Welcome to an exciting story about a true daredevil! When you think of a daredevil, you might imagine someone in a flashy outfit doing crazy stunts. But today, we’re talking about Annie Edson Taylor, a quiet woman in her 60s who did something incredibly daring—she went over Niagara Falls in a barrel!
Annie Edson Taylor was born on October 24th near Auburn, New York. There’s a bit of mystery about her birth year. Most records say it was 1838, but Annie claimed it was 1855. She might have wanted to seem younger, but official records show she was born in 1838.
Annie was one of seven children. Her father, Merrick Edson, owned a flour mill, and her mother, Loretta Waring, came from a well-known family. Sadly, both of her parents died when she was young. Annie got married at 18 to David Taylor, but the details are unclear. She said he was a Civil War veteran, but the dates don’t quite match up.
For most of her life, Annie moved around, trying different jobs and businesses. By 1901, she was in Bay City, Michigan, and needed money. That’s when she had a wild idea: go over Niagara Falls in a barrel! She hoped this stunt would make her famous and financially secure.
Niagara Falls was a popular tourist spot, and Annie thought her daring act would attract a lot of attention. She wasn’t the first to try stunts at the Falls, but no one had ever gone over them in a barrel before.
Annie designed a special barrel for her adventure. It was made of strong white oak and had padding inside to protect her. On October 19, 1901, she tested the barrel with a cat named Lagara, and the cat came out safe and sound.
On October 23, 1901, Annie was ready for her big moment. Thousands of people gathered to watch. She was placed in the barrel and set adrift a mile from the falls. After a tense journey, the barrel went over the falls and was retrieved at the bottom. Annie was alive, though she had a cut on her head and was in shock.
At first, Annie’s stunt made her famous. Newspapers called her the “Queen of the Mist,” and she got some money from selling her story and giving talks. But the excitement didn’t last. Her manager left her and took the barrel, and she struggled to make a living. Annie spent her later years near Niagara Falls, selling postcards and posing for pictures. She passed away on April 29, 1921, mostly forgotten.
Even though Annie’s life didn’t turn out as she hoped, her daring feat remains a remarkable part of history. She showed incredible courage and determination, proving that sometimes the most unexpected people can do the most extraordinary things.
Research more about Annie Edson Taylor and other daredevils who attempted stunts at Niagara Falls. Create a short presentation to share with the class, highlighting their motivations, preparations, and the outcomes of their stunts. Use visuals to make your presentation engaging.
Imagine you are going to attempt a daring stunt like Annie. Design a safety barrel or device that could protect you during the stunt. Draw your design and explain the materials and features that would ensure your safety. Share your design with the class and discuss the importance of safety in extreme activities.
Put yourself in Annie’s shoes and write a diary entry from the day before her big stunt. Describe her thoughts, feelings, and any fears or excitement she might have experienced. Share your diary entry with a partner and discuss how Annie’s emotions might have influenced her decision to go over the falls.
Create a timeline of Annie Edson Taylor’s life, including key events such as her birth, marriage, various jobs, and her famous stunt. Use online tools or poster paper to make your timeline visually appealing. Present your timeline to the class and discuss how each event might have led her to her daring decision.
Participate in a class debate on whether Annie Edson Taylor should be considered a hero. Prepare arguments for both sides, considering her courage, motivations, and the impact of her stunt. Engage in a respectful debate with your classmates, and reflect on what qualities make someone a hero.
Welcome to Biographics! I’m your host, Eric Malachite, taking the reins from Carl today so he can enjoy a little bit of rest and relaxation. Today’s bite-sized bio was written by Ru Alexander. If he has provided us with social links, they’ll be linked below along with my own. Without further ado, let’s get to it!
When you say the word “daredevil,” what image springs to mind? After you picture the Marvel hero in the red suit, you might envision a man in his 30s dressed in a dazzling leather outfit, wearing a helmet and flashing a pair of gleaming eyes as he charges into a death-defying stunt at 100 miles an hour. That’s a fair assessment, as daredevils are often showmen looking to garner as much attention as possible. But what if we told you that the daredevil we have in mind today was a quiet, matronly widow in her 60s named Annie Edson Taylor? She might not have looked the part, but make no mistake about it—Taylor’s daredevil credentials are solid, and many have risked their lives trying to replicate her infamous feat of going over Niagara Falls in a barrel.
Annie Edson Taylor was born on October 24th near Auburn, New York. The actual year of her birth is a bit controversial; every source says it was 1838, except for Taylor’s own account, which she published after her leap into the Falls, claiming her birth year was actually 1855. Normally, you’d think that the firsthand source should be the most reliable, but we know from her entry in the 1900 federal census that she was born in 1838. We assume her version was a small display of vanity, as Taylor attempted to de-age herself by 17 years.
Annie was the fourth of seven children of Merrick Edson, a successful flour mill owner, and Loretta Waring, who had ties to some of the oldest families in Albany. Both parents died when Annie was still a young girl. Merrick Edson passed away when Annie was around 12 years old. A few years later, she attended a seminary school where she befriended her roommate, Jenny Taylor, and then Jenny’s brother, David Taylor. Their friendship blossomed into romance, and Annie and David got married when she was 18. However, the details of this marriage are a bit unclear. Annie claimed it lasted less than two years before her husband died and that they had a child who also passed away shortly after birth. She also said her husband was a Civil War veteran. However, if she was born in 1855, that would mean she married him when she was just six years old, which doesn’t add up. Even using her real birth year, if Annie was born in 1838 and married David at 18, that would mean they got married around 1856, and if the marriage lasted only two years, David would have died before the Civil War even started. Essentially, we can’t take Annie Taylor at her word; the first 60 years of her life are a big question mark.
