Grand Falls at Niagara with stone tower and footbridge

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The stone tower and footbridge set this view apart from the broader sweep of the falls that other pictures on the board tend to show. Grand Falls, the cascade on the Niagara River's American side and the thundering core of the state park's early visitor landscape, drew travelers throughout the nineteenth century, when the park was among the first places in the United States to be set aside for public scenic enjoyment. Structures like these towers and footbridges were built to guide visitors along the gorge rim and out over the rushing water, so the picture also documents how the park was being shaped for tourism. Look closely at the masonry and the bridge's railings to see how carefully the builders worked to blend the paths with the rugged rock.

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