Subscribe..
History of Wellandport
(Compliled by “S”)
Originally called The Narrows, named for the narrow strip of land separating Beaver Creek from the Welland River. The Beaver Creek was where the beaver built dams. The water was used to run mills. Today it is dry.
The Welland River also went by the name of Chippawa Creek.
The first settlers came about 1795 and settled on the narrows.. they had to clear the land before building homes.
The river was clear with lots of fish, surrounded by forests.
1816 saw the first sawmill, 1820 a grist mill, distillery and tannery were built.
Many people came from United States to settle on free land given to them by the government. In 1861 many came to avoid Civil war army service.
In 1841 a post office was established under the name of Wellandport.. The sawmill employed twenty people, running day and night. Three large boats travelled up the river to take lumber to Buffalo.
In 1850 there were two physicians, two churches and several stores.. By 1861 the population of Wellandport was about 230.. In 1870 Wellandport was expected to become a seat of the government.
Logging was big business. Logs were taken to the end of Heaslip road each winter then in the spring the logs were rafted down the river. Bricks were made at the Larose and Angle farms, stave bolts were used by barrel makers. Barges were also made in Wellandport.
The first school was believed to be made of logs, located west of the village on Canboro road. The first teacher was Wilson.. The second school was made of logs, located south of the village, across the Welland river, north of the cemetery. The teacher was Michael Brennan. The next school was frame, built in the village. This location was the site of the next brick school built 1893. the building still stands today.
In 1952 a building was moved from Silverdale to Wellandport, making it a two room school. Mr. L. Michener was principal and R. Truman taught in the junior room..
The activities of the school were county field days, Gainsborough music festivals and guest speakers..
In 1965 pupils were sent to a new school, Gainsborough cental school in Bismarck.
Social life in early 1900s consisted of card games, garden parties, winter sports and fairs. On the river one could boat, fish and skate. Baseball was another favorite sport.
Early 1875 sleighs came in from Dunville, Fonthill and Fenwick. Hot bricks kept the feet warm. They danced at Peckham’s Hall, Durham Hotel and Cronkite hotel.
The first fair was founded by the Monck Agricultural Society in 1868. The first fair was located along Beaver creek but, moved east of the village along the Welland river. The community hall and library are located there today.
In 1908 Tom Longboat, a famous runner was at the Wellandport fair
The first church in the village was Wellandport Presbyterian church, organized in 1831 called the Chippewa Presbyterian church. In 1947 it closed and in 1948 it was torn down.
The United church was a Methodist church built in 1884. The first minister was Rev. H.A. Cook. This was the first Methodist church dedicated in the Dominion of Canada. After a year it had a membership of 232 people. By 1896 the church was paid for.. A basement was put under the church in 1913. The concrete blocks came from Dunnville. They were transported from the feeder canal to Welland canal the the Welland river.
June 10,1925 the Wellandport Methodist church became Wellandport United church.. July 1,1968 became Emmanuel United church. Today it is a private home.
January 2, 1882 fire destroyed twenty buildins in Wellandport. Again on August 24, 1910 most of the downtown was destroyed by fire.
1880 Walter Misener owned a general store and telegraph office. Telegraphy was taught here..
1899 the Empire store was built on Main Street. James Ross helped to establish this store. After some time it served as a post office and later became a feed mill and burned in 1945.
Dochstaders rebuilt and operated a feed mill until 1960s when it was torn down.
Early 1900s the Coopers had a store, ice cream parlor and a mill. The store was later owned by Glaves, Howie, Garland, and Ruggi families. The building still stands today.
Also in 1900s Jim Simpson had a barber shop, John Flewelling had a butcher shop, Joe steward owned a buggy and cutter factory, Rigg’s memoral was on the Beaver creek, the drug stored was operated by Dr. Collver, Hortons had the drug store which later became a post office. Goring had a large store where the neighbors came for nvisiting.. Next to Goring was the telephone exchange, Heaslip’s Undertaking, Methodist church, Ross Hall and Presbyterian church.
Amos Heaslip owned the Heaslip Funeral & Undertaking Parlour in 1902. The business was sold to Hugh Brooks, Mr. Slaigh, , then to John Lampman who added a hardware business. In 1954 it was sold to Herb Powers. The building still stands today.
