Niagara History

Niagara area history was made this week, an accidental event on the American side that will go down in history.

A pickup truck ran off the road and fell down into the gorge. Yet the driver suffered only minor injuries. The following image, from Google Earth, shows where the vehicle ended up, as indicated by the red dot. The bridge to the right is the Whirlpool Bridge. The white water is caused by the velocity of the current in the Rapids.

This is like Roger Woodward surviving going over the falls in 1960. 

In other Niagara history, the Michigan Central Railroad Bridge turns 100 this year. In the following image from Google Earth, the Whirlpool Bridge is in the foreground and the Michigan Central behind it. Looking south.

The bridge has long been abandoned and I cannot see that it is being maintained. Maybe rust will get the better of it and one day there will be a loud crash.

Maybe the real focal point of the Canadian side of Niagara Falls is the Country Fresh Donuts store at the corner of Victoria Avenue and Jepson Street. This is not far from the tourist district. Image from Google Street View.

This donut shop is important to this blog because I used to stop there to write down observations that I had just made about the natural history of the area. I began stopping there because it was a familiar location. I had lived nearby when I was a child and my mother used to work at Kennedy's Drug Store, which had been on the site of the donut shop.

The donut shop was very popular with local people. Ten years ago the donut shop was in the news across Ontario. A car ran off the road and went right through the building. I didn't see it but it looks like it crashed through the side with the three windows at the right and then crashed right through the back. Somehow no one was hurt. I didn't read that alcohol was a factor.

When the donut shop reopened it was in the news again. This time it was because a long line of people were waiting at the door. This place is so popular locally. It has it's own menu and is known for Wonton soup.