The little settlement of Rock Chapel, located close to the brow of the Niagara Escarpment in the southeast corner of West Flamborough Township, covers just a small area – but its landscape tells the story of a rich geological Read more
In 1819, Alexander Brown was among the residents of East Flamborough Township who signed the circulated questionnaire from Robert Gourlay, commenting on the conditions and incentives for those interested in settling in Read more
The first European settler to establish himself on the escarpment in East Flamborough Township was Alexander Brown. Born in the Parish of Glencairn, Dumfriesshire, Scotland on December 24, 1776, he was just Read more
Between 1860 and 1870, the commercial section of Dundas Street was filled with hotels and taverns; directory listings of Waterdown businesses record that there were as many as eight hotels in operation during this decade – one more than Read more
During its long history as one of the oldest buildings in the Village of Waterdown, the American Hotel has changed little in appearance from its date of construction c.1824-1830.
Known by a number of names during its more than Read more
Settlement in Waterdown and eastwards along Dundas Street dates from 1806, almost immediately after the British Crown came to an agreement with the Mississauga Indians for the purchase of their lands which stretched from the East Flamborough Townline to Read more
Before the arrival of The Royal Bank in Waterdown, other small private banks existed in the village, offering their services to residents of the area.
The most famous of these, the Trader’s Bank, operated from 1909 to 1921 and Read more
Since water transportation along the north shore of Lake Ontario was good, there was not the urgency to build the eastern section of the Dundas Street highway that Simcoe had originally considered to be Read more
The British government’s decision to relocate the capital of Upper Canada from Newark (present day Niagara-on-the-Lake), to a site on the Thames River, where London stands today, initiated the start of the Dundas Street Read more
On 23 September 1793, Mrs. John Graves Simcoe, wife of Upper Canada’s first Lieutenant Governor wrote in her often witty diary: “Captain Smith has gone to open a road to be called Dundas Street, Read more