A bank was built about 1904. Mr Ross was the manager of the Sterling Bank, In 1939 it was closed. Charles Gee bought the building, it was used as a barber shop and private residence. The building still stands today.
1904 telephone service came to Wellandport.
1910 Wellandport got natural gas service for their homes and street lights.
1936 Wellandport had three grocery stores owned by Gale, Garrett and Coleman families., the Cronkite hotel , three garages owned by Redmond, Morningstar and Garner families, two feed mills,, a transport business, blacksmith shop, and funeral home.
The earliest bridge was built about 1837, made of logs. Later ones were made from piles.
When the barges came the bridges swung out to let them pass. This caused quite a gathering of people.
A bridge was built in 1883 of stone and iron by Thomas Ray.
The present bridge was built in 1938.
List of names associated with early Wellandport
Adams
Anderson
Angle
Atkinson
Beamer
Beattie
Becker
Bousfield
Bowman
Brooks
Brown
Campbell
Carl
Cavers
Christie
Clark
Collver
Cosby
Cronkbite
Cushman
Daboll
Dalrymple
Darrah
Devitt
Dils
Dochstader
Durham
Eitle
Flummerfelt
Fralick
Freure
Gee
Gillem
Gilliam
Goring
Girven
Gracey
Graham
Grenville
Hainer
Hanham
Hartwell
Heaslip
Henderson
Henry
Heslop
Hill
Holmes
Imrail
Jeffrey
Johnson
Kay
Lane
McKeague
McLaren
McPherson
Misner
Moore
Overholt
Phillips
Prentis
Rice
Robertson
Robins
Rose
Schram
Seldon
Steward
Sutherland
Swartz
Thompson
Trumm
Ulman
Vaughan
Wiggins
Wilcox
Willson
Wilson
Zink
References:
“Thriving Inland Port Century Ago” St Catharines Standard June 27,1967
“Peaceful Wellandport Once Busy Peninsula Town” Evening Tribune May 18,1965.
West Lincoln our Links With the Past 1784-1984.
“Major Shift in Population Changes old Wellandport” The Hamilton Spectator October 21,1961.
My Dad and his mother bought the farm during the 2nd war. It was the most wonderful place to grow up. Skating on the river and swimming and boating, a real magical place
. Went to school at the one room school. First the white one than the brick one. The brick school house use to sway when the wind was strong and you thought it was going to blow over but there it still stands today.
Good Morning Jeanette
Thank you for sharing your wonderful memories of Wellandport. I have canoed many times on the river there and found the surrounding area a serene place to wile away a few hours.
I am really enjoying reading the history of Wellandport. I have just bought a home on Canborough Road. I believe it’s pre-Confederation. Do you have any suggestions on where I can research the history of the home or if such information will even exist?
Hi Lyn
We have three suggestions for the moment.
1-The registry office in St. Catharines
2-The library in Wellandport might be able to direct you
3-Ask at the post office if anyone has any knowledge of this home’s history.
If the house is well-known you hopefully should be able to research it.
Looking for info on the Baughman family from Wellandport, especially Eliza Baughman who married Joel Willoughby Dennis. Lock55@outlook.com
Has anyone heard of the balint family..john, Mary, or mike..they had a farm in wellanport..or the topolinsky family.. Or Alex and Olga Horton. If so please email me
Debmanson0302@yahoo.ca
Debbie
I lived on the Willson farm from 1931 to 1938 ssnd attended first year of school in Wellandport.
I remember the Anderson. Cavers, Robertson and Moore families. My Grandfather, Walter, Died before my parents were married. He is buried in a small roadside cemetary. not the Willson Cemetary further south. Perhaps he was a black sheep. I visited the area a few years ago. but only recognized the general store and the school, which was of interest to the teachers in the family.
