author
Annie Edson Taylor
1838–1921
At 63, a determined schoolteacher climbed into a custom-built barrel and became the first person to survive a trip over Niagara Falls. Her daring stunt brought brief fame, but the fortune she hoped for never followed.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Auburn, New York, Annie Edson Taylor trained as a schoolteacher and later worked in several cities. After being widowed and losing a son in infancy, she opened a dance school in Bay City, Michigan, and continued teaching music and looking for new opportunities.
On October 24, 1901—her 63rd birthday—Taylor descended over Niagara Falls in a padded oak-and-iron barrel. She survived with only a small cut on her head, then spoke publicly about the feat and wrote a memoir, hoping to secure her financial future.
Taylor never achieved the wealth she expected. In her later years, she sold photographs and souvenirs, tried several ventures, and returned to Niagara Falls to capitalize on her fame. She died in Lockport, New York, on April 29, 1921, and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Niagara Falls.