Annie Edson Taylor: Courageous or Crazy?

Annie Edson Taylor was a school teacher who determined to be the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel with her cat on October 14, 1901.  She had hoped it would bring her fame and fortune. Most folks thought it was suicidal to even attempt it and steered away from helping her.

Her trip over the falls took about 20 minutes, but the barrel lid was on so tight it took much longer just to free her from her air-tight wooden prison.  She survived with a small contusion to her head and her cat arrived in one piece as well (minus a couple lives I’m sure).

Of her daring feat, Annie says:

If it was with my dying breath, I would caution anyone against attempting the feat… I would sooner walk up to the mouth of a cannon, knowing it was going to blow me to pieces than make another trip over the Fall.

Annie did go on to earn some money speaking about her daredevil stunt, but it was quickly spent on recovering her famed barrel which was stolen by her “manager”.  She posed for photos and signed autographs, but it was never quite enough for her to live on comfortably.

Even though her plan to become wealthy backfired, Annie Edson Taylor did leave her mark on history.  She was documented in the history books as the first woman go over Niagara Falls and she is featured in movies about Niagara Falls and in the the Niagara Falls daredevil museum.  Annie is noted elsewhere in history for her amazing stunt, including poems and tv shows.  See wikipedia for more details of her life and the events before and after her ride over the falls.

Was Annie courageous or crazy?  You decide.

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