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)

Phelps Family Papers [photocopy]

Oliver Phelps, son of Noah and Sarah (Adams) Phelps, was born in 1779 in Connecticut. In 1800 he married Abigail St. John, daughter of Lt. Samuel St. John and his wife Lois Hamilton. They had 9 daughters and 7 sons. Oliver Phelps came to Canada as a contractor on the first Welland Canal. In addition, he became a land owner and mill owner in partnership with William Hamilton Merritt. Oliver Phelps died in 1851 in Cayuga, Ontario along the Grand River. Some correspondence originates from a place called “Deep Cut”, an earlier name for the village of Allanburg, Thorold Township, Welland County.

David Skene-Melvin papers, 1918, 1995, n.d.

David Skene-Melvin, literary historian and bibliographer, donated his extensive collection of books on Crime, Mystery and Detective fiction to the Popular Culture Program at Brock University in July 2001. The donation forms a significant part of the Skene-Melvin Collection of Crime, Mystery and Detective Fiction, James A. Gibson Library, Brock University.

Benjamin Woodruff Price Papers, 1851, 1853-1860, 1862-1863, 1874, n.d.

The fonds includes sixty two items of correspondence between Benjamin Woodruff Price, aka Woodruff, Ben or Uncle, and various family members, both immediate and distant cousins. Also included is business correspondence related to Price’s activities as a watchmaker and/or jeweler. Benjamin Woodruff Price was born in Thorold Township ca. 1831, the son of Joseph Price and Mary Smith. B.W. Price married Ella or Ellen McGlashan (1851-1906) ca. 1868. Price died between 1891 and 1901, his burial location is unknown at present. A watchmaker and jeweler, Price lived most of his life in Fonthill, Ont. He also included auctioneer, undertaker and photographer as some of his other professional activities. His siblings included David Smith Price (wife Isabella Ann), John Smith Price (wife Elizabeth Jane), and sisters Susan Page (husband Edward Rice Page), Jerusha Price, Mary Price and Martha W. Stone (husband Dudley Ward Stone). John Smith Price died 18 April 1860, leaving no descendents. It is likely that G.W. Stone was a nephew to B.W. Price, the son of his sister Martha W. Stone and her husband Dudley Ward Stone. Susan Page was a sister of Benjamin Woodruff Price. She was married to Edward Rice Page and they had at least two children, Joseph and Clayton. At the time of this correspondence they lived in Suspension Bridge, NY, now part of Niagara Falls, New York. Edward Rice Page’s occupation was listed as saloon keeper. The Price family appears to have had a very large extended family. This information was gleaned from the contents of letters of Maggie Tisdale, daughter of Ephraim and Hannah (Price) Tisdale, P.A. or Ann Morgan, [may also be Phebe Ann] of Newark, NY? and Marietta House of Bayham Township. DeWitt Higgins of Suspension Bridge, NY aka Niagara Falls, NY was an auctioneer, specialized in buying jewellery, watches, clocks, from individuals and reselling his product to others like B.W. Price.

Irish John Willson United Empire Loyalist Family Fonds

John Willson first came to Upper Canada along with his friend Nathaniel Pettit in the late 1700s. They both moved with their families from New Jersey where they had both been imprisioned for not siding with the rebels and maintaining Loyalist allegiences. Pettit arrived with his four daughters, leaving his son behind. Willson came with his wife and nine children. Willson received 1200 acres of land as well as 200 per child. He settled at the corner of Dorchester road and Thorold Stone Road, where he and his family did very well for themselves. Willson as well as his son Thomas ran ox-teams on the portage. His son John became the proprietor of the Exchange hotel at Niagara, and Charles operated at the Pavilion hotel at Falls View. Shortly after his arrival in Upper Canada John Willson changed his name to “Irish” John Willson, as there were 5 other “John Willsons” which appeared on the Loyalists lists. Irish John drowned in the Niagara River in 1798, and his family continued to thrive in Niagara after his death. His second son Thomas Willson, married Abigail Pettit, daughter of his Father’s friend Nathaniel. Thomas was awarded 250 acres of land as a Loyalist and 200 for Abigail, as she was the daughter of a loyalist. He became a blacksmith and also operated ox-teams along the portage. He was Assessor for Stamford Township for 1800, 1807, 1820 and 1829. During the years 1808, 1822, 1825, 1826 and 1831 he was a tax collector and overseer of Statute of Labour. Thomas and Abigail Willson had nine children together. Francis Bond Head Willson of Beaverdams (mentioned throughout the collection) was a great grandson of Thomas and Abigail. Thomas and his wife are both buried beside the Lundy’s Lane United Church. *for more information on the remaining Willson family please refer to box #1, folders 1-3. * Genealogical information from a paper prepared by Pearl Wilson and given before the Lundy’s Lane Historical Society, May 1945, by Hazel Culp Ferris. Box 1 Folder 1.

