NIAGARA FALLS, NY - Go fly a kite. The whimsy of the simple structure taking flight, using only the power of mother nature and the skill of the person at the other end of the string, it's one of the joys of childhood. But 168 years ago, a boy and his kite helped to bridge two countries.
The feat of 16-year-old Homan Walsh is one of many bits of history that lie in the Oakwood Cemetery in Niagara Falls. Homan's mastery of the kite string helped solve a very grown up dilemma.The Niagara Gorge is 800 feet across and up to 200 feet deep with the Lower Niagara River flowing below. The main mode of transportation was a boat that ferried traffic at the base of the falls where the water is calmer, but at it's narrowest point the Niagara River has Class 6 rapids.
A local ironworker named Theodore G. Hulett came up with a high flying idea, a cash prize to the first boy who could fly a kite from one bank to the other. There was a tremendous turnout of American and Canadian boys for a contest, one of them, Homan Walsh and his kite, The Union.
But it was much easier said than done. Walsh crossed to the Canadian side by ferry and walked the two miles along the top of the cliff to the bridge site. On his first attempt, the kite flew over the gorge.Then as it reached the American side, a sudden gust snapped the line.To make matters worse, Walsh found himself marooned in Canada for eight days because river ice prevented the ferry from operating.
Finally, Walsh was able to cross to the American side of the river and find his kite. On, or about, January 30, 1848, Homan went back to the Canadian side, set the Union sailing State-ward, and this time, the line didn't break.
They tied off the string and pulled a rope across, tied off the rope and pulled a cable across, etc. Ultimately, that kite string led to the first suspension bridge across the Niagara Gorge.