Barbara Raue

Port Dalhousie is a community in St. Catharines known for its waterfront appeal. It is historically significant as the terminus for the first three (19th century) routes of the Welland Canal, built in 1820, 1845 and 1889. The city's most popular beach, on the shore of Lake Ontario, is located in Port Dalhousie at Lakeside Park. The park is home to an antique carousel which was carved by Charles I. D. Looff in 1905 and brought to St. Catharines in 1921. It continues to provide amusement for young and old alike, at just 5 cents a ride. Port Dalhousie is named for George Ramsay, 9th Earl of Dalhousie, Governor General of British North America from 1820-1828. At the time of European colonization, the British Crown appropriated the land from the Neutral Indians, and transferred title of the area to Captain Peter Tenbroeck, a United Empire Loyalist officer in Butler's Rangers, as part of an 800 acre land grant. Tenbroeck and other settlers established farms along the Twelve Mile Creek. Within a few years, ships began to ply the waters of Lake Ontario, but only small craft could navigate to the fledgling mills and hamlet of Shipman's Corners, later St. Catharines. The northern entrance to the Welland Canal was at Port Dalhousie. Industries and services to meet the needs of the growing settlement were established. In 1837, a Scottish boat builder called Robert Abbey started a shipyard at Port Dalhousie, building yawls, sailing yachts and eventually steam yachts. Confederation in 1867 was a major factor in the building of the Third Welland Canal. A new and enlarged waterway was needed for the larger steamers on the Great Lakes. By 1890 almost 300,000 tons of cargo were shipped along the canal each year, primarily wheat, corn, coal and forest products. By 1914, this had increased to almost four million tons. Further canal enlargements were demanded and a new Welland Ship Canal was completed in 1930 which bypassed Port Dalhousie.

Clinton Township included the villages of Beamsville, Vineland, Campden and Tintern. Many of the early settlers were Mennonites who emigrated from Pennsylvania.Beamsville, Ontario was named after Jacob Beam, a United Empire Loyalist. Jacob and Catharine, along with their daughter Catharine and son-in-law Samuel Merrell, immigrated to Canada from New Jersey in 1788, and founded Beamsville. It was located on the Great Western Railway. In 1898, hockey players in the town of Beamsville were the first to make use of a hockey net.In 1970, the Town of Beamsville was amalgamated with Clinton Township and half of Louth Township to form the larger Town of Lincoln. Beamsville is in the heart of Ontario's wine country in the Niagara Peninsula. Many wineries from the area have received top awards, including Grape King at the Niagara Grape & Wine Festival, as well as international awards.Vineland is bordered by the Twenty Mile Creek and Jordan to the east, Lake Ontario to the norther, Beamsville to the west, and Pelham to the south. Vineland is primarily an agricultural community with many fruit farms and wineries. Vineland's fruit crops include cherries, peaches, apples and pears.Most of the early settlers of Jordan were German in origin, and were devout practicing Mennonites. With a large natural harbor at the mouth of Twenty Creek, Jordan became a busy shipping center for the export of logs for boat masts, tan bark, hides, ashes used in industrial centers for the manufacture of soap, as well as grain, flour, fruit and fruit products. A small ship building industry existed for a time on the banks of the Twenty.Ball's Falls, Ontario is a historical ghost town located in the Niagara Region and dates back to the early 19th century when it was established by Jacob Ball, a United Empire Loyalist. After the American Revolution, Jacob and his family were forced from their home and potash works in New York. Twenty Mile Creek, which runs through the area, has two waterfalls. The Ball brothers built a grist mill, a saw mill at the lower falls and a woolen mill at the upper falls. In the late 1850s, the Great Western Railway was established and many industries moved away from here to be closer to the railway. In 1962 Manly Ball sold the land to the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Area and the town, now known as Ball's Falls, is a tourist attraction.The first settlers of Campden were former members of Butler's Rangers who were granted land for their services to the Crown following the American Revolution. Benjamin Doyle was one of these and he severed part of his land to the newly arrived Pennsylvania Dutch, which included Jacob Moyer and his seven sons. In 1862 when a post office was established, the hamlet was named Campden.

West Lincoln is a township in the Niagara Region of Ontario. Main urban areas are located along provincial Highway 20. The administrative center of West Lincoln is the community of Smithville, situated between Hamilton and Niagara Falls.Smithville was first settled by Richard Griffin and his family, United Empire Loyalists who came from Nine Partners, New York in 1787. The names of his sons were Abraham, Edward, Nathaniel, Isaiah, Smith, Jonathan, and Richard Jr. They settled on the Twenty Mile Creek in Grimsby (later South Grimsby) Township. Solomon Hill, who married Bethia, daughter of Richard Griffin, settled on Lot 6, Charles Meredith on Lot 7; Thomas Harris on Lot 11, and Thomas North on Lot 12. These lots, all in the 9th Concession became the settlement first known as Griffintown, but later renamed after Mrs. Griffin, whose maiden name was Mary Smith.Edward "Ned" Griffin is sometimes claimed to be the real founder of the village. He was the one who felled the first tree, chose the village site, cleared the first acre of land, built the first house, and lived his entire life in the village. Another son, Smith Griffin, is credited with building a treadwheel in 1810. Settlers who wanted their grain ground were required to provide their own motive power by putting their oxen on the tread. Later, Smith Griffin built a dam and mill on the Twenty Mile Creek, making the treadmill obsolete. Smith also started an ashery, while his brother Edward opened a general store.By 1849, Smithville had reached a population of about 150, and had been granted a post office with twice-weekly delivery. The settlement had a grist mill, a saw mill, a carding machine and cloth factory, four stores, one machine shop, one tannery, two blacksmiths, two tailors and two shoemakers.Smithville, along with the remainder of South Grimsby Township was amalgamated into the newly formed Township of West Lincoln on January 1, 1970.

