Welland in Niagara Region, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
Battle of Cook's Mills - Niagara Campaign 1814
Photographed by Kevin Westell, July 21, 2025
1. Battle of Cook's Mills - Niagara Campaign 1814 - Marker
Early Settlers
At the end of the American Revolution in 1784, United Empire Loyalists began settling in Crowland Township, then part of Lincoln County. Roads were surveyed in 1801, and in 1803, with the election of township officials, the first Municipal government was formed.
That year, Isaac Yokom purchased an unfinished gristmill on Lyon's Creek near the present-day PearsonRoad Bridge. Poor health forced him to sell in 1810 to brothers Noah and Calvin Cook. They expanded the gristmill to include a tannery, sawmill and a distillery. The hamlet thenceforth came known as Cook's Mills.
On the eve of the War of 1812, the settlement was a promising centre of commerce.
Colons De La Première Heure
En 1784, à la fin de la Révolution américaine, les Loyalistes de l'Empire-Uni ont commencé à s'installer dans le canton de Crowland, qui faisait alors partie du comté de Lincoln. Les routes ont été arpentées en 1801 et l'élection des fonctionnaires du canton en 1803 a formé le premier gouvernement municipal.
Cette année-là, Isaac Yokom a acheté un moulin à farine inachevé sur Lyon's Creek près de l'actuel pont du chemin Pearson. En 1810, une mauvais santé l'oblige à vendre le moulin aux frères Noah et Calvin Cook qui l'agrandissent pour y inclure une scierie, une tannerie et une distillerie. Le hameau est désormais, depuis cette date, connu sous le nom de Cook's Mills.
À la veille de la guerre de 1812, la colonie était un centre de commerce prometteur.
The War Of 1812
A fledgling United States of America declared war on Great Britain on June 18, 1812, citing Britain's affronts to American sovereignty. England's war involvement against Napoleon's Empire in Europe seemed the perfect time to strike against her North American possessions. The goal was to force Great Britain to stay out of America's affairs and perhaps liberate the population from their "Imperial yoke".
The small, poorly led U.S. Army met with several embarrassing defeats early in the war. Gradually their performance improved and by 1814 they formed a trained, capable and well organized fighting force.
At the time of the Battle of Cook's Mills, the United States controlled Lake Erie, much of western Upper Canada, and the Niagara Peninsula south of the Chippewa Creek (Welland River). Captain Henry Buchner, Commander of the 3rd Lincoln Militia in Crowland, was taken prisoner on October 18, 1814 as the Americans occupied Cook's Mill.
After the war, with the advent of the Welland Canal, the depleted Lyon's Creek made the mill inoperable and it faded into history. On May 21, 1921 a cairn and plaque were dedicated designating the site of the battlefield on the corner of Matthews Road and Lyon's Creek Road as a National Historic Site.
La Guerre De 1812
Le pays naissant des États-Unis d'Amérique déclara la guerre à la Grande-Bretagne le 18 juin 1812 citant les affronts de la Grande-Bretagne à la souveraineté américaine.
L'engagement de l'Angleterre contre l'Empire de Napoléon en Europe semble le moment idéal pour frapper ses possessions nord-américaines dans le but de forcer la Grande-Bretagne à rester en dehors des problèmes de l'Amérique et peut-être librérer la population de leur "joug impérial".
L'armée américaine, petite et mal dirigée, a subi plusieurs défaites embarrassantes au début de la guerre. Peu à peu, leurs performances s'améliorèrent et en 1814, ils formèrent une force de combat entrainée, capable et bien organisée.
Au moment de la bataille de Cook's Mills, les États-Unis contrôlaient le lac Érié, une grande partie de l'ouest du Haut-Canada et la péninsule du Niagara au sud de la rivière Chippewa (rivière Welland). Le capitaine Henry Buchner, commandant de la 3e milice Lincoln à Crowland, a été fait prisonnier le 18 octobre 1814 alors que les Américains occupaient Cook's Mills.
Après la guerre, avec l'avènement du canal Welland, l'épuisement du ruisseau Lyon a rendu le moulin inutilisable. Il s'est évanoui dans l'histoire. Le 21 mai 1921, un cairn et une plaque ont été dédiés désignant le site du champ de bataille situé au coin des chemins Matthews et de Lyon's Creek comme un lieu historique national.
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Location. 42° 59.618′ N, 79° 11.112′ W. Marker is in Welland, Ontario, in Niagara Region. It is at the intersection of Lyons Creek Road and Doan's Ridge Road, on the right when traveling east on Lyons Creek Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 682 Lyons Creek Road, Welland ON L3B 5N4, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe and in Niagara Canada. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, on the Great Lakes, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Rupert’s Land.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Battle of Cook's Mills - Oct. 19th 1814
Photographed by Kevin Westell, July 21, 2025
2. Battle of Cook's Mills - Niagara Campaign 1814 - Marker in context
Photo faces south-east from Lyon's Creek Rd. Doan's Ridge Rd runs away to the right. This marker is north (left) of the flag-poles.
Photographed by Kevin Westell, July 21, 2025
3. Battle of Cook's Mills - Niagara Campaign 1814 - Marker in context
Photo faces south from Lyon's Creek Rd. Doan's Ridge Rd is on the left. Parking is out-of-frame right.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 30, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 24, 2025, by Kevin Westell of St. Catharines, Ontario. This page has been viewed 116 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 24, 2025, by Kevin Westell of St. Catharines, Ontario. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
