Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power & Manufacturing Company was an American company, based in
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
that was the first company to generate
hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...
power from
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, ...
in 1882. The company built upon several predecessor companies efforts to construct a canal used for hydraulic mill power. In 1918, the company merged with
Niagara Falls Power Company
Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power & Manufacturing Company was an American company, based in Niagara Falls, New York that was the first company to generate hydroelectric power from Niagara Falls in 1882. The company built upon several predecessor c ...
, which later became
Niagara Mohawk
Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation was a New York State utility company, which was acquired in 2000 by National Grid plc. The Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation designation was retired, using variations of NationalGridUS (such as National Grid Buffa ...
and in 2002 was acquired by
National Grid plc
National Grid plc is a British multinational electricity and gas utility company headquartered in London, England. Its principal activities are in the United Kingdom, where it owns and operates electricity and natural gas transmission networks ...
.
[
]
Early history
Porter, Barton and Company
In 1805, " Porter, Barton & Company," which comprised Augustus Porter
Augustus S. Porter (January 18, 1769 – June 10, 1849) was an American businessman, judge, farmer, and politician who served as an New York State Assembly, Assemblyman for the state of New York (state), New York.
Early life
Augustus Porter was b ...
, Peter Porter, Benjamin Barton, and Joseph Anim, purchased the Niagara River
The Niagara River () is a river that flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the province of Ontario in Canada (on the west) and the state of New York (state), New York in the United States (on the east) ...
[ and the ]American Falls
The American Falls is the second-largest of the three waterfalls that together are known as Niagara Falls on the Niagara River along the Canada–U.S. border. Unlike the much larger Horseshoe Falls, of which approximately 90% is in Ontario ...
from New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
at a public auction
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...
. The purchase also included the water right
Water right in water law refers to the right of a user to use water from a water source, e.g., a river, stream, pond or source of groundwater. In areas with plentiful water and few users, such systems are generally not complicated or contentious ...
s from above the upper rapids to below the Falls. The company portage
Portage or portaging (Canada: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a ...
d goods by land from Lake Erie
Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has t ...
to Lewiston on the Niagara River
The Niagara River () is a river that flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the province of Ontario in Canada (on the west) and the state of New York (state), New York in the United States (on the east) ...
, then shipped them east on Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...
.[ When the ]Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing t ...
opened in 1825, it made the portage
Portage or portaging (Canada: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a ...
obsolete and plans to develop Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, ...
suffered.[ Augustus proposed a hydraulic mill canal in 1847 and offered the ]right of way
Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another.
A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...
for the canal to any person ready to build it, but the Porter brothers died before interest in the project led to construction.
Company history
Niagara Falls Hydraulic Company
In 1852, Caleb Smith Woodhull
Caleb Smith Woodhull (February 26, 1792 – July 16, 1866) was the 70th Mayor of New York City from 1849 to 1851.
Biography
Smith Woodhull was born in Miller Place, New York on February 26, 1792. He graduated from Yale University in 1811, studie ...
and his associates purchased the land and the water rights from the heirs of the Porter brothers with the intention to build a canal, and in 1853 formed the "Niagara Falls Hydraulic Company
Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power & Manufacturing Company was an American company, based in Niagara Falls, New York that was the first company to generate hydroelectric power from Niagara Falls in 1882. The company built upon several predecessor com ...
." A grant was obtained from the owners of a strip of land 100 ft. wide extending from a point above the upper rapids to the high bank below the Falls.[ The company started with the construction of the canal in 1853 but stopped after sixteen months because construction costs of the canal significantly exceeded estimates and the company went bankrupt.]
Niagara Falls Water Power Company
In 1856, Stephen N. Allen bought the company, which was renamed the "Niagara Falls Water Power Company
Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power & Manufacturing Company was an American company, based in Niagara Falls, New York that was the first company to generate hydroelectric power from Niagara Falls in 1882. The company built upon several predecessor com ...