For two-thirds of her life, Annie traveled from city to city looking for stability but failing to find it. She tried to start various businesses and worked as a music and dance teacher, supported by a generous inheritance from her parents. By 1901, though, Annie Edson Taylor was in Bay City, Michigan, and her funds had nearly run out. She was looking for a way to secure her financial future, and the answer was obvious: get in a barrel and go over Niagara Falls.
Niagara Falls was a popular tourist destination at the time, thanks in part to the Pan-American Exposition held in nearby Buffalo, New York. The idea came to her like a flash of light: go over Niagara Falls in a barrel. No one had ever accomplished this feat, and Taylor made it clear that she was doing this strictly for the money. In her mind, if she made it, she would be set for life through lecture tours, appearances at fairs, and selling her memoir.
Going over in a barrel was a novel idea, but the Falls had already proven to be a popular spot for daredevils. Sam Patch, known as the Yankee Leaper, was a well-known example who jumped into the river at the base of Niagara Falls in 1829. Others had braved the whirlpool rapids inside a barrel, but up until Annie Taylor, nobody dared to take the plunge over the falls. Attempting any kind of stunt at Niagara was incredibly dangerous, and many lives were lost both before and after Annie’s experience.
To survive, Taylor needed a sturdy barrel, not just for protection but also because she wanted it intact for her post-plunge career. She designed it herself, shaping it out of paper and sewing it with twine. She hired a local cooperage company to construct the actual barrel, which was 4.5 feet high, made of white oak, and weighed 160 pounds. Inside, there were two metal handholds, a leather strap to keep her in place, and padding, along with space for a 200-pound anvil to help the barrel right itself if it rolled over.
On October 19, 1901, a few days before Taylor took the plunge, the barrel was set on a test dive with a cat named Lagara inside. The test was a success, and the cat was unharmed. Now it was time for Taylor to make the jump. At 2:00 p.m. on October 23, 1901, Annie and her barrel were on the dock at Niagara, surrounded by media. She had wisely hired a local promoter to drum up attention for her stunt, and thousands lined up to see her go on her voyage.
You might think that Annie’s ordeal was short, but you would be wrong. Taylor was stuck inside that barrel for almost an hour. After being put in the water a mile away from the falls, a boat started towing her, and 15 minutes later, she was left at the mercy of the violent currents. The barrel went over the falls at 4:23 p.m. and appeared at the base of Horseshoe Falls a minute later. By 4:40, a team of men had managed to retrieve it. The question was whether they would be rescuing a person or recovering a body. Annie Taylor was alive, though she was a little worse for wear—bleeding from a cut on her head and in a state of shock. However, given that she had just gone over Niagara Falls, she was in relatively good shape.
Annie Taylor’s stunt had succeeded, but did it set her up for life financially? Not really. She did well at first, with newspapers proclaiming her the “Queen of the Mist” and reporting that she received offers of marriage. She made some money selling her memoir and giving speeches, but the novelty quickly wore off, and the public moved on. When the money started to dry up, her manager deserted her and took the barrel with him. Taylor used some of her savings to hire private investigators to recover the barrel, but to no avail. Ultimately, she had a replica made and spent her days on the streets of Niagara Falls posing for pictures and selling postcards. This was not enough to make a good income, and Annie Edson Taylor died in a poorhouse, mostly forgotten, on April 29, 1921. Some friends raised enough funds to give her a burial near the Falls, where she had her brief moment of glory. In her later years, Annie expressed regret for her stunt, saying she would rather face a cannon than go over the falls again.
I hope you enjoyed this bite-sized bio! I found it entertaining and informative. Be sure to do all of that algorithmic jazz and follow Ru and me on our socials. I’ve been your host, Eric Malachite, and I’ll see you next time!
Annie – A popular musical based on the comic strip “Little Orphan Annie,” which tells the story of a young orphan girl who finds a new family. – The school drama club performed “Annie” for their annual play, and it was a huge success.
Falls – A natural descent of water from a height, often used to describe famous waterfalls like Niagara Falls. – The class learned about the history of Niagara Falls and its significance to both the United States and Canada.
Barrel – A cylindrical container traditionally made of wood, used in the past for storage and transport, and famously used in stunts over waterfalls. – In the early 1900s, daredevils would ride over Niagara Falls in a barrel as a thrilling stunt.
Daredevil – A person who performs risky and dangerous stunts, often for entertainment or fame. – The daredevil amazed the audience with his breathtaking high-wire act during the circus performance.
Adventure – An exciting or unusual experience, often involving exploration or risk. – The explorers embarked on an adventure to discover new lands and document their findings for history.
Famous – Well-known by many people, often due to significant achievements or historical importance. – The famous actor received a standing ovation for his outstanding performance in the historical drama.
Stunt – A difficult or unusual feat performed for entertainment, often involving physical risk. – The movie included a thrilling stunt where the hero jumped from a moving train.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs, and the stories of people and places over time. – The students were fascinated by the history of ancient civilizations and their contributions to the modern world.
Courage – The ability to face fear or challenges with bravery and determination. – The historical figure was celebrated for her courage in standing up for her beliefs despite the risks.
Determination – The quality of being resolute and persistent in achieving a goal, despite difficulties or obstacles. – The performer’s determination to perfect her role in the play inspired her classmates.
