LITTLE FALLS, N. Y., city, in Herki mer County, on the Mohawk River, the New York State Barge Canal and on the West Shore and the New York Central and Hudson River railroads, midway between Albany and Syracuse. The country around is rolling and diversified by many low hills. hut Little Falls occupies that spot in the Mohawk Valley where in ages past the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, the ((Alps of America,* were joined to the headlands of the Catskill range by a barrier that set the waters back over a con siderable portion of the fertile lands now under cultivation. When the barrier broke away by the action of the waters, the western gateway of New York State was opened,with its pecul iar rock formations. Through that narrow gateway occupied by Little Falls runs the Mo hawk River, the new barge canal, the tracks of west- and east-bound steam and electric rail roads and the main highway for automobile and carriage travel. So narrow is the gateway that in early colonial days the Indian warriors sped their messages on arrows from one hilltop to the other. The city occupies the site of an Indian, village, visited in the 17th century by Jesuit missionaries. A white settlement was made here about 1770 or a few years later. In 1782 this settlement was destroyed by In dians and Tories. General Herkimer, a Rev olutionary officer after whom the county is named, is buried in a cemetery near the city. No successful efforts were made to rebuild until 1790, when a colony of Germans took possession. The place was incorporated as a village in 1811; as a town in 1827; as a city in 1895. The city gets its name from the
falls, or a series of cascades in the river, which descends 45 feet in less than a mile. "Pic turesque and productive,* the grazing region around famous for its dairy and market prod ucts, Little Falls is especially noted for its diversified and prosperous manufacturing indus tries. These include knit-goods, hammers, felt shoes, knitting machines, paper, bicycles, in cubators, cow-milking machines, sectional book cases, leather, chemical laboratories, cream, butter, cheese and junket products, etc. Well established banks, a prosperous building, sav ings and loan company and a progressive merchants' and manufacturers' association look after its commercial and financial interests. The city's assessed valuation is $6,963,870. The city has fine school and church buildings, Y. M. C. A. and Y. W. C. A. buildings and pub lic library, new city hall, handsome government building, nurses' training school, city hospital, new Masonic Temple, Odd Fellows' Hall, thea tres, good hotels and a well-equipped country club. Eleven public parks and squares, covering 44 acres, include Moreland park, one of the most picturesque hillside parks in central New York. A gravity system of waterworks furnishes in abundance pure mountain spring water; there are 20 miles of water mains; a modern salaried fire department; a modern electric light and power station; 25 miles of streets; and 8 miles of pavement. Pop. 13,100.