." The company completed the entrance and river portion of the canal by 1857, with the exception of a narrow extension at the south end of the basin which was completed in 1881.[
]
Niagara Falls Canal Company
In 1860, Horace H. Day purchased the company and renamed it the "Niagara Falls Canal Company
Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power & Manufacturing Company was an American company, based in Niagara Falls, New York that was the first company to generate hydroelectric power from Niagara Falls in 1882. The company built upon several predecessor com ...
." At an investment of $1.5 million,[ () the canal was finally completed in 1861, but could not be used because of the ]American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
. After completing the canal project, it was idle until 1875 when the canal's first customer, Charles B. Gaskill's "Cataract City Milling Company", was using the water of the canal to power the milling company's flour[ ]grist mill
A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...
.
Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power and Manufacturing Company
In 1877, as the company had only attracted one client, it declared bankruptcy and was auctioned off. The company interests were bought for $71,000 () by Jacob F. Schoellkopf
Jacob Friedrich Schoellkopf (November 15, 1819 – September 15, 1899) was a pioneer in harnessing the hydroelectric power of Niagara Falls.
Early life
Jacob F. Schoellkopf was born on November 15, 1819 in Kirchheim Unter Teck, a small town in th ...
, who in 1878 formed the "Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power and Manufacturing Company" to use the canal.
After the transfer of the property, Schoellkopf finished the excavating, but the canal remained idle for a few years. The work on the power plant began and the canal was enlarged in 1892. By 1896, power plant number two had been completed and was supplying power to different factories about Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, ...
.[ Many additions and extensions were made to the original plant, and company began to work on a new plant, called plant number three, that when completed, was separate from the original plant around six or eight hundred feet to the north. The workings of the Hydraulic company were entirely below the first Upper Steel Arch Bridge.][
Plant number two, which was one 100 ft. by 176 ft. in dimensions, generated an average of 34,000 continuous ]horsepower
Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are the ...
. The entire fall of the water in the canal from the forebay to the tailrace
A water wheel is a machine for converting the energy of flowing or falling water into useful forms of power, often in a watermill. A water wheel consists of a wheel (usually constructed from wood or metal), with a number of blades or bucket ...
is 210 ft. The power canal, which taps the river at a point above Port Day, and runs throughout the city to a point below the Upper Steel Arch Bridge, furnished a steady supply of water year round. Just below Port Day is the beginning of the rapids, with a fall of more than 50 ft. in three-quarters of a mile. By cutting across a bend in the river the canal comes out at the cliff below the bridge the entire distance being about 4,400 ft. Built before the era of industrial production of alternating current
Alternating current (AC) is an electric current which periodically reverses direction and changes its magnitude continuously with time in contrast to direct current (DC) which flows only in one direction. Alternating current is the form in whic ...
, the electrical plant generated direct-current
Direct current (DC) is one-directional flow of electric charge. An electrochemical cell is a prime example of DC power. Direct current may flow through a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through semiconductors, insulators, or even ...
electricity, and only provided it within a range of two miles from the plant.
In 1898 the company built the Niagara Junction Railway
The Niagara Junction Railway (reporting marks NJ, NIAJ) was a switching railroad serving Niagara Falls, New York.
History
The company was created in 1898 as a subsidiary of the Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power and Manufacturing Company. In 191 ...
to encourage industrial expansion in the area.
Hydraulic Power Company of Niagara Falls
In 1907, the New York Public Service Commission
The New York Public Service Commission is the public utilities commission of the New York state government that regulates and oversees the electric, gas, water, and telecommunication industries in New York as part of the Department of Public Ser ...
law was passed which regulated the rights of non-electrical corporations from engaging in the development of electric energy and distribution of it. Therefore, the hydraulic business of "Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power and Manufacturing Company" became the "Hydraulic Power Company of Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power & Manufacturing Company was an American company, based in Niagara Falls, New York that was the first company to generate hydroelectric power from Niagara Falls in 1882. The company built upon several predecessor com ...
" and "Cliff Electrical Distributing Company" was formed to distribute the power.[ The "Hydraulic Power Company" owned the building itself, the land, the ]penstock
A penstock is a sluice or gate or intake structure that controls water flow, or an enclosed pipe that delivers water to hydro turbines and sewerage systems. The term is inherited from the earlier technology of mill ponds and watermills.
