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.

Maple Leaf Mills Records 1955, 1960-1964, 1975-1987, 1989, n.d.

Ontario Editorial Bureau (O.E.B.)

Andrew Dean Grist and Flouring Mills - Vignette

A vignette of Grist and Flouring Mills, Clinton, Andrew Dean, Esq., Proprietor.

Lincoln and Welland Canal Mills - Vignette

A vignette of the Lincoln and Welland Canal Mills

J. McDonagh's Saw and Plaining Mills - Vignette

A vignette of J. McDonagh's Saw and Plaining Mills, Welland Canal, Thorold.

Invoice - Thorold Mills April 11th 1851

An Invoice for Mr. W. Cowan form Alex Hutchison, totalling $1000.00. The note at the bottom of the invoice reads "I have nothing to communicate as Mr. Parks is just writing you. Hoping you and your family are all well with respect I am dear Sir, Yours Truly Alex Hutchison"

Letter - Herbert Mills of Jarvis-Conklin Mortgage Trust Company to S.D. Woodruff

Letter (1 page, typed) to S.D. Woodruff which accompanied the Rothrock account papers. Signed by Herbert Mills, assistant treasurer of Jarvis-Conklin Mortgage Trust Company, Oct. 27, 1890.

Interlake Tissue Mills Fire Slides

The Interlake Tissue Mills storage location was at the intersection of Glendale and Merritt Street in Merritton. In the 1850s, the Beaver Cotton Mills (later Merritton Cotton Mills) was built. It was a frame building that burned down in 1881. A sandstone structure replaced the previous building. In 1906, the cotton mill closed and in 1912, the Independent Rubber Company took over the building. The mill was doubled in size. The rubber company remained there for ten years and then the building remained vacant until 1935. Interlake Tissue Mills acquired the building for storage purposes. A fire razed the larger of the plant’s buildings on Memorial Day weekend in 1961. After the fire, Domtar used the smaller building for storage for a short time. This is currently the site of the Keg Restaurant.

Letter on Long Point Company letterhead addressed to W.D. Woodruff of Lincoln Paper Mills

Letter on Long Point Company letterhead addressed to W.D. Woodruff of Lincoln Paper Mills, Merritton, Ontario in which Frank Reid, secretary of Long Point Company encloses a copy of the by-laws and the dates of incorporation, as requested (1 page, typed) [by-laws are not included here], Jan. 18, 1916.

Cross sections of Lyons Creek from Cooks Mills Dam to culvert

Cross sections of Lyons Creek from Cooks Mills Dam to culvert (9 pages of charts, graphs and text, handwritten). This is signed by Fred Holmes, May 1857.

Letter to Mr. W.D. Woodruff of Lincoln Paper Mills, Merritton from P.J. Price of the United Gas Companies

Letter to Mr. W.D. Woodruff of Lincoln Paper Mills, Merritton from P.J. Price of the United Gas Companies, St. Catharines regarding a cheque received from E.J. McIntyre for $200. Included with this letter is an envelope addressed to W.D. Woodruff, Dec. 27, 1910.

Letter to the Estate of W.D. Woodruff from S. Mitchell, secretary of the Lincoln Paper Mills Company

Letter to the Estate of W.D. Woodruff from S. Mitchell, secretary of the Lincoln Paper Mills Company (1 page, printed). This is a notice of the 43rd annual meeting of the shareholders of the Lincoln Paper Mills Company, Limited. This is accompanied by an envelope, Feb. 7, 1921.

Letter to Mrs. A.L. Woodruff from S. Mitchell, secretary of the Lincoln Paper Mills Company

Letter to Mrs. A.L. Woodruff from S. Mitchell, secretary of the Lincoln Paper Mills Company (1 page, printed). This is a notice of the 43rd annual meeting of the shareholders of the Lincoln Paper Mills Company, Limited. This is accompanied by an envelope, Feb. 7, 1921.

Letter to Dr. T.A. Woodruff from S. Mitchell, secretary of the Lincoln Paper Mills Company

Letter to Dr. T.A. Woodruff from S. Mitchell, secretary of the Lincoln Paper Mills Company (1 page, printed). This is a notice of the 43rd annual meeting of the shareholders of the Lincoln Paper Mills Company, Limited. This is accompanied by an envelope, Feb. 7, 1921.

Receipt from James Mills, St. Catharines for alcohol, pills and magnesia

Receipt from James Mills, St. Catharines for alcohol, pills and magnesia, June 1, 1887.