THE NIAGARA PORTAL--HISTORY OF NAMES AT NEWARK AND NIAGARA--A WINTER OF
CHANGES--A NEW RIVALRY BEGUN.
On the south side of Lake Ontario, opposite Toronto, is the Niagara Portal,
where the mouth of the Niagara River, with high banks on either hand, makes
its entrance into the lake, forming the only uninterrupted deep water
harbour on that shore.
Here the rapid waters, outfall of all the gatherings of the inland Upper
Lakes, pour out in fullest volume, enabling entrance even in winter, when
all other harbours are closed in the grasp of ice. It is worthy of its
mighty source, the product of the greatest Fresh Water Lakes in all the
world.
Over the west bank floats the Union Jack on Fort Missasuaga, and over the
east on Fort Niagara, the Stars and Stripes, each the emblem of the British
and United States nationalities, between whose possessions the river forms
the boundary line.
The first port of call on the Canadian side at the mouth of the river, now
known as Niagara-on-the-Lake, had in olden times an importance and a past,
which much belies its present outlook of quiet and placidity. Once it was
the principal and most noted place in the Province of Upper Canada, and the
centre of legislative power, making its surrounding neighborhood full of
reminiscence.
The successive changes in the name of this ancient lakeside town, as also
those of the settlement on the opposite shore, are interesting, as in
themselves they form footprints in the paths of history.
The French had entered the St. Lawrence in 1534, and, as we have seen, had
fully established their first route of connection to the Upper Lakes and
the inner fur-trading districts, via the Ottawa and Lake Nipissing. The
Niagara River route, via Lake Erie, had been learned of by them in 1669
under Pere Gallinee, and followed by the enterprise of the _Griffon_ in
1678, but then, and for long after, was too fiercely occupied by hostile
Indian tribes to be greatly available for commercial use. A first advance
from Montreal intending to occupy the route, under Chevalier de la Barre,
was intercepted by the Indians at Frontenac (Kingston) and driven back to
Montreal.
In 1687 another advance for possession of the river succeeded in creating a
foothold and the French erected a wooden fort and palisade upon the
projecting point on the east bank of the river at its junction point with
the lake. This outpost they named Fort Niagara, the name by which the place
has ever since continued to be known.
The little garrison was not long able to keep its foothold. Beset by
Indians and cut off by the failure of food supplies expected from their
compatriots in the east, they were in dire straits, but yet boldly holding
out in hopes that relief might yet arrive. At this juncture, Col. Thomas
Dongan, Governor of the English Colony of New York, then loyal subjects of
James II., made demand that the French should evacuate the fort, as it was
in British territory. The British colonists of New York and New Jersey had
recently joined hands with the Colonies of New England, in a British union,
for united defence against the French. Upon the English Home Government
having indicated to the French authorities its support of the Colonial
demand, the Marquis de Denonville, Governor of Canada, ordered the garrison
to retire. This they reluctantly did, but before leaving raised in the
centre of the fort, under the influence of Pere Millet, their Jesuit
Missionary, a great wooden cross 18 feet in height, upon which they cut in
large letters:
, "REGN: VINC: IMP: CHRS:"
_Regnat_; _Vincit_; _Imperat_; _Christus_;
(Christ Reigns, Conquers, Rules.)
The place was being for a while abandoned as a military post, but by this
they left notice that it was still held as on outpost of their religion.
Here again at Niagara an episode was being repeated exceedingly similar to
that which had been developed at Quebec a century and a half before.
Jacques Cartier and his explorers had entered the St. Lawrence and endured
their first winter at Stadacona (Quebec). Decimated by scurvy and
privations, and in extreme danger from the hostility of the Indians, he
determined to return to France, taking with him the remnants of his
expedition. On 3rd May, 1536, three days before leaving, he raised upon the
river bank a cross 35 feet in height, on which was a shield bearing the
Lilies of France, and an inscription:
"_Franciscus Primus Dei Gratia Francorum Regnat._"
As Cartier had returned and established their strong-hold at tidewater,
near Quebec, so the survivors of the party of Pierre de Troyes at Niagara,
in 1688, hoped they, too, might again return and repossess for their nation
this centre from which they were so reluctantly retiring. These two events
so far separated in time, are striking evidences of the constancy with
which these pioneers of France, even when seemingly overcome, showed their
hopeful fidelity to King and to their religion.
The French in 1721 were, according to Charlevoix, once more in occupation.
The position of Fort Niagara, commanding the route to their series of forts
on the lines of the Ohio and Mississippi, was considered by the French as
second in importance only to that of Quebec, and consequently great store
laid upon its possession. Under Jonquiere they added four bastions to the
fort and erected a stone storehouse, called "The Castle," which is still to
be seen. Further strengthenings were added by Capt. Puchot, of the
Battalion of Bearne.