Morning Howard
Thank you for your memories of Wellandport. Hopefully sometime we can add more about this community. B
Since my note of Sept. 14 I found an old map of Gainsboro. There was no date on it, but the scale was 50 Chains to the inch. I didn’t try to upgrade it. All the properties have the name of the owner written in. Great, except that some properties are very small. Many different hands put in the names/, so not always easy to read. I found my family farm and could see a few names around it, only some o which I recognized. J. Becker, John Cavers, Walter Cavers, Thos. Grenville, Abram Mastym, John Manslip, John & Rrchard Phillips and The Stewart family is on a property that I remember as the Anderson farm. I can,t clarify much more with the equipment I have, but I may pursue it further.
Hi Howard
Always exciting to find new information and then explore the various avenues it takes one down. Keep in touch. B
I am glad to have found this history of Wellandport! My 5th Great Grandfather Stephen Robins came to the area in 1798 or so. I believe his original land holding was where Wellandport was built. He later bought land in Wainfleet across the river. Interested in hearing from others that may be related from this family.
Forgot to add an email for contact
robinsgenes AT gmail.com
I live in Wellandport and have been trying to find out some of the history of our house which was a large farm in the centre of Wellandport built by Mckeans apparently in 1911. Our house has gone through many changes in the past, but we do not have any of the papers or documents relating to the work on the property. I have asked the West Lincoln Historical Society if they have anything about our property. All we can go off of is a picture of the farm in the 20s with owners names on the back throughout its history.
Hello Paul
Hopefully one of our readers will be able to help you out. Good luck with your search. B
Hi I would like information on the Cronkite family of Wellandport. All I know is they owned a hotel. My maternal family were long time residents of Wellandport for over 200 years.
Don
Hi Paul: I just came across your query today, May 28, 2019. I’m a member of the West Lincoln Heritage Committee & am currently researching Wellandport. Can you tell me what your address is and what you do know about your house? Thank you!
I am Stuart Brook. I lived in Wellandport with my parents for about 3 years from about 1957. We lived in what had been the Red & White grocery store and became an M&M store (Green sign). It has been many things since then. What I remember about it was that the rear of the store essentially had a stage.
I went to Wellandport school … teacher was Mrs Lymburner … who I got in trouble with many times because I was far more interested in the activities of the grade above me than my own grade!
Next door to us in the Wellandport Garage was the Kuckyt family … who had a son and daughter.
The post office and barbershop shared the same building down the street … run by Frank and Ada Hiles … distant relatives of mine. There were many relatives in that area.
The far end of the town was the Robins family (Bruce, Joan and Doris to remember a few of the family … they still used coal oil lighting)
My father built a barn (to what purpose I can’t remember!) deep in the field on the far side of the Robbins house.
I remember we had a school song night at the Community centre one year and Mrs L was convinced that I could NOT sing or carry a tune, so I was told I had to do the demeaning act of mouthing the words!!!
I can’t remember the name of the Doctor in the village at the time … but I remember him as rather rotund man … very much a country doctor!
We had a german shepherd dog named Rip. He was quite the guard dog, protective of my baby brother (back in the days when it was quite normal to leave your child outside in a carriage to get fresh air! One day Rip came home with some salt in his rump … he’d attacked a chicken coop and the farmer was none too pleased.
What is now known as Niagara Street was at that time “Back Street” and Lincoln Street that went back to the school was “Side Street” … and that only went back to the rear of the school … no further.
I’ve been reading through many of the posts here … Although I only lived there a few years, it made quite the impression on me.
One thing that stands out is the main street through Wellandport … I remember the street through the village centre as being Main Street. Once you went out the corner of 27 or the other way out past the community centre it became Canboro Road. At that time certainly, it was not Canborough. (the more English spelling)
While I was there, the school consisted of 2 buildings / classrooms … the robust looking brick one at the top of the hill that dropped down to the river. The other was a wooden building at right angles to the brick one. so the teacher’s end so to speak was on Side street. Brick building held grades 5-8 and the wooden one held grades 1-4
Opposite the Red & White (M&M) was the phone exchange …. no dial there … pick up the phone and wind the crank! Next was the feed mill … and then another grocery run by someone called Ruggie(sp?) Below that store was an apartment occupied by a Mrs Long (which she preferred over her actual name … Longbottom
There are a few more memories … I’ll post them as they come back to my memory!
Add A Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.