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.

Ontario Tender Fruit Grower’s Marketing Board Fonds, 1960, 1967, 1969-1977, 1980-1981, 1987

The Ontario Tender Fruit Marketing Board operates under the Farm Producers Marketing Act. It covers all tender fruit farmers who produce either fresh or canned products. Today the board has over 500 grower-members. Tender fruit in the Niagara region includes: peaches, pears, plums, grapes and cherries. The fruits are used in a number of different ways, from jams and jellies to desserts, sauces and wine. Peaches were first harvested along the Niagara river in 1779. Peter Secord (Laura Secord’s uncle) is thought to be the first farmer to plant fruit trees when he took a land grant near Niagara in the mid 1780s. Since the beginnings of Secord’s farm, peaches, pears and plums have been grown in the Niagara region ever since. However, none of the original varities of peach trees remain today. Peaches were often used for more than eating by early settlers. The leaves and bark of the tree was used to make teas for conditions such as chronic bronchitis, coughs and gastritis. Cherries have been known to have anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties. Like peaches and cherries, pears had many uses for the early pioneers. The wood was used to make furniture. The juice made excellent ciders and the leaves provided yellow dyes. Plums have been around for centuries, not only in the Niagara region, but throughout the world. They have appeared in pre-historic writings and were present for the first Thanksgiving in 1621. The grape industry in Ontario has also been around for centuries. It began in 1798 when land was granted to Major David Secord (brother-in-law to Laura Secord) slightly east of St. David’s, on what is Highway No. 8 today. Major Secord’s son James was given a part of the land in 1818 and in 1857 passed it onto Porter Adams. Adams is known to be the first person to plant grapes in Ontario1. Tender fruits are best grown in warm temperate climates. The Niagara fruit belt, stretching 65km from Hamilton to Niagara on the Lake, provides the climate necessary for this fruit production. This belt produces 90% of Ontario’s annual tender fruit crop. It is one of the largest fruit producing regions in all of Canada.

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.

J.W. Spencer fonds, 1866, 1881-1921

Joseph William Winthrop Spencer (commonly known as J.W. Spencer) was a geologist and geomorphologist best known for his work on the geology of southern Ontario and the Great Lakes. He was born in Dundas, Upper Canada in 1851, but moved to Hamilton, Ontario in 1867. In 1871, he began studies in geology at McGill College in Montreal. In 1875 he worked in the Michigan copper mines and shortly afterwards prepared a thesis on the copper deposits. He submitted this thesis to the University of Gottingen in Germany in 1877 and was awarded a doctorate in geology, the second Canadian to earn a doctorate in this field. In 1880, he became a professor of geology and chemistry at King’s College in Windsor, N.S. Subsequently, he taught at the University of Missouri, and then the University of Georgia, but moved to Washington, D.C. in 1894, where he worked as a consultant geologist. Spencer spent much of his life studying preglacial river valleys in Ontario and the origins of the Great Lakes, as well as the Niagara River and Falls. In 1907, he published a book titled The Falls of Niagara: their evolution and varying relations to the Great Lakes. His opinions in these areas differed from some of his contemporaries, namely the American geologist Grove Karl Gilbert. Gilbert published a review of the The Falls of Niagara that exposed some flaws and inaccuracies in Spencer’s estimate of the age of the falls. Spencer’s studies also took him to the Caribbean and Central America. In 1920 he moved back to Canada, but died the following year.

Elliott Wynn fonds, 1893, 1928, 1944-1945

The fonds consists of correspondence, legal documents, a land survey, and newspaper clipping. All items are related to a land dispute concerning lots 15 and 16 in the Township of Niagara, in the County of Lincoln, fronting on the Niagara River at Queenston. This land had been owned by the Wynn family at the time of the dispute.

A review of the case of Alexander McLeod: recently determined in the Supreme Court of Judicature of the state of New York (1841)

Alexander McLeod, a British subject, was tried for the murder of Amos Durfee and as an accomplice in the burning of the steamer Caroline, in the Niagara River, during the Canadian rebellion in 1837-1838.

