Roberta "Bobbie" Styran fonds, 1707-2013, n.d.

Roberta “Bobbie” Styran was born and rasied in Fredericton, N.B. She graduated from McMaster University with a B.A. (1962) and M.A. (1964), before furthering her studies at the University of Toronto, where she received a Ph. D in History. From 1967 to 1978, she taught Medieval History at Brock University, where she developed an interest in the Welland Canal. She began a collaboration with Prof. Robert R. Taylor of the History Department at this time, researching the history of the Welland Canals. She later moved to Toronto and worked for the Ministry of Education, but returned to St. Catharines in 1988 to facilitate her work with Prof. Taylor. The two have co-authored several books, including The Welland Canals: the Growth of Mr. Merritt’s Ditch; Mr. Merritt’s Ditch: A Welland Canals Album; The Great “Swivel Link”: Canada’s Welland Canal and This Great National Object: Building the Nineteenth-Century Welland Canals. Bobbie travelled extensively, visiting many canal and industrial revolution sites in Great Britain and the United States. She was active in many canal associations, including the Canadian Canal Society (where she served as president and editor of the Society’s newsletter), the American Canal Society, and the Council of Inland Waterways International. She also helped to found the Welland Canals Preservation Association and organized and chaired the 2004 World Canals Conference at Brock University. In 2009, she received the W. Gordon Plewes Award from the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering, an award that recognized her services to Canadian engineering history.

E.O. Graham, nurseryman, planting guide leaflets collection, ca. 1900.

Edward Oliver Graham of Rochester, N.Y. worked as a nurseryman in that city for 27 years. He owned a nursery business that operated under his own name for many years. The central office was located in Rochester, but there was also a branch located in Toronto, Ont. In 1903 he formed a company known as the Graham Nursery Company. He died in September 1909.

Education, sport and myth in the community of Glengarry, Ontario : the athletic career of Roderick R. McLennan. 260 St. Catharines, Ont. : Faculty of Education, Brock University ;

This study examined how the athletic career of Roderick R. McLennan contributed to the popularization and subsequent development of Caledonian games in Ontario during the latter nineteenth century. Initially, the development of Caledonian games during the 1800s was examined to provide a contextual framework for McLennan's career. This investigation revealed that the games emerged from rural athletic events at pioneer working bees in the first quarter of the nineteenth century to regional sporting events by the mid-1800s, and finally into annual federated Caledonian games in 1870. Noteworthy primary source material for this chapter included the John MacGillivray Papers at the National Archives of Canada, the Scottish American Journal (NY) and the files retained by the Glengarry Sport Hall of Fame in Maxville, Ontario. Following the investigation of Caledonian games, McLennan's early athletic career was studied. Analysis of the Roderick and Farquhar McLennan Papers at the Archives of Ontario and the newspapers from the period revealed that McLennan rose to popularity in 1865 through a "Championship of the World" hammer throwing match in Cornwall and two "Starring Tours". The next chapter examined the height of McLennan's career through an investigation of the Roderick McLennan versus Donald Dinnie rivalry of the early .. n 1870s. It was detennined that the rivalry between McLennan and Dinnie, the champion athlete of Highland games in Scotland, was a popular attraction and had an impact on the Toronto and Montreal games of 1870 and the Toronto games of 1872. Finally, the athletic records established by McLennan during the 1860s and 1870s were investigated. These records were examined through the context of a media controversy over McLennan's feats that developed in the early 1880s between two newspapers. This controversy erupted between the Toronto Mail and the Spirit of the Times. Caledonian games in Canada have only been briefly examined and a thorough examination of prominent Canadian figures in this context has yet to be undertaken. This study unearths a prominent Canadian athlete of Scottish decent and details his involvement in the Caledonian games of nineteenth century Ontario.

Hugh Alexander Papers, 1811-1816 [photocopy]

Hugh Alexander, b. 1780 arrived in Niagara shortly after his birth. He attended school and later apprenticed as a clerk. In 1797 he was granted 200 acres of land in Bertie township and became a merchant and trader in Fort Erie. He was the owner of a sailing vessel, the Chippawa, which he used to transport goods in the area. The ship was lost and/or confiscated as a result of War of 1812 skirmishes on Lake Erie. By 1812 Hugh Alexander was in business together with his brother Ephraim. The Alexander’s storehouse, store and house were burned by the British military when they abandoned Fort Erie ahead of the invading American military in late May 1813. At the time of the burning, Hugh Alexander was engaged as a Lieutenant with the 3rd Lincoln Militia. Prior to this Hugh Alexander had established a second mercantile in Stamford, opposite the green. Misfortune was to strike at this location as well when the British military abandoned the whole of the Niagara area to the invading American forces and the Stamford location was looted. After the end of the hostilities Alexander went on to rebuild his storehouse in Fort Erie and to re-establish his store in Stamford. Hugh Alexander died on November 2, 1817 and is buried in the Stamford Presbyterian Cemetery. Source: George A. Seibel, The Niagara Portage Road: 200 Years 1790-1990. Niagara Falls: City of Niagara Falls, 1990, p. 259-262.

