Niagara Falls has a not-so-secret secret, and it dates back to the 1900’s. Now that secret is making moves – literally. The historic Iron Scow that was once lost to the rapids in the Niagara River has moved after more than 100 years.
According to Niagara Parks, the legendary Iron Scow just broke free after more than a century in the rapids on Jan. 1, 2026. What a way to start the new year.
The tourism team shared the news on their social media pages, confirming its occurrence on New Year’s Day.
What is the Iron Scow?
For those like me who are only hearing about its existence today, here’s a little background on the matter.
On Aug. 6, 1918, a dumping scow broke loose from its towing tug in the rapids of the upper Niagara River. Two men, Gustav F. Lofberg and James H. Harris, were on board.
“The men opened the bottom dumping doors, and the scow grounded in the shallow rapids, only 600 metres from the brink of the Horseshoe Falls,” shared Niagara Parks.
“With the cooperation of the Niagara Parks police, the Niagara Falls fire and police departments, the U.S. Coast Guard and recently returned WWI veteran, William ‘Red’ Hill Sr., the two men were successfully rescued the next day by breeches buoy on a line shot out from the roof of the adjacent powerhouse.”
William “Red” Hill Sr., was a resident of Niagara Falls, Ont. and a well-known riverman. He led the iron scow rescue and courageously swung himself out to the wreckage in the upper Niagara River. According to Niagara Parks, he clung to a tangled breeches buoy by his legs while straightening the lines for the stranded passengers to disembark.
“Prior to this heroic deed, Hill served in the First World War and had recently returned home after having been wounded and gassed in France. Hill was awarded a Carnegie Life Saving Medal for his part in the harrowing iron scow rescue,” the tourism group added.
Though lives were saved, the scow was not. It remained within the waters of the Niagara River and still does to this day, now only slightly closer to the edge.
The Iron Scow did shift once
Technically, the scow moved for the first time ever this year; however, it did “shift significantly” from the same spot it was in back in 2019.
Due to severe weather conditions on Oct. 31, 2019, the scow turned its position and shifted further toward the brink of the falls.
However you want to see it, one thing is for certain – the scow has made a move, and who knows? Maybe it’ll finally plummet down the falls?
Or maybe we’ll have to wait another 100 years for it to do so.
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