Port Dalhousie is a community in St. Catharines known for its waterfront appeal. It is historically significant as the terminus for the first three (19th century) routes of the Welland Canal, built in 1820, 1845 and 1889. The city's most popular beach, on the shore of Lake Ontario, is located in Port Dalhousie at Lakeside Park. The park is home to an antique carousel which was carved by Charles I. D. Looff in 1905 and brought to St. Catharines in 1921. It continues to provide amusement for young and old alike, at just 5 cents a ride. Port Dalhousie is named for George Ramsay, 9th Earl of Dalhousie, Governor General of British North America from 1820-1828.At the time of European colonization, the British Crown appropriated the land from the Neutral Indians, and transferred title of the area to Captain Peter Tenbroeck, a United Empire Loyalist officer in Butler's Rangers, as part of an 800 acre land grant. Tenbroeck and other settlers established farms along the Twelve Mile Creek. Within a few years, ships began to ply the waters of Lake Ontario, but only small craft could navigate to the fledgling mills and hamlet of Shipman's Corners, later St. Catharines.The northern entrance to the Welland Canal was at Port Dalhousie. Industries and services to meet the needs of the growing settlement were established. In 1837, a Scottish boat builder called Robert Abbey started a shipyard at Port Dalhousie, building yawls, sailing yachts and eventually steam yachts.Confederation in 1867 was a major factor in the building of the Third Welland Canal. A new and enlarged waterway was needed for the larger steamers on the Great Lakes. By 1890 almost 300,000 tons of cargo were shipped along the canal each year, primarily wheat, corn, coal and forest products. By 1914, this had increased to almost four million tons. Further canal enlargements were demanded and a new Welland Ship Canal was completed in 1930 which bypassed Port Dalhousie.

Collingwood is situated on Nottawasaga Bay at the southern point of Georgian Bay. Collingwood offers a combination of old time charm and history with recreation opportunities for skiing on Blue Mountain, and golfing. Collingwood was incorporated as a town in 1858, nine years before Confederation and was named after Admiral Lord Cuthbert Collingwood, Lord Nelson's second in command at the Battle of Trafalgar, who assumed command of the British fleet after Nelson's death.The land in the area was originally inhabited by the Iroquoian Petun nation, which built a string of villages in the vicinity of the nearby Niagara Escarpment. They were driven from the region by the Iroquois in 1650. European settlers and freed black slaves arrived in the area in the 1840s, bringing with them their religion and culture.In 1855, the Ontario, Simcoe & Huron (later called The Northern) railway came into Collingwood, and the harbour became the place for shipment of goods destined for the upper Great Lakes ports of Chicago and Port Arthur-Ft. William (now Thunder Bay). Shipping produced a need for ship repairs, so it was not long before an organized ship building business was created. On May 24, 1883, the Collingwood Shipyards, formerly known as Collingwood Dry Dock Shipbuilding and Foundry Company Limited, opened with a special ceremony. On September 12, 1901, the Huronic was launched in Collingwood, the first steel-hulled ship launched in Canada. The shipyards produced Lakers and during World War II contributed to the production of Corvettes for the Royal Canadian Navy. Shipbuilding was one of the principal industries in the town, employing as much as 10% of the total labour force. Overseas competition and overcapacity in shipbuilding in Canada led to the demise of shipbuilding in Collingwood in September 1986.Collingwood attracted eleven new manufacturing firms by 1971. Eight additional manufacturing companies located here by 1983, making Collingwood the largest industrial employer in the region.

St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region in Southern Ontario. It is 51 kilometres (32 miles) south of Toronto across Lake Ontario, and is 19 kilometres (12 miles) inland from the international boundary with the United States along the Niagara River. It is the northern entrance of the Welland Canal.Before this area was settled several Indian trails intersected here at a ford in Twelve Mile Creek. They were improved by early settlers and a church was erected at the crossroads by 1798. A tavern soon followed and a settlement began to grow. After the War of 1812, the community expanded largely through the efforts of William Hamilton Merritt. He was the chief promoter of the first Welland Canal built in 1824-33. The canal made St. Catharines a centre for water transportation, and provided abundant water power for industry. Factories and mills were established and St. Catharines became a leading flour-milling and shipbuilding centre.Dr. Lucius Oille was born in 1830 and was one of St. Catharines most prominent citizens. He served as a member of council for several years before becoming mayor in 1878. He was the second mayor of the city and first chairman of the waterworks. Oille was a physician and owned the first x-ray machine in St. Catharine. He was involved in dozens of city projects, such as the organization of the Niagara Central Railway and the city's first streetcar system. In 1878 Dr. Oille donated a fountain in front of the courthouse at the corner of King and James Street to the citizens of St. Catharines. He wanted to provide water to citizens who were shopping in the market square or had come downtown to work. Tin drinking cups were attached to the fountain by a chain so that people could use them to drink. Dr. Oille even thought of the animals as the fountain has a small basin at the bottom specifically for them. This gift marked the establishment of the city's waterworks system in 1875-1876. Dr. Lucius Oille died on August 15, 1903.

