What is the Oldest State Park in America? What is the oldest state park in America? Niagara Falls. During the Industrial Revolution in North America, the natural beauty of Niagara Falls became threatened by human progress. Industrialists built mills and factories along the Niagara River to harness its power, while entrepreneurs bought up the land surrounding the Falls in order to control tourism dollars. Finally, a small group of people founded the "Free Niagara" movement, which held that the natural beauty of the land surrounding the Falls should be protected from exploitation and free to the public. Members urged New York state to reclaim the Falls and the area around it. The Niagara appropriations bill was signed into law in 1885, creating the Niagara Reservation, now known as Niagara Falls State Park. The law set a precedent for the protection of the nation’s natural resources and heralded a major change in the basic attitudes of Americans toward their natural environment.
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