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About Us
The essence of our mandate is aptly expressed in the following genuine article.
OUR LOCAL HISTORY
[The Welland Tribune and Telegraph, 11 July 1922 ]
In the year 1922, an annual meeting of the prominent Historical Association was being held in Welland. A short editorial in The Welland Tribune and Telegraph stated as follows:
But the interest of the society in holding a meeting here, however great that may be, is not so great as the interest of our community in having the society meet here. Fortunate we will be if out of the meeting there should grow a local historical society that will bring men and women together with enthusiasm to learn their local history, to help treasure it, to help spread a love for it. Linked with such an organization should be a permanent home, a museum if you like, where there could be collected the interesting relics of our past. The material today is dissipated all about us. A few years should see it housed as a unit, an exhibit of great interest to our own people and to every visitor that enters the city gates. Such a museum should have been begun long years ago. Delay in this has meant irreparable loss. Each year’s delay adds to the loss. Let us end it as soon as possible.
Old newspapers and documents, political manifestos, books of record, curios, military relics, ancient furniture and implements, pictures, and the various whatnots of the past-these are items out of which our museum could be built.
As for history! The field is rich. Here are some divisions that sketch events from the beginning:-
- Indian life
- The visit of the white men
- Old war history
- The late war history
- The Fenian Raid
- The Welland Canal
- The production of natural gas
- Our schools, churches, agricultural societies and libraries
- Railways and telegraphs
- Farming and fruit growing
- Industries (the first iron plow made in Canada was made at Chippawa)
- Public men
- Crime and famous cases
- A history of our place and street names
- The story of old families
There is work enough in that sketch for a score of investigators. There are incentives enough in it for an active society.
Shall we form one?
Hello!
This is an awesome website, with a great collection of stories, clippings, photos, and information about the history of Welland and the surrounding area.
I have recently been elected President of the Welland Historical Society. Our purpose, is to enjoy, appreciate, and help preserve local history. Currently, we are in a process of revitalizing our society, and trying to attract new and active members. We hold regular monthly meetings, and have guest speakers or presentations about the history in our community.
I would like to formally invite you to attend our meetings. As well, I would like to ask if in the future, if the organizers of this website might be interested in being a guest speaker or give a presentation? It seems the wealth of archives and stories collected by you is both fascinating and informative. We enjoy local history as much as you do, and wish to provide a venue to present some of these stories that you have collected.
Please, do not hesitate to email me with a response. I’d like to learn more about your website and yourselves, as well as extend a hand in friendship and mutual appreciation of our mutual passion for history in our community. I hope to hear from you soon.
Respectfully,
James Takeo
Welland Historical Society
Thank you James for such a wonderful review of our work. We are passionate about what we are trying to accomplish and this website is far from complete. It is being done with love and our goal is to dig out as much history about the area as we can. We will be in contact soon. B
I am trying to find information re early Welland dairies &, other than the public library & Welland Historical Museum, was wondering if you had any photos or articles…thank you for your time and consideration…
Hello Rick
At the moment we do not have any information or photos on the Welland dairies. We hope to be able to post some articles on the subject at a future date. Thank you for visiting our site.
I’m pleased to have found your site. I know little about Welland and area in spite of the fact that both my Grandparents lived there early in the 20th century. My Great Grandmother Rose Ann Atherton, ran a business at or near 280 E. Main St for many years. My Grandfather, John, and two brothers, Joseph and Aloysius, enlisted in the CEF late in 1915. I have a few pictures including one group photo which I must assume included many of Welland’s young men just prior to going overseas.
Let me know if you would be interested in seeing it.
Best Wishes,
Hello Kevin
I am pleased that the website is providing information for people searching their family roots. I wrote to you previously about your offer to show us pictures of the young men, but the note must have gone astray. I would love to see the pictures and perhaps post them on the site with your permission. Thank you.B
THANK YOU so much for this website. I’ve been using it to research my family’s history. I absolutely love the newspaper clippings you have on here. I’ve found marriage, birth, and death announcements about my ancestors that I wouldn’t have been able to find on my own, so thank you! I wish every city had a web site packed full of such great and interesting information like this one. Keep up the great work!
Thank you for writing Bailey. Your encouragement keeps us going.
Hello, hope someone can help me. I have a document from the county of Welland in 1866 from the surrogate court of Welland county of a William Joseph, it is his last will and testament. Hope someone can tell me more about it.
