This 1969 Footage Shows Niagara Falls Like You've Never Seen It Before

Drawing in millions of visitors to New York annually, Niagara Falls has been powerfully flowing for over 12,000 years. A long and fascinating history with stories of people and objects in barrels going over the falls to thrilling tightrope walks have taken place here, but did you know the American side of the falls was actually once “shut off”?

For some of our readers, this may not have been something you were around quite yet. But, for those of you who were living in New York during the months that the American Falls were shut off, you’ll remember just how much of a spectacle this waterfall quickly became.

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It's a strange sight to digest, a dried up post-apocalyptic looking Niagara Falls. To think about one of the world's most powerful waterfalls being completely dried up seems unimaginable and to see it through pictures or with your own eyes is even more wild. In June of 1969, the United States Army would take on the task of "turning off" the waterfall by building a dam. The reason for putting a pause on one of Mother Nature's most powerful gifts? A build up of rocks at the bottom of the falls was becoming worrisome alongside a desire to collect data from the base of the falls. Throughout the several months it took to complete this entire task, engineers would collect large amounts of samples and rocks to perform tests on, largely to help learn more about the effects of erosion.

Unfortunately, excess rubble wasn't the only thing workers would find at the base of our historic falls. Bringing up endless buckets of change, millions of coins were found as well as two dead bodies. A man was found and was originally thought to have been one of the workers, only to find out shortly after construction had begun that the man was seen jumping into the base of the falls. Becoming a part of Niagara Falls' history, a woman was also found in the rocks at the base of the falls, reportedly wearing a wedding band that read "forget me not".

Quickly after the American Falls were dried up, thousands of visitors began to flood (no pun intended, maybe…) Niagara Reservation Park. During one of the many weekends that the falls were undergoing work, attendance was closely monitored and reportedly broke the park’s records with nearly 90,000 visitors coming to check out this unforgettable sight.

Many of our residents will tell you incredible stories about family trips that were made to see Niagara Falls in 1969, with memories of walking across the dry riverbed that seem too strange to be true. If you never got to witness this bizarre occurrence, check out the jaw-dropping footage below:

If you’re currently wishing that you had the chance to see Niagara Falls like this, then wish no further. Earlier this year, New York State’s Park System brought to light ideas for a plan to shut off the falls for a second time. Over a hundred years old, the two bridges that provide access to Goat Island have become severely deteriorated and require repairs, something New York hopes to begin work on in the next few years. How strange would it be to see the falls dried up once again?

I would have never imagined that Niagara Falls had ever looked like this! Never taken a trip to New York’s most famous falls? Click here, to find out all of the reasons why Niagara Falls is our most popular outdoor attraction!