Indenture of Release between Richard Miller and others

Indenture of release by executors between Richard Miller, John L. Ranney and Richard Woodruff, all of St. Catharines and Joseph A. Woodruff of Clifton, all executors of the will of Samuel Zimmerman of the first part and The Great Western Railway Company of the second part. Parties of the second part have exonerated parties of the first part to undertake and complete the Sarnia branch of the railway. Also, parties of the first part believe they are entitled to compensation as the death of Zimmerman was caused while travelling on one of the carriages belonging to said company. A sum of $150,000 was agreed upon to be paid to the executors by the Great Western Railway Company, September 7, 1858.

Letter to W.D. Woodruff from E.C. Wheeler Jr. of N.W. Harris and Co. Bankers of New York

Letter to W.D. Woodruff from E.C. Wheeler Jr. of N.W. Harris and Co. Bankers of New York (1 page, printed) regarding taking on some more of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway bonds, Jan. 15, 1909.

Some Incidents and Circumstances

- The first part of the document traces Mr. Haile’s lineage. His father, James Haile was a farmer. His grandfather, Amos Haile was a sailor for the early part of his life. He was placed on a British man-of- war in about 1758. He escaped and settled in Putney. (p.1) - His father’s mother’s maiden name was Parker. His mother’s maiden name was Campbell. Her father was a captain in the Revolutionary Army. (p.2) - His earliest memories revolve around the death of his aunt and the funeral of General Washington (although he did not witness this). At the time, his father was a Lieutenant in a regiment militia of Light Dragoons who wore red coats. (p.3) - In 1804, an addition was added to the Haile house which necessitated that William was to stay home to help with the building. He continued to study and read on his own. He was particularly interested in Napoleon Bonaparte’s victories. In that same year he was sent to Fairfield Academy where Reverend Caleb Alexander was the principal. (p.4) - On June 1, 1812, William was appointed as an Ensign in the Infantry of the Army of the United States. He was put into the recruiting service at Nassau (20 miles east of Albany) where he remained until September. (p.4) - He was assigned to the 11th Regiment of the W.S. Infantry and directed to proceed to Plattsburgh to report to Colonel Isaac Clark. (p.7) - He was assigned to the company commanded by Captain Samuel H. Halley who was not in the best of health and often absent. For a good part of the time William was in charge of the company. (p.8) - The 11th Regiment was encamped beside the 15th Regiment commanded by Col. Zebulon Montgomery Pike [Pike’s Peak was named after him]. Col. Pike generously drilled and disciplined the 11th Regiment since their officers didn’t seem capable of doing so. (p.8) - The first brigade to which William’s regiment was attached to was commanded by Brigadier General Bloomfield of New Jersey. Brigadier Chandler of Maine commanded the second brigade. (p.9) - At the beginning of November, Major General Dearborn took command of the army. He had been a good officer in his time, but William refers to him as “old and inefficient” earning him the nickname “Granny Dearborn” (p.9) - On November 17th, 1812, General Dearborn moved north with his army. The troops ended up in Champlain. There was no fighting, only a skirmish between a party of men under Colonel Pike and a few British troops who he succeeded in capturing. (p.10) - The troops were moved to barracks for the winter. Colonel Pike’s troops were put into suitable barracks and kept healthy but another part of the army (including the 11th Regiment) were sent to a barracks of green lumber north of Burlington. Disease soon broke out in the damp barracks and the hundreds of deaths soon followed. One morning, William counted 22 bodies who had died the previous night. He puts a lot of this down to an inexperienced commanding officer, General Chandler. (p.11) - At the beginning of 1813, William was stationed as a recruiter on the shore of Shoreham across from Fort Ticonderoga. In February, he returned to Burlington with his recruits. In March he received an order from General Chandler to proceed to Whitehall and take charge of the stores and provisions. In April and May it was decided that his half of the regiment (the First Battalion) should march to Sackett’s Harbour, Lake Ontario. They arrived at Sackett’s Harbour about the 10th of June, a few days after the Battle of Sackett’s Harbour. (p.12) - He was camped near the site of Fort Oswego and got word to head back to Sackett’s Harbour. A storm overtook the schooner that he was on. (p.14) - William was involved in the Battle of Williamsburg (or Chrysler’s Farm) which he calls a “stupid and bungling affair on the part of our generals”.(p. 18) - General Covington was wounded and died a few days after the battle. (p.19) - William speaks of being ill. The troops were ordered to march to Buffalo, but he is able to go to his father’s house in Fairfield where his mother nursed him back to health (p.23) - Upon arrival at Buffalo, the “old fogy Generals” were replaced with younger, more efficient men. (p.25) - On page 27 he sums up a few facts: In 1812, the army was assembled on Lake Champlain with the intention of capturing Montreal, and then Quebec. That year, under General Dearborn the army marched as far as Champlain, then turned back and went into winter quarters. In 1813, the army was assembled at Sackett’s Harbour and that year the campaign ended at French Mills which was 70 or 80 miles from Montreal. In 1814, the army at Buffalo were some 400 miles from Montreal with still the same object in view. - He says that these facts make “a riddle – difficult to explain”. (p.27) - On the evening of July 2nd they embarked on the boats with the objective of capturing Fort Erie. The enemy were all made prisoners of war (p.27) - On July 4th they went to Street’s Creek, 2 miles above the Chippewa [Chippawa] River (p.28) - Page 29 is titled The Battle of Chippewa [Chippawa] - He speaks of 2 drummers who were fighting over the possession of a drum when a cannonball came along and took of both of their heads (p.29) - He proclaims that this was one of the “most brilliant battles of the war”. The battle was fought and won in less than an hour after they left their tents. He credits General Scott with this success and states that was due to his rapid orders and movements. (p.30) - The dead of the battle remained on the field during the night. He describes this as quite gloomy seeing friend and foe lying side by side. At daybreak they set to work digging trenches to bury the dead. (p.31) - Colonel Campbell was wounded and advised to have his leg amputated. He refused, and subsequently died. (p.32) - It is said that the British threw several of their dead into the river and they went over the Falls. (p.32) - His troops repaired the bridge over Chippawa which the enemy had partially destroyed and then pursued the British as far as Queenston Heights. (p.32) - On pages 33 and 34 he speaks about meeting an old friend of his, Philip Harter. - The account ends at Queenston Heights

