Niagara Falls Park: Notice to Treat to Sutherland Macklem, Esquire, 1885

The Niagara Parks Commission administrative headquarters are located in Oak Hall which is on the cliff above Dufferin Islands. In 1798 this land was granted by the crown to United Empire Loyalist James Skinner until 1898. A century later it was the home of the Clarks, Streets and Macklems. These families controlled the mills of Bridgewater which was a pioneer industrial village located at Dufferin Islands. Then, it was known as Clark Hill. Colonel Thomas Clark, commander of the Second Lincoln Militia in the War of 1812 is the earliest known occupant of the house. When Clark died in 1837, the house went to Thomas Clark Street who was the son of the Colonel’s partner. Mr. Street was a bachelor and his sister, widow of Dr. T.C. Macklem, managed his household. Mrs. Macklem had 2 sons. The eldest son drowned in the Niagara River at the age of 8 and the younger son, Sutherland became heir to the estate. Mr. Macklem opened Cynthia Islands and Cedar Island to the public and had roads built to reach them. Two suspension bridges connected them to the mainland and tolls were charged on the bridges. The improvements to the land cost Macklem $18,962. He called the bridges “Bridge Castor” and “Bridge Pollux”. There was also an office built at the end of Bridge Castor. Macklem also spent $454 fixing up the Burning Spring Building (the burning spring is enclosed in a barrel which collects gas and lets it out through a tube at the top). Macklem received a yearly income of $56,378.79 from tourists and visitors. In 1887 Cynthia Islands and Cedar Island were deeded to the crown and became part of Queen Victoria Park. The name Cynthia was changed to Dufferin in honour of Lord Dufferin. Sources: www.niagarafrontier.com/parks.html www.niagarafrontier.com/burningsprings.html

A 234 page photocopy of the Notice to Treat to Sutherland Macklem, Esquire A notice to treat is a formal request from a local authority to agree to a price for a property. The property in question includes: A) Swayze Island sometimes known as Long Island or Cedar Island (this island no longer exists due to power development at the Falls) B) Lot no. 174 (east of Street’s Mill Road) C) Parts of lots 174 and 175 (farm surrounded by roads) D) From Castor Bridge to White Gate (lots no. 175 and 190) E) Between White Gate and Burning Spring Road (lots 190 and 191) F) Burning Spring lot (lot 191) G) From Burning Spring lot to the end of park (191) H) The island in the Niagara River known as Cynthia Islands (Dufferin Islands) I) Waterfront in front of item C J) Small parcel of land at which brick ticket office sits K) Piece of land forming an island in front of lots 174 and 175 The document was signed by Commissioners: C.S. Gzowski, J.W. Langmuir and J.G. Macdonald