Editing Niagara Falls, Ontario (section)

==History==
Prior to European arrival, present day Niagara Falls was populated by [[Iroquoian languages|Iroquoian]]-speaking [[Neutral people]] but, after attacks from the [[Haudenosaunee]] and [[Seneca people|Seneca]], the Neutral people population was severely reduced. The Haudenosaunee people remained in the area until Europeans made first contact in the late 17th century.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Niagara Falls {{!}} The Canadian Encyclopedia|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/niagara-falls-ont|access-date=2021-06-30|website=www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca}}</ref> The Niagara Falls area had some European settlement in the 17th century. [[Louis Hennepin]], a French [[priest]] and [[missionary]], is considered to be the first European to visit the area in the 1670s. French colonists settled mostly in Lower Canada, beginning near the Atlantic, and in Quebec and Montreal.

After surveys were completed in 1782 the area was referred to as ''Township Number 2'' as well as Mount Dorchester after [[Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester]] (and today is only honoured by Dorchester Road and the community of Dorchester Village).<ref name="niagarafallsmuseums.ca">{{Cite web|url=https://niagarafallsmuseums.ca/discover-our-history/history-notes/cityofniagarafalls.aspx|title = Evolution of the City of Niagara Falls - Niagara Falls Museums}}</ref> The earliest settlers of Township Number 2 were Philip George Bender (namesake of Bender Street and Bender Hill near [[Casino Niagara]] originally from Germany and later New Jersey and [[Philadelphia]]<ref name="niagarafallsmuseums.ca"/>) and Thomas McMicken (a Scottish-born British Army veteran).<ref name="niagarafallsmuseums.ca"/> Increased settlement in this area took place during and after the [[American Revolutionary War]], when the British Crown made land grants to [[United Empire Loyalists|Loyalists]] to help them resettle in Upper Canada and provide some compensation for their losses after the United States became independent. Loyalist Robert Land received {{convert|200|acre|ha|abbr=on}} and was one of the first people of European descent to settle in the Niagara Region. He moved to nearby [[Hamilton, Ontario|Hamilton]] three years later due to the relentless noise of the falls.<ref>{{cite web | last = Hunter | first = Peter | title = The Story of the Land Family | publisher = Head-of-the-Lake Historical Society | year = 1958 | url = http://my.tbaytel.net/bmartin/rland.htm | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111229191501/http://my.tbaytel.net/bmartin/rland.htm | archive-date = 29 December 2011 | df = dmy-all }}</ref>
[[File:Whirlpool House-3011 Portage Road-Niagara Falls-Ontario-HPC9793-20221023.jpg|thumb|Whirlpool House-Stamford, built 1796-Niagara Falls-Ontario]]
[[File:Old St. John's Anglican Church (Stamford)-3394-3428 Portage Road-Niagara Falls-Ontario-HPC9785-10543-20221117.jpg|thumb|Old St. John's Anglican Church (Stamford), built in 1825.]]
In 1791, [[John Graves Simcoe]] renamed the town as Stamford after [[Stamford, Lincolnshire]] in [[England]]<ref name="niagarafallsmuseums.ca"/> but today [[Stamford, Ontario|Stamford]] is only used for an area northwest of downtown Niagara Falls as well as Stamford Street. During the war of 1812, the [[battle of Lundy's Lane]] took place nearby in July 1814.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Turner |first1=Wes |title=Battle of Lundy's Lane |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/battle-of-lundys-lane |website=The Canadian Encyclopedia |access-date=14 December 2021}}</ref> In 1856, the Town of Clifton was incorporated by Ogden Creighton after [[Clifton, Bristol]]. The name of the town was changed to Niagara Falls in 1881. In 1882, the community of Drummondville (near the present-day corner of Lundy's Lane and Main Street) was incorporated as the village of Niagara Falls (South). The village was referred to as Niagara Falls South to differentiate it from the town. In 1904, the town and village amalgamated to form the City of Niagara Falls. In 1963, the city amalgamated with the surrounding [[Stamford, Ontario|Stamford]] Township.<ref>{{cite web |title=Evolution of the City of Niagara Falls |url=https://niagarafallsmuseums.ca/discover-our-history/history-notes/cityofniagarafalls.aspx |website=Niagara Falls Museums |access-date=14 December 2021}}</ref> In 1970, the [[Regional Municipality of Niagara, Ontario|Niagara regional government]] was formed.<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Niagara Region and Regional Council |url=https://www.niagararegion.ca/about/history.aspx |website=Niagara Region |access-date=7 January 2023}}</ref> This resulted in the village of [[Chippawa, Ontario|Chippawa]], [[Willoughby, Ontario|Willoughby]] Township, and part of [[Crowland Township]] being annexed into Niagara Falls.<ref>{{cite web |title=Heritage |url=https://niagarafalls.ca/living/heritage/default.aspx |website=Niagara Falls Canada |access-date=7 January 2023}}</ref>