Bell Family Bible, Deaths, 1862-1916

A single page from the Deaths section of the Bell Family Bible listing the names and dates of death for various members of the family.The handwritten entries appear to read as follows: "John William Taylor, died April 30th Anne Domini 1862; aged 52 years. Jess J Bell died April 11th 1872 O Mary Franices Bell died August 20th 1872. Mrs. Susan Hall. Died May, 24th, 1898 Born January 1st 1829 age. 69 William B Bell died March 19th 1897 Richard Jones died June 6th 1912 Mastam Jone died Charles H. Hall died November 11th 1916."

Bell Family Bible, Deaths, Tyrrell, 1886-1908

The Deaths page from the Bell Family Bible listing the deaths of Jane Tyrrell in 1886, William C. Tyrrell in 1898, and Lewis Tyrrell in 1908. This Bible was in the possession of the Rick Bell family of St. Catharines, Ontario. Relatives of the Bell family were former Black slaves from the United States who settled in Canada.The handwritten entry appears to read as follows: "Jane Tyrrell, died March 1st 1886 age 64 yrs. William C. Tyrrell died January 15th 1898 by accident in Albany N.Y. age 33 yrs 3 months Lewis Tyrrell died September 25th 1908 at his late residence Vine and Welland Ave. St. Catharines age 81 yrs 5 months." There are various spellings of the Tyrrell name within the Bell family archive. Other forms of the name include Tyrell, Tyrrill, and Terrell.

Bell Family Bible, Miscellaneous, 1895 - 1918

A page from the Bell Family Bible entitled "Miscellaneous" recording the dates and places of birth of the children of Charles and Mary Bell. The birth dates for the eight children listed range from 1895 to 1918. There is also a single entry under the heading "Age of Children of Delbert Bell". This Bible was in the possession of the Rick Bell of St. Catharines. The Bell family is descended from former Black slaves from the United States who settled in Canada.The handwritten entries appear to be as follows: "Ages of the children of Charles and Mary Bell are Wilbert Otto Bell born November 7th 1895 Erie Pa. Edna Beatrice Bell born May 25th 1897 Erie Pa. Lewis Terrell Bell born April 8th 1899 St. Catharines Ont. Gertrude Bell born November 26th 1902 St. Catharines Ont. Charles Henry Bell born June 6th 1906 St. Catharines Ont. Richard Wilson Bell born March 19th 1911 William Willoughby Bell born May 2nd 1912 both in St. Catharines Ontario Age of Children of Delbert Bell March 12th 1918 Delbert Charlie Bell"

Cabinet Card by C. Arthur, Photographer, St. Catharines [n.d.]

An unidentified young woman is featured in this black and white cabinet card by photographer C. Arthur, of St. Catharines, Ontario. The address of Mr. Arthur's studio is printed along the bottom of the photograph. This photograph was among the family memorabilia owned by Iris Sloman Bell of St. Catharines. The Sloman - Bell families include relatives who were former African American slaves who settled in Canada.Charles A. Arthur is listed as a photographer in St. Catharines from 1880 - 1883 and Charles P. Arthur (possibly a son?) was a photographer in the same city in 1898. Source: Phillips, Glen C. The Ontario photographers list (1851-1900). Sarnia: Iron Gate Publishing Co., 1990.