In 1759, notwithstanding Puchot's gallant defence, the fort was captured by
the British, under Sir William Johnson, and thus both sides of the river
came under British rule.
Three nationalities in succession had striven for its possession, the
Indians, the French and the British, from whom it was never again taken by
assault.
At the conclusion of the War of the Revolution the forts along the northern
frontier were, by the Treaty of Paris, 1783, to be transferred to the
United States. Fort Niagara, with some others, was held in hostage for the
fulfillment of the reparations promised by the Federal Government of the
United States to be made by the several States to the United Empire, and
other Loyalists who had stood by the King during the Rebellion.
These reparations were never made, but after the guns had been removed to
Fort George, on the Canadian side, the Union Jack was hauled down, and the
fort handed over on 11th July, 1796.
The Stars and Stripes then remained in possession until the War of 1812,
when in retaliation for the burning of Newark, the fort was assaulted and
taken by storm by the British under Col. Murray on the night of 18th
December, 1813, and the Union Jack was once more raised above it.
Matters remained in this position until in February, 1814, under the Treaty
of Ghent, Fort Niagara was once more gracefully given over and again, and
in peace, the Stars and Stripes took the place of the Red Cross Jack.
The name Niagara appears during the opening period of the British
occupation to have been used generally for all parts of the neighborhood,
but applied particularly to the old village on the east bank close under
the walls of the old French fort.
Population now began to cross the river to the western side, and Abner
Gilbert reports in 1761, the beginning of a village called Butlersberg, on
the west shore, named after Colonel Butler, the Commander of the celebrated
"Butler's Rangers" of the Revolutionary War, and which was afterwards
largely settled by United Empire Loyalists.
This name was early changed to West Niagara in order to distinguish it from
Fort Niagara.
At the advent of Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe, in 1791, and presumably at his
instance, a new name Newark, after a town in Nottinghamshire, England, was
given to this town on the west bank, and in 1792, by royal proclamation,
the name Niagara was officially transferred from the town to the
surrounding township.
Newark then became the seat of Government, and Capital of the Province of
Upper Canada, and the place of residence of the Lieutenant-Governor. This
distinction and advantage it enjoyed unrestrictedly until 1793, when
Governor Simcoe removed his personal headquarters to the north side of the
lake at Toronto, where he again indulged his fancy for changing names, by
changing the then original name of Toronto, to that of York, in honor of a
recent victory of H.R.H. the Duke of York in Flanders. Although Governor
Simcoe had himself removed his residence to York, he received and
entertained the Duc de Liancourt in 1795, at Newark. The Parliaments of
Upper Canada continued to hold their sessions at Newark, and the town to be
the official centre of the Province, until 1796, when Governor Russell, the
successor of Governor Simcoe, finally removed the Provincial headquarters
to York.
The loss of its prestige and official importance so incensed the
inhabitants that they refused to continue the new name imposed upon them by
Governor Simcoe and reverted at once to the name of West Niagara. The
official _Niagara Gazette_, which had hitherto been dated from Newark,
changed its heading to West Niagara, and so continued until October, 1789,
when it was first published from York. Finally in 1798 an Act of Parliament
was obtained by the municipality restoring to the town its old name of
Niagara.
Old names die hard, so we find John Maude, in 1800, mentioning the name of
West Niagara, late Newark. Common usage seems to have generally retained
the name of Newark, at all events as used by strangers. John Mellish,
writing in 1811, says "I came down the opposite side of the river, the wind
was blowing so hard that I could not cross to Newark."
On the 10th December, 1813, when every house in the town, except one, was
burned by the American troops, who had obtained possession in the previous
spring, but were now retreating from it in consequence of the advance of
the British troops under Col. Murray; the American General writing on the
spot to the United States Secretary of War at Washington and describing in
his official report of the position of affairs writes: "The village of
Newark is now in flames." This destruction and the infliction of great
privations upon the inhabitants and children, in the midst of a severe
winter may have been justified under the plea of military exigency, but has
always been considered inhuman. General McLure and his forces, however,
retired so precipately across the river to the United States side that they
left the whole 200 tents of their encampment at Fort George standing, and
the new barracks which they had just completed untouched, so that we may
hope that some of the women and children were not without temporary
shelter.
With this total destruction in 1813 seems also to have passed away the name
Newark, and the town arose from its ashes as Niagara.
In after times, as the towns and villages in this Niagara district
increased in number, not a few difficulties were occasioned by a similarity
of names, such as Niagara Falls, Niagara Falls Centre, Niagara South,
Niagara, etc. In 1900 the name of Niagara-on-the-Lake was introduced as
being a geographical and distinctive name, appropriate to the lakeside
position. This, while not at first accepted by some of the older citizens,
yet having been authorized by the Post Office Department, is now the
correct address. The name is certainly one expressing the individuality of
the town and its unexampled position as an interesting place of resort, and
perhaps is better than that of Old Niagara, which some people still use in
speaking of it.