St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region in Southern Ontario. It is 51 kilometres (32 miles) south of Toronto across Lake Ontario, and is 19 kilometres (12 miles) inland from the international boundary with the United States along the Niagara River. It is the northern entrance of the Welland Canal.St. Catharines carries the official nickname "The Garden City" due to its 1,000 acres of parks, gardens and trails.The city was first settled by Loyalists in the 1780s. The Crown granted them land in compensation for their services and for losses in the United States. Early histories credit Sergeant Jacob Dittrick and Private John Hainer, formerly of Butler's Rangers, as among the first to come to the area. They took their Crown Patents where Dick's Creek and 12 Mile Creek merge, now the city centre of St. Catharines.Secondary to water routes, native trails provided transportation networks, resulting in the present-day radial road pattern from the City centre.After the Butler's Rangers disbanded in 1784 and settled the area, Duncan Murray as a former Quartermaster was appointed by the Crown to distribute free Government supplies (victuals) for two years to the resettled Loyalists. He did this from his mill, built on the 12 Mile Creek in Power Glen. After his death in 1786, his holdings went to merchant Robert Hamilton of Queenston. Hamilton became land wealthy, expropriating lands from subsistence Loyalist settlers who were incapable of settling their debts. Hamilton's major profits were derived from transhipping supplies for the military and civic establishments from his Queenston enterprise. He sold his business to Jesse Thompson before the turn of the 18th century.The Merritt family arrived; they were among the later Loyalists to relocate following the American Revolution. In 1796, Thomas Merritt arrived to build on his relationship with his former Commander and Queen's Ranger, John Graves Simcoe, now the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada.An old Iroquois Trail was renamed St. Paul Street by the settlers by the mid-19th century. Several mills, salt works, retail outlets, a ship building yard, distillery and various other businesses were developed next.

Paris, Ontario is located on the Grand River. It was first settled by Hiram Capron a native of Vermont who, in 1822, emigrated to Norfolk County where he helped to establish one of Upper Canada's earliest iron foundries. He settled here at the Forks of the Grand (where the Grand and Nith Rivers meet) in 1829, divided part of his land into town lots, and in 1830 constructed a grist-mill and named the town after the gypsum deposits that were mined nearby. Gypsum is used to make plaster of Paris.The use of cobblestones to construct buildings was introduced to the area by Levi Boughton when he erected St. James Church in 1839; this was the first cobblestone structure in Paris. Two churches and ten homes, all in current use, are made of numerous such stones taken from the rivers. Other architectural styles that are visible in the downtown area include Edwardian, Gothic and Post Modern.Records from 1846 indicate that the settlement, in a hilly area called Oak Plains, was divided into the upper town and the lower town. In addition to successful farmers in the area, the community of 1,000 people (Americans, Scottish, English, and Irish) was thriving. Manufacturing had already begun, with industries powered by the river. A great deal of plaster was being exported and there were three mills, a tannery, a woolen factory, a foundry, and many tradesmen. Five churches had been built; and the post office was receiving mail three times a week.While the telephone was invented at Brantford, Ontario in 1874, Alexander Graham Bell made the first transmission to a distance between Brantford and Paris on August 3, 1876. Dominion Day 1879 began at six a.m. with the ringing of all the town bells. Sports and games were played throughout the day - lacrosse, cricket, boat races, jumping contests, and foot races with prizes for the winners. In the evening there were bonfires and fireworks.The Township of South Dumfries is situated in the north part of the County of Brant. The earliest settlements were in and around the Village of St. George. Two vital factors of the area which caused settlers to locate here were flowing wells and excellent farm land.The first establishments in the township were a grist mill in 1817, a distillery in 1818, a grocery store in 1820, a log school in 1823, and a post office in 1833. The first church was opened as a Baptist Church in 1824. The Village of Harrisburg was laid out in 1855 at the junction of the Wellington, Grey &* Bruce and Great Western railways. Glen Morris was laid out in 1q848 on the banks of the Grand River twelve miles from Brantford.