H ...
s, the turbine
A turbine ( or ) (from the Greek , ''tyrbē'', or Latin ''turbo'', meaning vortex) is a rotary mechanical device that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it into useful work. The work produced by a turbine can be used for generating e ...
s, and the water wheel
A water wheel is a machine for converting the energy of flowing or falling water into useful forms of power, often in a watermill. A water wheel consists of a wheel (usually constructed from wood or metal), with a number of blades or buckets ...
s.
The company furnished power to many of the largest factories and industrial companies in Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls is a City (New York), city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city had a total population of 48,671. It is adjacent to the Niagara River, across from the city of Niagara ...
. Among the company's larger contracts for power is that for the Niagara Gorge Railroad
The Niagara Gorge Railroad (forming part of the Great Gorge Route) was an interurban railway which ran at the bottom of the Niagara Gorge (at water level) from Niagara Falls, New York to Lewiston, New York.
Stations were at International Railw ...
, the Aluminum Company of America
Alcoa Corporation (an acronym for Aluminum Company of America) is a Pittsburgh-based industrial corporation. It is the world's eighth-largest producer of aluminum. Alcoa conducts operations in 10 countries. Alcoa is a major producer of primary ...
, The National Electrolytic Company, and many other large manufacturing interests in Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, ...
.[
As of 1908, officers of the company were George B. Mathews (president), William D. Olmsted (vice president) ]Arthur Schoellkopf
Arthur Schoellkopf (June 13, 1856 – February 3, 1913) was an American industrial leader who helped develop the hydroelectric resources of Niagara Falls and served as the fifth Mayor of Niagara Falls, New York.
Early life
Arthur Schoellkopf wa ...
(secretary and treasurer), Paul A. Schoellkopf
Paul Arthur Schoellkopf (March 7, 1884 – September 30, 1947) was an American industrialist and the third generation of Schoellkopfs to manage the hydroelectric power plants of Niagara Falls. Schoellkopf served as chairman of the Buffalo Niaga ...
(assistant secretary and treasurer), John L. Harper (chief engineer). The board of directors was composed of George B. Mathews
250px
George Ballard Mathews, FRS (23 February 1861 – 19 March 1922) was an English mathematician.
He was born in London. He studied at the Ludlow Grammar School which had instruction in Hebrew and Sanscrit as well as in Greek and Latin. He ...
, William D. Olmstead, Arthur Schoellkopf
Arthur Schoellkopf (June 13, 1856 – February 3, 1913) was an American industrial leader who helped develop the hydroelectric resources of Niagara Falls and served as the fifth Mayor of Niagara Falls, New York.
Early life
Arthur Schoellkopf wa ...
, Jacob F. Schoellkopf Jr.
Jacob Friedrich Schoellkopf Jr. (February 27, 1858 – September 9, 1942) was an American business executive, founder of Schoellkopf Aniline and Chemical Works, and member of the Schoellkopf family who were involved in hydroelectric resources a ...
, and J. L. Romer.[
]
Cliff Electrical Distributing Company
The "Cliff Electrical Distributing Company
Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power & Manufacturing Company was an American company, based in Niagara Falls, New York that was the first company to generate hydroelectric power from Niagara Falls in 1882. The company built upon several predecessor com ...
," was an electrical corporation organized for the sole purpose of enabling the "Hydraulic Power Company" lawfully to distribute electric power. As of 1914, the main consumers of power from the "Hydraulic Power Company" were:[
*]Aluminum Company of America
Alcoa Corporation (an acronym for Aluminum Company of America) is a Pittsburgh-based industrial corporation. It is the world's eighth-largest producer of aluminum. Alcoa conducts operations in 10 countries. Alcoa is a major producer of primary ...
– about 70,000 horsepower
Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are the ...
*Cliff Electrical Distributing Company – about 30,000–40,000 horsepower
Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are the ...