It was into this Niagara River Realm, with all its historic past and
passenger possibilities that we were about to enter.
Negotiations for the running arrangements had been continued during the
winter months. The _Chicora_ having been brought to Lake Ontario, and
accepted as satisfactory for the Canadian Southern Railway, a term of years
contract for the performance of the service in its combined rail and water
route between Buffalo, Niagara and Toronto was negotiated, and after much
debate and consideration had been drafted and settled with the officers and
engrossed for final execution. An arrangement was also made by Hon. Frank
Smith with the representatives of the Milloy Estate, the owners of the
_City of Toronto_, that the two steamers, the _City_ and the _Chicora_
should run in concert, dividing the business between them and avoiding
competition.
Everything looked well. The steamer herself as she approached completion
increased in approbation, and the details for the traffic working had been
satisfactorily arranged.
The writer resigned his position as General Freight and Passenger Agent of
the Northern Railway of Canada, and received appointment (26th April,
1878), as Manager of the Niagara Navigation Company. In the preceding year
Mr. Robert Kerr had been promoted from the charge of the through grain
traffic to be Assistant General Freight and Passenger Agent of the
Northern, and now succeeded to the full office, a position which he held
with increasing satisfaction until 1884, when he transferred and entered
into the service of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
A ticket office was opened by Mr. Cumberland for the Niagara route and the
Upper Lakes, with Captain Thomas Wyatt of the Inman Line, and C. W. Irwin,
Customs Broker, at 35 Yonge street, under the then American Hotel on the
north-east corner of Front and Yonge streets, now covered by the building
of the Toronto Board of Trade. The agencies of all the ocean and inland
steamship companies were at that time located either on Front or on Yonge
streets, in this neighborhood. Donald Milloy, the agent of the Richelieu
and Royal Mail Lines and the _City of Toronto_ was on the Front street side
of the American Hotel, while this for Upper Lakes and the _Chicora_ was on
the Yonge street front.
In the beginning of May came a bolt from the blue. The opportunities for
another steamer in the Niagara River route had evidently attracted the
attention of other people as well as ourselves. There had been rumors that
Mr. R. G. Lunt, of Fredericton, New Brunswick, might bring his fast river
steamer the _Rothesay_ up to Lake Ontario, or the St. Lawrence River. His
route on the St. John River between Fredericton and St. John had been
spoiled by recent railway construction; he was thus open for a new route.
Mr. Donald Macdonald of Toronto was his brother-in-law, so that he was not
without local advice and influence. The announcement was now made that an
arrangement had been come to between the _City of Toronto_ and the
_Rothesay_ to run together on the Niagara route. The Hon. Frank Smith at
once sent for Mr. Donald Milloy and was surprised to be told that the
undertaking which had been made to run the _City of Toronto_ in connection
with the _Chicora_, would not be fulfilled and that it was not binding on
the owners of the steamer. Needless to say Mr. Smith was enraged, and
bringing his hand down with a decisive smash declared that he would see
them through various places for their perfidy.
[Illustration: The CHICORA on Lake Ontario page 94]
Mr. Donald Milloy was then leaseholder from the Freeland Bros. of the Yonge
street dock, Toronto, and refused to allow us to have a berth in it. The
Milloy Estate owned the dock at Niagara, and at first would not let us in
but satisfactory arrangements were made.
Here we were within six weeks of the opening of business without either
dock or partner.
Arrangements for our connection at Lewiston were next sought. The only dock
was owned by Mr. George Cornell. This was the connecting point with the New
York Central Railway whose station was in the Upper Town about a mile
distant from the landing; the passengers and baggage being transferred in
the bus line run by Mr. Cornell. The _City_ had the exclusive rights of
this dock at its upper end, close to the staircase, up and down which
connection was made between the busses on the upper level and the steamers.
Cornell was not disinclined to favour the increased business which the new
steamer would no doubt bring to his hotel and busses. We were thus enabled
to lease the lower end of the dock, which was at once repaired and
replenished, it not having been in use for many years--in fact, not since
1864-65, when all the large lake steamers were withdrawn and run down the
rapids to be employed in service during the American Civil War.
Then began a permanent and friendly relation with the Cornells, father and
son, which has been continued without a hitch or interruption through all
these intervening years.
At Toronto, Mr. Donald Milloy still refused to allow us to run from his
Yonge Street dock in connection with the other steamers, although we would
have been very glad to do so. This dock is in many ways a much superior
boating point than any other, but as the next best place we secured entry
at the west side of Yonge Street at "Mowat's Dock," afterwards called
"Geddes' Dock," and now the "City Dock," our berth being along the face
fronting the bay.
