All Along the Waterfront: The Niagara Harbour and Dock Company
A brief history of the Niagara Harbour and Dock Company (NHDC) in Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL).
Map of the Mouth of the Niagara River (1869) by Benson J. LossingNiagara-on-the-Lake Museum
Niagara had one of the busiest ports along Lake Ontario and with the mercantile activity on the river portage route, many ships required an adequate marina and repair facility.
Queenston Steamboat Company
In 1828, Robert (Jr.) and John Hamilton created the Queenston Steamboat Company to remedy this, but the company was short-lived. Their first ship was damaged by an ice jam. After that, they moved their business to the mouth of the Niagara River.
Ice Jam, 1909Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
Back of Navy Hall from Fort George. (1854/1854) by Francis Hincks Granger (1829-1906)Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
Strategic Location
The Town of Niagara was a natural site for shipbuilding. The flat marshland along the river was an ideal spot for ship refuge and the steep bluffs protected the port from severe weather.
The Niagara Harbour and Dock Company's Creation
Even though commercial shipbuilding dates back as early as 1811, it wasn’t until the Niagara Harbour and Dock Company (NHDC) formation in 1831 that shipbuilding became a major enterprise. Robert Melville (pictured) would be the company's co-founder and first president.
Sketch Showing the Ground Given to the Niagara Harbour and Dock Company (1831-03-16) by Government of Upper CanadaNiagara-on-the-Lake Museum
To create the dock area, the NHDC had to pump out the marshy waters and dredge it to create a basin.
Mouth of the River, From the Ramparts of Old Fort George, c.1882Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
Growing Success
The NHDC was then able to undertake boatbuilding as well as refit and repair. They also had a wharf for the storage and loading of goods for shipping. It had a furnace shop, carpenter shops, an iron foundry, brass factory, a pattern shop, and more!
The Chief Justice Robinson, c.1860Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
The Chief Justice Robinson
This watercolour painting depicts the Chief Justice Robinson. The ship was built by the NHDC in 1842. In its lifetime, the company constructed some 35 steamboats, 12 schooners, 3 propellers, 1 gunboat, and over 18 barges!
Niagara, 1846Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
With the company's prosperity, came prosperity to the town. The town's population doubled from 1833-1847 due to the jobs the NHDC provided.
Stock Certificate, 1853Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
The NHDCs Decline
Sadly, the NHDC’s success slowed in the 1840s due to high construction costs, competition, and the growth of the railways.
Erie and Ontario Railroad Poster, c.1855Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
The improvements
The Erie and Ontario Railroad was one factor that led to the NHDCs decline. The railroads expansion in the 1850s saw improvments to transportation and communication that affected the NHDCs business greatly.
Ship Being Towed, c.1890Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
The Canal
As the Welland Canal improved, ships chose to make a faster journey through the canal instead of offloading below the falls and transporting their goods by land.
Michigan Central Freight Cars at the DockNiagara-on-the-Lake Museum
The Last Years
Unfortunately, After changes in ownership, and renting out the NHDC lands through the 1850s-1860s, the company would eventually go under in 1871.
Niagara Car Works Stencil, c.1850Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
This stencil belonged to Brainerd, Pierson & Co., a company that rented NHDC lands during the 1850s and onwards.
Plans for the town of Niagara, April 1862Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
Many in town relied on the NHDC. With its demise, the town's population declined 58% and the town entered into a recession.
Fruit wagons at the Niagara Wharf, 1908Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
While industry would still carry on in NOTLs wharf through commercial fishing and railroad traffic, it would not be nearly as large or profitable as the buisness the NHDC had brought.
The shipbuilding industry in NOTL would die out until the advent of the pleasure craft industry in the 1940s with the emergence of Shepherd Boats, Hinterhoeller, and C&C Yachts.
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The Dock Area Today
Once considered the unsavoury industrial part of town, it is now an enjoyable neighbourhood for residents and tourists.
