A Century of Sail and Steam on the Niagara River

Barlow Cumberland follows the vessels that worked the Niagara River and the growth of the Niagara Navigation Company. His account traces the replacement of sail by steam, the decline of river passenger traffic after railways arrived, and the company's efforts to restore that business in the closing thirty-five years of the century he covers. The river provides a setting for changes in transport, commercial rivalry, and the ways passengers moved between neighbouring destinations.

Cumberland also writes from his own experience as a manager, describing the practical work of attracting passengers. Lithographs in hotels and ticket offices promoted the Chicora, while folders, timetables, newspapers, and ticket agents supported the company's services. His discussion of large Niagara Falls excursions in 1878 shows how the company encouraged visitors to extend their travels to Toronto. These details give readers interested in shipping history a view of the advertising and organisation behind river travel.