Humberstone Shoe Company Limited Minute Book

Book contains meeting minutes of the Board of Directors of the Humberstone Shoe Company Ltd., held at the Office of McLeod, Young, Weir and Co. Limited, Metropolitan Building, Toronto. Board of Directors includes: H.H. Knoll (President), J.H. Radcliffe, E. K. Reiner, T.H. Kinnear, L.B. Spencer. There is some correspondence, annual reports, contracts, by-laws, statements of profit and loss etc. throughout the book.

Niagara Lodges of the Loyal Orange Association of British America

The Loyal Orange Association of British America is a Protestant fraternal society. The Loyal Orange Association originated in Ulster, Ireland during the late eighteenth century. Its purpose was to promote Protestant rights and privileges. The association was exclusively Protestant, fraternal, democratic, and benevolent. Orange principles were brought to Upper Canada by Protestant Irish settlers after 1815. The first Canadian Orange Lodge was formally established in Brockville, Leeds County, 1830. By the late 19th and early 20th century, the Loyal Orange Association of British North America had gained considerable popularity and political influence. Many prominent politicians, including several prime ministers, were members. Orangemen were particularly concerned with issues such as separate school funding, language rights, immigration, religious freedom and conscription. Further, they demanded the execution of Louis Riel and opposed the Jesuits Estates settlement. Administrative sketch courtesy Archives of Ontario.

I.O.D.E. Earl Mountbatten Chapter Fonds, 1945-2007

The I.O.D.E. as we currently know it today was founded in 1900 by Margaret Polson Murray of Montreal, who recognized a need for loyal support of Canadians departing to fight in the Boer War with the Empire forces in South Africa. She encouraged the formation of a federation of women to promote patriotism, loyalty and service to others. The first chapter was formed in Fredericton, New Brunswick on January 15th 1900. Primary chapters were formed in quick succession across Canada. In 1901, Edith Boulton Nordheimer was elected the first national president, the location of the head office became Toronto, Ontario and the federation was incorporated as Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire and Children of the Empire Junior Branch. The Earl Mountbatten Chapter was formed in 1947 and is continuing to be a functioning chapter at the time of writing this finding aid. During the 1970’s the name I.O.D.E. was officially adopted. It is a federally chartered not-for-profit, charitable organization. Structured to report under the jurisdiction of the National chapter are the Provincial chapters, the Municipal chapters and the Primary chapters. The I.O.D.E. is associated with the Victory League in England and Daughters of the British Empire in the United States and it is proud of its heritage and traditions. Queen Elizabeth II is the current patron of the organization and although chapters sometimes disband there are always new chapters forming, including e-chapters that meet through 21st century electronics.

I.O.D.E. Second Dragoons Chapter Fonds, 1967-1983

The I.O.D.E. as we currently know it today was founded in 1900 by Margaret Polson Murray of Montreal, who recognized a need for loyal support of Canadians departing to fight in the Boer War with the Empire RG310 page 2 forces in South Africa. She encouraged the formation of a federation of women to promote patriotism, loyalty and service to others. The first chapter was formed in Fredericton, New Brunswick on January 15th 1900. Primary chapters were formed in quick succession across Canada. In 1901, Edith Boulton Nordheimer was elected the first national president, the location of the head office became Toronto, Ontario and the federation was incorporated as Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire and Children of the Empire Junior Branch. The Second Dragoons Chapter was formed in 1933 and was disbanded in 1983, which was their 50th anniversary. During the 1970’s the name I.O.D.E. was officially adopted. It is a federally chartered not-for-profit, charitable organization. Structured to report under the jurisdiction of the National chapter are the Provincial chapters, the Municipal chapters and the Primary chapters. The I.O.D.E. is associated with the Victory League in England and Daughters of the British Empire in the United States and it is proud of its heritage and traditions. Queen Elizabeth II is the current patron of the organization and although chapters sometimes disband there are always new chapters forming, including e-chapters that meet through 21st century electronics

