(Map of Dundas)

Dundas was formed from two older villages: Dundas Mills and Coote's Paradise, named after Captain Thomas Coote, who hunted in the area. The stretch of water near McMaster University is still called Coote's Paradise.

The original village of Coote's Paradise was located inside the rectangle formed by King Street East (known then as North Street), West Street, East Street, and South Street.

The first settlers into the wilderness valley that became the town of Dundas were members of the family of Ann Durham Morden, a widow and a United Empire Loyalist from Philadelphia, whose husband, Ralph, was hanged for trying to help a friend, Robert Land, escape to Canada. She and her family arrived in 1787 after being granted the land on which the northern part of the town now lies.

Edward Peer bought some land from the Mordens and built a mill about 1801. Peer named his mill Dundas Mills and that became the name of the area around the mill. The Dundas Mills area is in the triangle formed by Ogilvie Street, Hatt Street, and Governor's Road. Apparently Edward Peer did not have much respect for the natives, who tended to walk onto property and take whatever they fancied. When a group of natives walked onto his property and helped themselves to some of his chickens, Peer walked over, shot one of them, and took the native's blanket, saying, "This will pay for the chickens."

In 1804, Richard and Samuel Hatt in partnership with Manuel Overfield bought the Dundas Mills from Peer. As a partner, Overfield, a millwright, built a much bigger mill that had three runs of stones. This became the New Dundas Mill. About 1805, Richard Hatt changed the original Peers mill to an oatmeal mill and built a store just to the east of it. The store, built of stone, still survives after being used as a blacksmith's shop, a home, and now an electrical store. Hatt cleared the lower part of Spencer's Creek to allow vessels to reach Coote's Paradise (this was years before the Desjardins Canal). As a result, there was once a North Quay off East Street on the north side of Spencer's Creek, and a South Quay south of the creek also off East Street. Only part of South Quay still exists.

Another early settler was William Hare, a former Butler's Ranger. He bought Ann Morden's farm on York Street, 300 acres comprising most of the northern part of present Dundas east of Cross Street. Hare built what is now King Street but was then called Hare Street. It ran from York Street to where Market Street is now.

In 1826, the government authorized Pierre Desjardins and six others to construct a canal to allow large vessels to negotiate the stretch of water from Burlington Bay to Dundas. The canal was opened in 1837 and for a time Dundas became the most important town west of Toronto. Desjardins' canal is still there, between King Street East and East Cootes Drive.

Places to see in Dundas:

• Dundas Town Hall

  Dundas Town Hall

  This building was built in 1849 on a triangle of land on Main Street in the Dundas Mills area of Dundas. A former partner of the Hatts, Manuel Overfield, had a store here in 1804, and in 1848 his sons, Benjamin and Samuel Overfield, offered the land to the town as the site for the new Town Hall.

• Richard Hatt's Store

  Richard Hatt's store

  Richard Hatt built the store in about 1805 and the address is actually 2 Hatt Street. It is the oldest building in Dundas.

• Dundas Driving Park

  This unique circular park was designed to allow horses to exercise. If you drive around the park, you can imagine the gentry driving their horses around the park in the days of Queen Victoria.

• Rolph House

Rolph House

43 Cross Street was built in about 1822 as the home of George Rolph. Rolph was born in England and was a veteran of the War of 1812. He bought Ann Morden's original farm from William Hare in 1822 and built this house upon it. He was, however, a tremendous snob, which did not endear him to such people as Allan MacNab, future builder of Dundurn Castle. A gang of these people got together one night and tarred and feathered Rolph on the excuse that he was reposing in the arms of his housekeeper, Mrs. Evans. Included in the gang were Titus Simons and his son-in-law Alexander Robertson, who owned Foxbar. Allan McNab was suspected of being a member. The incident plagued McNab for many years because Rolph would not let it die. Rolph had a very influential brother, Dr. John Rolph, in the Legislative Assembly and the matter kept reappearing in the public eye.