Photograph of Unidentified Woman by C. Arthur, Photographer, St. Catharines [n.d.]

An unidentified young woman is featured in this undated black and white studio photograph by C. Arthur, Photographer, of St. Catharines, Ontario. This small cabinet card photograph was in the possession of the Iris Sloman Bell family of St. Catharines. Relatives of the Sloman - Bell families include former African American slaves who settled in Canada.Two photographers by the name of Arthur are listed as working in St. Catharines, Ontario in the second half of the 19th century. Charles A. Arthur was a photographer from 1880 - 1883, while Charles P. Arthur (possibly a son?) is listed as a photographer in 1898. Source: Phillips, Glen C. The Ontario photographers list (1851-1900). Sarnia: Iron Gate Publishing Co., 1990.

Photograph of Girl by Edwin Poole, Photographer, St. Catharines [n.d.]

This unidentified girl is featured in a photograph taken by St. Catharines photographer Edwin Poole. This cabinet card was among the memorabilia in the possession of the Rick Bell family of St. Catharines, Ontario. The Bell family is descended from Black slaves from the United States who settled in southern Ontario.Edwin Poole was a photographer in St. Catharines from 1877 - 1900. Source: Phillips, Glen C. The Ontario photographers list (1851-1900). Sarnia: Iron Gate Publishing Co., 1990.

Photograph of Young Woman by R. F. Uren, Photographer, St. Catharines [n.d.]

Undated black and white cabinet card portrait of an unidentified young woman. This photograph was taken by R. F. Uren whose studio was located at 79 St. Paul St., St. Catharines, Ontario. This item was among the memorabilia in the possession of the Rick Bell family of St. Catharines. Relatives of the Bell family are descended from former Black slaves from the United States.Richard Frank (R.F.) Uren was a photographer in St. Catharines from 1886-1895. Source: Phillips, Glen C. The Ontario photographers list (1851-1900). Sarnia: Iron Gate Publishing Co., 1990.

Photograph of Two Girls by R. F. Uren, Photographer, St. Catharines [n.d.]

Two unidentified girls are featured in this black and white cabinet card style photograph by R. F. Uren, of St. Catharines. The photograph is not dated, however, the address of the photographer is printed at the bottom of the cabinet card. This photograph was in the possession of Iris Sloman Bell, of St. Catharines, Ontario. The Sloman - Bell family descendants include former African American slaves who settled in Canada.Richard Frank (R.F.) Uren was a photographer in St. Catharines from 1886-1895. Source: Phillips, Glen C. The Ontario photographers list (1851-1900). Sarnia: Iron Gate Publishing Co., 1990. "Cabinet card photographs were first introduced in 1866. They were initially employed for landscapes rather than portraitures. Cabinet cards replaced Carte de visite photographs as the popular mode of photography. Cabinet cards became the standard for photographic portraits in 1870. Cabinet cards experienced their peak in popularity in the 1880's. Cabinet cards were still being produced in the United States until the early 1900's and continued to be produced in Europe even longer. The best way to describe a cabinet card is that it is a thin photograph that is mounted on a card that measures 4 1/4″ by 6 1/2″. Cabinet cards frequently have artistic logos and information on the bottom or the reverse of the card which advertised the photographer or the photography studio's services." Source: http://cabinetcardgallery.wordpress.com/category/cabinet-card-history/

Photograph of Charles Bell with Horse and Cart, St. Catharines [n.d.]

Charles Bell is pictured in this black and white undated photograph with his horse and cart. Mr. Bell ran an ice and coal business on Geneva St. in St. Catharines, Ontario. This photograph was in the possession of the Rick Bell family, of St. Catharines.Handwritten inscription on the reverse reads: "Grandpa Charles Bell ran ice and coal business, Geneva St. St. Catharines"

Photograph of Richard, Iris and Albert Sloman [n.d.]

An undated photograph of Richard, Iris and Albert Sloman taken outside what is believed to be a holiday cabin in Parry Sound, Ontario. This photograph was in the possession of the Rick Bell family, of St. Catharines.