Guide To The Niagara Antique Belt

Niagara on the Lake is very old. Established by British Loyalists in 1778, this quaint little town at the mouth of the Niagara River is one of oldest settlements in the nation. As you can imagine, after hundreds of years of being Canada’s foremost agricultural, military and civilian hot spot, the entire Niagara region is now overstocked with heritage items. The antique and collectibles merchants must cut prices to liquidate history. Use this handy guide to find bargains in Niagara on the Lake.

First you must understand the History of Niagara. The entire Niagara peninsula is steeped in Canadian history because 1) The settlement is really old; 2) it contains a cool waterfall and 3) its right on the border with the United States and they haven’t always been so friendly.

The place was entirely settled and collecting dust before the Dominion of Canada was born in 1867. Thirty years later the Niagara Historical Society & Museum was founded (in 1895) to encourage the study of Canadian History and Literature and to collect and preserve Canadian historical records and relics. The Niagara Peninsula has at least nine other museums, and more historical reenactments per square mile than anywhere else in Canada.

Etienne Brûlé was the first European to see Niagara Falls in the summer of 1633. The first eyewitness account of the falls in written text was by Father Louis Hennepin in 1683 wherein he described it as, ‘the most beautiful and altogether the most terrifying waterfall in the universe’.

John Butler - The first European settlers were primarily British Loyalists fleeing America in 1778. At the end of the American Revolution, these Loyalists were given land grants, and the town of Niagara was laid out on the west bank of the Niagara River.