An [[internment camp]] for Germans was set up at The Armoury (now Niagara Military Museum) in Niagara Falls from December 1914 to August 1918.<ref>{{cite web |title=Internment Camps in Canada during the First and Second World Wars, Library and Archives Canada |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/the-public/005-1142.27-e.html |url-status=live   |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140905213052/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/the-public/005-1142.27-e.html |archive-date=5 September 2014 |df=dmy-all |date=2014-06-11 }}</ref>

=== Black history ===
[[File:Nathaniel Dett Chapel 2012-09-17 23-02-42.jpg|thumb|right|R. Nathaniel Dett Chapel, British Methodist Episcopal Church]]

Niagara Falls has had a Black population since at least 1783. Up to 12 African-Americans were a part of the [[Butler's Rangers]], including [[Richard Pierpoint]]. When they were disbanded in 1783, they tried to establish themselves through farming nearby, making them among the first Black settlers in the region.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/richard-pierpoint|title=Richard Pierpoint|encyclopedia=[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]]|access-date=7 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Black History Canada - Niagara Region |url=http://www.blackhistorycanada.ca/topic.php?id=122&themeid=2 |website=www.blackhistorycanada.ca}}</ref> It is estimated that nearly 10 percent of the Loyalists to settle in the area were [[Black Loyalists]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Black History in Guelph and Wellington County |url=http://guelph.ca/museum/BlackHistory/wellington.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060304140826/http://guelph.ca/museum/BlackHistory/wellington.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 March 2006 |access-date=28 November 2018|date=4 March 2006}}</ref>

Niagara Falls' Black population increased in the following decades, as a destination on the [[Underground Railroad]]. In 1856, a [[British Methodist Episcopal Church|British Methodist Episcopal (BME) Church]] was established for [[African Canadians|African-Canadian]] worshipers.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Underground Railroad:Niagara Falls |url=http://www.freedomtrail.ca/niagara_falls/bme.html |website=www.freedomtrail.ca |access-date=28 November 2018}}</ref> The BME Church, Nathaniel Dett Memorial Chapel is now a [[National Historic Sites of Canada|National Historic Site]], remaining in operation into the 21st century.<ref>{{cite news |title=B.M.E Church in Niagara Falls played a role in the 'underground railroad' |url=https://www.chch.com/b-m-e-church-in-niagara-falls-played-a-role-in-the-underground-railroad/ |access-date=28 November 2018 |work=CHCH}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=February is Black History Month in Niagara Falls {{!}} Niagara Falls Canada |url=https://www.niagarafallstourism.com/blog/black-history-month-niagara-falls/ |website=Niagara Falls Canada |access-date=28 November 2018 |language=en}}</ref> Composer, organist, pianist and music professor [[Nathaniel Dett]] was born in Niagara Falls in 1882.<ref name="SchabasMansouri2013">{{cite book|author1=Ezra Schabas|author2=Lotfi Mansouri|author3=Stuart Hamilton |author4=James Neufeld |author5=Robert Popple |author6=Walter Pitman |author7=Holly Higgins Jonas |author8=Michelle Labrèche-Larouche |author9=Carl Morey |title=Dundurn Performing Arts Library Bundle|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QwBVAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT398|date=17 December 2013|publisher=Dundurn|isbn=978-1-4597-2401-3|pages=398–}}</ref>

In 1886, [[Burr Plato]] became one of the first African Canadians to be elected to political office, holding the position of City Councillor of Niagara Falls until 1901.<ref>{{cite web |title=biographies: Burr Plato |url=http://www.freedomtrail.ca/biographies/Plato.html |website=www.freedomtrail.ca |access-date=28 November 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=HistoricPlaces.ca - HistoricPlaces.ca |url=https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=9778 |website=www.historicplaces.ca |language=en}}</ref>