Indenture of Land between Joseph Kingsmill, sheriff and Joseph Augustus Woodruff of the Town of Clifton

Indenture of between Joseph Kingsmill, sheriff and Joseph Augustus Woodruff of the Town of Clifton for 4 acres of land in part of Lot no. 12 in the 5th Concession of Wainfleet – instrument no. 9998, May 23, 1857.

Indenture of bargain and sale between Frederic and Laura Charlotte Davis of the Town of Sarnia to Joseph A. Woodruff of the Town of Clifton

Indenture of bargain and sale between Frederic and Laura Charlotte Davis of the Town of Sarnia to Joseph A. Woodruff of the Town of Clifton for Lot no. 28 on the east side of Front Street in Sarnia. This document is slightly torn. This does not affect the text, Jan. 26, 1859.

Indenture of transfer of parcels of land purchased at sales of land for taxes to Joseph A. Woodruff of the Town of Clifton

Indenture of transfer of parcels of land purchased at sales of land for taxes to Joseph A. Woodruff of the Town of Clifton. Transferred by The Honourable Walter Hamilton Dickson of the Town of Niagara. These lands are located in Caistor, Wainfleet, Humberstone, Crowland, Grimsby, Gainsboro and Pelham, Nov. 1, 1861.

Indenture of deed for taxes between Benjamin Walker Smith, sheriff of the County of Simcoe and Joseph A. Woodruff of the Town of Clifton

Indenture of deed for taxes between Benjamin Walker Smith, sheriff of the County of Simcoe and Joseph A. Woodruff of the Town of Clifton for 98 acres in the Township of Tiny in the County of Simcoe, Lot no. 15 in the 18th Concession, Dec. 12, 1861.

Indenture of bargain and sale between Henry and Mary Miller of the Town of Niagara to Joseph Augustus Woodruff of the Town of Niagara

Indenture of bargain and sale between Henry and Mary Miller of the Town of Niagara to Joseph Augustus Woodruff of the Town of Niagara for 50 acres in the east half of Lot no. 15 in the 1st Concession in the Township of Southwold in Elgin County, April 2, 1853.

Map (printed) of the Shipman Tract in the Town of St. Catharines

Map (printed) of the Shipman Tract in the Town of St. Catharines, 38 cm. x 48 cm., April 1846.

Office of the City Clerk, St. Catharines Records, 1928-1974, n.d.

The site of present-day St. Catharines was settled by 3000 United Empire Loyalists at the end of the 18th century. From 1790, the settlement (then known as "The Twelve") grew as an agricultural community. St. Catharines was once referred to Shipman's Corners after Paul Shipman, owner of a tavern that was an important stagecoach transfer point. In 1815, leading businessman William Hamilton Merritt abandoned his wharf at Queenston and set up another at Shipman's Corners. He became involved in the construction and operation of several lumber and gristmills along Twelve Mile Creek. Shipman's Corners soon became the principal milling site of the eastern Niagara Peninsula. At about the same time, Merritt began to develop the salt springs that were discovered along the river which subsequently gave the village a reputation as a health resort. By this time St. Catharines was the official name of the village; the origin of the name remains obscure, but is thought to be named after Catharine Askin Robertson Hamilton, wife of the Hon. Robert Hamilton, a prominent businessman. Merritt devised a canal scheme from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario that would provide a more reliable water supply for the mills while at the same time function as a canal. He formed the Welland Canal Company, and construction took place from 1824 to 1829. The canal and the mills made St. Catharines the most important industrial centre in Niagara. By 1845, St. Catharines was incorporated as a town, with the town limits extending in 1854. Administrative and political functions were added to St. Catharines in 1862 when it became the county seat of Lincoln. In 1871, construction began on the third Welland Canal, which attracted additional population to the town. As a consequence of continual growth, the town limits were again extended. St. Catharines attained city status in 1876 with its larger population and area. Manufacturing became increasingly important in St. Catharines in the early 1900s with the abundance of hydro-electric power, and its location on important land and water routes. The large increase in population after the 1900s was mainly due to the continued industrialization and urbanization of the northern part of the city and the related expansion of business activity. The fourth Welland Canal was opened in 1932 as the third canal could no longer accommodate the larger ships. The post war years and the automobile brought great change to the urban form of St. Catharines. St. Catharines began to spread its boundaries in all directions with land being added five times during the 1950s. The Town of Merritton, Village of Port Dalhousie and Grantham Township were all incorporated as part of St. Catharines in 1961. In 1970 the Province of Ontario implemented a regional approach to deal with such issues as planning, pollution, transportation and services. As a result, Louth Township on the west side of the city was amalgamated, extending the city's boundary to Fifteen Mile Creek. With its current population of 131,989, St. Catharines has become the dominant centre of the Niagara region. Source: City of St. Catharines website http://www.stcatharines.ca/en/governin/HistoryOfTheCity.asp (January 27, 2011)

