Famous Hamiltonian Contest

Albion Falls – William Cook

Albion Falls is almost as wide (18 metres) as it is tall (19 metres). Rocks from around the falls were used in the construction of Hamilton’s famous Rock Garden, a National Historic Site at Hamilton’s Royal Botanical Gardens.

In 1840, William Cook, who had made a fortune working on the Welland Canal, bought the property around the falls and built a mansion. His estate had ten acres of formal gardens, orchards, arbours, walkways, and ponds. His neighbours described the mansion and grounds as "Cook's Folly". 

https://tourismhamilton.com/albion-falls

Devil’s Punchbowl – William Sinclair

The Upper Falls at the Punchbowl is a 33.8 metre ribbon waterfall and the Lower, a 5.5 metre classical waterfall.  The Bowl offers the most complete façade of stratified rock formations of Ordovician (ca. 480 million year ago) and Silurian (ca. 450 million) deposits making up what we call the Hamilton `Mountain’. 

The 10 metre high electrified cross was constructed in 1966 by a group of local residents and skilled labourers to bring a lit monument to the community.  William Sinclair, a hydro linesman, was made Chair of the Cross Committee. He, along with steelworkers and welders erected the cross. The 106 lights on the cross were first lit on Dec. 18, 1966.   At the time, it was said the cross would last 50 years.  It will be 60 in 2026. 

https://tourismhamilton.com/devils-punchbowl/

Sherman Falls – Clifton W. Sherman

Sherman is a `tiered ribbon’ waterfall 17 metres tall, along Ancaster Creek. It has gone by different names, but is now connected with the Sherman family. 

Clifton W. Sherman founded Dominion Steel Castings Co. in 1912. The company’s first office was located in the Lister Block on James Street North. Dominion Steel began producing steel rails for railways, and with the onset of WWI contributed to military production. In 1930, the company became known by its more recognized name, Dofasco.

https://tourismhamilton.com/sherman-falls

Smokey Hollow – Alexander Brown

At 10 metres tall, Smokey Hollow Falls on Grindstone Creek isn’t the area’s biggest, but it is surrounded by a great 11km section of the Bruce Trail. 

The Grindstone Creek valley near the falls was a busy milling area in the 1800’s. Shortly after 1805, Alexander Brown, who had received the original land grant, built a simple saw mill above the falls. Ebenezer Griffin and other millers followed, turning the quiet valley into a bustling industrial centre. As chimneys belched smoke and steam, the valley earned the name ‘Smokey Hollow’.

https://tourismhamilton.com/smokey-hollow

Tiffany Falls – Dr. Oliver Tiffany

This 21 metre cascade waterfall is stunning in spring because of the runoff of the melting snow.

It is named after Dr. Oliver Tiffany, who purchased the land at the mountain brow which included the falls.  Dr. Oliver Tiffany was the first licensed physician in the Hamilton area. Originally from the United States, Tiffany moved to Mohawk Road in Ancaster, where he opened his medical practice. As the early physician at the Head of the Lake, he treated patients in Hamilton, Dundas, Ancaster, Barton Township, Galt, and Guelph, including Richard Beasley, Jean Baptiste Rousseau and Nathaniel Hughson, among others.

https://tourismhamilton.com/tiffany-falls

Websters Falls – The Joseph Websters, Grandfather and Grandson

This 22 metre classical waterfall on Spencer Creek is the largest and most visited in Hamilton.

Ca. 1820, Joseph Webster Sr., a British officer looking for a new life subsequent to the Napoleonic wars, purchased approximately 200 acres adjacent to the falls, with a stone house and distillery. The land soon passed to his grandson, Joseph Jr., son of James Webster, who established the Ashbourne Roller Mills at the falls in 1830. The mill and distillery soon expanded to become one of the largest in Upper Canada. The two-storey stone home (1856) belonging to Joseph Jr. still stands nearby, as do Webster family gravestones.

https://tourismhamilton.com/webster-falls-guide/