Twenty Mile Creek
Encyclopedia
The Twenty Mile Creek is a minor waterway, located in the Niagara Peninsula
, Ontario
, Canada
. It receives its name because the mouth of the Twenty Mile Creek is twenty miles west of the mouth of the Niagara River
. The Indian
name for the Twenty Mile Creek was the Kenowchdaw, which translates to Lead
River
.
, and drains into Jordan Harbour and Lake Ontario
. With portages, it has been historically navigable by small boat and canoe as far upriver as Smithville
.
all owe their early activity to industry based upon the creek. The ghost town
of Ball's Fall's development was also due to its location on the Twenty.
Niagara Peninsula
The Niagara Peninsula is the portion of Southern Ontario, Canada lying between the south shore of Lake Ontario and the north shore of Lake Erie. It stretches from the Niagara River in the east to Hamilton, Ontario in the west. The population of the peninsula is roughly 1,000,000 people...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It receives its name because the mouth of the Twenty Mile Creek is twenty miles west of the mouth of the Niagara River
Niagara River
The Niagara River flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the Province of Ontario in Canada and New York State in the United States. There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the river...
. The Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
name for the Twenty Mile Creek was the Kenowchdaw, which translates to Lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
River
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
.
Course
It rises near Hamilton International AirportHamilton International Airport
For the airport in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, see Hamilton/John C. Munro International Airport.The Hamilton International Airport is an airport located in the Waikato region, in New Zealand...
, and drains into Jordan Harbour and Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
. With portages, it has been historically navigable by small boat and canoe as far upriver as Smithville
Smithville, Ontario
Smithville is a community in the township of West Lincoln. It is located on Regional Road 20 between Hamilton and Niagara Falls in the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada.-Annual events:...
.
Cataracts
The Twenty Mile Creek transcends the Niagara Escarpment, over a 83 foot cataract known as Ball's Falls.Settlements
The waterway played an essential role in the development of the communities on its banks. Smithville, St. Anns, and JordanJordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
all owe their early activity to industry based upon the creek. The ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
of Ball's Fall's development was also due to its location on the Twenty.