Bell Family Bible, Family Record, 1853-1897

The Family Record page from the Bell Family Bible providing information on the births of Bell ancestors. Relatives of the Bell family include former American slaves who later settled in Canada. This Bible was in the possession of the Rick Bell Family of St. Catharines, Ontario.

Reflections upon the late correspondence between Mr. Secretary Smith, and Francis James Jackson, esq., Minister Plenipotentiary of His Britannic Majesty

Originally published in the Federal Republican of Baltimore. Printed by Benjamin Edes

Letter - Colonel Albert D. Shaw to Francis Lynde Stetson, 31 March 1892

A letter from Colonel Albert D. Shaw to Francis Lynde Stetson dated March 31, 1892. The letter is in regards to correspondence with the Attorney General in efforts to expedite the passing of an Act through Ontario Parliament. The act was introduced a week later (April 6, 1892) confirming the agreement between the Queen Vctoria Niagara Falls Park and the Canadian Niagara Power Company.

Niagara Falls/Niagara Power, 1792, 1798, 1829, 1832, 1836, 1838, 1848, 1852-1853, 1855, 1859, 1871, 1873, 1875-1876, 1878, 1880-1881, 1883, 1885-1888, 1890-1909, 1916-1917, n.d.

A finding aid for collection RG 86. This archive contains materials relating to Niagara Falls and its development during the late 19th and early 20th century, with particular focus on power operations.

Proposal for Construction of Brock’s Monument, Queenston, newspaper fragment, 1824

Brock’s Monument is owned by Parks Canada and maintained by the Niagara Parks Commission in collaboration with the Friends of Fort George and Niagara National Historic Sites. It is located in Queenston Heights Park atop the Niagara Escarpment. On March 14, 1815, Parliament passed an act to erect a monument to the memory of General Isaac Brock. A design by engineer Francis Hall was selected. He envisioned a 135 ft. tall Tuscan column, made out of stone with a winding staircase inside. By the spring of 1824, work had begun on the monument. In June of that year, the cornerstone was laid and William Lyon Mackenzie was in attendance at the ceremony. It was on October 13th, 1824 (the anniversary of Brock’s death) that 6000 people traveled to Queenston to inter the remains of Brock and Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonell. This was the second burial for both. After 3 years the tower had reached 135 feet, but there was no inscription at the base, the fence around the observation deck had not been installed and there was no statue of Brock. Hall submitted a plan to finish the statue, but he was turned down and a simple ornament was placed where the Brock statue should have been. A massive blast of gunpowder destroyed the monument in 1840. It is alleged that an American sympathizer with the Upper Canada Rebellion set off the blast. Brock and Macdonell’s bodies were reburied in the Hamilton Family Cemetery in Queenston. The present monument was rebuilt in 1853. William Thomas (designer of St. Michael’s Cathedral in Toronto) was the architect. Brock and Macdonell were once again laid to rest in separate vaults at the statue. In 1968, Brock’s Monument was declared a national historical site. In 2005, it was closed to the public due to safety concerns, but it reopened in 2010. Source: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/brocks-monument-queenston-heights

Photograph - Francis Bond Head Willson, 1870

Photograph of Francis Bond Head Willson of Beaverdams. He was the great grandson of Thomas and Abigail Willson. The photographer is Geo. Grenville, Artist, Thorold, Ontario. There are two copies of the photograph in the collection and one has the date 1870 handwritten on the back.

Photograph - Florence (wife of Francis Willson)

A photograph of Florence Upper, the wife of Francis Bond Head Willson.

Photograph - William Woodruff (1783-1860) and Margaret Clement Woodruff (1794-1882)

Pair of photographs, 17 ½ cm x 12 cm of William Woodruff, son of Ezekiel and a 17 ½ cm x 12 cm photograph of Margaret Clement Woodruff in a folding silver frame. These photographs were described by R. Band in 1990 – description is included.

Indenture between Joseph Augustus Woodruff and Thomas Sheppard Smyth

Indenture of mortgage between Joseph Augustus Woodruff of the town of Niagara and Thomas Sheppard Smyth of Stamford Township regarding Lot no.4 in the 3rd Concession of Dereham - instrument no. 2803, September 2, 1850.

Indenture between Joseph Augustus Woodruff and martina H. Woodruff to Con Gillespie

Indenture of deed of land situate between Joseph Augustus Woodruff and Martina H. Woodruff of St. Catharines to Con Gillespie of Sarnia regarding Lot no. 28 in Sarnia, March 13, 1867.

Indenture between George and Barbara Steele and Joseph Augustus Woodruff

Indenture of assignment of mortgage between George and Barbara Steele [incorrectly listed as Shute on the first page of the first copy] of the Village of Romoka of the County of Middlesex of the first part and Joseph Augustus Woodruff, sheriff, of St. Catharines whereas a mortgage dated April 7, 1857 in consideration of the same to Robert Telfer who did grant the land to Ira Spalding regarding a parcel of land in the Village of Romoka composed of Lot no. 17 in Block U, June 28, 1876.

Letter sent to S.D. Woodruff from Francis Lalor

Letter sent to S.D. Woodruff from Francis Lalor regarding the last estimate of work. Mr. Lalor points out some additional work that was done, including: cart-road, culvert excavation and ditching, Mar. 29, 1855.

Letter from Francis Lalor to S.D. Woodruff

Letter which gives an addition to the estimate for work done by John Brown for Dec. 1855. This is made out to S.D. Woodruff from Francis Lalor. The request is for money for extra ties, fence posts, stone and labour. The letter is slightly singed at the bottom. This does not affect the text, Jan. 3, 1856.

Pay roll voucher #14 from the Engineer Department of Port Dalhousie and Thorold Railway Extension for the Southern Division for the month of April, 1857 approved by F. Shanly, chief engineer and Francis A. Doyle, assistant engineer, April 28, 1857

Pay roll voucher #14 from the Engineer Department of Port Dalhousie and Thorold Railway Extension for the Southern Division for the month of April, 1857 approved by F. Shanly, chief engineer and Francis A. Doyle, assistant engineer, April 28, 1857.

Pay roll voucher #21 from the Engineer Department of Port Dalhousie and Thorold Railway Extension, for the Southern Division approved by F. Shanly, chief engineer and Francis A. Doyle, assistant engineer (copy) June 29, 1857

Pay roll voucher #21 from the Engineer Department of Port Dalhousie and Thorold Railway Extension, for the Southern Division approved by F. Shanly, chief engineer and Francis A. Doyle, assistant engineer (copy) June 29, 1857.