In 1827 the owner of a nearby hotel, William Forsyth, staged the first tourist stunt at Niagara Falls by sending a lake schooner (that’s a large boat with two masts) with a cargo of live animals over the Falls. He filled it with a buffalo, two small bears, two raccoons, and a dog. Some reports say two fox, fifteen geese, and an eagle were also included. After the schooner was sent adrift, the two bears jumped free and swam to safety. The rest of the animals, with the exception of the goose, perished going over the Falls. (MORE ON THE PODCAST)

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