By-laws of the municipal council of the United Counties of Lincoln and Welland, 1852

By-laws included are numbers 31-34 and deal with school issues, raising funds for the municipality, payment of fees, and remuneration to the sheriff of the municipality.

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.

Clifton House Ladies’ and Gentlemens’ Ordinary menu, 1865

The menu, with wine list from the Ladies’ and Gentlemens’ Ordinary of the Clifton House hotel in Niagara Falls, Ont. Also includes handwritten additions or alterations to the printed menu. The proprietors of the hotel were D.H. Bromley & Co. The Clifton House hotel was built in 1833 and destroyed by fire in 1896. It was known as the finest hotel on the Canadian side of the falls. Oakes Garden Theatre marks its location today.

Dominion Chain Co., Limited advertisements, 1918, n.d.

The advertisements are for weed chains and unit chains for tires. Weed and unit chains were designed for use on muddy roads, snow, ice, wet pavement, and sand for single and dual solid truck tires. The Dominion Chain Co., Limited of Niagara Falls, Ontario began operation in 1914. The plant was located at 800 Bender Hill and in 1963 it employed between 250 and 500 people.

Dr. A. Leon Hatzan letters,1926, 1932-1940, n.d.

Alexander Leon Hatzan (1864-1941), a native of Belgium, was a self-described medical doctor, missionary, academic and some time herbalist. In 1918 he moved to Niagara Falls, first living on Clifton Avenue (now Zimmerman Ave.), later moving to the River Road home he shared with his wife Ada Beatrice Rolston (1882-1975). He was the author of three books and at least four known music scores. He was heavily involved in the promotion of his books and his music. The correspondence is chiefly in reply to gifts of books and/or music sent by Hatzan to the recipients or in reply to requests for speaking engagements. Hatzan died on October 7, 1941 while visiting Vancouver, BC.

Eastham-Leinour Indenture, 1830

Fonds consists of one indenture, the sale of part of lot 94 in Niagara Township, to Thomas Eastham, by James Leinour. Thomas Eastham was a driver in the Her Majesty’s Royal Artillery and was General Brock’s trumpeter at the Battle of Queenston Heights. Eastham owned a hotel on the corner of Queen and Highland streets in Queenston. A watercolour of the hotel forms part of the J. Ross Robertson Art collection at the Metropolitan Toronto Reference Library. Eastham also served as pound keeper in the Village of Queenston. Thomas Eastham died in 1839 and an inscribed monument marks his grave in the cemetery of St. Mark’s Church, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. No additional information is known about James Leinour.

Recreational Development and the Lake Erie Shore Photographs,1967

John N. Jackson was born and raised in London England. He served in the Royal Navy, acquired a B.A. and a Ph.D, conducted research for a city planning office and lectured at the University of Manchester. He joined Brock University’s faculty in 1965 as a Professor of Applied Geography. Since his retirement in 1991 he has been Professor Emeritus to Brock. Throughout his time in academia Jackson has focused his research on the history of the modern city, both throughout Europe and Canada. Jackson has also completed specific research on the Niagara Peninsula; including industrial geography, recreation along the Lake Erie shore, St. Catharines early history, the Welland Canals, railway development, comparisons across the Niagara River. While living in the Niagara region Jackson has become involved in many community events. He has been the Director for the Bruce Trail Association, President of the Welland Canals Foundation, and been involved in local historical groups throughout the Niagara region.

Niagara Editorial Bureau/Ontario Editorial Bureau Administrative Records

Fonds contains materials related to the St. Catharines, Hamilton and Toronto Offices of the Ontario Editorial Bureau, from the early 1940s to 2008. All invoices and personal documents (life insurance plans, T4 slips, vacation pay, doctor's notes etc.) have been removed from this collection. Resumes have been removed and, if appropriate, placed in the biographical file. Duplicates have been removed.

Lt. Col. John Clark Papers, 1838-1851 [photocopy]

Lt. Col. John Clark (1787-1862) was born in Kingston, Upper Canada. In 1801 Clark became a private in the 1st regiment of the Lincoln Militia, serving under Ralfe Clench. By June 1812 he was promoted to lieutenant by Maj. Gen. Sir Isaac Brock. During the War of 1812 he served as lieutenant and adjutant for the Lincoln Militia flank company on the Niagara frontier under Col. William Claus, and was present at the surrender of the enemy at the battle of Queenston Heights. By 1838 the Lincoln Militia was being re-organized and Lt. Col John Clark was requested to lead the 5th Regiment, made up of men from both Grantham and Louth townships in Lincoln County. He served in this capacity until his retirement in 1851?. Around this same time Clark bought from William May Jr. a house in Grantham Township. He was to call his home Walnut Dale Farm. John Clark also served as the customs collector for Port Dalhousie, and as a secretary in the Welland Canal Company. One hundred years later efforts by a local heritage group to save John Clark’s home failed, when the house was hit by arsonists. By this time the house had become known as the May-Clark-Seiler House. See RG 195 Anne Taylor Fonds for more information regarding the efforts of the heritage group to save this home. Clark died in 1862 at the age of 79 years and is buried in Victoria Lawn Cemetery. John Clark’s daughter Catherine (mentioned in the diary portion of the papers) was married to William Morgan Eccles.