• Wood-Dale

  Col. McKenzie House

  Further down, at 35 Cross Street, is Wood-Dale, the Regency cottage of Lt.Col. Thomas Howard McKenzie, built in 1846. Born in Scotland about 1811, McKenzie was one of the biggest merchants in Dundas, buying and selling pork by the hundreds of tons. His sales exceeded $1 million in his best year. He commanded a company in the 1837 Rebellion and was later Lt. Col. in the Wentworth Regiment. He was Mayor from 1859 to 1861.

• Notman House

Col. Notman House

Across the street at 32 Cross Street is the Classical Revival house of Col. William Notman, also built in 1846. Like his neighbour across the street, Notman was born in Scotland. He became a noted lawyer and loved the military. His passion for the military had a curious outlet; he owned a six-pounder cannon, which he loved to fire at any good opportunity. Every holiday, he had the cannon dragged up Cannon Hill at sunrise and a salute fired. Col. McKenzie and Mr Rolph would not have been amused. Despite this, Notman was elected MPP three times from 1857 through 1861.

• William Lyon Mackenzie House

  William Lyon Mackenzie's Dundas House

  This white-stucco house at 34 Baldwin Street is believed to be the house where William Lyon Mackenzie lived in his brief stay in Dundas before he moved to Queenston and then Toronto.

• Foxbar, 7 Overfield Street

  Foxbar

  This house was built for Alexander Robertson, who, with his father-in-law, Titus Simons, was charged with trespass in the George Rolph affair. The name of the house comes from the family home in Perthshire, Scotland. The elegant stone building has two sets of three chimneys and dates from after 1826, when Robertson married Matilda Simons. The house is privately owned.

• Orchard Hill, 5 Overfield Street

  Orchard Hill

  Rev. William McMurray lived here during his stay in Dundas between 1836 and 1857. The house may have been built for Manuel Overfield, Richard Hatt's former partner, because of a request in his will after he died about 1839. The house has a fine Palladian window over the front door. The verandah that ran around the house on three sides has been replaced by a columned porch at the front door. This house used to be next door to both Foxbar and Ballindalloch but houses have been built between them. The postal address for Orchard Hill is 190 Governor's Road but it fronts onto Overfield Street. The house is privately owned.

• Ballindalloch, 192 Governor's Road

  Ballindalloch

  This Italianate house was built in the 1860s by James Forsyth, who named it for his family home in Scotland. He manufactured agricultural machinery and became a partner in the Vulcan Works in 1861, around the time when the house was built. In 1872, he sold the house to James Somerville, founder of the Dundas True Banner newspaper, who then renamed it Uplands.

• Mount Fairview, 50 South St

  Mount Fairview

  When Hugh Moore built this house in 1848, it was on the outskirts of Dundas. Moore was a successful store owner with a store at the corner of King and Main Streets. The house is built of brick covered in stucco on the front and sides. The front of the house has four columns that rise two storeys to the roof. There is a one-storey verandah on each side with five columns on one side and six on the other. There have been many additions to the house, especially at the back, which faces the street. The house is privately owned.

• Doctor's Surgery, Albert Street on the property of the Dundas Historical Museum.

  Doctor's Surgery

  This small board-and-batten building was constructed on King Street about 1848 for Dr James Mitchell. It was donated to the museum in 1974 by Dr. Clarence Bates and moved to its present site for preservation.

• Kirkhill Cottage, 31 Melville Street

  Kirkhill Cottage

  This neat little cottage was built in the 1840s by Alexander Chalmers, a saddle and harness maker. The house was named by Rev. Mark Stark, a Presbyterian minister who lived here for twenty years.

• 30 York Street

  30 York Street

  This fine stone house has the year 1833 inscribed in the arch above the front door. Because it is on land owned by Richard Hatt, it is possible that it may have been built by his family. Richard Hatt's house was on Ogilvie Street, which was actually the drive up to his front door. In 1835, the York Street house was probably the home of Daniel Campbell. This house is sometimes called the Customs House, an error because the customs house was on Dundas Street.

• Hill-Side Home, 29 South Street

  Hill-Side Home

  Built in 1834 by a farmer, Edward Lyons, this Georgian house has a porch with four pillars. Lyons lived in the house until his death in 1890. There is another house at 29 South Street. It has been built between Hill-Side Home and South Street. Hill-Side Home is actually accessible from Woodward Avenue.