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Home , Fort Mississauga, History of Ontario, Isaac Brock, John Butler (pioneer), John Graves Simcoe, Laura Secord

HISTORY OF NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE

Early Inhabitants The earliest settlers in the Niagara area were the Mound builders, native people who traveled here from the Ohio Valley and settled in the Niagara region around 100 AD. Four hundred years later the ancestors of the Six Nations Confederacy replaced them. By 1400, Neutral Indians occupied the area relying on fishing, hunting and agriculture to survive. It is from their word, Onghiara, describing the waters flowing between Lakes Erie and , that Niagara is derived. The defeated the Neutrals in the mid-1600s. Later natives settled on the Canadian bank of the while Senecas settled on the American bank.

The First Europeans (1600-1700) Etienne Brule was probably the first European to visit this area in 1615. Other French explorers used the Native portage around for trade with the west. Beginning with LaSalle in 1679, the French constructed several buildings on the American side of the river to serve as links in the lucrative fur trade. One of these buildings is , across the river from Niagara-on-the-Lake.

British Rule (1700-1776) During the Seven Years War, the British engaged in military action against the French at Fort Niagara. The provisions of the in 1763, gave the British the fort. Sir William Johnson also negotiated a settlement with the Native population and the British Crown was given a strip of land on both sides of the River.

The United Empire Loyalists (1776-1786) Large numbers of those who remained loyal to the British Crown fled their homes during the and sought refuge in Fort Niagara. This necessity of providing food for the refugees resulted in a proposal by John Butler to settle and cultivate the west bank of the river. Commonly referred to as Butlersburg after the Colonel, the area would become officially known as Newark in 1781 (later changed to Niagara-on-the-Lake), and according to Butler’s 1782 census, there were eighty four (84) recorded settlers in the area. This number would grow to 800 by 1785. History of Niagara-on-the-Lake Page 2

The Settlement of Newark In 1791, the British government instructed the D.W. Smith, the Deputy Surveyor General, to lay out the new Town. A military grid was laid out in four acre parcels subdivided into one acre lots. This pattern is still in evidence today.

In 1792, was appointed as the first governor of Upper with a mandate to bring government and order to the colony. Newark, as he called Niagara-on-the-Lake, became the seat of government for the new province from 1792 until 1796, when, under the terms of Jay’s Treaty, the British relinquished Fort Niagara to the Americans and the capital was moved to for strategic military reasons.

During the time that Governor and Mrs. Simcoe lived in the Town, it became the centre of military and social life for the fledgling province. Legislators and government officials built several fine houses in the Georgian and Regency tradition and a Canadian portage route from Chippawa to enhanced Newark’s status as a commercial centre.

The -1814 Niagara-on-the-Lake, due to its proximity to the and importance as a commercial centre, occupied a strategic position throughout the war. The Battle of in October 1812 resulted in a victory, but at tremendous cost. Both General Sir and his second in command, Colonel John Macdonnell, died while ascending to the Heights.

The Americans occupied Fort George from May to December 1813 and burned the Town to the ground on December 13, 1813, while retreating during the attack on Fort George.

The War of 1813-1814 also resulted in the burning of St. Davids and created unlikely heroes such as , who undertook a perilous walk from her home in Queenston to warn the British of imminent attack at the Beaver Dams. The war also left the town in ruins and the population homeless and scattered.

Rebuilding began almost immediately. Many houses were reconstructed on the foundations of burned buildings, preserving the original character of the Town with buildings set close to the . Fort Mississauga was built from the bricks salvaged from the Town’s rubble. The Commons became the site of the Indian Council House and Butler’s , and a new Court House and Gaol were relocated to a safe site on Rye Street. By the 1830s, Niagara had recovered from the effects of war and was once again a prosperous community.

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The Niagara Harbour and Dock and the Canal In 1829, the first Welland Ship Canal was completed, replacing the overland portage route that was vital to the economy of Niagara. Despite this setback, the Town embarked on an era of economic diversification between 1830 and 1850. The Niagara Harbour and Dock Company, established in 1831, built sailing vessels, steamboats, docks and warehouses around the new harbour. Industry followed, including a tannery and a brewery. Fine commercial buildings were also constructed along at this time.