I.O.D.E. Duke of Kent Chapter Fonds, 1934-1980

The I.O.D.E. as we currently know it today was founded in 1900 by Margaret Polson Murray of Montreal, who recognized a need for loyal support of Canadians departing to fight in the Boer War with the Empire forces in South Africa. She encouraged the formation of a federation of women to promote patriotism, loyalty and service to others. The first chapter was formed in Fredericton, New Brunswick on January 15th 1900. Primary chapters were formed in quick succession across Canada. In 1901, Edith Boulton Nordheimer was elected the first national president, the location of the head office became Toronto, Ontario and the federation was incorporated as Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire and Children of the Empire Junior Branch. The Duke of Kent Chapter was formed in 1934 and was disbanded in 1980. During the 1970’s the name I.O.D.E. was officially adopted. It is a federally chartered not-for-profit, charitable organization. Structured to report under the jurisdiction of the National chapter are the Provincial chapters, the Municipal chapters and the Primary chapters. The I.O.D.E. is associated with the Victory League in England and Daughters of the British Empire in the United States and it is proud of its heritage and traditions. Queen Elizabeth II is the current patron of the organization and although chapters sometimes disband there are always new chapters forming, including e-chapters that meet through 21st century electronics.

Rittermere Farm Craft Studio Fonds, 1951-2006

During the 1950’s, the Rittenhouse family of Vineland in the Niagara Peninsula opened a craft store and studio. Within a short period of time, they realized that resources for the craft of rug hooking were in demand and they began to build their business around this niche. Edna Rittenhouse, the mother, was the wool dyer; Margaret Rowan, the daughter, was the pattern designer; Ted Rowan, the son-in-law, changed careers and became the manager of the family business. The 1960’s were a prosperous time, not only in the Niagara Peninsula, but also for the Rittenhouse business. Edna Rittenhouse had been hooking rugs for decades but she and her family worked at developing and sharing newer techniques with newer materials. Shading manuals were authored and published; students became teachers; creativity abounded in the demand for and the creation of new designs. Instead of using woolen yarn, they were using pure woolen fabric; instead of using a standard cutter, they began using a uniquely designed cutter; instead of using frames, they employed a table top method. The new material and technique resulted in a rug with a smooth, uniform texture and a soft nap. Since many crafters belonged to crafters guilds, Margaret and Ted Rowan began promoting the idea of a guild for rug hookers and in time the Ontario Hooking Craft Guild was also a reality. A joint project between Chatelaine magazine and the Rittermere studio for Canada’s centennial year of 1967 was extremely well received within the circle of hooking crafters and the Rittermere Farm Craft Studio became a North American landmark for crafters. From this point onward the studio had a large customer base not only in North America but also overseas. The studio remained popular until 1984 when Margaret and Ted Rowan decided to retire. The Rittermere name has been preserved in the name of Rittermere-Hurst-Field which is a similar business located in Aurora which is just north of Toronto.

Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd. fonds 1955-1990, n.d. (non-inclusive)

In March 1931, Captain Bruce Angus was sent to Sarnia by Gordon C. Leitch, general manager of Toronto Elevators. He was sent to inspect the Sarnian to ensure it was still seaworthy. Leitch was a savvy business man, who had been active in the business community for a number of years. Leitch began his career with a partner in the lumber business. When that went under he moved into graineries and worked for the Winnipeg Wheat Pool for 12 years. After Winnipeg he moved to Toronto, which was closer to his home town of Ridgetown, Ontario. In Toronto Leitch became manager of the Toronto branch of the Canadian Wheat Pool. While managing the wheat pools in Toronto Leitch became aware of huge costs associated with shipping the grains from the praries into the Toronto area. He felt that there was no need for such costs and decided to do something to make them better and cheaper for the business. Originally the grain was loaded onto Lakers that would bring the grain from the praries to Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. It was stored there until needed by the Toronto graineries and then hauled across land by either truck or train. The land journey was the most expensive and the one which Leitch wanted to eliminate. This was a fine plan except for 2 obstacles that were quickly overcome. First of all the Welland canals were not large enough to accommodate the large carriers that were bringing in the grain. This was changing as the expansion and widening of the canals was already underway. The second issue was the lack of storage in Toronto for the grain. The grain elevators had been destroyed by fire in the late 1880s and never replaced. Leitch propsed his company built its own storage elevators along the water front to allow not only for easier access to the grain, and more timely production of products. The elevators would aslo create a reduction in shipping costs and an overall more competitoive price for the customers of the grainery. The company refused, so Leitch went elsewhere to friends and contacts within the grain industry. The elevators were built and Leitch quit his job with the Canadian Wheat Pool and became the general manager of the elevators. Although the elevators were built and ready for storage the next issue was filling them. None of the carriers wanted to do business with Leitch because the competition in Georgian Bay threatened to cancel their contracts if they did. Leitch saw no way around this, but to provide his own transportation. This is when he sent Captain Bruce Angus to scout out potential ships. The ship was purchased for $37,000 and after another $30,000 was spent to fix it up, it was ready for business. The need for transportation and the finding of a seaworthy ship, lead to the beginnings of the Northland Steamship Company. The Sarnian proved to not be enough for the business underway. Leitch decided another ship was necessary. He joined forces with James Norris the owner of the Norris Grain Company. He proposed they join forces to create a more economical means of transportating their products.