Thank you
Hello, I’m looking for anyone who knows the family of a William Joseph from the County of Welland from 1866. please leave any contact info. Thank you
Hello, I’m looking for any information on David and Rhoda Bearss. They both died in Welland ON between 1852 and 1853. Had at least one child – Ephraim who died in 1805.
Thank you for writing Thomas. I will keep the names on file in hopes someone will be able to contribute the information you are seeking. B
Truly and interesting web site! You picture of the Sunny Side Dairy wagon delivering milk brings back great memories. I lived on Grove Street back in the 60′s and remember running out to get a pint of chocolate milk when they came by.
Question …. where can I find pictures of East Main Street from the late 60′s or early 70′s? I have search the web and come up with only older or newer ones.
My father owned a small shoe store ( Erinie’s Shoes ) from about 1963 till about 1975. I am trying to find a picture of the store. It was right beside Gorbits Furs ( probably have the spelling wrong … a small dinner went in after the fur store closed ), just down from Kresge’s Department store. I all but grew up in the back of the store and have wonderful memories of Welland …. swimming in the Cross Street pools, hot hamburgs at the Majestic … it was a great place to grow up!
Thanks so much …..
Mike
Jericho, VT
Morning Mike
I remember your father as our family always purchased our shoes from him. Ernie aways had a welcoming smile and cheery hello whenever we passed on the street in later years. I have never forgotten him.
I do not have a picture of the store but will keep an eye out for one. I will also check on photos of East Main in the 60s and 70s. No promises but I will try.
Thank you for your kind words about the website. B
Great website! I could lose hours on it. Where could I find pictures of the Bald Family farm??
Thank you!
This was a great to find for myself and my family. Currently we are in the process of reconstructing our family tree. Would any of the editors from the “James Richard Wilson” article be able to contact me with any information that didn’t make the article?
@ James Takeo
Thanks again.
This is THE best site on Welland history. What a fabulous way to present it, thank you so much for doing so, and please keep up the good work!
Thank you Dave for the kind words.We are trying very hard to bring the Welland County and surrounding area history to light. So important for the children of the future.
Mike..Re: Ernie’s Shoes: Wondering if you would have any luck finding a photo in the City of Welland 150th Anniversary book?
There is a picture of Harry Holcomb’s shoe store in the Anniversary book on page 99.B
Hello to S&B: In response to Richard’s Post of Nov/2015, I have copies of the City of Welland 150th Anniversary Book. I also have pictures of Welland Industry that I would like to submit for your gallery.. Some of them are from the Golden Age of 1900 – 1945. Is there an e:mail address that can be used to submit photos and documents? What format is preferred?
Thank you most kindly: Goodman Brown.
I lived in Welland from 1954 to 1975. I am the first and only author to write novels of suspense and crime set in Welland in the late 60s, early 70s. THE FAR BANK, ARCHIE’S GOLD, RANSOM, and OUT ON A LIMB are middle grade, but I write about kids, not for them, therefore adults really enjoy them. Welland people who have read them say they bring back memories. Some give them to their kids to show them what Welland was like. All in all, they are enjoyable reads and available thru Amazon books and Smashwords for different eBook formats. Just look me up E.R. Yatscoff egyatscoff@shaw.ca https://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_2_8/132-9601376-1365030?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=yatscoff&sprefix=yatscoff%2Caps%2C227&crid=XE1VYJ02EVG0
Don’t forget the biggest crime story in Welland history.
Welland Payroll Thugs Get $ 80,000
Police Next Door As Thieves Work
Break Post Office Window To Get at Boxes Holding Cash
WELLAND, (CP) – Daring thieves striking next door to the police station at dawn today stole a steel company’s payroll funds from a locked cabinet at the Welland post office.
The loss was between $ 75,000 and $ 80,000.
Police Chief Orval Rounds, directing the investigation, said it was the biggest robbery in Welland’s history. The money was the weekly pay for the 1,250 employees of the Atlas Steel Company, due to be paid Friday. The chief said $ 3,000 of the money was in United States currency. The payroll cash, in denominations of $1, $2, $5, $ 10 and $ 20 ordinarily reaches Welland every Tuesday evening, is kept if the post office overnight and is transferred to the bank the next morning.
The scene of the robbery is the modern granite-faced post office and customs building opened four years ago on a downtown business street. Two years ago thieves carted away the post office safe containing several thousand dollars. Since then the steel cabinets, rather than the safe, have been used for overnight storage of large amounts of money.