Letter from George W. Campbell the Chairman of the Committee appointed to inquire into the causes and particulars of the invasion of the City of Washington

Full Title: Letter from George W. Campbell, esq., late Secretary of the Treasury, to the Chairman of the Committee appointed to inquire into the causes and particulars of the invasion of the City of Washington, and the neighboring town of Alexandria, in the month of August last Laid before the House by the Chairman of the said Committee, and ordered to be printed January 2, 1815. 13th Congress, 3rd Session. House. Doc. 38. Printed by Roger C. Weightman

Interrogation of Prisoner - Heaquarters 1st Division, American Expeditionary Forces, 27 May 1918

A prisoner interrogation report dated 27 May 1918. The report reads: "I. PRISONER X. 1st. Battalion, 272 Res. Rogt., 82d Res. 1. CIRCUMSTANCES OF CAPTURE; Captured, while attempting to raid our trenches, at point 1719 at about 7A.M. 2. INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM PRISONER (a) Between point 1814 and point 175242 the German trenches appear to be held by three companies, each numbering 3 platoons, each platoon numbering about 40 men. Each company has 4 light machine guns in the first lines, these machine guns distributed along the first trench (one of them in particular is located at bond in hostile trench at point 17215 and another at about 17245. Each company, furthermore, has one platoon (weak in numbers) in support in the ravine north of Cantigny. These platoons are in dugouts dug into the side of the hill approximately between points 28215 and 2223. Each of these support platoons has two light machine guns at its disposal. Company commanders dugout is at some point along the line of dugouts occupied by the support platoons. Another company commander's dugout (Co.3) is at point 1815 about 15 meters behind the German trench which runs along the edge of the town of Cantigny. There is a communication trench between the cemetery at 2018 and the front line at 18179. It is believed that there is a machine gun at point 17245 kept in a dugout dug under the road. The reserve battalion is believed to be at a fairly great distance from the front (near Bouillancourt). The prisoner, on the other hand, states that it may have been moved up."

Flyer, Rules of the Board of Water Commissioners

Flyer containing the standing Rules of the Board of Water Commissioners for the Town of St. Catharines (2 copies), Nov. 27, 1875.

Preservation of Agricultural Lands Society (PALS) fonds, 1954-2015, n.d.

Preservation of Agricultural Lands Society [PALS] held its first meeting at Brock University on June 21, 1976. Its first executive consisted of Robert Hoover, Rick Teather, Debbie Kehler and Bill Forster. Some objectives of the organization were "to seek the preservation of valuable farm areas from non-agricultural expansion and development and to foster development and support of federal, provinicial and local policy which will provide a secure financial future for farming." Gracia Janes and John Bacher are some of the organizations' well known advocates. The organization was active in raising public awareness of the issues surrounding encroaching development onto existing agricultural lands. The organization is still active today [2016] in educating the public and attempting to influence governments at all levels to protect valuable agricultural lands.

Indenture of assignment of mortgage between Executors of the Zimmerman Estate and the Bank of Upper Canada

Indenture of assignment of mortgage between Executors of the Zimmerman Estate and the Bank of Upper Canada regarding Lot no. 4 in block O in the Town of Elgin – instrument no. 6360, May 14, 1858.

Indenture of deed of quit claim (original copy and memorial of) between Walter H. and Charlotte Dickson of Guelph and Joseph A. Woodruff of Niagara

Indenture of deed of quit claim (original copy and memorial of) between Walter H. and Charlotte Dickson of Guelph and Joseph A. Woodruff of Niagara for land in the Town of Clifton, Stamford and Welland, Aug. 10, 1863.

Indenture between Richard Leonard, sheriff of the District of Niagara (regarding lands seized from John Donald McKay) to Robert Dickson

Indenture between Richard Leonard, sheriff of the District of Niagara (regarding lands seized from John Donald McKay) to Robert Dickson. The land consists of ½ an acre located in Lot no. 96 in the Town of Niagara – instrument no. 8600. This was recorded on May 4th, 1832 in Book N, folio 276- 277 in the registry of Lincoln and Haldimand Counties, Oct. 13, 1824.

Indenture –sheriff’s deed (vellum) between William Kingsmill, sheriff of the Niagara District and Walter H. Dickson

Indenture –sheriff’s deed (vellum) between William Kingsmill, sheriff of the Niagara District and Walter H. Dickson for 23 acres in the Town of Niagara – instrument no. 1158, Oct. 29, 1842