This period of prosperity ended with the construction of the second in the mid-1840s and the ultimate failure of the Niagara Harbour and Dock Company. The situation was compounded when the county seat was relocated from Niagara to St. Catharines, despite the construction of the handsome third Court House in 1847, which was designed by the distinguished Anglo-Canadian architect, William Thomas. As a result, the population of the Town declined steadily throughout the second half of the nineteenth century.

The Although the first settlers in Niagara brought their slaves with them from the United States, slavery never took permanent root in . On July 9, 1793, Canada’s first and only anti-slavery act was given royal assent by Governor John Graves Simcoe, being 40 years before the British parliament abolished slavery throughout the Empire.

The Act, to prevent the future introduction of slaves and to limit the terms of contracts for servitude within the province, was a compromise in that it provided for freedom for future generations of slaves and effectively ended .

From the beginning, Niagara was the end of an Underground Railroad system and many who successfully made the perilous trip settled in the Town. By 1850 there was a significant Black community located predominantly near the Negro Burial Ground in an area bounded by Mary, Mississauga, Ann and King . Many of the smaller, older homes in this area may have been owned by Black families, though all of their descendents have since moved away.

Irish Settlement During the 1840s, immigrants from Ireland fleeing the Irish Potato Famine came to Niagara seeking employment constructing the Welland Canal and later finding work on the railroad. The area in which they settled along Rye Street near the site of the second Court House is still known as Irishtown.

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Summer Visitors The survival of both the lake steamer service and railroad line and the construction of a network of electric railways across the peninsula laid the foundation for the revival of Niagara as an important resort area in the late nineteenth century. Though it was off the beaten path, the area was known for its fresh air, moderate climate and waterfront location.

Wealthy American visitors came to stay for long summer vacations resulting in the enlargement of some of the older homes to accommodate children, relations, friends and servants. Large new summer residences were also constructed with balconies, verandahs, widows’ walks and large airy rooms. A religious camp grew up in the Chautauqua area resulting in the construction of a hotel, an amphitheatre seating several thousand people and a number of summer cottages of a distinctly Victorian design. When the Chautauqua Institute ceased to exist, the ensuing development took on a unique design resembling the spokes of a wheel.

The Queen’s Royal Niagara Hotel was constructed in what is now Queen’s Royal Park to accommodate distinguished visitors such as the Duke and Duchess of York, the future King George V and Queen Mary. Tennis courts, a lawn bowling green and a pavilion for parties and dances attested to the popularity of Niagara as a summer resort.

The Twentieth Century Throughout the twentieth century, tender fruit farming and tourism have been the basis of the local economy. In 1902, Niagara unofficially became Niagara-on-the-Lake. The title was made official with the introduction of Regional government in 1970.

In the mid-1970s, encouraged by the special climate of Niagara, Inniskillin Winery began to plant vinifera vines and was producing wine from those grapes by the early 1980s. The switch to vinifera grapes resulted in a burgeoning wine industry that has seen tremendous growth and has resulted in the creation of a number of estate wineries in Niagara-on-the-Lake, which are becoming increasingly celebrated in Canada and around the world.

With the founding of the Shaw Festival, the 1960s also saw growth of cultural institutions. The festival has since grown to encompass three theatres, is open from April until November and attracts over 300,000 patrons each year.

Today, Niagara-on-the-Lake is a community that is proud of its past. Founded in the late 18th century, it spans the and illustrates, perhaps better than any other municipality in the province, what early 19th century Upper Canada was like. In recognition of its special status, Niagara Old Town was declared a National Historic Site in 2004.

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Our Communities

In addition to the original settlement of Niagara-on-the-Lake, now known as Old Town which includes the Queen-Picton Heritage District, our municipality includes a number of villages and districts with their own unique heritage.

Queenston The Village of Queenston has been of historic importance since well before European occupation, which marked the beginning of an aboriginal trail inland and straddled an established portage route along the Niagara River’s western shore.

The Village was founded in 1782 by Isaac Dolson. Robert Hamilton established a successful merchant business here in 1788 and Governor Simcoe stationed the Queen’s Own Rangers here in 1792 perhaps giving rise to Queenston’s name. By 1802 it had a ferry service to Lewiston as well as a customs house and a post office.

