St. Catharines

St. Catharines has been known by a number of names in its history. The city is believed to have been one of the largest Native Settlements in North America. Shortly after the American Revolution, it was settled by Loyalists, the first of these known as John Halner and Jacob Ditrick., Around the late 1700s the area underwent a full scale township survey and lands were made available by Royal Proclamation. At this time the city was commonly known as "The Twelve" because of its location close to Twelve Mile Creek. As more people began settling "The Twelve" construction of a church and a tavern began. The tavern's second owner, Paul Shipman, operated an inn along this route. His inn became increasingly important as traffic increased within the community and stage coaches traveled to and from Niagara-on-the-Lake. This settlement then became known as "Shipman's Corners" or "The Corners.", While the actual basis of the name St. Catharines is unknown, it's widely belived the city was named afer Robert Hamilton's wife Catharine. Hamilton was a Queenston merchant who held title to extensive land gained through Royal Proclaimation, and owned much of what is now the commercial core of the city., St. Catharines has been known by many names throughout history, and in the late 1700s was commonly known as "The Twelve."