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Long lost map a trove of Niagara history
Posted By Grant LaFleche and Karena Walter
Posted 15 hours ago
It’s been Dean Leavens’ quiet secret for 11 years. A tattered map found in the attic of his historic 19th century home in Effingham, brought out on occasion to show friends.
It might have stayed that way if his father, Doug Leavens, hadn’t met Joe Muskat.
Doug had been doing some work recently for Muskat and mentioned the map. Turns out, Muskat is the director of the Historical Society of St. Catharines.
“I said sure I was interested,” Muskat said. “You don’t come across something like this every day.”
The map shows Niagara Region long before it was the Niagara Region. It is divided up into the Lincoln and Welland counties circa 1862, with every property marked with the name of its owning family.
Some familiar places, like St. Catharines and Thorold are there — much smaller than their present incarnation of course — but others, like the the town of Effingham, didn’t exist then.
“I guess we would be here,” Doug Leavens said, pointing to the Kline property in what is now Effingham.
Dean Leavens found the map shortly after he and his wife Tammy moved in to the house 11 years ago. Not quite sure what to make of the canvas map with tattered edges, he kept it rolled up in his home and only took it out to show friends.
But now it will be properly restored and protected by the historic society so it can be studied.
David Sharron, head of special collections for Brock University’s James A. Gibson Library, said the map is a tremendous resource for the early history of the area.
It shows major routes and sketches of houses and buildings in great detail, he said.
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There were at least two editions of the map and Brock University has three copies, which were mass-produced.
It’s unique to find one in such good condition though, he said. A varnish on the map makes it crack every time it’s folded and unfolded.
“For it to survive over 140 years, it’s amazing that it was in the shape it was,” Sharron said. “It was a little tattered on the outside edge, but the inside was still in very good shape.”
Sharron said it’s a great map for local schools.
The find is a reminder that local archives and museums can provide guidance on how to preserve historic materials, which shouldn’t be kept in attics and basements. Old records should be kept in places with a constant environment and away from direct sunlight, Sharron said.
“They are a unique treasure to find,” he said.
St. Catharines Museum curator Arden Phair said a couple of features make it an outstanding map of the peninsula.
Property owners are listed throughout the peninsula, so from a geneologist’s point of view, it’s a really rich resource, Arden said.
What makes it really unique and extra special, Phair said, are the engravings of various buildings and businesses around the perimeter of the map that give a view of the area in 1862.
There are excellent ones related to St. Catharines, he said, such as the Taylor and Bate brewery.
Muskat said the historical society will work to preserve the map properly to prevent it from degrading any further.
“This will be a fascinating map to really pore over once the restoration is done,” he said. “We’ll probably get it under a proper glass case.”
After that, Dean Leavens said he isn’t sure what he’s going to do with it. He might hang it on the wall of his den, he said.
kenb
Posted By Grant LaFleche and Karena Walter
Posted 15 hours ago
It’s been Dean Leavens’ quiet secret for 11 years. A tattered map found in the attic of his historic 19th century home in Effingham, brought out on occasion to show friends.
It might have stayed that way if his father, Doug Leavens, hadn’t met Joe Muskat.
Doug had been doing some work recently for Muskat and mentioned the map. Turns out, Muskat is the director of the Historical Society of St. Catharines.
“I said sure I was interested,” Muskat said. “You don’t come across something like this every day.”
The map shows Niagara Region long before it was the Niagara Region. It is divided up into the Lincoln and Welland counties circa 1862, with every property marked with the name of its owning family.
Some familiar places, like St. Catharines and Thorold are there — much smaller than their present incarnation of course — but others, like the the town of Effingham, didn’t exist then.
“I guess we would be here,” Doug Leavens said, pointing to the Kline property in what is now Effingham.
Dean Leavens found the map shortly after he and his wife Tammy moved in to the house 11 years ago. Not quite sure what to make of the canvas map with tattered edges, he kept it rolled up in his home and only took it out to show friends.
But now it will be properly restored and protected by the historic society so it can be studied.
David Sharron, head of special collections for Brock University’s James A. Gibson Library, said the map is a tremendous resource for the early history of the area.
It shows major routes and sketches of houses and buildings in great detail, he said.
Advertisement
There were at least two editions of the map and Brock University has three copies, which were mass-produced.
It’s unique to find one in such good condition though, he said. A varnish on the map makes it crack every time it’s folded and unfolded.
“For it to survive over 140 years, it’s amazing that it was in the shape it was,” Sharron said. “It was a little tattered on the outside edge, but the inside was still in very good shape.”
Sharron said it’s a great map for local schools.
The find is a reminder that local archives and museums can provide guidance on how to preserve historic materials, which shouldn’t be kept in attics and basements. Old records should be kept in places with a constant environment and away from direct sunlight, Sharron said.
“They are a unique treasure to find,” he said.
St. Catharines Museum curator Arden Phair said a couple of features make it an outstanding map of the peninsula.
Property owners are listed throughout the peninsula, so from a geneologist’s point of view, it’s a really rich resource, Arden said.
What makes it really unique and extra special, Phair said, are the engravings of various buildings and businesses around the perimeter of the map that give a view of the area in 1862.
There are excellent ones related to St. Catharines, he said, such as the Taylor and Bate brewery.
Muskat said the historical society will work to preserve the map properly to prevent it from degrading any further.
“This will be a fascinating map to really pore over once the restoration is done,” he said. “We’ll probably get it under a proper glass case.”
After that, Dean Leavens said he isn’t sure what he’s going to do with it. He might hang it on the wall of his den, he said.
kenb
