Whirlpool Rapids

Whirlpool Rapids (HM1F5Q)

Location: Niagara Falls, NY 14305 Niagara County
Buy New York State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 43° 7.162', W 79° 3.879'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 444 views
Inscription

— Whirlpool Scenic Overlook Trail —

The violent waters of the Whirlpool Rapids flow into the Eddy Basin before entering the Whirlpool.

A major change took place here about 7,000 years ago, when water volume was low. The connection between Lake Huron and Lake Erie was cut off and the Upper Great Lakes drained through the Ottawa River and St. Lawrence Valley. Only the flow from Lake Erie went over Niagara Falls, and because of this a narrow gorge and shallow riverbed were formed.

Today, the flow of water coming from the wider Upper Great Gorge is channeled into the narrow section, thus creating the turbulent Whirlpool Rapids.

Upstream you will notice the Whirlpool Rapids Bridges. The first bridge across the Niagara Gorge was built here because of it being the narrowest point.

In 1848 a kite was used to get the first cable across the gorge for building the suspension bridge. In all, five bridges were built in this area alone.

The Lower Steel Arch Bridge (silver) opened in 1897, replacing the Roebling Railroad Suspension Bridge (1855).

The Michigan Central (now Conrail) Steel Arch Bridge opened in 1925, replacing the steel cantilever railroad bridge (1882).

Details
HM NumberHM1F5Q
Tags
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Thursday, October 23rd, 2014 at 7:52am PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)17T E 657443 N 4775888
Decimal Degrees43.11936667, -79.06465000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 43° 7.162', W 79° 3.879'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds43° 7' 9.72" N, 79° 3' 52.74" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)716
Closest Postal AddressAt or near Robert Moses Pkwy, Niagara Falls NY 14305, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. Who or what organization placed the marker?
  10. This marker needs at least one picture.
  11. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  12. Is the marker in the median?