By Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
Founding a Community
Former Butler’s Rangers, George Lawrence and John C. Ball settled in what is the present-day village of Virgil. They received land grants near the junction of Four Mile Creek Road and Black Swamp Road (Hwy 55). This area became known as Crossroads.
China Bowl, ca. 1810Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
This sugar bowl belonged to Sarah Lawrence, the wife of George Lawrence.
Locust Grove (1820)Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
This is the Ball family home that was rebuilt in 1820 after the original house burned down in 1813. This home still stands at Highway 55 and Hunter Road.
Black Swamp Road
Unlike many of the early roads in Niagara, Black Swamp Road did not follow any of the original Indigenous trails. Instead, it was laid out to connect the villages of Niagara and Crossroads to Homer, which was situated on the Iroquois Trail (a road that began in Queenston and stretched to Hamilton).
Sandham Carriage MakerNiagara-on-the-Lake Museum
The village was initially established as a stagecoach stop, but the road was little more than a wagon track with plenty of potholes, and heavy rains made the road impassable.
Milita Camp at Crossroads (1813-10-01)Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
Virgil was not involved in any major battle during the war but, the community was still impacted during the American occupation of Niagara (May - December 1813), when many residents fled to Virgil to seek refuge during the Battle of Fort George.
Aerial view of Virgil taken in 1947. (1947)Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
By the mid-1800s, Crossroads underwent two major changes. Black Swamp Road became a stone road, one of the first in the Province (this is why Highway 55 is also called Niagara Stone Road), and...
Plan of Proposed Road on Lot #113 in the Township of Niagara (1858)Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
In 1844, Crossroads was renamed Lawrenceville after George Lawrence. The name did not last long. When the post office opened in 1862, the community was renamed Virgil, a change that is still not completely understood.
Virgil in the mid-1800s
Many business began to pop-up in the community by the mid-1800s. By 1865 there was one store, hotel, one common school, with an average attendance of 35 pupils, three churches, daily mail, and a population of about 50 people.
Virgil Public School
Virgil Public School (built in 1872) was located at Four Mile Creek and Field Road, and was the site of a school since at least 1845. It was closed down in 2011.
Virgil Public School Class Photograph (1899)Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
Virgil Public School Class, 1899
Virgil was also home to Eden High School, which was founded by the Virgil Bible School Society in 1945. The students were taught in the Ball Family homestead (pictured earlier). The school moved to St. Catharines in 1995 and is now known as Eden High School.
The Mennonite Community
Peter Wall (pictured), who successfully owned fruit land in Virgil, saw an opportunity when agricultural land in the community started to foreclose. He began to purchase these lands at a cheap price, subdivided them into 10-15 acre plots, and then offered the land to Mennonite families at an affordable price.
Picking Strawberries, 1938Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
The community, whose grain crop was previously unsuccessful, was now growing a variety and an abundance of fresh fruits, something the community is still quite successful at today!
Picking Tomatoes, 1938Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
Picking Tomatoes, 1938.
Harvesting Pears, 1938Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
Harvesting Pears, 1940.
In the VineyardNiagara-on-the-Lake Museum
In the Vineyard.
Niagara Canning Company
Each year there was a surplus of fruit that ripened too quickly. To address the issue, Peter Wall created the Niagara Canning Company in 1940 and built a cannery at the corner of Four Mile Creek and Lakeshore Roads. Peter sold shares in the company to local farmers, who now had a guaranteed market for their produce, and their wives and children could work seasonally in the cannery. Unfortunately, by 1948 the company went bankrupt.
Niagara Township Credit Union and Meridian (1937/1944)Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
In 1937, the Niagara Township Fruit Co-operative provided farmers with a place for the buying and selling of farm equipment and products. As the organization expanded, they saw a large need for banking services. By 1960, the union out grew its first home and by 1970 changed its name to the Niagara Credit Union. In 2005, after merging with another company it became Meridian Credit Union, the largest such organization in Ontario.
The Niagara Township Fruit Cooperative
In 1937, the Niagara Township Fruit Co-operative provided farmers with a place for the buying and selling of farm equipment and products. As the organization expanded, they saw a large need for banking services. Since large banks did not want to establish themselves in the community, the Niagara Township Credit Union was created in 1944. The loans that the Credit Union offered were usually small and short term, but they provided the support that many needed to start businesses or to just get by.
The union outgrew its first home by 1960 and its name by 1970 when it was changed to Niagara Credit Union. In 2005, the company merged with another credit union to become Meridian Credit Union, the largest such organization in Ontario.
Farm Workers
Niagara farmers have been dependent on annual temporary workers from Mexico, Jamaica and other Caribbean islands to help during the planting and harvesting seasons. These workers spend anywhere from six to eight months working working in Niagara’s tender fruit and wine industry in order to send money back home to their families.
Temporary Workers in Niagara-on-the-Lake Temporary Workers in Niagara-on-the-Lake by Robert MillerNiagara-on-the-Lake Museum
Many of these workers can be seen riding their bikes or driving trucks on the rural roads of Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Temporary Workers in Niagara-on-the-Lake Temporary Workers in Niagara-on-the-Lake by Robert MillerNiagara-on-the-Lake Museum
While there are a number of issues with the seasonal worker program in Canada, one thing is for certain: These workers are a key labour force for the agricultural industry and much of Niagara-on-the-Lake's tourism.
Today Virgil remains a vital and welcoming community in Niagara-on-the-Lake. It is home to our Town's Municipal Government, the Virgil Stampede, and where the (former) Niagara Advance was established!