Paris, Ontario is located on the Grand River. It was first settled by Hiram Capron a native of Vermont who, in 1822, emigrated to Norfolk County where he helped to establish one of Upper Canada's earliest iron foundries. He settled here at the Forks of the Grand (where the Grand and Nith Rivers meet) in 1829, divided part of his land into town lots, and in 1830 constructed a grist-mill and named the town after the gypsum deposits that were mined nearby. Gypsum is used to make plaster of Paris.Records from 1846 indicate that the settlement, in a hilly area called Oak Plains, was divided into the upper town and the lower town. In addition to successful farmers in the area, the community of 1,000 people (Americans, Scottish, English, and Irish) was thriving. Manufacturing had already begun, with industries powered by the river. A great deal of plaster was being exported and there were three mills, a tannery, a woolen factory, a foundry, and many tradesmen. Five churches had been built; and the post office was receiving mail three times a week.While the telephone was invented at Brantford, Ontario in 1874, Alexander Graham Bell made the first transmission to a distance between Brantford and Paris on August 3, 1876.The use of cobblestones to construct buildings was introduced to the area by Levi Boughton when he erected St. James Church in 1839; this was the first cobblestone structure in Paris. Two churches and ten homes, all in current use, are made of numerous such stones taken from the rivers. Other architectural styles that are visible in the downtown area include Edwardian, Gothic and Post Modern.The Township of South Dumfries is situated in the north part of the County of Brant. The earliest settlements were in and around the Village of St. George. Two vital factors of the area which caused settlers to locate here were flowing wells and excellent farm land.The first establishments in the township were a grist mill in 1817, a distillery in 1818, a grocery store in 1820, a log school in 1823, and a post office in 1833. The first church was opened as a Baptist Church in 1824. The Village of Harrisburg was laid out in 1855 at the junction of the Wellington, Grey &* Bruce and Great Western railways. Glen Morris was laid out in 1q848 on the banks of the Grand River twelve miles from Brantford.HarrisburgIn the mid-1800s, Harrisburg was a stop on the Great Western Railway serving as a shipping point for St. George and area. About 1854, a branch line twelve miles long from Harrisburg to Galt opened and Harrisburg got its first train station. In 1882, the Great Western Railway was absorbed by the Grand Trunk Railway.Glen MorrisThe village of Glen Morris is on both sides of the Grand River with most of the historical buildings on the east side along East River Road. Glen Morris was first known as Dawson's Bridge as it was John Dawson who built a sawmill and bridge in 1833 across the Grand River. In 1840, the settlement was renamed Middleton. Samuel Latshaw laid out the village in 1848 and in 1851 it was named Glen Morris in honor of their Postmaster.

Charlie Davis married his childhood sweetheart, Jeannie Henderson in 1931. The year is now 1935 and Charlie had a good farming year on his Montana ranch. They have a son, Chuck, who was born in January two years before, and twins, Jennifer and James born in June this year.Joe Goodman joined him in 1931 as his partner on the ranch. They have developed a very good working rapport and feel very much like brothers. His wife, Kate, is a lovely, generous woman with a big heart. They now have four children. Andrew is six and started school last month. Julie is the same age as Chuck, and their twins were born a couple of days before Charlie's twins.Jim and Sarah Robertson live in the original ranch house and fit in well with the Goodmans and Davis's. They lost their ranch to the dust bowl of the prairies and happened to stop at Charlie's place looking for work. Kate took them in and fed them, Joe and Charlie invited them to stay, and they are a great addition to the enterprise. They have four children ranging in ages from eleven to five, David, Timothy, Sandra, and Susie.Sandra and John Paul MacDonald purchased the Davis family home in Detroit. Joe and Kate met them when Kate was researching for her first book on Charlie Davis' family. The McDonalds have become like another set of parents to Kate and Joe. A friendship has developed between them, Peter and Paula Goodman, and Paul and Elizabeth Torrenson, Joe and Kate's parents. The three couples make a yearly trip out to see those on the Montana ranch.The book begins with Charlie and Jeannie heading on a trip to Boston to see her relatives whom she had not seen for years. They took a bus tour of Boston and a harbor cruise in between visiting. She interviewed many relatives, had questionnaires completed, and gathered pictures and other family documents to take back with her to Montana to share with Kate. Kate will take all the information and turn it into a book. Jeannie wants to be involved with the preparation of this book and works side-by-side with Kate five days a week to get the book written.Kate has been working on her family book on the Torrensons but has run into a snag with it. She has also finished the book on Joe's ancestors and it is ready to pick up from the printer during the time of their parents' visit. She also has a book almost complete on the MacDonalds.Paul, Elizabeth and Kate go into town and visit with Tommy Torrenson who installed the furnace in Joe and Kate's new home the previous year. The aim was to see if there was a connection between the Torrensons in the east and those in the west. Elizabeth had studied the documents they had and felt that she had found the connection. Thus begins a further adventure meeting more Torrenson relatives. Come with me and see what surprises are in store for Kate.Visit Barbara's website to view all of her books http: //barbararaue.c