Acquisition and transfer of experiential learning from rock climbing to the corporate workplace

There were three purposes to this study. The first purpose was to determine how learning can be influenced by various factors i~ the rock climbing experience. The second purpose was to examine what people can learn from the rock climbing experience. The third purpose was to investigate whether that learning can transfer from the rock climbing experience to the subjects' real life in the workplace. Ninety employees from a financial corporation in the Niagara Region volunteered for this study. All subjects were surveyed throughout a one-day treatment. Ten were purposefully selected one month later for interviews. Ten themes emerged from the subjects in terms of what was learned. Inspiration, motivation, and determination, preparation, goals and limitations, perceptions and expectations, confidence and risk taking, trust and support, teamwork, feedback and encouragement, learning from failure, and finally, skills and flow. All participants were able to transfer what was learned back to the workplace. The results of this study suggested that subjects' learning was influenced by their ability to: take risks in a safe environment, fail without penalty, support each other, plan without time constraints, and enjoy the company of fellow workers that they wouldn't normally associate with. Future directions for research should include different types of treatments such as white water rafting, sky diving, tall ship sailing, or caving.

City of Niagara Falls Plans, 1846, 1877, 1884, 1886, 1889-1890, 1892-1894, 1903-1905, 1910, 1914, 1919, 1925, 1927-1928, n.d.

The collection consists of 37 plans, surveys or maps of the City of Niagara Falls beginning in 1846 until 1928. Some of the plans were created for the Falls Company, a group of land speculators that included Buchanan, Murray, Street, Allen, Robinson and others. Other plans relate to the building of the suspension bridge and the railway. Some plans and drawing may refer to estate documents in RG 167 Niagara South estate and legal documents collection. Item 22 has been scanned for preservation purposes.

Niagara-Welland Power Company Limited fonds, 1833, 1852, 1904-1906, 1909, n.d.

The Welland Power and Supply Canal Company Limited, established in 1893 and incorporated in 1894 with a capital stock of $500,000. The aim of the company was to harness the natural water supply of the Niagara and Welland Rivers. In 1898 the Canadian Electrical News published a report by Henry Symons, QC outlining the main project of the company. This project involves the construction of a canal from the Welland River to the brow of the mountain at Thorold, a distance of 8 miles; the construction at Thorold of a power house, and from Thorold to Lake Ontario, a raceway by which to carry water into the lake. The estimate for the machinery to generate 100,000 horse power is £125,000; for transmission line to Toronto at a voltage of 10,000….The total estimate therefore amounts to £2,452,162, or roughly speaking, $12,000,000. Source: Canadian Electrical News, August 1898, p. 172. In 1899 the company officers petitioned the federal government desiring a name change to the Niagara-Welland Power Company Limited. Officers of the company were Harry Symons, President; Charles A. Hesson, Vice-President; and M.R. O’Loughlin, James B. Sheehan, James S. Haydon, Frederick K. Foster, directors; John S. Campbell, secretary-treasurer. The company’s head offices were located in St. Catharines, with a New York (City) office on Broad Street. In 1905 and 1909 the company petitioned the federal government for additional time to construct its works, which was granted. The company had until May 16, 1915 to complete construction. John S. Campbell (1860-1950) was a graduate of the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall. During his university years John began his military career first in "K" Company, Queens Own rifles and then later as Commanding Officer of the 19th Lincoln Regiment, from 1906 to 1910. Upon his return to St. Catharines John Campbell served as secretary in the St. Catharines Garrison Club, a social club for military men begun in 1899. After being called to the Bar, he became a partner in the firm of Campbell and McCarron and was appointed to the bench in 1916, serving until retirement in 1934. Judge Campbell served as an alderman for several terms and was the mayor of St. Catharines in 1908 and 1909. He also served as the first chairman of the St. Catharines Public Utilities in 1914. John S. Campbell was married to Elizabeth Oille, daughter of Jerome B. and Charlotte (St. John) Oille. The family home "Cruachan" was located at 32 Church St.

The Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Chronicle - 1812 December

*Pages 497-504 are duplicated. Please check both November and December for these pages listed in the Index. Specific pages related to the War of 1812 include: Page 574: Battles at Fort Michilimackinac and the Invasion of Upper Canada by the Americans on October 12, 1812. Pages 576, 577, 578: Intelligence from Major General Sir Isaac Brock with mentions of the battles of Fort Detroit, Amherstburg, etc. Click on the pdf links to the right to view the monthly issue. The Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Chronicle was a monthly periodical published in England during the years of 1736-1833. The volumes of interest from 1812-1815 were written and compiled by Sylvanus Urban, Gentleman. These volumes were printed in London by Nichols, Son and Bentley at Cicero's Head, Red Lion Passage and Fleet Street. The magazine contains accounts of important historical events, letters from noted figures, articles on geography, biographical entries for prominent people, poems, reviews of books and more.

The New York Weekly Museum Newspaper, Vol. I, No.26- October 31, 1812

A weekly paper that was published from 1805 to 1814. War related news includes: Page 103 - Weekly Retrospect: Troop movements of Captain Morgan and a company of light dragoons from Niagara to Greenbush; report on the Battle of Queenston Heights including a casualty listing and a mention of the death of Major General Isaac Brock and Colonel McDonald and the American's respect for Brock; British attach of Fort Erie and the Village of Black Rock; the privateer Globe under Captain Murphy returning to Baltimore after capturing a British letter of marque; First Nation / Indian attacks near St. Louis; movements of General W. Harrison and army from Fort Defiance to the rapids of Miama (Miami). The rest of the newspaper contains literary works (poems and translations), essays (including on celibacy), marriages, deaths and other anecdotes. The motto on the front page states: "Visiting Every Flower with Labour Meet, and Gathering all its Treasures, Sweet by Sweet."

Additional Return for Ordnance Stores for the Use of Capt. Thos. Biddle’s Compy Corps of Artillery, June 24, 1814

Jacob Hindman (1789-1827) was an American military officer who was a captain of the Second U.S. Artillery during the War of 1812. He commanded troops at the battles at Fort George and Stony Creek in 1813, and in June of that year became the major of the Second Artillery. He remained in this position until May of 1814 when the regiment was merged with the Corps of Artillery. During the Niagara campaign in 1814, Hindman’s company commanders included Nathan Towson, Thomas Biddle, John Ritchie, and Alexander Williams. During the British attack on Fort Erie in August 1814, Hindman led an assault for which he later received a brevet promotion to lieutenant colonel for “gallant conduct in the defense of Fort Erie”. In 1815, he received an additional brevet for “meritorious services”. He is generally regarded as one of the most successful artillerists of the War of 1812. James Hall (1793-1868) served with the U.S. military as a second lieutenant in the Second Artillery during the War of 1812. He fought in the Battle of Lundy’s Lane and was General Brown’s messenger during the attack on Fort Erie. He left the military in 1818 and became a newspaper editor and author. His experiences during the War of 1812 provided material for two stories, The Bearer of Despatches and Empty Pockets. Much of his work sought to popularize the West and promote western authors.

