Maid of the Mist broadside, 1852

The original Maid of the Mist was launched in 1846 and provided passage between the carriage roads on either side of the Niagara river near the Falls. The service did not prove to be as popular as expected and business further declined in 1848 when the international suspension bridge opened. In order to survive, the ferry was used for sightseeing trips, departing from the American side of the river and travelling to the base of the Horseshoe Falls. In 1854 it was replaced by a larger and more comfortable vessel and operated for several years until it was sold to a Montreal Company. In 1884, a new Maid of the Mist came into service when R.F. Carter and Frank LeBlond formed the Maid of the Mist Steamboat Company. It operated from the Canadian shore but was so popular that a second boat was launched from the American shore in 1892. The Maid of the Mist continues to operate.Maid of the Mist broadside dated 1852. Capt. Clark Andrews is noted on the broadside. It is stated that the Maid of the Mist “will ply during the season between the Suspension Bridge, Bellevue, and Niagara Falls, for the accommodation of Visitors and Travellers, who may wish a near and grand view of the great Cataract. This boat passes nearly two miles through the Gulf of Niagara, with the banks more than two hundred feet high on either hand. From the deck of this boat, all the great points of attraction are seen in a single trip”. It is also noted that omnibuses or carriages are available to take visitors to the boat and suspension bridge. The agents are listed as A. Murray and F. Thornton