New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Niagara River

The French and Indian War: A New York Perspective

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Miniature of Fort Prince George under attack by French troops (diorama in the Fort Pitt Museum, Pittsburgh)In the early 1750s, the French were establishing trading posts and building forts along western the frontiers of the British colonies. In the fall of 1753, in part to protect his own land claims, Virginia Lieutenant Governor Robert Dinwiddie had sent 22-year-old George Washington (then a militia leader and surveyor) to deliver a letter to Fort Le Boeuf at what is today Waterford in northwest Pennsylvania, demanding they stop.

When Washington returned without success, Dinwiddie sent a small force to build Fort Prince George at the confluence of the Allegheny  and Monongahela Rivers (today Pittsburgh). Soon a larger French force arrived, torn down the small British fort, and began and built Fort Duquesne, named for then Governor-General of New France, Marquis Duquesne. [Read more…] about The French and Indian War: A New York Perspective

Report Cladophora Algae Along Great Lakes, Niagara, St. Lawrence River Shorelines

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Accumulation of Cladophora algae over a substantial portion of the shorelineCladophora is a type of stringy (filamentous) algae that grows on rocks, wood, logs, and other hard underwater surfaces in freshwater ecosystems, including the Great Lakes basin. If you spot this type of stringy algae along New York’s Great Lakes beaches and shorelines, including Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, the Niagara River or the St. Lawrence River, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) wants to know. [Read more…] about Report Cladophora Algae Along Great Lakes, Niagara, St. Lawrence River Shorelines

Ontario’s Niagara Parks Plans for New Visitor Transportation System

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Niagara Falls Canadian Side in 2023 (courtesy Niagara Parks)The Niagara Parks Commission (Niagara Parks), an agency of the Government of Ontario which maintains the Ontario, Canada shoreline of the Niagara River, has launched a call for proposals for a new visitor transportation system linking Niagara Parks sites a with a focus on Queen Victoria Park. [Read more…] about Ontario’s Niagara Parks Plans for New Visitor Transportation System

Annie Edson Taylor: Over Niagara Falls & Into The Poor House

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Niagara Falls, 1859 (photo William England)Advancing into the later stages of life, some turn their thoughts to immortality, whether through achievement, offspring, or religion. Many more focus on simply having enough dough to sustain themselves with dignity to the end. Annie Edson Taylor took aim at both goals.

In 1901, she was approaching her sixty-third birthday. She had long fended for herself, an adventurous entrepreneur in an age when most women were still locked into dependency. But life offered scant opportunity for an aging free spirit. [Read more…] about Annie Edson Taylor: Over Niagara Falls & Into The Poor House

Great Lakes Action Agenda Updated

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great lakes basin courtey DECThe New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released an updated Great Lakes Action Agenda (GLAA) 2023, a strategic, ecosystem-based action plan to guide restoration and conservation and foster sustainable, resilient communities in New York’s Great Lakes region. [Read more…] about Great Lakes Action Agenda Updated

New York Great Lakes Shore Viewer Launched

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New York Great Lakes Shore ViewerThe New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Great Lakes Program has launched a New York Great Lakes Shore Viewer, an interactive map that allows users to explore approximately 850 miles of New York’s Great Lakes shorelines, including Lake Erie, the Niagara River, Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, and many of the larger embayments. [Read more…] about New York Great Lakes Shore Viewer Launched

Sam Patch: Early American Daredevil

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High Falls of the Genesee RiverOn a chilly November day in 1829, a man dressed completely in white stood before a crowd on the precipice of the High Falls of the Genesee River in the middle of Rochester, New York. Many watching had traveled for days to view the spectacle. All eyes were riveted on one of the most famous men in America. [Read more…] about Sam Patch: Early American Daredevil

1873 Schooner Barge Ironton Wreck Discovered in Lake Huron

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Ironton resting on the bottom of Lake Huron with its masts standing, rigging attached to the spars, and anchor still attached (courtesy NOAA- Undersea Vehicles Program UNCW)Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the state of Michigan, and Ocean Exploration Trust have discovered an intact wreck of the Ironton resting hundreds of feet below the surface of Lake Huron. [Read more…] about 1873 Schooner Barge Ironton Wreck Discovered in Lake Huron

Bodies Recovered After Fall Into Niagara Falls Gorge, Snowmobile Accident

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Niagara Falls State Park (State Parks Photo)New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers recovered two bodies in separate incidents in Upstate New York on Monday, February 13th.  In the first, a woman’s body was recovered from Niagara Falls Gorge.

Several hours later Rangers recovered the body of a snowmobilier killed when his sled hit a tree in the Adirondacks. [Read more…] about Bodies Recovered After Fall Into Niagara Falls Gorge, Snowmobile Accident

Transforming The Niagara Falls Experience

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Niagara Falls at nightThe currently-closed Niagara Gorge Discovery Center is becoming Great Lakes 360, in partnership with the Aquarium of Niagara. Great Lakes 360 will tell the ecological story of the region through accessible exhibits, highlighting the wildlife of the Niagara River and the larger Great Lakes ecosystem while celebrating the area’s unique geological history. [Read more…] about Transforming The Niagara Falls Experience