The Washingtonian, 17 May 1813 (vol. 3, no. 148) - Newspaper

Volumes of interest were published between 1812 and 1815 with articles about the War of 1812. Issue for July 12, 1813 includes an account of the capture of the Chesapeake, report of explosion of the schooner Eagle off New London, report Com. Hardy had detained a smack, was determined to destroy all smacks and other small craft he found, reports of recent events at Malden, Fort George, head of the Lake, Sacketts Harbour, two reports of attack on Hampton, report of British attack near point of Nansemond River/Craney Island, second report of battle on/near Craney Island, additional report of attack at Hampton, marine news from Baltimore, report that sickness rampant throughout Army, many deaths reported, report that British were fortifying Brownstown, but deserters from British believe Michigan could be retaken by 3000 troops, report Gen. Boyd remained at Fort George to supervise repair of fortifications, report British reinforced from Kingston in Niagara and in Malden, report Gen. Hampton arrived at Albany on way to Burlington, report Gen. Parker left Albany, headed to Burlington, report of 400 men marching from Greenbush to the frontier, report of battles at Stoney Creek, 40 Mile Creek, report that Gen. Boyd lost an action with British in which 8 to 10 hundred men killed and taken from Americans, reports British had captured stores at Black Rock, Sodus, and Oswego, report of British victory in a battle 5 miles from Queenston, troop strength under Dearborn in Niagara reported between 2 and 3 thousand, additional reports of Battle of Beaverdams, reports Dearborn had resumed command, after lengthy illness, Gen. Boyd remained at Fort George, reports natives had been sieging Fort Wayne.

Photographs of secretarial staff at Lightning Fastener, ca. 1935

Lightning Fastener Co. Ltd. was a zipper manufacturer located on Niagara Street in St. Catharines. It was founded by Gideon Sundback, the inventor of the modern fastener. Sundback was born in Sweden, but settled in the United States in 1905. It was here that he designed and patented a “separable fastener” in 1913. Although he lived in Hoboken, New Jersey, he decided to establish a manufacturing facility for his invention in Canada, choosing St. Catharines over other locations such as Fort Erie and Hamilton. At the height of its success, the company employed more than 500 people and produced more than 50 million zippers annually. Over time, the company had difficulty remaining competitive and was forced to close in 1981.

Canadian National (CN) records, 1974-1989.

Canadian National Railway Company (CN) was incorporated in 1919 as a Crown Corporation. The company was formed during the period after World War I and integrated two of the country’s largest railroads, Canadian Northern and Grand Trunk. CN is the largest rail network in Canada and the only transcontinental network in North America. As the use of railways declined, CN diversified its activities during the 1970s, becoming involved in telecommunications , hotels and oil exploration. The next decade saw a period of financial stability, however, the 1990s were a period of decreased profitability. As part of a restructuring to alleviate the company’s financial difficulties , it was privatized in 1995.

Contract between John Cronyn and Nelson Forsyth, December 16, 1854.

John Cronyn (1827-1898) emigrated to Canada from Ireland in 1837. He studied medicine at the University of Toronto, but was not granted his degree upon completion of the requirements. He refused to take the test oaths meant to exclude Catholics from the profession and was not granted his degree until several years later, when the discriminatory laws were rescinded. In 1850, he married Elizabeth Willoughby of Toronto. They settled in Fort Erie and he established a successful medical practice there. He was active in the community, serving as Superintendent of schools and one term as Reeve. In 1859 he relocated to Buffalo and continued to practice medicine there. Cronyn was instrumental in the establishment of a medical department at Niagara University, where he was a professor and president of faculty. Nelson Forsyth was the son of William Forsyth (1771-1841), a prominent businessman in Niagara who owned and operated the Pavilion Hotel (later known as Forsyth’s Inn). Nelson was also a businessman and lived in Fort Erie with his wife Archange Warren.

Woodruff Family fonds, 1784 – 1983, (non-inclusive)

The Woodruff Family Collection: From the time the Woodruff Family came to Canada from the United States in 1795, they took an active role in the forming of their communities both in a civic and social manner. This is evident through the documents contained in this collection. The Woodruffs played an active role in the battles fought in Upper Canada and they were an integral part of the Village of St. Davids. They were educated, business-minded and socially engaged. They accumulated much of their fortune through land dealings. Much of this collection focuses on Samuel DeVeaux Woodruff who was principally a businessman. His dedication to his work is shown through his numerous undertakings. He made his mark on the Niagara Peninsula through his work on the railways, roads, marsh land revisions, canals and the paper industry. He was also involved with the founding of the Long Point Company and he took control of building DeVeaux Hall down to the last detail. His offspring inherited his work ethic and his business acumen. The people who married into the Woodruff Family also possessed key social, political and business ties. Anne and Margaret Clement were from a staunch Loyalist background. Samuel Zimmerman was instrumental to the founding of Niagara Falls and Judge Samuel DeVeaux left behind a legacy for poor and homeless boys in Niagara Falls, New York. The Woodruff Family undoubtedly left a mark on the Niagara Peninsula. This collection brings to light many endeavours of the family and their varied contributions.

Description of Mr. Samuel DeVeaux Woodruff's property on Ontario Street

Handwritten description of Mr. Samuel DeVeaux Woodruff’s property on Ontario Street which was sent by E. Gardiner to the Railway Company. This is a 1 page handwritten document. The land consisted of parts of Lots 20 and 21 in the 5th Concession of Grantham, June 26, 1901.