Township of BrantfordBrantford Township was the largest and most central township of Brant County. The first area settled was along Fairchild's Creek north west of Cainsville. The township was blessed with many creeks that were developed with mills. The first industrial operation in the township was a mill operated by James Percy in Mount Pleasant. The township also has fertile soil and land was quickly settled and within twenty-five years was well under cultivation and thriving. Within the township are the villages of Mount Pleasant, Burtch, Newport, Cainsville and Langford, as well as the homes of Alexander Graham Bell and George Brown, a father of confederation.Within decades of its founding in 1799 by the Ellis and Sturgis families, Mount Pleasant was a prosperous and cultured settlement with flourishing farms, inns, mills, schools, a drill hall, and commercial establishments. Today Mount Pleasant's long and lovely main street retains much of its rural charm and many of its old homes, churches, and farmsteads. Mount Pleasant Road is part of the Long Point Trail, an old Indian trail which went from the Grand River in Brantford south to Lake Erie.One of the earliest settlers in the area of Newport was Edee Burtch who purchased land from Joseph Brant around 1796. As more settlers arrived, the area became known as Burtch's Landing and was later renamed Newport. Newport was laid out for settlement by Thaddeus Smith in l857. Newport was a thriving shipping port offering passenger service to Buffalo on the Red Jacket and Queen paddle wheel steamers that operated on the Grand River.Cainsville, located at the junction of Brant Road 54 and Colborne Street East, was renamed from Cayuga Heights to Cainsville for Peter Cain who was one of the first settlers. He purchased land on the north side of the road and built the British American Hotel in 1836. The village was laid out in 1837. In its hay day in the mid-1800s, Cainsville became a busy center shipping large quantities of grain. The village had two hotels and a white brick schoolhouse, several stores, a match factory, four wagon shops, four blacksmith shops, a general store and a cheese factory.Located on Highway 2/53 east of Fairchild's Creek about three kilometres east of Cainsville, the Village of Langford was named for Jacob Lang, an early settler who came from Pennsylvania to this area in about 1807. United Empire Loyalists settles here in the late 1700s. Several streams flowing south gave power to saw and grist mills in the area. A brickyard and a blacksmith shop were established. The first post office was called Lang's Ford as all of the travelers had to ford the swampy stream in the hollow just east of Jacob Lang's farm. Among the buildings left in Langford are the church and school.Township of OnondagaThe township was named for the Onondagas, a nation within the Six Nations. They settled on land granted to the Six Nations under the Haldimand Proclamation of 1784. The Grand River, which forms the southern boundary of the county of Brant, was the main artery for transportation, communication, and economic sustenance. Today this river is mainly used for recreation. In the 1830s settlers began moving into this rich agricultural area.The Village of Onondaga became a thriving community in the mid-19th century because of the Buffalo, Brantford, and Goderich Railway station located here. Schools, churches, hotels and taverns, grist and sawmills, blacksmith shops, stores and small manufacturing shops developed.The Grand River Navigation Company played an important role in the establishment of Middleport. On November 7, 1848 navigation was opened on the Grand River from Brantford to Dunnville through a series of locks and dams. Middleport, founded by John Solomon Hager, was midway between the locks at Brantford and the Village of Caledonia making it an important port.

The County of Brant is located at the mid-point of the Grand River as it flows south from Luther Marsh to Lake Erie. In Brant, the river flows through an area of rich farmland and Carolinian forest. The river was used for water power and transportation. European settlers first arrived in Burford Township in 1793 and began to settle in the rest of the County soon after.In 1852 the City of Brantford, the Village of Paris, and the Townships of Brantford, Oakland, Onondaga, South Dumfries, and Burford became Brant County.Two hundred years ago, Obed Wilson ventured forth seeking an area in Upper Canada in which to settle. He discovered a place with fertile land, sparkling water and natural beauty which enticed him to stay and build a log cabin. Eventually the vision grew into the Village of St. George.St. George, located to the north of the City of Brantford, is in the Township of South Dumfries. It was founded in 1814. John and Peter Bauslaugh were early settlers in St. George, and the early name of the village was "Bauslaugh Mills" in honour of John Bauslaugh who owned a sawmill near Highway 99. Main Street began to develop in the 1820s when Henry Moe began selling fish and dry goods from the first log building. By 1832, the village had three churches and several businesses. Today Main Street continues to thrive with many of the original buildings from the 1800s attracting people to the antique shops, cafes and restaurants.

Grimsby is a town on Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region. It is named after the English fishing town of Grimsby in North East Lincolnshire. The majority of residents reside in the area bounded by Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment. Grimsby has experienced significant growth over the past decade as the midpoint between Hamilton and St. Catharines.The town of Grimsby was founded in 1790 (originally named Township Number 6 and then 'The Forty'), after a group of United Empire Loyalists settled at the mouth of 40 Mile Creek in 1787. A Loyalist from the Mohawk Valley, New York, Robert Nelles and his father and brothers were among the first to settle at The Forty (Grimsby) following the American Revolution. Robert Nelles was a politician and later lieutenant-colonel in the War of 1812. In 1816 the village became known as Grimsby, the name of the surrounding township.The town has gone through many changes, from being a small rural village; to a centre for the manufacture of farm machinery, hospital furniture, furnaces and other metal products; and later the hub of the Niagara Peninsula's fruit-growing industry. Grimsby had a successful fishing industry which lasted until the 1960s. The Town of Grimsby and the Township of North Grimsby were amalgamated in 1970 with the formation of the Regional Municipality of Niagara. With a number of wineries and distilleries, Grimsby now serves as the starting point for touring the Niagara wine region.Grimsby is the birthplace of Hollywood director, Del Lord who rose to acclaim as the director of most of the Three Stooges short vaudeville comedies. Later, under Columbia Pictures, he directed nearly two hundred feature films.Grimsby Beach was once a major holiday resort. Grimsby Park started in 1846 as a park for the Hamilton district of the Methodist Church. In 1910, the park's new owner, Harry Wylie, modernized the park with carousels, a motion picture theatre, and a "Figure 8" roller coaster. Operations continued until 1949, with attractions gradually closing and developers buying land to build houses.Bisecting the town is the Queen Elizabeth Way. It has three exchanges in the town, with Casablanca Boulevard in the west, a central exchange for three roads (Christie Street, Ontario Street, and Maple Avenue), and Bartlett Avenue in the east.The Grimsby Railway Station, on the south side of the railroad tracks west of Ontario Street and south of Queen Elizabeth Way, is served by the Maple Leaf train jointly operated by Via Rail and Amtrak.

