WHERE DID THE WORD NIAGARA COME FROM? By GEORGE BAILEY
2009-09-15 12:57:51
4 comments Latest by George Bailey 05/24/11 19:04:38 EDT
One of the earliest native tribes in the Niagara area was called, “Onguiaahra”.
The first French explorers that came here called this tribe “Neutrals” because they were peace keepers between the two warring Indian nations of Huron’s and Iroquois. Niagara originates from the Neutral Indian name “Onguiaahra”, meaning, “Thundering Waters”. The French and other explorers found the Indian word too difficult to get around their mouths.
The word first appears on a 1683 map as “Niagara”. Today this world famous cataract continues to wow visitors as water from four international lakes come traveling down the Niagara River crashing over Niagara Falls as it makes its way downriver to Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River and the Atlantic Ocean.
Thanks to Rick Berketa and the information found on his excellent Niagara site.