Constable George Dooly discovered the robbery. He made his rounds two hours after the last post office employee left the building. He saw a nail key below a window, found the window broken and discovered the inside catch forced. A narrow laneway separates the post office building from the police station. The window was forced on the side of the building farthest from the police office. Police said the thieves took the nail keg from a nearby hardware firm. Investigators said no precautions had been taken to guard the payroll cash.
Police said the robbery was evidently the work of a ‘well-organized gang of shopbreakers.’ No attempt was made to open the safe, police said. This indicated to them that the thieves knew the money, stacked in neat bundles, was going to be locked in the steel cabinets instead of being placed in the safe, They expressed belief the gang hid near the post office and waited until the constable had made his routine check. F.J. Shifton, treasurer of Atlas Steel, said the money was on the way to the Toronto Dominion Bank branch here. The company has some 1,250 employees. Another payroll will be sent from Toronto today.
May 4, 1955.
Hi there, there is a photo identified as “Header 32″ on your website that I found while searching through google images. The photo directs me to your site, however I am unable to find it. I am very curious to know where the photo was taken as I am researching history on our home in Welland. I have attached the website which brings up the photo I am referring to in the optional website field.
Thank you so very much for your time.
Also, this photo:
http://wellandhistory.ca/i/header_12.jpg
Wonderful website. Thanks!
Koko
Response to Kaitlin Bernardi … I immediately thought this photo was on Hellems Avenue, at Albert Street (looking north). However, the opposite side of the street does not resemble Hellems.
JUST HAD ANOTHER LOOK AND REALIZED THAT IT MIGHT BE THE HOUSE ON W.MAIN, AT DENISTOUN, ON THE NORTH SIDE OF W.MAIN, LOOKING EAST TO MAIN STREET BRIDGE…
Hi Bev:
It was nice meeting you and Joanne today. I forgot to mention, my closest Canadian next of kin, a second cousin of my father who also immigrated to Canada after WWII, bought a farm near Welland.
Reading about the history of the Erie Canal in Bill Bryson’s entertaining historical account, ‘At Home’ got me wondering whether the Welland Canal was an extension of it. A site search indicates you haven’t mentioned the WWI “Von Papen Plot” to destroy the canal. It’s ironic that the charges against him were dropped the year before he became chancellor in 1932.
Hi Ferd
Yes it was nice to connect with you and share conversation. Something to look into for sure. Thank you for visiting the site.
On 4 April 2018, Ann Perenack Said,
It appears to me that you’re right Ann.
The first home, stone stair case, the home in the 40′s, of the Painter family, (Drop Forge on Major street. AKA GENERAL DROP FORGE)
Carl and June, son and daughter.
Dr.Railton lived across the street. ? If this is the site, WHVS high school was likely across Bald street ?
Lux in Tenebris y’all. I hear a reunion is coming.
http://whvs2019.ca/
Sorry, not Bald street. B please change to Dennistoun..Ron
Hi..
I grew up on Pancake Lane in Fonthill back in the 50′s and 60′s. When we would drive down Pelham St towards Welland, there was a large building made with dark grey cement blocks.
It was on the left hand side of the road. My parents said it was the orphanage.
Do you know anything about it??
Well I can’t help much. Welland orphanage info is scarce as hen’s teeth. There have been others asking. This is all I ever found,though I vaguely recall the place on south Pelham Road,
. See Ancestry Boards below.
Ron West
From
https://www.ancestry.ca/boards/localities.northam.canada.ontario.welland/965.1/mb.ashx
” quote”
Re: Welland Orphanage or Orphans Home
kirks21 (View posts)
Posted: 11 Jun 2006 10:21PM
Classification: Query
Edited: 27 Sep 2006 02:00PM
I checked at the library to see what I could find out about the orphanage more familiarly known to old Welland residents as the Children’s Shelter. Unfortunately there was not much information to be had. It originally was an old farm house built sometime after 1863. At some point a large addition was built on the back of the house, perhaps when it became the Shelter. In the 1970s it became the home of the Welland Historical Museum. When the museum moved out some years later, the building was torn down.