The Second World War has been raging for more than five years. Joe Goodman, a handsome six foot tall man with dark brown wavy hair and a happy disposition, left his wife Kate behind in Montana with five children soon after Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese. Jim Robertson and his wife Sarah live on the ranch. Jim and his oldest son, David, left for war at the same time as Joe. When will the war end? When will Joe, Jim and David come home? Will they come home? What challenges await them? What traumas will they bring back with them? The Magic Carpet goes into action.Now that the war is over and the men have returned, what decisions will the parents make? Are they going to stay on the farm or are they going to return to their homes in the east? What is the next step for them? What challenges still await them? They have too much energy to sit and twiddle their thumbs.Sadly we know from history that the "war to end all wars" did not succeed and more wars followed. The new wars affected our Montana families in a bigger way as the children were old enough to participate. The lives of everyone are changed from that point forward. The Korean War came next. It was followed by the Vietnam War. There are challenges to overcome.Will Kate ever get back to her writing? What will force her to pursue her life's calling? What affect will her family's books have on others? Will they bring healing and understanding to others? Is she now finished writing or are there more books for her to write?Joe and Kate's children are growing up. Where will they find their soul mates? What careers will they pursue? What role do twins play in the book? What did they learn from their experiences?Follow this family with their hopes and dreams through the years in the 1940s and onward. Experience their challenges. Understand their fears. Root for them as they move forward with their lives having overcome the obstacles in their way.

Burford is in the County of Brant and is located eight kilometers west of the City of Brantford along Highway 53, and seventy kilometers east of London. In 1793 Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe granted to Abraham Dayton the entire Township of Burford. Dayton was a native of Milford, Connecticut. The township was to become the "new Jerusalem" for a religious sect with which he was affiliated. Dayton broke his ties with the sect and settled just west of the present village of Burford. He was responsible for bringing several families into the township and by the spring of 1797 the new settlement consisted of twenty-one families. Abraham Dayton died March 1, 1797 after a prolonged illness. Abigail Dayton, Abraham's widow, later married Colonel Joel Stone and moved to Gananoque where she lived until her death in 1843 at the age of 93. The Dayton's only child, Abiah, was the wife of Benajah Mallory and she and her husband followed her parents into this township. Benajah Mallory became a man of considerable influence and by 1805 was elected Member of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada representing Norfolk, Oxford, and Middlesex. In June 1812, war was declared against Upper Canada by the United States. During the course of the war, Mallory accepted a commission in the U.S. forces and was considered a traitor back home. Benajah Mallory became outlawed and his land was forfeited to the Crown. John Yeigh, his wife Mary and their children Jacob, John Junior, Adam, Henry and Eva arrived in Burford from Pennsylvania by covered wagon in June 1800. The family cleared land, farmed and established the first pottery in the Burford area. Jacob and Adam distinguished themselves in the War of 1812 and were also active participants in the 1837 Rebellion.