Second interim report of the Canadian section and first joint report of the International Waterways Commission (1906)

Report of the Canadian section, dated April 25th, 1906, and report of the joint commission, dated May 3d, 1906, related to regulating the uses of the waters of the Niagara River and the preservation of the Falls.

Pro Bono Publico, poem, n.d.

The poem is unsigned and is not divided into stanzas. It mentions General Brock, General Dearborn, Sir Peregrine, Fort George and the militia men of Lincoln. General Isaac Brock was a British Army officer and administrator who was promoted to Major General. He was responsible for defending Upper Canada against the United States. He died at the Battle of Queenston Heights during the War of 1812. In 1812, Dearborn was in charge of the northeastern sector from Niagara to the New England coast in his role as senior Major General of the U.S. Army. Dearborn proved that he was neither psychologically nor physically fit enough to take control. He tried to persuade New England governors to allow their militia to be used to invade Canada. He was not successful in his quest and no major offensive was launched against Lower Canada. Sir Peregrine probably refers to Sir Peregrine Maitland who was appointed as the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada in 1818. Fort George is located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. It was the site of several battles during the War of 1812. The Lincoln Militia fought in battles on the Niagara Peninsula and the eastern shores of the Niagara River in the War of 1812.

Clendenan-Thompson family fonds

Daniel Clendenan (1793-1866) was the son of Abraham Clendenan, a private in Butler’s Rangers. He was married to Susan[na] [Albrecht ] Albright, daughter of Amos Albright. Daniel and Susan[na] had twelve children and belonged to the Disciple Church. In 1826 Daniel Clendenan purchased Part lot 14, Concession 6, Louth Township from Robert Roberts Loring. On this property he built a home and conducted the business of blacksmithing and along with William Jones operated a lumber mill. Volume 1 and the first part of Volume 2 are Daniel Clendenan’s account books. Daniel and his wife Susan are buried in the Vineland Mennonite cemetery. Daniel and Susan[na]’s youngest daughter, Sarah, married widower Andrew Thompson (1825-1901), son of Charles and grandson of Solomon. Andrew Thompson had settled in the Wainfleet area in 1854 and had owned a mill in Wellandport. Daniel Clendenan, in ill health, passed ownership of Lot 14, Concession 6, Louth Township to his son-in-law Andrew Thompson. Robert Roberts Loring, the original owner of lot 14, concession 6 in Louth was born in September of 1789 in England. He joined the 49th Regiment of Foot as an ensign in December of 1804 and arrived in Quebec the following July. He served with Isaac Brock and Roger Sheaffe. In 1806 he was promoted to lieutenant. Loring was hired by Lieutenant General Gordon Drummond and accompanied him to Ireland in 1811, but the outbreak of war in the States in 1812 drew Loring back to Canada. On June 26, 1812 Loring became a captain in the 104th Regiment of Foot. On October 29 of the same year, he was appointed aide-de-camp to Sheaffe who was the administrator of Upper Canada. During the American attack on York in April 1813, Loring suffered an injury to his right arm from which he never recovered. In December of 1813, Drummond assumed command of the forces in Upper Canada and he appointed Loring as his aide-de-camp, later civil secretary and eventually his personal secretary. Loring was with Drummond in 1813 at the capture of Fort Niagara (near Youngstown), N.Y. He was also with Drummond in the attacks on Fort Niagara, settlements along the American side of the Niagara River, and then York and Kingston. In July of 1814 he was promoted to brevet major, however he was captured at the Battle of Lundy’s Lane and he spent the remainder of the conflict in Cheshire, Massachusetts. One of his fellow captives was William Hamilton Merritt. Loring remained in the army and had numerous military posts in Canada and England. He retired in 1839 and lived the last of his years in Toronto. He died on April 1, 1848. Sources: http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/loring_robert_roberts_7E.html and “Loring, Robert Roberts” by Robert Malcomson in The Encyclopedia Of the War Of 1812 edited by Spencer Tucker, James R. Arnold, Roberta Wiener, Paul G. Pierpaoli, John C. Fredriksen

