The Founding of Chippawa
In 1792-94 a village grew up near Fort Chippawa on the Chippawa Creek at the end of the new portage road from Queenston. In 1793 the creek was renamed the Welland River, but the village where a post office was opened remained "Chippawa". It was largely destroyed 1813-14 when British and American forces fought for control of the Welland River. Portage traffic revived after the war and continued until Chippawa became an outlet for the original Welland Canal from 1829 to 1833. A horse-powered railway, the first in Upper Canada, was built to Niagara Falls in 1837-39. Chippawa was incorporated as a village in 1849 and in 1970 became part of the City of Niagara Falls.