Toronto, the largest city in Canada, the provincial capital of Ontario, is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. During the American Revolutionary War, United Empire Loyalists fled from the United States to live on lands north of Lake Ontario. In 1787, the British Crown purchased more than a quarter million acres of land from the Mississaugas of the New Credit, and established a settlement called the Town of York. Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe designated York as the capital of Upper Canada. Fort York was constructed at the entrance of the town's natural harbour where it was sheltered by a long sand-bar peninsula. The town was captured and ransacked by American soldiers in the Battle of York during the War of 1812, and the parliament buildings were set on fire.In 1834, York became a city and the name was changed to Toronto. The city grew rapidly through the remainder of the 19th century. In the 19th century, a sewage system was built, streets were illuminated with gas lighting, and railway lines were constructed. The Gooderham and Worts Distillery was the world's largest whiskey factory by the 1860s. The harbor provided access to grain and sugar imports used in processing. Expanding port and rail facilities brought in northern timber for export and imported Pennsylvania coal; industry dominated the waterfront for the next 100 years.Horse-drawn streetcars were replaced by electric ones in 1891. The great fire of 1904 destroyed a large section of downtown Toronto but the city was soon rebuilt with better fire safety laws and the expansion of the fire department.In 1954, disaster struck the city when Hurricane Hazel brought high winds and flash flooding causing the deaths of 81 people in the Toronto area, and leaving about 1,900 families homeless.Toronto covers an area of 630 square kilometres stretching 21 kilometres (13 miles) from north to south and 43 kilometers (27 miles) east to west. The waterfront shoreline is 46 kilometres (29 miles) long. The Toronto Islands and Port Lands extend out into the lake. The city's borders are formed by Lake Ontario to the south, Etobicoke Creek and Highway 427 to the west, Steeles Avenue to the north and the Rouge River and the Scarborough-Pickering Townline to the east. Today the city has a population of 2.6 million people.The city is intersected by three rivers and many tributaries: the Humber River in the west end and the Don River east of downtown, and the Rouge River at the city's eastern limits. The many creeks and rivers created large tracts of densely forested ravines, and provided sites for parks and recreational trails. These deep ravines are useful for draining the city's storm sewer system during heavy rains, but sections near the Don River are prone to sudden, heavy floods.Toronto buildings vary in design and age with many structures dating back to the mid-19th century, while other prominent buildings were built in the first decade of the 21st century.Toronto is a city of high-rises, having 1,800 buildings over 30 metres (98 feet), most of them are residential having been built in the 1950s, while the central business district contains commercial office towers. Through the 1960s and 1970s, significant pieces of Toronto's architectural heritage were demolished to make way for redevelopment or for parking. Since the 2000s, Toronto is experiencing a period of architectural revival, with several buildings by world-renowned architects having opened. Daniel Libeskind's Royal Ontario Museum addition, Frank Gehry's remake of the Art Gallery of Ontario, and Will Alsop's distinctive Ontario College of Art & Design expansion are among the city's new showpieces.

Burford is in the County of Brant and is located eight kilometers west of the City of Brantford along Highway 53, and seventy kilometers east of London. In 1793 Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe granted to Abraham Dayton the entire Township of Burford. Dayton was a native of Milford, Connecticut. The township was to become the "new Jerusalem" for a religious sect with which he was affiliated. Dayton broke his ties with the sect and settled just west of the present village of Burford. He was responsible for bringing several families into the township and by the spring of 1797 the new settlement consisted of twenty-one families. Abraham Dayton died March 1, 1797 after a prolonged illness. Abigail Dayton, Abraham's widow, later married Colonel Joel Stone and moved to Gananoque where she lived until her death in 1843 at the age of 93. The Dayton's only child, Abiah, was the wife of Benajah Mallory and she and her husband followed her parents into this township. Benajah Mallory became a man of considerable influence and by 1805 was elected Member of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada representing Norfolk, Oxford, and Middlesex. In June 1812, war was declared against Upper Canada by the United States. During the course of the war, Mallory accepted a commission in the U.S. forces and was considered a traitor back home. Benajah Mallory became outlawed and his land was forfeited to the Crown. John Yeigh, his wife Mary and their children Jacob, John Junior, Adam, Henry and Eva arrived in Burford from Pennsylvania by covered wagon in June 1800. The family cleared land, farmed and established the first pottery in the Burford area. Jacob and Adam distinguished themselves in the War of 1812 and were also active participants in the 1837 Rebellion. Mount Vernon was originally named Springfield and subsequently Chequered Sheds because the posts were painted in black and white checkerboard fashion to mark several parking spots for rigs at the hotel across from Kenny's Store.. The present name, according to oral history, was given by a railway company in honor of the home of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Thomas Perrin laid out the village. He established the first store in 1835, built the first sawmill in 1840 and the first gristmill in 1845. Bishopsgate is located on Highway 53 between Mount Vernon and Burford. Langford is located on Highway 2/53 east of Fairchild's Creek about three kilometres east of Cainville. The village was named for Jacob Lang, an early settler who came from Pennsylvania to this area bout 1807. United Empire Loyalists settled here in the late 1700s. Several streams flowing south gave power to saw and grist mills in the area. A brickyard and a blacksmith shop were established here. The first post office was called Lang's Ford as all of the travelers had to ford the swampy stream in the hollow just east of Jacob Lang's farm. Later the name was changed to Langford.

