Ithaca Falls facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ithaca Falls |
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Ithaca Falls in August 2007
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| Coordinates | 42°27′10″N 76°29′30″W / 42.452851°N 76.4916°W |
| Total height | 150' |
| Number of drops | 1 |
| Total width | 175' |
| Watercourse | Fall Creek |
Ithaca Falls is a beautiful waterfall located right inside the city of Ithaca, New York. It's the very last waterfall you'll see along Fall Creek. This creek flows into Cayuga Lake, one of New York's famous Finger Lakes.
The falls are in a natural bowl-shaped area. This shape was created over time by ice and water wearing away the soft rock. The pool at the bottom of the falls and the creek nearby are popular spots for fly fishing. It's a great place to try and catch some fish!
For many years, Cornell University owned the land around the falls. In 2000, they sold it to the City of Ithaca. The city wanted to clean up the area. This spot has always been a popular park, even if it was a bit run down. Now, it's being completely redesigned and rebuilt. In 2016, the Ithaca Common Council decided to tear down a house next to the falls. This land was then added to the park, making it even bigger.
You might have seen the falls in the "Ithaca is Gorges" logo. The stylized "I" in the logo actually looks like Ithaca Falls!
History of Ithaca Falls
In the early 1800s, people in Ithaca realized how powerful the water from Fall Creek was. They saw a chance to use this power for businesses. In 1830, a young man named Ezra Cornell helped blast a tunnel through the rock. This tunnel was just above Ithaca Falls. He also built a small dam to send water to many mills near the falls.
The strong water flow allowed many mills to be built close together. These included mills for grinding grain, making plaster, and processing oil and wool. There were also iron factories. These mills used local materials and things brought in from other places. They made enough products for the people in Ithaca and also to sell outside the area.
All this industry caused the area around the falls to grow very quickly. For a while, "Fall Creek Village" was even thought of as a separate town from the rest of Ithaca. The dam that Ezra Cornell built stayed until it was washed away by nature in 2013. Today, you can still see many old ruins from these mills around the base of the falls. They are a reminder of the past.
From 1880 until 1987, the Ithaca Gun Company had its factory just south of the falls. In the late 1990s, tests showed that the soil nearby had lead in it. This lead came from shotgun tests done at the factory. A big cleanup project happened from 2002 to 2004. This project was led by the United States Superfund program and the EPA. More soil was removed in 2015. The factory building was taken down in 2006. Now, new apartments are planned for that spot.