Another bolt was now to come. All the details of our contract with the
Canada Southern had been settled early in the spring, the documents drawn
and requiring only the signature of the President. Unfortunately at this
juncture a change of control came and the Canada Southern passed into the
hands of the Michigan Central, and under another President, who, on being
interviewed at Cleveland, was quite pleasant, sent for the contract, read
it over, but said decisively that it had not been signed and there would be
no contract! In his opinion it was not desirable to make a term of years
contract, tying his company to any one boat, but under the special
circumstances, agreed to give us a connection. I pointed out that we had
gone to all the risk and expense and had brought the _Chicora_ down on the
faith of that contract, but as he said he wouldn't adopt it, he was at once
assured that we would work just as hard for expansion of the traffic and
would earn and win his company's support, so we parted on friendly terms.
There was nothing else for it. We might just as well take it pleasantly for
it was good to have even half a connection with one of the railways on the
river. It certainly felt a disappointment not to have contract control of
that section of the traffic, but one is disposed to think that it was for
the best, and indeed has so proved. We have built our way up by providing,
at the instance of the railways, all the requirements that that water
traffic needs. It is better to deserve a route and hold it by efficient
service for mutual advantage, trusting to just and amicable endeavor on
both sides, rather than to the rigid terms of a formal contract.
The importance of the ownership of landing places had been so impressed by
the recent events that I availed of an opportunity, which offered to
purchase the dock and water lot at Queenston, although the traffic at that
point was then so light that it could scarcely be considered a port of
call.
This British port at the head of Lake Ontario navigation at this upper end
of "Queen's-ton" was the loyally-named co-relative and partner of "King's
Ton" at the lower end. Its glory had been great, but had long departed,
leaving little but the noted "Queenston Spring," whose pure and running
waters still pour perennially from the side of the bank alongside the dock.
The purchase did not at that time receive much approval by some, but fully
justified itself later on, and was the first step in that policy of
acquiring the wharf properties at all points on our route, which has ever
since been consistently followed by the company.
As we had expected that our intended partner would provide us with railway
connections on the river and with ticketing arrangements for foreign
business, we had not done much except in local preparations. The "City"
refused to present us to the railway companies and tendered the "Rothesay"
as her partner, as the railway companies loyally stood by their old
connection, we were left out to do the best we could on our own account.
We had now to prepare all these matters for ourselves, a pretty
considerable work of organization, but with energy and much overtime it was
at length pushed through. The main difficulty was in the railway
connection via Lewiston, and beyond Buffalo, where the railways would
neither accept tickets for us, nor issue tickets over us. The New York
Central authorities determined to stand by their old connections with the
"City," and would not have any dealings with us. The Hon. Frank Smith
interviewed Mr. Tillinghart, who was Superintendent and in charge of the
Central interests in this district, placing before him the position which
had been anticipated but had been disrupted, with the "City," but to no
avail. It was a serious position and seemed well night unsurmountable. Some
would have quailed and laid down.
The _Rothesay_ arrived. She proved to be quite an impressive looking boat,
about 180 feet in length, good beam, very roomy decks and central cabin; a
more commodious boat than the _City_. She was particularly well arranged as
a "day" boat and was reputed to have a high rate of speed, as she soon
proved she had. The _Chicora_ shortly afterwards moved down the bay from
the Northern docks to her station. The contrast between the two steamers
was most noticeable, the _Rothesay_ with high walking beam engine and broad
skimming dish appearance, with the sea-going ability, and double red
funnels of the _Chicora_. It was evident that the main contest would be
between these two boats.
The _City of Toronto_, as had for many years been usual, a custom coming
down from the time when there were no railways around the head of the lake,
opened the season on April 18th, leaving Toronto at 7 a.m., making only the
one morning trip.
We had made our appointments in March, Captain Thomas Harbottle, the
leading favorite of the Royal Mail Line, was placed in command. A
ruddy-faced, jovial personage, with flowing Dundreary whiskers, inclining
to grey, cordial manners, a good seaman, who held with ever-increasing
respect and confidence the good-will of the Royal Mail Company and of the
travelling public. Mr. J. Ellis, who had a good connection in Toronto and
held full marine certificates, as captain on both Atlantic and Inland
lakes, was appointed First Officer, and George Moore Chief Engineer. Alex.
Leach continued as Purser.
The bookstand and lunch counter on the steamer were leased to a young man
then in the employ of Chisholm Brothers, the proprietors of the similar
privileges on the Richelieu & Ontario, and River St. Lawrence steamers.
As steamers were added by us, T. P. Phelan grew with the line. Subsequently
he was entrusted with all the catering for the company. From this he
advanced to similar business at all the refreshment stations of the Grand
Trunk and Grand Trunk Pacific Railways, so that now the Canada Railway News
Co. (which is T. P. Phelan) is the largest news and catering company in
Canada.