After the War of 1812, settlement along the banks of the Canadian side began to spring up. The area became an important transportation terminus.

In 1855 a bridge was built to span the cataract – a suspension bridge, enabling a free flow of tourists from all over parts of Canada, the United States and Europe.

It wasn’t long before several first class hotels were located around the area directly in front of the falls. As the throngs of spectators began to grow, so too did the need to satisfy their curiosity. Merchants began to cash in on this new phenomenom –the tourist industry.

Very early on there are accounts of farmers facilitating access to the bottom of the gorge. As early as 1818 William Forsyth erected a set of stairs to allow visitors to descend down to a rock viewing area under the riverbank. In 1827 Thomas Barnett constructed a beautiful stone residence at Table Rock.

It should be noted that at this time Table Rock extended some 200 feet from the shore, jutting out like a gigantic table. With the ravages of time pieces of the rock would break off and tumble into the gorge below. Eventually the precipice was dynamited away for safety concerns.

Before long Mr. Barnett converted the home to a museum. It came to be known as The Museum Hotel. Thomas Barnett was an instrumental player in the development of the tourist industry as he was the first person to establish a tourist attraction that featured exhibits not only from the area but also objects not native to the area.

In the spring of 1855 Thomas Barnett took out an ad in the Drummondville Newspaper stating that he had constructed a tunnel below the bank at Table Rock that would allow spectators to pass behind the American Falls and view the magnificence of the falls from a totally new vantage point. He even provided necessary rain gear to those wishing to take the trip.