Annie Edson Taylor

From BluSkyPedia

Annie Edson Taylor is best known for being the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Born in 1838, Annie's father died when she was young, but left behind enough money for her mother to raise the family of eight children. She eventually became a school teacher and married. Her husband died during the Civil War and she moved around a lot looking for work. She tried teaching music and opening a dance studio in Michigan and tried looking for work as far away as Mexico.

In her 60s she was looking for a way to provide for herself and came up with the sceme of going over Niagara Falls in a barrel. By some accounts, she claims she was told in a dream that all of her money problems would go away if she would ride over the falls. (Given the chance of death, it seems likely that it would make your money problems go away.)

On her 63 birthday, she climbed over the side of a boat into her barrel, had friends secure the lid and pump it full of compressed air, and headed over Niagara Falls. A boat below fished out the barrel and found her alive with only a small cut on her head.

Her barrel was eventually stolen by her manager and it was eventually lost.

The trip brought her little money, but she was able to subsist by running a souvenir stand near the falls and posing for pictures with tourists.