If no one else answers your query, I think your best bet would be to contact the Welland Museum. Unfortunately it is closed to the public at the present time as they have just moved into their third site, the former library building in downtown Welland. Here is the link to the Museum’s site: http://www.niagara.com/~whmchin/index.shtml
I photocopied a newspaper clipping showing the front of the Shelter (i.e. the original farmhouse as it looked in the 1970s when it became the museum) and one giving information about the original owner, Solomon Moore (1804-1882). I don’t have a scanner but will gladly mail this sheet to you if you email me your address.
Sharon
Welland, Ontario”
EXCELLENT work.
Can anyone tell me which community administered the Riverside Cemetery in Wellandport prior to 1969. Thanks Don
Thank you Bill.March Done with love.
Hi
looking for info on William joseph,s will,1866 Stamford county Wwlland,and hiss wife Charity,who was he,anything will be appreciated.
Pat
Any information on the history of Farr Road in Welland (Crowland) and the family that lived there
I’ve mentioned my (never forgotten!) success as a young teen, in the mid 1940′s, as being the one that grabbed the flag from the greased pole at the July 1st Dominion Day, Merritt park celebrations..
I succeeded by taking a running dive at the flag, catching it en passant. All others had tried unsuccessfully to walk the slippery pole.
I was sorta a ‘water rat’ from the age that I was allowed at the pool, then our canal swimming spots. I walked from Almond street, up River Road then to go down the hill ? (Dorothy St.) behind the jail wall to ‘our’ water world.
Eventually we were tested for cloth badges that we showed off to anyone interested. There were Junior, Intermediate and Senior Swimmer as I recall. Under Jack Eiler’s tutelage some of us Seniors were qualified and hired as Lifeguards.
Some of us show offs did flips off the pier wall into the canal at the end of the pool. One time I did a backflip as others on each side did 1 1/2 front flips, to a round of applause. With Jack and Bill, we did clown routines at swimming events. I was competitive and achieved at least one medal for diving at Thorold
So why the rehash of former posts? My familiarity with aquatic adventure was apparently known to some. One day Roger came to me. Apparently having dropped his fishing pole into Lake Gibson..(Beaver Dams), off the end of the old road that jutted into the water. Never having been in that water, I was reluctant.
We always swam with a buddy. That was our rule. I wouldn’t have one at that location,didn’t know the water, nor the depth, nor the viewing distance under water or of any current.
Blake Nicholls and I had swam the lake Erie shore at one time or another from the Niagara river, (He founded a marina much later there in Fort Erie), to near gull Island past Port Colborne. We used our home made Hawaiian slings to shoot fish if we weren’t fishing for blues in his canoe. I shot a fish off Nickel beach one time in about 4′ of water. A woman went screaming for the beach on learning..” Yes there are fish right here”.
Ray’s boat livery rented us a boat for our skin diving excursions. We always managed to find enough lost tackle to pay for the boat.
So Roger asked if I’d at least go take a look. Examining the lost pole spot wasn’t helpful. The water,cloudy, a bit of a current….. Well ..I went in against my better judgement. Couldn’t see a thing. Rog had pointed to where the rod had gone in, but in feeling around, no pole to be found.
I yelled to Rog..”Well we tried”. “Ya sure it’s not there” It dropped straight down.” He said. With a sigh I swam to the bottom again…feeling the bottom as I moved. I was about to call it a lost cause, thinking that maybe the current had moved it, when, I felt a fish line. I swam up passing the line to Rog and waiting in the water until on pulling in the line he dragged up his pole. A successful day after all. “I got the line he got the pole…Honey ” went through my head…
A bit later Tony Paul, Atlas Fire chief and player of Scottish bagpipes said my Dad told him that I did some swimming..He wondered if I go up to Rice lake with him, seems he’s lost his outboard motor way out from shore a few weeks ago and none searching could find it.
I’d never been to Rice lake area. I asked if it was a typical lake..clear, deep..?
He said it wasn’t that deep where the motor dropped off, maybe 8′- 10′ feet. But there was weedy. Well, since my Dad had sicked him on me and I’d swam off a boat with Balke sooo many times, I said..”OK”.
Tony,his brother and me took off in his Pontiac, in the dark, and he drove fassssssssst!
We eventually got to the Lake after a short stop for breakfast and another longish, (to me), drive.
Talking to the boat livery owner we were told none that looked could find the motor. Looking at me I ‘read’ why do you think this young man will?
We loaded up a boat. I had Mr. Paul make up some fishing floats on sinkers so we could leave passing markers as we looked.