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.

Welland County Records, 1961-1989

The origins of the Welland County Fair date back to the founding of the County of Welland in 1852. A provincial charter was issued in 1853 to create the Welland County Agricultural Society that was to operate the Fair. In 1970, the Welland County Fair became the Niagara Regional Exhibition, and the Society became known as the Niagara Regional Agriculture Society. The Society seeks to “encourage interest, promote improvements in and advance the standards of agriculture, domestic industry and rural life”. The Welland Festival of Arts was developed in 1986 in order to revitalize the town’s economy. An “outdoor art gallery” was created by painting murals on buildings that depicted the town’s heritage, a concept successfully adopted by the town of Chemainus, B.C. The first mural was completed in the summer of 1988, and by 1991 there were a total of 28 murals around the city. The endeavour proved successful: in the years that followed the creation of the Festival, two new hotels were constructed, a third was expanded, and there was an addition to the Seaway Mall to accommodate the increased tourist traffic. Optimist International is a non-profit organization that strives to “bring out the best in kids” . The first Canadian club was formed in Toronto in 1924. The Welland branch of the Optimist Club was founded in 1937. The first Welland County General Hospital opened in 1908. As the population increased, it became necessary to expand the existing facilities. Additions were made to the original structure with an East wing in 1930 and a children’s ward in 1931. However, in the 1950’s, the hospital was operating beyond optimum capacity and the need for a larger facility was clear. It was decided that a new hospital would be built, which opened in April 1960. The new hospital had 259 beds and 51 bassinets. Further additions were made in 1967 and 1978. The County of Welland was formed in 1850 when it was officially separated from Lincoln County, however, the two counties continued to operate together until 1856 when a new County building and jail for Welland County were completed. That same year, the first meeting of the Council of the Corporation of Welland County took place. The final meeting of the Council took place on December 18, 1969. The following year, the County of Welland merged with Lincoln County to form the Regional Municipality of Niagara. The Welland Mills in Thorold, Ont., was built in 1846-1847 by Jacob Keefer and is thought to have been one of the largest flour mills in Upper Canada. Ownership of the mill changed several times over the years and previous owners include the Howland family, the Hedley Shaw Milling Company and the Maple Leaf Milling Company. In 1986, the building received a heritage plaque from the Ontario Heritage Foundation, an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Culture and Recreation. At this time, the mill was no longer in operation and was being used for storage by Fraser, Inc. By 2006, the dilapidated building had been redeveloped into18 apartments and 2 floors of commercial space, while maintaining many heritage features. The building is currently known as the Welland Mills Centre.

Lincoln County Records

The County of Lincoln dates back to 1798, when the first Lincoln County was formed. It was comprised of the townships of Clinton, Grimsby, Saltfleet, Barton, Ancaster, Glanford, Binbrook,Gainsborough, Caistor, Newark (Niagara),Grantham, Louth, Stamford, Thorold, Pelham, Bertie, Willoughby, Crowland, Humberstone and Wainfleet. The County boundaries were revised over the years, and the formation of Welland County in 1856 left only 7 townships in Lincoln County (Niagara, Grantham, Louth, Clinton, Gainsborough, Caistor and Grimsby). A County Council was also established at this time, which consisted of a Clerk, Warden, and a representative from each township. In 1862, the County Seat was moved from Niagara-on-the-Lake to St. Catharines. In 1970, Lincoln and Welland Counties were amalgamated to form the Regional Municipality of Niagara.

Seagram Museum Collection

The Seagram Museum was opened on May 16th, 1984 by the Honourable William G. Davis, Premier of Ontario. The museum was devoted to the history and technology of the wine and spirit industry. The museum focused on wine-making and distillation, as well as barrel-making and cork manufacturing. The museum was located adjacent to the Seagram Distillery in Waterloo, Ontario. In 1997, the museum closed due to lack of funds.

Bank of Canada Records, 1958-1989

The Bank of Canada first introduced Canada Savings Bonds during the First and Second World Wars. At the time, they were known as War Savings Certificates and Victory Bonds and were used to fund the war effort. In 1946, Canada Savings Bonds were used as part of Canada’s Postwar Financing Program. At that time, the government also introduced the sale of bonds through payroll deduction. Canada Savings Bonds proved to be very popular, providing investors with a convenient, flexible and safe investment. Over time the bonds failed to remain competitive with other low-risk investment options, and the high cost of administering the program called into question its relevance. An independent report commissioned by the government in 2004 recommended that the bonds be phased out, however, the government decided to keep the program and make some revisions. As of 2012, Canada Savings Bonds are available exclusively through the payroll savings program, while Canada Premium Bonds (introduced in 1998) are available through financial institutions, dealers and by phone.

Ontario Winter Games records, 1984-1985.

The Ontario Winter Games began in 1970. This four day sporting event features amateur athletes from across the province, with the majority of the athletes being between the ages of 14-18. The event is held every two years and averages 3,500 participants, including athletes, coaches and officials. It provides an opportunity for young athletes to showcase and develop their skills, often preparing them for sports competitions at the national and international level. The 1985 Ontario Winter Games were held in St. Catharines, Ontario, from March 14-17.