Town of Niagara
This plaque is placed at the entrance of a beautiful park in the heart of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, just a few miles down the road from Niagara Falls. Niagara-on-the-Lake served as the first capital of Upper Canada (the predecessor of present-day Ontario) and is often called the "loveliest town in Canada."
The most interesting part of the plaque is that the town is called "Niagara" in the title, yet the town is universally known as "Niagara-on-the-Lake." According to Wikipedia, "the town's present name was adopted around 1880 as a Postal Address to distinguish the town from Niagara Falls. The name was not officially adopted until 1970."
The plaque reads:
Town of NiagaraKnown at various times as Butlersburg, West Niagara, and Newark, its first permanent settlers, including Butler's Rangers and other Loyalists, arrived about 1780. The first five sessions of Upper Canada's legislature met here under Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe between September 17, 1792 and June 3, 1796. The town was captured by American forces May 27, 1813, which burnt it during their withdrawal December 13, 1813. It was the administrative and judicial centre of the Niagara District and Lincoln County until 1866.Erected by the Ontario Archaeological and Historic Sites Board
Submitted by Gilda Spitz