Both the Aluminum Company of America
Alcoa Corporation (an acronym for Aluminum Company of America) is a Pittsburgh-based industrial corporation. It is the world's eighth-largest producer of aluminum. Alcoa conducts operations in 10 countries. Alcoa is a major producer of primary ...
and "Cliff Electrical Distributing Company" owned their electrical generator
In electricity generation, a generator is a device that converts motive power (mechanical energy) or fuel-based power (chemical energy) into electric power for use in an external circuit. Sources of mechanical energy include steam turbines, gas ...
s and electrical apparatus and the transmission machinery (the transmission lines
In electrical engineering, a transmission line is a specialized cable or other structure designed to conduct electromagnetic waves in a contained manner. The term applies when the conductors are long enough that the wave nature of the transmis ...
which carry the power from the generator
Generator may refer to:
* Signal generator, electronic devices that generate repeating or non-repeating electronic signals
* Electric generator, a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy.
* Generator (circuit theory), an eleme ...
s to the place where they use it) and the "Hydraulic Power Company" owned everything else.[
In 1914, the directors of "Cliff Electrical Distributing Company" were: Peter P. Pfohl, ]Paul A. Schoellkopf
Paul Arthur Schoellkopf (March 7, 1884 – September 30, 1947) was an American industrialist and the third generation of Schoellkopfs to manage the hydroelectric power plants of Niagara Falls. Schoellkopf served as chairman of the Buffalo Niaga ...
, John Olmstead, C. P. Hugo Schoellkopf, and Jacob F. Schoellkopf Jr.
Jacob Friedrich Schoellkopf Jr. (February 27, 1858 – September 9, 1942) was an American business executive, founder of Schoellkopf Aniline and Chemical Works, and member of the Schoellkopf family who were involved in hydroelectric resources a ...
The officers were: Peter P. Pfohl, president; Paul A. Schoellkopf, secretary and treasurer; and C. P. Hugo Schoellkopf, vice president.[
]
Competitors
Niagara River Hydraulic Tunnel, Power, and Sewer Company
Schoellkopf's success in developing millsites led Charles B. Gaskill, of "Cataract City Milling Company", the canal's first customer in 1875, to believe that there would be a growing demand for power. Therefore, in 1886, Gaskill formed the "Niagara River Hydraulic Tunnel, Power, and Sewer Company
Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power & Manufacturing Company was an American company, based in Niagara Falls, New York that was the first company to generate hydroelectric power from Niagara Falls in 1882. The company built upon several predecessor com ...
" to meet the demand. His company hired engineer, Thomas Evershed, to create a plan to develop power.[
Evershed planned to use the mechanical power of ]waterwheel
A water wheel is a machine for converting the energy of flowing or falling water into useful forms of power, often in a watermill. A water wheel consists of a wheel (usually constructed from wood or metal), with a number of blades or buckets ...
s and turbine
A turbine ( or ) (from the Greek , ''tyrbē'', or Latin ''turbo'', meaning vortex) is a rotary mechanical device that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it into useful work. The work produced by a turbine can be used for generating e ...
s rather than generating electricity. He proposed twelve canals to direct water from the upper Niagara River
The Niagara River () is a river that flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the province of Ontario in Canada (on the west) and the state of New York (state), New York in the United States (on the east) ...
to remove power production from the River bank. The canals would feed 238 waterwheel pits with water plunging into the pit, rotating the turbine, and redirected through a huge tunnel into the gorge
A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tenden ...
below the Falls. It was determined that Evershed's plan was too expensive, so Edward Dean Adams
Edward Dean Adams (April 9, 1846 – May 20, 1931) was an American businessman, banker, power broker and numismatist. He was the president of Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power and Manufacturing Company which built the first hydroelectric power plant ...
and others decided to develop hydro-electric power. New plans called for a central generating station and a shortened version of Evershed's tunnel.[
]
Niagara Falls Power Company
In 1889, developers organized the "Niagara Falls Power Company
Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power & Manufacturing Company was an American company, based in Niagara Falls, New York that was the first company to generate hydroelectric power from Niagara Falls in 1882. The company built upon several predecessor c ...
