapter 2: The Eighth Wonder of the World
Chapter 3: Skipper the Two-Legged Dog
Chapter 4: The Other Side of Jordan
Chapter 5: Free Niagara
Chapter 6: King of Power, Queen of Beauty
Chapter 7: Sentiment in Liquid Form
Chapter 8: The Bomb and Tom Brokaw's Desk
Chapter 9: Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Epilogue: The Voice of the Landscape
Sources and Acknowledgements
Index
Starting the book with a critique of the "Maid of the Mist" mythology, Strand moves along to other historical figures such as the early explorers, the indigenous Indians, and the developers. One of the stories that amazed me was the spectacle of the schooner Michigan, which is curiously omitted from all current guide books. In 1827, two businessmen contracted to have the schooner Michigan towed to currents above the falls with a crew of caged animals. At the appointed hour, the schooner was cut loose and a crowd of up to 20,000 watched as it plunged over the falls and was smashed to bits. Only a bear and a goose survived the ordeal. As time moves on, things don't get better for the area. As men realize the unlimited hydroelectric potential of the falls, water is diverted from the falls, reducing the flow to the minimum for the tourists. The resulting factories dump their toxic chemical and radioactive waste into the Niagara River. Or they create Superfund sites like Love Canal (Love Canal is but one Superfund site in the area, there are many others). Or they create giant landfills. The memories that travel guides omit are brought to the light by Strand, made more compelling by her interviews with people that actually lived on the land or worked in the factories.
From the opening pages, you understand that Strand has an obsession with Niagara Falls. And it is a good thing, too, as she has written a very good book on the dark side of the falls. While 99.9% of those 2 million visitors only look at what is in front of them, enjoy the casinos, or the tourist mecca that is Clifton Hill, there is much more to experience and know. Not all of it equals a happy and relaxing visit, but it is a view of the real falls. The fact that only a small percentage of the Niagara River flows over the falls and is controlled and manipulated very carefully by the power authorities is just as amazing as the history of Goat Island and the American Falls. You finish the book realizing that what you see isn't real, it is man-made. This book hasn't deterred me from visiting again, it has shown me some sites that I would like visit. And it puts into context why you see what you do. Knowing that, I can still have a pleasant visit, but it will not be spent only on the Canadian side of the falls. There is too much to do on the American side and it will be important to share those sites with the family. I can't wait to relate to the family the history of the Robert Moses Parkway or how a small band of Indians lost their land because they didn't do anything with it (this is a point that probably has some merit in today's society). The only issues I had with the book are probably trivial: Strand's overuse of the word "sublime" and the casual tone. But it is a very enjoyable, interesting book.
Be sure to read the Sources and Acknowledgements. Strand adds more personal tidbits amongst her sources, especially an anecdote concerning Norm Stressing, supervisor of operations at the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant.
Highly recomended July 18, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I grew up in Niagara and still visit about twice a year. This book covers a topic I know very well and I still learned a lot. Not only is it a great read but this book really captures Niagara.
Niagara of course has great physical beauty: The falls themselves, the islands in the upper Niagara River, the lower Niagara with its gorge and rapids, and of course the great lakes of Erie and Ontario are all spectacular. However, this book also captures the darker side of Niagara. Maltreatment of Native Americans, Love Canal, disposal of toxic waste and Niagara's major role in the Manhattan project are all discussed here. Many other lesser known but important and fascinating aspects of Niagara Falls are described here.
If you are looking for a detailed scholarly history then this is not the book for you. This book does not deliver extensive explanations of Niagara's geology or natural history. Nor does it give deep technical explanations of the engineering behind the modern day harnessing of Niagara for power.
The author visited Niagara and became fascinated with the place. She started learning more about it and discovered Niagara had a rich, layered and sometimes bizarre history. In this book you accompany the author as she peels off the layers of the history of Niagara Falls.
The focus here on the American side of the falls. Niagara's history is tightly interwoven with American history as a whole. Niagara has a major role in the French and Indian war, war of 1812, Underground Railroad, WWII, industrialization and urban renewal.
If you want to learn more about Niagara Falls, its history and why it is the way it is today should read this book. Anybody planning to visit Niagara would be well served to read this book as well. For that matter, it is a good read period.
P.S. Go to the author's website for more photos and information: www.gingerstrand.com
I've Lived Here Most of My Life But Didn't Know.... July 4, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
In "Inventing Niagara:..." Ginger Strand writes a comprehensive albeit brief history of the Niagara Falls region without once mentioning Lockport Dolomite. She explores some myths, including the Maid of the Mist and Love Canal. For a non-native, she shows a real fondness for the area. The book is a good introduction to the area. Ms. Strand's style isn't academic, but she includes an extensive bibliography which gives the reader a path toward further study. She's done her homework but doesn't show off. As an engineer, I might have liked more technical discussion of the chemical and power plants, in lieu of the red-hat stories.
The history of the area is rich with dreams, schemes, scams and characters. In about 350 pages, Ms. Strand brings them to life. You root for the area, but like Wile E. coyote's plans, things never seem to go as designed. You see the area go from frontier gateway to commerce center to crucial wartime (1812) site to industrial mecca to tourists' paradise and back and never quite getting it right. All the time there's some true believer guiding the Michigan on its course.
The single reason to (buy and) read this book is for Ms. Strand's interviews and interactions with the locals. The funniest bit, that doesn't quite happen, is when she gets the Power Vista manager to shut the Falls off, because he can. Through her, you get to see the passion that the area inspires in people. From historians to preservationists to ex-Linde workers people want what they believe is best for the area. You get a feel for the power that the area holds over people. Sadly Ms. Strand didn't get to interview Robert Moses. That would have been entertaining.
If you plan to make a pilgrimage to Niagara Falls, I recommend this book before coming. After you watch water fall over rocks for 10 minutes, the book might inspire you to look further.
If you're an aspiring civic planner, I recommend this book. Think of this as the Goofus (of Goofus and Gallant) book.
I would also recommend this book for schools and home-school libraries, especially in Western NY.
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