The County of Brant is located at the mid-point of the Grand River as it flows south from Luther Marsh to Lake Erie.In 1852 the City of Brantford, the Village of Paris, and the Townships of Brantford, Oakland, Onondaga, South Dumfries, and Burford became Brant County.Two hundred years ago, Obed Wilson ventured forth seeking an area in Upper Canada in which to settle. He discovered a place with fertile land, sparkling water and natural beauty which enticed him to stay and build a log cabin. Eventually the vision grew into the Village of St. George.St. George, located to the north of the City of Brantford, is in the Township of South Dumfries. It was founded in 1814. John and Peter Bauslaugh were early settlers in St. George, and the early name of the village was "Bauslaugh Mills" in honour of John Bauslaugh who owned a sawmill near Highway 99. Main Street began to develop in the 1820s when Henry Moe began selling fish and dry goods from the first log building. By 1832, the village had three churches and several businesses. Today Main Street continues to thrive with many of the original buildings from the 1800s attracting people to the antique shops, cafes and restaurants.The community around Bethel Road with Rest Acres Road to the east and the Bishopsgate Road to the west was settled in the 1830s. The major industry in this area was farming. On the 1,000 acre estate of Major Arnold Burrowes he constructed a mill dam, stock pens, hop mill, a distillery, a grist mill and a plaster mill.The Township of Oakland includes the towns of Scotland and Oakland. It has a rich history.Scotland is located on the Burford/Oakland township line. The village was surveyed and laid out by Eliakim Malcolm. The first hotel opened in 1830, the first story in 1837 and the first post office in 1855. Malcolm's Creek had enough waterpower to sustain several industries such as a woollen mill, gristmill, tannery and foundry. Other early industries were a cooperage, a wagon and carriage works, carriage and buggy works and a starch factory. Two doctors and a lawyer practiced in Scotland in the mid-1800s.Dr. Charles Duncombe (1791-1867), a prominent doctor and politician, was leader of the militant reform movement in the London district at the time of the Rebellion of 1837. He rallied the local Patriots at the settlement of Scotland, planning to move against Brantford and Hamilton and join forces with William Lyon Mackenzie King. On December 13, 1837, word was received of King's defeat at Montgomery's Tavern and of Colonel Allan MacNab's approach with a strong Loyalist force. Disheartened, Duncombe's followers dispersed during the night and he fled to the United States.The Village of Oakland is located three kilometers east of Scotland on the Oakland Road. Oakland was named for a ridge of oak trees that ran through it. In 1850, the first municipal office was at the Oakland Post Office. A town hall was built in 1854 and Council met there until the early 1900s. Oakland had a grist mill in 1806, saw mill in 1807, a cheese factory, cider mill, three general stores, a shoemaker, harness maker, and a hotel.Oakland is the site of the Battle of Malcolm Mills which was the last land battle of the War of 1812 on Canadian soil against an official foreign power. The battle took place at the stream that runs through Lion's Park. In October 1814, an invading American force of about seven hundred men under Brigadier-General Duncan McArthur advanced rapidly up the Thames Valley. He intended to devastate the Grand River settlements and the region around the head of Lake Ontario, which supplied British forces on the Niagara Frontier. McArthur reached the Grand, and after an unsuccessful attempt to force a crossing, attacked a body of about one hundred and fifty militia at Malcom's Mills (Oakland) on November 6th. Canadian forces put up a spirited resistance but were overwhelmed.

Paris, Ontario is located on the Grand River. It was first settled by Hiram Capron a native of Vermont who, in 1822, emigrated to Norfolk County where he helped to establish one of Upper Canada's earliest iron foundries. He settled here at the Forks of the Grand (where the Grand and Nith Rivers meet) in 1829, divided part of his land into town lots, and in 1830 constructed a grist-mill and named the town after the gypsum deposits that were mined nearby. Gypsum is used to make plaster of Paris. The town of Paris is often referred to as the "cobblestone capital of Canada" because of the many cobblestone buildings that are still standing.Paris is home to thirteen cobblestone buildings. Mason Levi Boughton inspired Paris' cobblestone technique in the mid to late 1800s. It is estimated that over 14,000 cobblestones were required to build one traditional farmhouse. Each cobblestone is about the size of a sweet potato. Cobblestone architecture refers to the use of cobblestones embedded in mortar to erect walls of houses and commercial buildings.Levi Boughton was born in Normandale, New York in 1805. He came to Brantford, Ontario in 1835 and in 1838 he moved to Paris. He brought the cobblestone craft to Paris. The cobbles are fist-sized rocks. Boys were paid ten cents a day to walk beside a sled pulled by oxen and throw cobbles turned up by ploughing into the sled. Mortar is laid in horizontal courses with cobbles framed with mortar joints. Cobblestone walls use lime mortar which is a mixture of lime and sand. Lime mortar sets slower, is more elastic and easier to work with than cement-based mortars. Because lime mortars are porous, relatively soft, and have low tensile strength, corners and wall openings in cobblestone structures are strengthened by rectangular blocks of stone called quoins. Window sills and lentils were also reinforced.Building a cobblestone wall: Working from a foundation of large blocks, an inside wall is laid and the quoins are put in place. A thick bed of mortar is laid between the quoins and individual size sorted cobbles are placed on this mortar bed so that the upper surfaces are roughly horizontal. The cobbles are placed so that they have a gap of two to four centimeters between them. The mason then fills the gap between the stones with mortar. Larger stones extend further back into the mortar trough than the shorter ones. The larger stones help to strengthen the final wall by tying the cobblestone work to the interior wall. After one or two courses of cobblestones are laid, the trough is filled with mortar and waste stone or rocks that are not well sized, shaped or colored for the cobblestone exterior.Only two or three courses of cobblestones can be laid in one day. If more were attempted, the weight of overlying courses would cause the slow setting mortar of lower courses to bulge and sag. Cobblestones cannot be laid during rain or during freezing weather. Many large cobblestone houses took two to three years to complete.Jim Percival created scale models of the thirteen cobblestone buildings in Paris.