NIAGARA FALLS, a city and a port of entry of Niagara county, New York, U.S.A., at the great falls of the Niagara river (q.v.) 22 m. N.N.W. of Buffalo. It is served by the Lehigh Valley, the Michigan Central, the New York Central, three electric rail ways and for freight also by the Erie and the Niagara Junction railways. Pop. (1920) 50,760 (35% foreign-born white) ; in 1930 it was 75,46o. The city extends along the summit of the cliffs from above the falls (where the river makes a sharp curve) to 3 m. below them. Goat island separates the American fall (165 ft. high and i,000 ft. wide) from the Horseshoe fall on the Canadian side (160 ft. high, with a crest of over 2,000 ft. in a deep curve), and between them is the delicate Bridal Veil. Below the falls the river rushes between perpendicular walls 30o ft. high, in a series of rapids to the whirlpool. Goat island, several smaller islands, and Prospect park (10 ac. on the brink of the gorge) have been a State reservation since 1885. Every evening (since 1925) the falls are illuminated with changing colours by 24 gigantic searchlamps developing a total of 1,440,000,000 candle-power, set in Queen Vic toria park across the river. Niagara Falls probably attract more visitors than any other single natural phenomenon of America. To protect their aesthetic value, the amount of water which may be diverted from either the Canadian or the American fall is limited by an international treaty. Practically all the permitted American diversion is now utilized in a hydro-electric development with an installation of over 500,000 h.p., serving half the population of the State. The city is an important manufacturing centre, especially of the electro-chemical industries, which are largely concentrated here. Others of importance are the manufacture of abrasives, shredded wheat, caustic soda, paper, aluminium, ferro-alloys and a great variety of chemical compounds. The aggregate factory output in 1927 was valued at $109,414,863. Bank clearings in
1927 amounted to $6o,800,000. The assessed valuation of property was $135,331,043. Since 1916 Niagara Falls has operated under a commission-manager form of government. It is the seat of Niagara university (Roman Catholic ; 1856). Old Ft. Niagara (q.v.) 14 m. N., was in 1928 in process of restoration to its original condition.
A fort (Little Niagara) was built on the site of Niagara Falls in 1750, and after its destruction Ft. Schlosser was built in 1761. In 1806 Judge Porter founded the village of Manchester here, on the banks of the falls. It was burned by the British in 1813, and remained a straggling little settlement until the construction of the Hydraulic canal in 1852 and the subsequent development (especially after 1877) of power from the falls. The first bridge across the river was completed in 1835; the first railroad bridge (a suspension bridge by John A. Roebling) in 1855. In 1892 the villages of Manchester and Suspension Bridge were merged and chartered as the city of Niagara Falls, which in 1900 had a popu lation of 19,457. Electric energy generated from the falls was first used for lighting Prospect park in 1879, and in 1881 power was sold for commercial use ; but the great modern development dates from the World War, and the city's growth as a manufac turing centre has followed the development of the power re sources. The falls have been the scene of many daring exploits, ever since Sam Patch in 1829 successfully leaped into the river twice, only to lose his life in a similar leap at the Genesee falls in Rochester. Several men and women have safely plunged over one or the other fall or through the whirlpool in barrels, and in 5859, and again in 186o (on the occasion of the visit of Edward VII., then Prince of Wales) Blondin performed amazing feats on a tightrope stretched across the gorge.