1934 Davison Pictorial Map or View or Map of the Niagara Falls

This is an attractive 1934 panorama of the Niagara Falls by the Wilfred Davison. This bird’s eye view style map depicts the Niagara Gorge and the Great Gorge Route or the Niagara Belt Line. Along the way, several important monuments and events are illustrated. Some of these include The Great Whirlpool, Devil’s Hole Massacre, St. David’s Gorge pre-glacial outlet of river to Lake Ontario before present gorge was cut, Fort George, etc. The Great Gorge Route in the United States is highlighted in red with illustrations of train cars.

In 1895, the International Railway Company founded The Great Gorge Route scenic attraction, a electric trolley belt line that surrounded the Niagara Gorge. In Canada, the route (not highlighted here) ran from Niagara Falls to Queenston, while the American route ran from Niagara Falls to Lewiston. Considered one of the most scenic routes in the world, visitors riding the belt line could witness exceptional views of the whirlpool rapids, Devil’s Hole, the Narrows and the Giant Rock, among other attractions. The route was shut in 1935, a year after this map was issued, following the Great Depression. Today, visitors can hike the Niagara Gorge Trail, which follows the now abandoned track lines.

A small paragraph on the left contains some facts about Niagara. A note below the title reads ‘Convenient. Comfortable. Economical. Takes you to every corner of the Falls on both Canadian and American sides, and through the entire Niagara Gorge along the water’s edge where no automobile can go. Verso of this view includes various photographs and important tourist information. This map was copyrighted by the Niagara Gorge Rail Road Company in 1934 to promote the combination scenic tour operated jointly by the Niagara R.R. Co., Niagara Scenic Bus Lines, Inc. and the Highway King Coach Lines, Ltd.