St. Johns, Ontario
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St. Johns is a hamlet, today a part of City of Thorold in Ontario, Canada. Located close to the Niagara Escarpment, St. Johns was one of the first areas in the interior of Niagara Peninsula to be settled by Europeans.
First settlement in the area occurred in 1792, when a sawmill was built on a tributary of Twelve Mile Creek, one of only two mills in Niagara at the time. In 1804, St. Johns became home to the first free school in Upper Canada, housed in a single-room, wooden schoolhouse. By the time a post office was established in 1831, the community included a woollen factory, a tannery, a foundry, stores, and a number of mills.
Eventually, hydro power offered by the site became less of a commodity in the area. As industry in surrounding towns grew, St. Johns' affluence was reduced. Today, the quiet hamlet is virtually unknown outside Niagara. Residents value the relaxed atmosphere, away from hustle of cities like St. Catharines, and argue for the area's picturesque charm.
Like the community of Effingham in bordering Pelham, it is located close to the Short Hills Provincial Park. The St. Johns Conservation Area, maintained by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, is also located in the area.
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