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.

Ann Eliza Hepburne Rooth fonds, 1837-1897

Ann Eliza Hepburne was born in Chippawa, Ontario, in 1821, to William Hepburne and Susan Shannon. In 1842, she married William Anthony Rooth in St. James Cathedral in Toronto. They continued to live in different parts of the Niagara region, including Drummondville, Welland and Port Colborne. William was the editor and proprietor of the Drummondville Reporter, as well as an accountant and insurance agent, and later worked for the Customs Service in Port Colborne. He died in 1878, and Eliza in 1899. Both are buried in Drummond Hill Cemetery in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Port Colborne Canal Entrance - Postcards

Board of six postcards of Port Colborne. First postcard, Port Colborne Harbor, Port Colborne, Ont. Second postcard, Bird's-eye view showing entrance to Welland Canal, Port Colborne, Ont. Third postcard, Harbor, Port Colborne, Ont. Fourth postcard, Harbor Port, Port Colborne, Ont. Fifth postcard, Government elevator, capacity 2,000,000 bushels, Port Colborne, Ontario. Sixth postcard, caption unknown.

A study of selected factors influencing the reproductive performance of the common tern (Sterna hirundo) at Port Colborne, Ontario in 1973 and 1974

Several study areas were investigated at two Port Colborne terneries during the summers of 1973 and 1974 in an attempt to determine the influence of clutch size, time of clutch initiation, position in the colony, proximity to Ring-billed Gulls, vegetation and nesting substrate on the reproductive performance of the Common Tern. Hatching success and reproductive success (the number of chicks fledged per egg laid) were generally higher for 3-egg than 2-egg clutches but fledging (the number of chicks fledged per egg hatched) success was usually independant of clutch size. Hatching, fledging and reproductive success declined as a function of time of clutch initiation. Mean clutch sizes also generally declined as a function of time. Nests located in the center of the colony exhibited higher fledging success than those on the periphery. Rock-based clutches had a lower hatching success than clutches initiated on sand or dried vegetation. Reproductive performance did not appear to be related to proximity to Ring-billed Gulls or vegetation within the study area.

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.

Office of the City Clerk, St. Catharines Records, 1928-1974, n.d.

The site of present-day St. Catharines was settled by 3000 United Empire Loyalists at the end of the 18th century. From 1790, the settlement (then known as "The Twelve") grew as an agricultural community. St. Catharines was once referred to Shipman's Corners after Paul Shipman, owner of a tavern that was an important stagecoach transfer point. In 1815, leading businessman William Hamilton Merritt abandoned his wharf at Queenston and set up another at Shipman's Corners. He became involved in the construction and operation of several lumber and gristmills along Twelve Mile Creek. Shipman's Corners soon became the principal milling site of the eastern Niagara Peninsula. At about the same time, Merritt began to develop the salt springs that were discovered along the river which subsequently gave the village a reputation as a health resort. By this time St. Catharines was the official name of the village; the origin of the name remains obscure, but is thought to be named after Catharine Askin Robertson Hamilton, wife of the Hon. Robert Hamilton, a prominent businessman. Merritt devised a canal scheme from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario that would provide a more reliable water supply for the mills while at the same time function as a canal. He formed the Welland Canal Company, and construction took place from 1824 to 1829. The canal and the mills made St. Catharines the most important industrial centre in Niagara. By 1845, St. Catharines was incorporated as a town, with the town limits extending in 1854. Administrative and political functions were added to St. Catharines in 1862 when it became the county seat of Lincoln. In 1871, construction began on the third Welland Canal, which attracted additional population to the town. As a consequence of continual growth, the town limits were again extended. St. Catharines attained city status in 1876 with its larger population and area. Manufacturing became increasingly important in St. Catharines in the early 1900s with the abundance of hydro-electric power, and its location on important land and water routes. The large increase in population after the 1900s was mainly due to the continued industrialization and urbanization of the northern part of the city and the related expansion of business activity. The fourth Welland Canal was opened in 1932 as the third canal could no longer accommodate the larger ships. The post war years and the automobile brought great change to the urban form of St. Catharines. St. Catharines began to spread its boundaries in all directions with land being added five times during the 1950s. The Town of Merritton, Village of Port Dalhousie and Grantham Township were all incorporated as part of St. Catharines in 1961. In 1970 the Province of Ontario implemented a regional approach to deal with such issues as planning, pollution, transportation and services. As a result, Louth Township on the west side of the city was amalgamated, extending the city's boundary to Fifteen Mile Creek. With its current population of 131,989, St. Catharines has become the dominant centre of the Niagara region. Source: City of St. Catharines website http://www.stcatharines.ca/en/governin/HistoryOfTheCity.asp (January 27, 2011)

Port Dalhousie Municipal Records collection, 1863-1940, 1943, n.d.

Benjamin Pawling and Peter Ten Broeck were the earliest known settlers of this area. The village of Port Dalhousie owes its existence to the building of the first Welland Canal in 1824. The village was incorporated in 1862 and as a town in 1948. In the early 1960s it became amalgamated with the city of St. Catharines. Port Dalhousie remains a distinctive part of the city today (2009).