Great Lakes Waterways Development Association

This archive contains materials relating to the Great Lakes Waterways Development Association. The collection contains correspondence, financial information, clippings, biographical materials, media releases, presentations and publications. The bulk of the materials are correspondence.

City of St. Catharines fonds, 1951-1964, 1970-1973, 1978-1982, n.d.

The fonds contains materials relating to the City of St. Catharines from the 1950s to 1980s. The materials included are correspondence, clippings, media releases, and some photographs. Folders are arranged alphabetically and then chronologically within each series. The series are arranged alphabetically.

Rick Bell Family fonds, 1874-1875, 1879, 1884, 1886, 1888-1889, 1896, 1898, 1909-1910, 1939, 1945, n.d.

Lewis Tyrell married Jane Gains on August 31, 1849 in Culpeper Court House, Virginia. Jane Gains was a spinster. Lewis Tyrell died September 25, 1908 at his late residence, Vine St. and Welland Ave., St. Catharines, Ont. at the age of 81 years, 5 months. Jane Tyrell died March 1, 1886, age 64 years. Their son? William C. Tyrell died January 15, 1898, by accident in Albany, NY, age 33 years, 3 months. John William Taylor married Susan Jones were married in St. Catharines, Ont. on August 10, 1851 by William Wilkinson, a Baptist minister. On August 9, 1894 Charles Henry Bell (1871-1916), son of Stephen (1835?-1876) and Susan Bell, married Mary E. Tyrell (b. 1869?) daughter of Lewis and Alice Tyrell, in St. Catharines Ontario. By 1895 the Bell’s were living in Erie, Pennsylvania where children Delbert Otto (b. 1895) and Edna Beatrice (b. 1897) were born. By 1897 the family was back in St. Catharines where children Lewis Tyrell (b. 1899), Gertrude Cora (b. 1901), Bessie Jane (b. 1902), Charles Henry (b. 1906), Richard Nelson (b. 1911) and William Willoughby (b. 1912) were born. Charles Henry Bell operated a coal and ice business on Geneva Street. In the 1901 Census for St. Catharines, the Bell family includes the lodger Charles Henry Hall. Charles Henry Hall was born ca. 1824 in Maryland, he died in St. Catharines on November 11, 1916 at the age of 92. On October 24, 1889 Charles Hall married Susan Bell (1829-1898). The 1911 Census of Canada records Charles Henry Hall residing in the same household as Charles Henry and Mary Bell. The relationship to the householder is step-father. It is likely that after Stephen Bell’s death in 1876, his widow, Susan Bell married Hall. In 1939, Richard Nelson Bell, son of Charles Henry and Mary Tyrell Bell, married Iris Sloman. Iris (b. 22 May 1912 in Biddulph Township, Middlesex, Ontario) was the daughter of Albert (son of Joseph b. 1870 and Elizabeth Sloman, b. 1872) and Josie (Josephine Ellen) Butler Sloman of London, Ont. Josie (b. 1891) was the daughter of Everett Richard and Elizabeth McCarthy (or McCarty) Butler, of Lucan Village, Middlesex North. According to the 1911 Census of Canada, Albert, a Methodist, was a porter on the railroad. His wife, Josephine, was a Roman Catholic. Residing with Albert and Josie were Sanford and Sadie Butler and Sidney Sloman, likely siblings of Albert and Josephine. The Butler family is descended from Peter Butler, a former slave, who had settled in the Wilberforce Colony in the 1830s. Rick Bell b. 1949 in Niagara Falls, Ont. is the son of Richard Nelson Bell. In 1979, after working seven years as an orderly at the St. Catharines General Hospital while also attending night school at Niagara College, Rick Bell was hired by the Thorold Fire Dept. He became the first Black professional firefighter in Niagara. He is a founding member of the St. Catharines Junior Symphony; attended the Banff School of Fine Arts in 1966 and also performed with the Lincoln & Welland Regimental Band and several other popular local groups. Upon the discovery of this rich archive in his mothers’ attic he became passionate about sharing his Black ancestry and the contributions of fugitive slaves to the heritage Niagara with local school children. He currently resides in London, Ont.