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Aerial View of Welland, ON. in 1930 |
Welcome to the Welland Public Library's digital project: The Industrial and Ethnic History of Welland. The primary focus of this site is to provide online access to our collection of photographs, newspaper clippings, documents and other items pertaining to Welland's industrial history and ethnic communities.
Welland's industrial and ethnic history is as old as the community itself. From the construction of the first Welland Canal, beginning in 1829, to the present, the city's industry and its people have continually reshaped Welland's physical and cultural landscape, forming one of Canada's most culturally diverse comminutes.
Early industries in Welland ranged widely from feed and flour mills to steel and iron fabrication plants to rope making and textile manufacturing, shipbuilding and rubber products. These various industries, over time, brought in a wide variety of people from across Canada and immigrants from around the world seeking a better life for themselves and there families. Ethnic populations flourished in different areas of Welland, creating distinct communities within the city.
The site has been designed to provide easy on-line access to a collection of more than 3,000 photographs, newspaper clippings and other documents. Sections of the site are described below:
- History
of Industry: This section provides a history of industry in Welland
from the 1850s to the present. Information is accessible by factory name (i.e. Atlas
Steels) or industry type (i.e. iron and steel). A timeline is provided to indicate when
various industries were established in Welland.
- Industry
Gallery: This section contains a collection of over 1,500 photographs,
documents and drawings dealing with Welland's industrial past. The files are
arranged by individual factory and in JPEG or PDF format. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required for viewing files in PDF format.
- Ethnic
History: This section deals with Welland's multicultural past and its'
diversity. A short history of each ethnic group is provided along with a timeline
indicating when various ethnic groups arrived in Welland.
- Ethnic Gallery:
This section encompasses a collection of photographs and documents dealing with
Welland's ethnic past. Items are arranged by ethnic group. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required for viewing files in PDF format.
- Welland in the War Years:
This section focuses on how the two World Wars impacted Welland, its people and
industry.
- Then & Now: This section provides a view of some of Welland's industrial sites as they looked in the past and as they appear today.
The Welland Public Library would like to thank the Welland Historical Museum for contributing a substantial amount of material from their collection to our project. We would also like to thank the many individuals who submitted their own personal memorabilia.
To view a full bibliography of resources used in constructing the site, please click on the link below:
Funding for this site provided by the Ontario Ministry of Culture digital content grant
Click on the graphic below to download the latest version.
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