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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1961 100 Acres Of Beauty ONTARIO TODAY By HARRY RUSTIGE Be! Falls, one of the most beautiful, spots on the picturesque Niagara Es--- carpment, has been purchased by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Author- ity. The property, some 100 acres in ex- tent, lies just south of the village of Jor- dan in Louth Township and is 12 miles west of Niagara Falls and 20 miles east of Hamilton. It is most easily accessible from No. 8 Highway and covers a mile-long stretch of valley carved by the Twenty Mile Creek in its passage down the escarpment. There are two falls in the new con- servation area. The first has a drop of about 25 feet and then 500 yards fur- ther dewnstream after flowing over a ter- race of limestone it drops 85 feet and is here known as Ball's Falls. The authority members, headed by Francis G. Goldring, St. Catharines law- yer who lives in nearby Pelham Town- ship, feel that without any great improve- ments Ball's Falls can be a fine picnic area with many nature trails for hikers. Two large residences near the falls have been provisionally earmarked as recreation buildings or to provide overnight accom- modation. A museum of historic items is also being considered. 1 residents say that the falls are most spectacular during early Spring when the thaw conditions send water pouring down Twenty Mile Creek and they say it is eclipsed only by nearby Niagara Falls : themselves. The Ball's Falls form a replica of the famous Canadian Horseshoe Falls. The property was owned by the Ball family until taken over by the Conserva- tion Authority and it was Manley Ball, now in his late seventies, who offered the 100 acres on the west bank to the author- ity for $50,000, providing he can remain in the home which stands close by for his remaining years. The property contains the nine-room brick house in which Mr. Ball lives; -a five-room frame house; two gar- ages and a fully equipped oil grist mill. A large part of the estate has been in the Ball family for over 150 years. The authority has also acquired a nar- row strip of land on the East bank so as to control the stream in its entirety at the. Falls site. In the past the grist and flour mill cat- ered to the surrounding area. During the war of -1812 a battalion of British soldiers was stationed there for a short time and provisions and food were supplied by Mr. Ball to General Brock's forces stationed as far away as Niagara Falls. hen in the area General Brock visited the Ball family and left gifts and testimonials in appreciation of their hospi- tality. These possessions have been highly prized by generations of the family. After the conclusion of the war a vlan was completed to establish a small town in the vicinity of Ball's Falls, because prospects of the woollen, flour and grist mills operating on the Twenty Mile Creek appeared to be so prosperous. As a result the property above the falls was subdivid- ed and laid out in residential lots with commercial areas. This plan has been pre- served by the Ball family, but was never used. No. 8 Highway became the main trans- port road far below the escarpment and the idea of building a Ball's Falls town was abondoned. Business declined and one by one the mills closed down. The grist mill, however, continued to operate until 1910 when it too had to cease operations. Today however, the mill is still in good condition and the authority has long term plans to restore it to an operating plant as a fine example of a pioneer industry and as a tourist attraction. Conservationists -- and Mr. Ball have watched with alarm during the past few years the encroachment of modern homes to within a mile of the Falls and have noted that subdividers are anxious to secure more and more land near them for residential development. Realizing the falls might be lost to the public, Mr. Ball made the first approach to have the land purchased and negotia- tions have taken some five years to com- plete. Ball's Falls now seem in safe keeping for posterity. ; the ENJOY ALL THE BEAUTY OF PERFECT GARDEN SETTINGS INDOORS AND OUT... SHERIDAN offers the finest selection of Canadian grown evergreens for foundation planting and hedges in both dwarf and medium varieties Korean Box. various colours and sizes and Patio Pots by Reff... specially designed to enhance year round plant decors. Write for Free SHERIDAN NURSERIES Head Office: Sales Stations: 2827 Yonge St., Toronto. 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