Queenston was the site of the Battle of Queenston Heights during the War of 1812-14 and it suffered severe damage. It survived to become a key link in a regional transportation system on land and water, as a government way station on the Portage Road and as a shipping and industrial centre.

The village became the centre of steamboat construction in 1824. By 1833 there were six steamers running weekly trips from the Niagara River to the end of and one steamer daily to Toronto. Queenston’s position as a transportation hub diminished in 1825 and 1829 with the construction of the Erie and Welland Canals respectively. With the discontinuation of steamship service in the mid 20th century, the village evolved into a quiet residential enclave along the Niagara .

The Village is associated with a number of important people including Robert Hamilton, Laura Secord, Sir General Isaac Brock and . It also contains a number of significant buildings, including Willowbank, the Greek Revival mansion built for Alexander Hamilton; the Dee House, constructed c.1809, which survived the ravages of the War of 1812-14; the Laura Secord Homestead, and the Mackenzie Printery, both of which are owned and operated by the and open to the public.

St. Davids St. Davids is situated amid the intersection of two important Indian trails, the north-south route from Lake Ontario to the top of the , and the east-west path along the ledge below the Escarpment extending from New York state to . The first non-Native settlers in St. Davids were the families of soldiers of Loyalist .

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St. Davids first served as a trading post. Then the waterpower of the Four Mile Creek made it the milling centre of Upper Canada. The first mill in the Village, constructed by Peter and James Secord in 1782-83, still stands and is now a home.

St. Davids was considered to be a British stronghold by the attacking American forces, and York Road was a vital military link. Because of this, the village and its residents played a vital role during the War of 1812-14. St. Davids was controlled by both the Americans and the British on a number of occasions. The US forces were finally driven out in July 1814, but not before they expelled the residents and looted and burned the village.

After the war, York Road became an important stagecoach and mail route, part of the Queenston-Grimsby-Burlington Toll Road. The Village’s prominent location and the advent of the St. Davids station of the Erie and Ontario Railway resulted in several fruit wholesalers and other firms locating their businesses in the area after 1850. These were joined by important industries such as John Sleeman’s Stamford Brewery and Distillery and the nearby quarry.

Toward the end of the 1800s the local economy gradually shifted from general and mixed farming to tender fruit growing. The railway gave the growers access to market, and by the 1880s, there was a significant commercial fruit market and a fledgling canning industry. By 1900 St. Davids was a bustling centre with thriving business and industrial place and a prominent place in the agricultural community.

Virgil Settled by United Empire Loyalists, Virgil is located in the centre of the municipality. It was originally referred to as The Crossroads due to its location at the juncture of the Old Indian Trail Creek Road and Black Swamp Road. Black Swamp Road, which was used extensively by the British military to transport supplies to Fort Niagara, was known for its muddy conditions. While it would freeze over during the winter months, it was eventually graded and gravelled to allow for better passage by horse and buggy during the summer months. At that point it became known as The Stone Road and today is known as Niagara Stone Road or 55.

In 1844, The Crossroads was named Lawrenceville, after George Lawrence, a prominent settler, and then subsequently was renamed Virgil. During the First World War, an influx of Russian Mennonites settled in the area after escaping persecution in Europe. Mr. Peter Wall, a Russian , purchased large grain farms and proceeded to subdivide and sell to other Russian families. These lands were cultivated to become one of the most productive tender fruit bearing areas in Ontario.

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By the early 1900s, several canning factories had been established to process the local fruit harvest. In 1939, Mr. Wall and a group of shareholders built a canning factory, which processed a wide range of tender fruit under the label “Pride of Niagara.” Mr. Hall’s two-storey brick farmhouse, which was a short distance from the canning factory, is now the home of a local winery.

In recent years, Virgil has grown to become a thriving commercial and residential area within the heart of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Glendale Glendale is located at the Queen Elizabeth Highway gateway on the southwestern corner of the municipality. In addition to the Niagara-on-the-Green residential area, it is home to a number of institutional and commercial operations, including Canada, White Oaks Conference Resort and Spa, Royal Niagara Golf Course and the soon to be opened Outlet Collection at Niagara and the Canadian Marine Security Operations Centre.