The water was indeed clear, but thick tall grass weed was blocking any view of the bottom.
We had an advantage I guess ’cause they had lined up ‘the spot’ with things on the shore line.
It wasn’t easy, but as I was dragged behind the boat, swimming free to investigate if I saw anything, I eventually caught sight of something about 4′ below. I yelled to drop a float and to stop asap.
The floats were a good idea. Without them, with all that grass it would have been pretty hopeless.
I took a rope from Mr. Paul and swam back to the thing I’d seen. Sure enough it was the propellor blade, the ONLY thing to be seen, and then, only if directly above..
Tying up the prop, I came up and signalled to pull up.
The motor was found ,hurrah,hurrah.
When I got back in the boat…(Let’s just call him Tony as I did for years,), said in all seriousness,
“Ron..Uh? When I grabbed for the motor my ring got caught and it was pulled off,,, ya think? Uh? …. .’
No way I could see a ring on the grassy bottom. Not a chance.
Anyhow, they said the motor still had a spark so I guess it was salvageable..
BTW if you ever catch a fish in Rice lake that holds a man’s ring I know who it likely belongs to.
Swimming was my joy then, and, I was once able to rescue a guy that couldn’t swim, he was stuck in a drifting away tube. We had just arrived to a chorus of yelling bathers . He was apparently out too far for any of his party or anyone else it seemed,to make the attempt. Lifeguard training came to good use.
I think still today of a school kid named Michael H. that drowned, whenever I think of swimming and such.
Ron
B..anyone.
I put this in the wrong forum. Can you move it to the other site.( where I post normally), .if possible..
Ron
The Farm of James Carl senior and junior on what is now on Carl Rd in Crowland.
Does anyone know how large this farm was and what they farmed?
How did the road come to be named Carl Rd?
Also son James Frazer Carl was married twice. His 1st wife, Evelyn May Smith was 17 and he was 22 when they married on November 20, 1928. Evelyn also grew up in Welland.
They had twin daughters, Charlotte Irene Carl and Mary Emily Carl born in 1928.
Does anyone know of this family and what happened to the twins and the 1st wife?
James later married Dorothy McSpadden and had one daughter, Barbara.
I can’t seem to find anything about the farm or the family.
What history do you have on the Lincoln and Welland Regiment?
I am working on a book- The Wellanders’ Story- and find you site an absolute gold mine of information. I wonder if anyone can tell me “the rest of the story” of the Atlas payroll robbery- the cops who did it? Also, I wonder if anyone can tell me about the history of Chippewa Park, in particular about the old log cabin that used to be there. I haven’t been able to find anything on it.
Wonderful about the book. Keep us updated. I don’t believe I have come across answers to your questions. I remember the old log cabin and the hours spent there as a kid-picnics,etc. There must be some history somewhere. I will keep looking.
I have since discovered (thanks to someone on the If you grew up in Welland website) that the cabin was David Morgan’s in Wainfleet which he built in 1846, was moved to Chippewa Park in 1924 (giving me the first date relevant to its history I’ve come across), then moved back to the Wainfleet Museum in 1983. Something else I’ve been curious about: the David Price home at 255 Prince Charles Drive- why is it not a heritage building and why is it never included in any heritage tour that I have found a record of? I have found out a fair amount of the story surrounding the house which I will be posting on: If you grew up in Welland…
Alan Wade
Thanks Alan for the update and information about website.If you grew up in Welland. David Price and Margret Gonder were ancestors of my mother, Maxine. She was very proud of that. B
I was on this site yesterday and there appeared to be a fairly recent booklet of historically designated buildings. Today I cannot locate it. Does anyone know the heading that will take me to that booklet?
Very nice site!
Thank you!
Lots of great new articles since I last checked in, and apparently no more hacks…
It is not easy to pick out articles that have been added since my last visit, though.
Is there any way to search for articles added since a certain date?
In any case, good work!
Hello Arnold,
Thank you for your comment and question!
At this time there is no search by posted date feature. However, the easiest way to get a list of latest posts site-wide is to subscribe to the various RSS news feeds:
Main site: https://wellandhistory.ca/feed
Events: https://events.wellandhistory.ca/feed
Tales: https://tales.wellandhistory.ca/feed
In addition, the Tales and Events sections feature a Table of Contents (ToC). The first part of the ToC lists the articles newest to oldest per category.
The Main (Home) section, does not currently implement a ToC, but it may be a future addition.
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