Francis Abbott – the Hermit of Niagara – 1829 - 1831

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Today’s Blog Post


Francis Abbott – the Hermit of Niagara – 1829 - 1831
It is a full moon again for the last few nights. Some say that this causes all kinds of extra problems for people… like more killings and fights and stuff that is nasty.

Well as it goes last evening I sat in the Emergency Department with a friend of mine that was going through some terrible things emotionally. His mind will not shut off. Sleep seems impossible to the point that his mind is playing huge and cruel tricks on him. In fact it has gone past the “trick” stage and is now dangerous to the point of complete collapse… which doesn’t seem possible because of the way that he is refusing to take the sleep offered.

It is a full moon.

While sitting beside my friend’s emerge bed I met another character that may be one of the most mysterious that I have ever come across. His name is Francis Abbott. He is kind of famous in that a section of the Niagara Falls is named in his honour or memory… the “Hermit’s Cascade”.

My other friend Pierre Berton introduced me to Francis as I was reading Pierre’s book entitled Niagara: A History of the Falls.

On June 18, 1829 Francis Abbott arrived at the Falls on foot. He was a well formed man with a roll of blankets, a flute, a book and a cane. He entered a modest Inn and stayed. The Falls’ magic seem to capture him from what Pierre wrote.

You will have to read about the Falls in those early days to understand what was taking place in and around the area. It was at that time a swirl of tension between business and tourists and people making money off all of them.

Wild stories had grown over the previous years about the Falls. Adventurers and Tourists flocked to the area to see it for themselves. There was magic in the air as people were drawn to it. Just as it seeme to draw people today – it did so in 1829.

Francis Abbott somehow managed to wangle a place on Goat Island. No one else was allowed on it other than one family that lived there before Augustus Porter bought the Island (but that is another amazing story).

Francis Abbott then lived on the Island and acted out his last two years of life for the world to see. He became known as the Hermit of the Falls.

Some of the strange actions and activities were his antics on a wooden platform that extended out over the falls from the Island. On a slippery board with little or nor railing he would walk out over the falls. Among other death defying stunts he would hang from the planks over the water for up to 15 minutes at a time… dangling over the water.

Of course as with everything about the present Niagara Falls area it would draw a crowd as tourists and locals would stand gawking at the lone Hermit doing his thing.

Almost two years to the day of his arrival, Francis Abbott had entered the water near the Goat Island to bathe, one report indicated, and while doing so he either slipped, let go by accident or maybe even on purpose – and disappeared over the water fall. They found his body eleven days later.

In the small hovel that he lived in was his dog that would not allow anyone in to the place but was removed with great effort. Within was his flute, violin, guitar and music laying scattered about. On a crude table were found a portfolio and the leaves of large book, all blank. Dozens of witnesses had seen him scribbling day after day in his book – yet at the end there was nothing left. Not even his name was written.

As I read these words I looked up at my friend and watched his great anxiety. Here in the clean hospital and the year is 2010. He is protected and given top medical attention for his mental problems. In 1829 Francis Abbott slipped in the water accidentally or on purpose and was gone.

Last evening as I left the hospital my mind swirled with emotions… and thoughts of Francis and my friend.

Gotta run… my friend is going to need help today… and I need to do a whack of things before this day is done.

Take a few minutes to click on the links below. The adventure and story about Francis Abbott is worth a read.


~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Source:
http://books.google.ca/books?id=V0sTAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=francis+abbott&source=bl&ots=uoz7Q_pffw&sig=EJJ-4oXWc0FNnE2R8msOtwyWBxk&hl=en&ei=CSizS93jKoeENOOi9NII&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CA4Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=&f=false

http://books.google.ca/books?printsec=frontcover&dq=francis%20abbott&sig=EJJ-4oXWc0FNnE2R8msOtwyWBxk&ei=CSizS93jKoeENOOi9NII&ct=result&id=V0sTAAAAYAAJ&ots=uoz7Q_pffw&output=text&pg=PA3

http://www.niagarafrontier.com/cataract.html

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1946&dat=19481029&id=-W4rAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kJkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3962,5848017