Map of St Catharines

Located at the junction of two important creeks, Twelve Mile and Captain Dick's, at a point where the Iroquois Trail crosses, the site of St Catharines must have seemed a great place to settle for former Butler's Rangers Jacob Dittrick and John Hainer. They had moved from Niagara in the early 1780s. and settled here on unsurveyed land, Dittrick on the east side of Twelve Mile Creek and Hainer on the west side. Other early settlers were Thomas Adams and Richard (Captain Dick) Pierpoint, a former slave and Butler's Ranger. Adams built a tavern right at the intersection of the Iroquois Trail (now St Pauls Street) and another trail that ran down the creek to the lake (now Ontario Street). This tavern became the heart of a new community after it was taken over by Paul Shipman; the community was known as Shipman's Corners and the main street later named St Paul Street after Shipman. The creek that ran into Twelve Mile Creek was named Dick's Creek after Captain Dick Pierpoint, about whom there are few facts but a lot of speculation.

The most important man in the early years was William Hamilton Merritt, the son of a Queen's Ranger and owner of mills on the Twelve mile Creek. It was Merritt who had the idea of the first Welland Canal, though it started out as a way to divert much-needed water to the Twelve Mile Creek from the Welland River. Eventually the first canal was built, following the line of the Twelve Mile Creek until it reached Dick's Creek, then up Dick's Creek, over the escarpment, and on to the Welland River. The second canal followed much the same route in the St Catharines area, but with larger, stone locks and fewer of them. One brainwave was to use some of the water from the canal to power mills and factories in St Catharines. This created an industrial boom for the town that lasted into the twentieth century, even though the third and fourth canals bypassed the city. An example of an industrial building that harnessed the water from the canal is the Canada Hair factory still operating downtown.

Places to see in St Catharines are:

• The Old Town Hall or Courthouse

  The Old Town Hall or Courthouse

  This building was built in 1849 as the town hall. A new wing was added in 1862 when it became the Lincoln County Courthouse.

• Grantham Academy

  Grantham Academy

  Built in 1829 as the first high school in the Niagara Peninsula, this school was the second non-denominational high school in Upper Canada.

• St George's Anglican Church

  St George;s Anglican Church

  Next door to the Academy is the church that gave the name to Church Street, St George's Anglican Church. When it was originally built in 1796, it was the first church in St Catharines and was used by many denominations. It was built on land owned by Robert Hamilton and was closer to Yates Street, where the toffs lived. After a major fire in 1836, it was rebuilt here and opened in 1840. The tower was added in 1845 by Nehemiah Merritt in memory of his brother and sister-in-law, Thomas and Mary Merritt, parents of William Hamilton Merritt.

• Baynes home, 104 Church St

  Baynes Home

  This was the home of Rev. John Baynes and dates from 1840.

• Winchester-Larkin house, 22 Academy St

  Winchester-Larkin House

  This house was built about 1845 by Lucius Winchester. Later additions were made by Captain Patrick Larkin, a sea captain, ship owner, and businessman

• Canada Hair Cloth Company factory

  Canada Hair Cloth Company factory

  James and Hugh McSloy bought an old mill and rebuilt it in 1888 to make lining for men's suits and other items using horsehair. Initially power for the mill came from directly harnessing the water from the raceways of the second canal but, eventually, the mill switched to electrical power created by water-powered generators. The McSloys used power from their generators to light their homes.

• Welland Vale

  Welland Vale lock of the second canal

  Welland Vale is where Merritt's mill was located and is the reason for Merritt becoming involved in the Welland Canal. If the Twelve Mile Creek had not been susceptible to drying up in summer, Merritt would never have had to look for other sources of water for his mill, and things might have been completely different for St Catharines. The bridge at the bottom of the hill crosses the creek and the second canal. Here the bend in the creek had to be straightened out during construction of the second canal. Merritt's mill would have been on the west side of the bridge where the large building is located now. The mill was, however, originally on the east bank of the creek and of the first canal, so now the building stands on land between the creek and the second canal. If you stand on the bridge, you can clearly see the stone sides of the lock, the slots where the gates used to be, and the hinges for the lock gates.

• Rodman Hall

  Rodman Hall

  This was built in 1856 as the home of Thomas Rodman Merritt, son of Hamilton Merritt and a well-known businessman in his own right. After an education that included a year in Grantham Academy, Rodman Merritt went on form a partnership with James Rea Benson, his future father-in-law, that owned mills, ships, and a store. When the partnership ended, Merritt kept the mills and the ships. He eventually sold his interests to Captain Norris and his partner Sylvester Neelon. He later served as MP and helped to found Risley College. The house is now an art gallery.

• Oak Hill, 12 Yates Street

  Oak Hill

  This was the home of William Hamilton Merritt. He built the original house in 1824 on the considerable land he owned in St Catharines. Unfortunately, the house burned down in 1858, so Merritt had to rebuild. The present house is the result. The gardens for the house once extended to the Twelve Mile Creek, including all of the present Oakhill Park. The house is now the home of radio station CKTB.

• Other Yates Street houses

  This street was named for John B. Yates, one of Merritt's financial backers. Some of the fine houses on Yates Street:

  • Chace House, 24 Yates Street

    Chace House

    This house was built about 1840 by Dr William Chace, who discovered the healing powers of the mineral waters at St Catharines. He owned the land further down Yates Street where the Stephenson House Hotel was eventually built. The Chace family did not stay here long before selling it to John Woodward, a miller.

  • Bate House, 29 Yates Street

    Bate House

    This house was built for Thomas B. Bate of the Taylor and Bate brewing family. The brewery was located at the bottom of the hill at the rear of the house. The rear section of the house may be older than the front section, which was built in 1854. Note that this house is not next door to Number 31; there is an intervening house numbered 29½.

  • Beeton House, 31 Yates Street

    Beeton House

    This is the oldest house on the street and one of the finest. It was built in 1840 and is a Georgian cottage.

  • Burrowman House, 33 Yates Street

    Burrowman House

    Next door, at number 33, is the Burrowman house. This elegant house was built in 1860.

  • Wright House, 34 Yates Street

    Wright House

    This nice Regency cottage was built in 1850 by Rev. Rufus Wright for his daughter, Martha. The old hitching post is still out in front of the house.

    One of many hitching posts on Yates Street

   

• Norris Place houses

  This street is named after Captain James Norris, sea captain, businessman, mayor of St Catharines, MP, and the founder of the Norris family of Detroit Red Wings fame.

  • Captain Norris House, 9 Norris Place

    Captain Norris House

    Captain Norris' home was at number 9. This was built in 1834 by Geoffrey Ward and bought later by Captain Norris. In front of the house is a step for entering a carriage,

    Carriage steps outside Captain Norris House

  • 6 and 8 Norris Place

    6 and 8 Norris Place

    Across the road at numbers 6 and 8 are brick semidetached houses built by Captain Norris in the 1850s.

  • Annie Norris House, 10 Norris Place

    Annie Norris House

    Number 10 is an Italianate house built by Captain Norris in 1876 for his daughter Annie, who was married to Henry King, mayor of St Catharines 1885-6.