" and the "Cataract Construction Company
Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power & Manufacturing Company was an American company, based in Niagara Falls, New York that was the first company to generate hydroelectric power from Niagara Falls in 1882. The company built upon several predecessor com ...
" (incorporated June 12, 1889) to carry out the new plan. Edward Dean Adams
Edward Dean Adams (April 9, 1846 – May 20, 1931) was an American businessman, banker, power broker and numismatist. He was the president of Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power and Manufacturing Company which built the first hydroelectric power plant ...
, as president of the "Cataract Construction Company," directed plans to construct a central generating plant and to solve the problem of transmitting electricity over long distances.[ Adams and the "Cataract Construction Company" began constructing a central power station immediately, however, the problem of how to transmit electricity long distance was not yet solved. On December 20, 1892, the Evershed tunnel and the Edward Dean Adam's power house ]inlet
An inlet is a (usually long and narrow) indentation of a shoreline, such as a small arm, bay, sound, fjord, lagoon or marsh, that leads to an enclosed larger body of water such as a lake, estuary, gulf or marginal sea.
Overview
In marine geogra ...
canal
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow un ...
are completed.[
Therefore, the "Cataract Construction Company" sponsored the "International Niagara Commission", which met in ]London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
in June 1890 and was headed by Lord Kelvin
William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, (26 June 182417 December 1907) was a British mathematician, Mathematical physics, mathematical physicist and engineer born in Belfast. Professor of Natural Philosophy (Glasgow), Professor of Natural Philoso ...
. The commissioners offered a $100,000 () prize for a solution to the problem.[ The commission received seventeen submissions from experts around the world only to reject them all. The schemes ranged from a system using ]pneumatic
Pneumatics (from Greek ‘wind, breath’) is a branch of engineering that makes use of gas or pressurized air.
Pneumatic systems used in Industrial sector, industry are commonly powered by compressed air or compressed inert gases. A central ...
pressure to one requiring ropes, springs and pulleys. Some proposed transmitting direct current
Direct current (DC) is one-directional flow of electric charge. An electrochemical cell is a prime example of DC power. Direct current may flow through a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through semiconductors, insulators, or even ...
electricity, including one endorsed by Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventio ...
.
On May 6, 1893, after the commission failed to award a winner, Lord Kelvin
William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, (26 June 182417 December 1907) was a British mathematician, Mathematical physics, mathematical physicist and engineer born in Belfast. Professor of Natural Philosophy (Glasgow), Professor of Natural Philoso ...
and the commission asked George Westinghouse
George Westinghouse Jr. (October 6, 1846 – March 12, 1914) was an American entrepreneur and engineer based in Pennsylvania who created the railway air brake and was a pioneer of the electrical industry, receiving his first patent at the age of ...
to use alternating current
Alternating current (AC) is an electric current which periodically reverses direction and changes its magnitude continuously with time in contrast to direct current (DC) which flows only in one direction. Alternating current is the form in whic ...
to develop electricity at Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, ...
. The construction lasted for several years and was funded by an interest composed of notable businessmen including: J. P. Morgan
John Pierpont Morgan Sr. (April 17, 1837 – March 31, 1913) was an American financier and investment banker who dominated corporate finance on Wall Street throughout the Gilded Age. As the head of the banking firm that ultimately became known ...
, John Jacob Astor IV
John Jacob Astor IV (July 13, 1864 – April 15, 1912) was an American business magnate, real estate developer, investor, writer, lieutenant colonel in the Spanish–American War, and a prominent member of the Astor family. He died in the sinki ...
, Lord Rothschild
Baron Rothschild, of Tring in the County of Hertfordshire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1885 for Sir Nathan Rothschild, 2nd Baronet, a member of the Rothschild banking family. He was the first Jewish mem ...
, and W. K. Vanderbilt. The Edward Dean Adams Power Plant, designed by McKim, Mead, and White
McKim, Mead & White was an American architectural firm that came to define architectural practice, urbanism, and the ideals of the American Renaissance in fin de siècle New York. The firm's founding partners Charles Follen McKim (1847–1909), Wil ...
