The original Maid of the Mist was actually designed for ferry service across the river in 1846. This 72 foot long sidewheeler was able to carry a coach and four horses without unhitching the horses. When the first suspension bridge was constructed across the gorge in 1848, her owners decided to transform the trip into a sightseeing journey and travel even closer to the Falls.
Constructed in 1885 and 1892, the third and fourth Maids of the Mist enjoyed very long careers, avoiding major damage from several ice jams, including the huge ice jam of 1938. This luck came to an end in 1955, when shortly before they were to be put back into the water, a flash fire from a welder's torch destroyed both wooden boats while they were in dry-docks. Shortly after the fire, the Chamber of Commerce came up with a unique idea for their tourist program. Wood from the fire-destroyed Maids was used to make more than 41,000 wooden nickels. The project was a tremendous success with mail orders coming in from all over Canada and the United States.
In 1983, the Maid of the Mist II (built in 1956) was sold for $91,000 to the Penticostal Church of Ontario. This boat, whose claim to fame was its involvement in the Roger Woodward rescue in 1960, would now be put into service as a missionary ship on the Amazon River, travelling through the jungles of South America.
It is not surprising that among the millions of visitors from around the world, the Maids of the Mist have seen their fair share of famous faces. American presidents, such as Theodore Roosevelt and Jimmy Carter have experienced the breathtaking journey. Other guests include royals from many countries, including Princess Diana, Prince William and Prince Harry in 1991.
Today (2018), the Maid of the Mist still operates from the United States, and Hornblower Niagara Cruises runs scenic voyages from the Canadian side of the Niagara River.
Niagara Falls Public Library. 2017. Niagara Falls - Then & Now: A Photographic Journey Through The Years. [Maid of the Mist / Hornblower Niagara Cruises].
Niagara Falls Then and Now
A collaborative project
Niagara Falls Museums - Niagara Falls Public Library - Dept. of Geography and Tourism Studies,Brock University.
Original newspaper series by
Sherman Zavitz, Official Historian for the City of Niagara Falls from 1994 - 2019.
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