Letter written by Mahlon Taylor to Samuel Clarke commenting on US troops during Fort George occupation, July 26, 1813

Fort George, situated on the west side of the Niagara River in Niagara-on-the-Lake, served as the headquarters for the Centre Division of the British Army during the War of 1812. On May 25, 1813, the Americans launched an artillery attack on the Fort, destroying most of the buildings. Two days later, the Americans invaded the Town of Niagara and occupied Fort George. They remained in the Fort for almost seven months, but suffered defeats at the Battle of Stoney Creek and Beaver Dams. Only a small number of militia remained stationed at the Fort. Fearing an attack by the British, the Americans retreated back across the Niagara River in December, 1813. The Fort remained in British possession for the rest of the War.

Laura Dexter letter, commenting on the McLeod murder trial, October 5, 1841

Alexander McLeod was Deputy Sheriff of the Niagara District during the Rebellion of 1837-38 in Upper Canada. On December 24, 1837, he became aware of a scheme by the rebels to use the American steamboat Caroline to provide supplies to William Lyon Mackenzie and his followers on Navy Island in the Niagara River. McLeod notified the authorities in Upper Canada about the situation. A few days later, on December 29, Commodore Andrew Drew led a band of men, including McLeod, to the American side, where the Caroline was moored at Schlosser’s Wharf. A scuffle ensued, in which American Amos Durfee was killed. The Caroline was then released from its moorings, set on fire, and drifted downstream before sinking. Many Americans viewed the incident as a violation of their sovereignty. Tensions between the United States and England were already strained over a boundary dispute between Maine and New Brunswick, and the situation with the Caroline further escalated the tension. McLeod was subsequently arrested in November, 1840 in Lewiston, NY and indicted for arson and murder. The British foreign secretary, Lord Palmerston, insisted that McLeod be released and could not be held personally responsible for the incident, as he was acting on orders from authorities in Canada. Eventually, McLeod was acquitted.

Joanna E. Wood short stories, 1898-1900

Joanna Ellen Wood (1867-1927) was an acclaimed Canadian author who wrote several novels and short stories. Wood was born in Scotland, but emigrated to Canada with her family in 1869. In 1874 her father purchased a farm overlooking the Niagara River at Queenston. It is believed she was supported by her brother William, who encouraged her writing. She was based in New York City from 1887-1901, using William’s business address there to receive correspondence while she traveled or spent time in Queenston. Around 1906, Wood moved with her mother to Niagara-on-the-Lake, where she joined the Niagara Historical Society. By 1914, she was living in Buffalo, but later spent time at her sisters’ homes. It was at her sister’s home in Detroit where she suffered a stroke and died in 1927. Wood’s literary career was short-lived. She published her first novel, The Untempered Wind , in 1894, and a second novel, Judith Moore …, in 1898. Both novels received critical acclaim, and a third novel, Farden Ha', followed in 1902. Unfortunately the majority of Wood’s numerous and award-winning writings cannot be found. Her career peaked in 1901, when she was the highest paid Canadian fiction writer. For unknown reasons, her career abruptly ceased in 1902, with no further publications or mention made of her in the Canadian Magazine.

Photograph - Robert Band as a child

Black and white photograph, 31 cm x 26 cm, of Robert Band as a child [backdrop appears to be the Niagara River Parkway].

License of Occupation

License of occupation. This is a 2 ½ page handwritten document which states “By General Sir Peregrine Maitland, commanding his Majesty’s Forces in North America” license and permission is granted to Robert Hamilton of the Township of Niagara for water Lot no. 7 on the Niagara River. This section is signed by P. Maitland on March 15, 1825. The second half of the document states that Robert Hamilton of Queenston grants the land to Robert Melville, president of the Niagara Harbour and Dock Co. Sept. 15, 1832.