, first produced power on August 26, 1895,[ and in November 1896, power generated from ]Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, ...
reached Buffalo. The first 1,000 horsepower
Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are the ...
of electricity transmitted to Buffalo was claimed by the street railway company, with the local power company putting in orders for 5,000 more.
Similar to the "Hydraulic Power Company of Niagara Falls" arrangement with the "Cliff Electrical Distributing Company," the "Niagara Falls Power Company" sold power to the International Railway Company (w.streetcars in Buffalo & Niagara Falls city) which obtained the right to install its rotary converter
A rotary converter is a type of electrical machine which acts as a mechanical rectifier, inverter or frequency converter.
Rotary converters were used to convert alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC), or DC to AC power, before the adven ...
s in the Niagara Power Company's generating station
A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid.
Many pow ...
, but paid nothing additional (i.e. rent) for the installation.[
]
Consolidation
In 1918, the "Cliff Electrical Distributing Company," the "Hydraulic Power Company of Niagara Falls," and the "Niagara Falls Power Company" merged due to government pressure for more efficient use of the Niagara River
The Niagara River () is a river that flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the province of Ontario in Canada (on the west) and the state of New York (state), New York in the United States (on the east) ...
's water provided by the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1910. The consolidated company retained the name "Niagara Falls Power Company" and issued $26,000,000 () capital stock
A corporation's share capital, commonly referred to as capital stock in the United States, is the portion of a corporation's equity that has been derived by the issue of shares in the corporation to a shareholder, usually for cash. "Share capi ...
, common and preferred.[ The $26 million in capital stock was consisted of][
*$11,515,400 – 7% cumulative preferred capital stock
*$14,484,600 – common capital stock
The $11,515,400 in preferred stock was distributed to the shareholders of "Niagara Falls Power Company." Of the $14,484,600 in common capital stock:][
*$540,000.00 – distributed to the shareholders of "Cliff Electrical Distributing Company"
*$984,566.70 – distributed to the shareholders of "Niagara Falls Power Company"
*$12,960,000 – distributed to the shareholders of "Hydraulic Power Company of Niagara Falls"
On March 2, 1921, the combined "Niagara Falls Power Company," secured a federal license from the ]Federal Power Commission
The Federal Power Commission (FPC) was an independent commission of the United States government, originally organized on June 23, 1930, with five members nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The FPC was originally created in 1 ...
, issued under the Federal Water Power Act of 1920 for a term of 50 years, that authorized the diversion of water for power purposes from the Niagara River
The Niagara River () is a river that flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the province of Ontario in Canada (on the west) and the state of New York (state), New York in the United States (on the east) ...
, above Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, ...
, and the return of it below the Falls, all in New York.[
The "Niagara Falls Power Company" later became " Niagara Mohawk Power Corp."] which was acquired by National Grid plc
National Grid plc is a British multinational electricity and gas utility company headquartered in London, England. Its principal activities are in the United Kingdom, where it owns and operates electricity and natural gas transmission networks ...
in 2002 for $3 billion ().
See also
* List of New York companies
The following list of New York companies includes notable companies that are, or once were, headquartered in New York.
Companies based in New York 0–9
* 10x Management
* 1-800-Flowers
A
* Abel Honor New York
* AEC Daily Corporation
* AE ...
* Peter Porter
* Jacob F. Schoellkopf
Jacob Friedrich Schoellkopf (November 15, 1819 – September 15, 1899) was a pioneer in harnessing the hydroelectric power of Niagara Falls.
Early life
Jacob F. Schoellkopf was born on November 15, 1819 in Kirchheim Unter Teck, a small town in th ...
* Schoellkopf Power Station
*List of Niagara Falls hydroelectric generating plants
Niagara Falls hydroelectric generating plants are the hydroelectric powerplants in the vicinity of the Niagara Falls, a large geological feature which straddles the joint borders of Canada and the United States. Since 1882 a number of hydroelectri ...
References
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1853 establishments in New York (state)
Companies established in 1853
Companies based in New York (state)
Hydroelectric power companies of the United States
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, New York