During the construction of the original Welland Canal, 1824-1829, a number of communities sprang up along its length. Here, on land belonging to George Keefer, a village known as Thorold had developed by 1828. A large flouring mill was built on the canal and the Thorold Township post office was moved from Beaverdams to the new settlement by Jacob Keefer. By 1831, two sawmills were in operation and in 1835, the village contained 370 inhabitants. During the 1840s, the building of the Welland Mills, then one of the largest flour mills in Canada, and the establishment of Ontario's first cotton factory, stimulated the community's growth. It was incorporated as a village in 1850, as a town in 1875 and as a city in 1975.

Location

In the Battle of Beaverdams Park, Sullivan Avenue, Thorold

Themes

• Communities
• Industry and trade
• Transportation systems and communications