Samuel Zimmerman 1815 - 1857

Samuel Zimmerman 1815 - 1857. . Considered to be one of the founding fathers of Niagara Falls, Samuel Zimmerman moved to Niagara from Pennsylvania in 1842 as "a poor man with a shovel on his shoulder," as he liked to say. However, he had plenty of ambition and some knowledge of construction. Forming a construction company here, he soon won contracts to rebuild sections of the Welland Canal. , Recognizing the growing importance of railways, Zimmerman then became a railway contractor. He was involved in building a number of lines including the Great Western (now Canadian National) from Hamilton to what was then the tiny community that would later become known as Niagara Falls where, in 1853, the railway established an important divisional point (station). Zimmerman's company next played a role in the building of the Railway Suspension Bridge across the Niagara River Gorge. Inaugurated in 1855, this double-deck span stood where the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge is currently located. , Now one of the wealthiest men in Canada, Zimmerman quickly realized that with an international bridge crossing, an important rail centre and a famous natural spectacle, Niagara Falls had great potential. As a result, he became an enthusiastic Niagara Falls promoter and developer, first buying and then enlarging the famous Clifton House Hotel which stood on the site now occupied by Oakes Garden Theatre. He followed this up by acquiring extensive real estate holdings in this area. Much of the property was made ready for development, with business and residential streets created in what is now the downtown area of Niagara Falls as well as in the Victoria Avenue, Centre Street district. Zimmerman donated land for a market square and a church and saw to it that plank sidewalks were laid down, trees planted and various commercial buildings erected. He even founded a private bank known, appropriately, as the Zimmerman Bank. , Wanting to establish his home here, Zimmerman began to create a large estate directly across from the American Falls in what is now Queen Victoria Park. , Niagara Falls began to grow and prosper. However, at the height of all this success, Zimmerman was killed in a railway accident near Dundas, Ontario in March of 1857. He was originally buried on his estate although a few years later was reinterred to the cemetery beside what is now the United Church in St. Davids. , "One Community... Many Names" , Although the accompanying text refers to the community of Niagara Falls, in fact, during Zimmerman's lifetime that was not the name in use. At the time of his arrival, there were four small communities within what is now the City of Niagara Falls; Chippawa in the South, Clifton around the Clifton Hill and Victoria Avenue intersection, Drummondville around the Main and Ferry intersection, and Stamford Village in the North. In 1853, a small community located at the foot of Bridge Street was incorporated under the name of Elgin. Three years later Elgin and Clifton amalgamated under the name Town of Clifton. The name Niagara Falls was first adopted for the Town in 1881. The following year Drummondville changed its name to the Village of Niagara Falls. In 1904, the Village and the Town amalgamated to create the City of Niagara Falls. Stamford Village and Township became part of Niagara Falls in 1963. In 1970, with the advent of Regional Government, Chippawa also became part of the City.