‘Every little bit of history’ in Niagara
Alexander Hamilton collection gifted to Brock University
Purchased for 17 cents in the ’40s. Valued at $350,000 today. And now, it has found a permanent home at Brock University.
A massive collection of Alexander Hamilton material has been donated to Brock’s Archives and Special Collections, detailing the life of the prominent Niagara businessperson who was imperative in the growth of the Canadian postal system.
The collection includes maps, letters and 2,500 other artifacts donated on behalf of the estate of Robert Band, who died in 2013. His relatives previously donated the Woodruff Family collection to Brock in 2015, detailing the Woodruff family’s influence in Niagara.
Sonia Dupte, Brock’s director of Development & Stewardship, says the Hamilton collection is a prestigious addition to the university.
“We just spent an hour speaking to the (Band) family about
the importance of this,” said Dupte when contacted Friday. “Beyond this just being such a generous gift, it’s really preserving the culture and the history of the postal services and the history of Upper Canada.
“It’s also a stepping-stone for future generations of researchers and graduate students.”
The Hamilton Collection was scooped for 17 cents at a garage sale in the ’40s by Band’s father Percy and has been in the family ever since. Dupte said Brock
staff have been examining the collection since it arrived a few months ago, and still don’t know the “full impact” of what they have.
“I’m sure as people are viewing these archives there will be a lot more linkages made.”
David Sharron, Brock’s head of Archives and Special Collections, called it a “flagship collection” for the university.
Sharron said Hamilton seemed to have his finger in “every little bit of history” that happened in Niagara.
“He was the sheriff. He was the postmaster. He was a judge. He worked in the fur trade business for a little while and was in the War of 1812.”
During his tenure here, “you couldn’t do anything without Alexander Hamilton’s influence,” added Sharron. “He got things done and I think the Niagara area benefits from his legacy.”
In addition to Niagara history spanning the 1810s to the 1830s, the collection offers insight into the early Canadian postal system, showing how the rates were chosen and how the system influenced the growth of Canada.
The collection has been recognized as culturally significant by the Department of Canadian Heritage. Parts of the collection have been digitized for online viewing. The Brock library is currently closed due to the pandemic.
Dupte said the Band family now feels “the collection is at home.”