Second Welland Canal - Book 3, Survey Map 21 - Village of Port Colborne

Survey map of the Second Welland Canal created by the Welland Canal Company showing the areas in and around Port Colborne. Identified structures associated with the Canal include Lighthouse, Pier Light, Old Lock House, Collector's Office, Harbour Master's House, Canal Boundary, Back Ditch, Reserved Back Ditch, Basin, Light-Keeper's House and Ferry Recess. The surveyors' measurements and notes can be seen in red and black ink and pencil. Local area landmarks and businesses are also identified and include Gordon's Woodyard, Welland Rail Road, Welland Railway Elevator and Proposed Elevator, W.R.R. Flour Shed, Roman Catholic Church, School House, Sandhills, Lake Erie, and the High Water Mark. Streets running parallel to Canal include King St., West St., East St., Queen St., Hamilton St., and the Road Allowance are labelled. Streets running perpendicular to Canal include Kent St., Victoria St., Adelaide St., SugarLoaf St., George St., Alexandrina St., William St., Fort Erie St., Lake Rd., and New Road to Dutch Settlement are also labelled. Property owners and leasers as well as buildings on lots are also idenitified and noted as follows: Adams estate, J. Towhig, J.C. Kerr, Mrs. Hill, S. Cooke, Mrs. Yocum, W.T. Cooke, P. Wintermute, J. Shickluna, William Cooke, J. McChesney, John Beatty, W. Robertson, John Gordon, T. Armstrong, John Harper, George Keefer, Estate of James Black, Thomas Park, N. Higgins, S. Hopkins, and L.G. Cartier. Map of the Village of Port Colborne. Being Lot No. 27 and part of Lot No. 28 in the 1st Con. Township of HUMBERSTONE. Scale 2 Chs. per Inch. land shaded in RED Owned by DEPT. Do. Do. BLUE Sold to the COUNTY of WELLAND

Second Welland Canal - Book 3, Survey Map 20 - Village of Port Colborne

Survey map of the Second Welland Canal created by the Welland Canal Company showing the areas in and around Port Colborne and Grantham Township. Identified structures associated with the Canal include Basin, Guard Lock, Two Lock Tender Houses, Lock House Lot, Collectors Office House, Towing Path, North and South Back Ditches, and land reserved for future improvemnt of basin. Surveyor measurements and notes can be seen in red and black ink as well as pencil. Local area landmarks dentified include Bridge, Rail Road Swing Bridge, Spoil Bank, Water Tank, Frazer Street Railway Station, Buffalo and Lake Huron Rail Road, Welland Rail Road, and land reserved for "Gardens for Lock Tenders". Local businesses identified include A.K Scholfield Store House Lot and Wharf, two stores and a tavern. Roads running parallel to Canal include King St., "present Travel Road", and the Southern Road Allowance. Roads running perpendicular to Canal include Kent St., Charlotte St., Clarence St., Princess St., Elgin St., George St., Frazer St., Alma St., Eastern Road Allowance. Properties and property owners are also identified and include P. White, John Flynn, George McMicking, Charles Carter, William H. Merritt, A.K. Scholfield, F. Gallgher, Ed McCabe, M. Smith, E. Lawder, J. Hanley, J. Harris, P. Gibbons, M. McGoveran, M. Madden, J. Hardison, T. Nihan, D. Gibbons, J. Cross, William Mellanby, Elis Gordon, Jane McCardy, L.G. Carter, T. Greenwood, C. Armstrong, J. McGillivray, T. Schofield, Mrs. Lanue, D. Mc_______, K. Minor, J. Manly and John McRae.

Photo album, St. Catharines area, ca. 1913-1919.

One hardcover photo album containing black and white photos. Many of the photos were taken in the St. Catharines area. Included are photos of Port Dalhousie, Port Weller, Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake and St. Catharines. There are also photos of Braeside, Ont. and the Ottawa valley. Various local landmarks are included, such as the armoury in St. Catharines, Montebello Park, and Martindale pond. Some of the events captured include a train wreck that occurred in St. Catharines in 1914, the visit of the Governor General to St. Catharines in 1914 (featuring the Carnegie library and Post Office and federal building decorated with flags), and an airplane that crashed into a body of water, possibly a plane from an air training camp in Beamsville during World War I. There are also two photos of champion Niagara district basketball teams, possibly taken in the gymnasium building located behind the former St. Catharines Collegiate building (later Robertson School) on Church Street. One photo includes Norman Byrne, Gladys Ansell, Miriam Marshall, Irene Stoter (?), Mildrerd Houston, A. Gardner, and Madeline Jenner. The other photo includes George Moase, W. Bennett, Norman Byrne, Jack Bain, Mr. Brackenbury, Cyril Merriman, Jim Galway, Harry Erskine, and Roy Carpenter.

Merritton Municipal Records collection

In 1874, Merritton, Ont. was incorporated a village with W.W. Waite as the first reeve. On July 1, 1918, the village was incorporated a town. The first mayor was Thomas F. Hastings. In 1961, Merritton, Grantham and Port Dalhousie amalgamated with St. Catharines, despite the opposition of the town councils and citizens.

Order to create a General Board of Health in the Town of Niagara, June 25, 1832

In the early nineteenth century, a widespread outbreak of cholera occurred in continental Europe, eventually spreading to the British Isles. The disease subsequently spread to Canada as impoverished British immigrants seeking a better life arrived in the country. To help curb the spread of the disease, local Boards of Health were created.

Order to create a General Board of Health in the Town of Niagara, June 25, 1832.

In the early nineteenth century, a widespread outbreak of cholera occurred in continental Europe, eventually spreading to the British Isles. The disease subsequently spread to Canada as impoverished British immigrants seeking a better life arrived in the country. To help curb the spread of the disease, local Boards of Health were created.

Letter of estimate sent to S.D. Woodruff for the total cost of construction and equipment of the extension of the line to Port Colborne

Letter of estimate sent to S.D. Woodruff for the total cost of construction and equipment of the extension of the line to Port Colborne [this is unsigned]. There is an envelope with this letter that suggests that it is from Mr. Shanly, Mar. 12, 1857.