Balls Falls (ghost town)

Soldiers who remained loyal to the British, were awarded land for their part in the American Revolution. John and George Ball received 1200 acres of land in October 1807. The two men wasted no time in developing setting up a community.

By 1809, John and George Ball had built a large wooden grist mill by a creek which ran down the Escarpment. This allowed the residents to grind their own grain. The grist mill was located by the lower waterfall, the saw and wood mills located by the upper waterfall.

Next they built the coopers shop which produced the barrels for shiping the flour which came from the grist mill. On the west bank of the cruk, the blacksmiths shop was built. Here, horseshoes and the hoops for the barrels were produced.

By the mid 1830's, a five storey woollen mill was constructed. This mill was the largest feature of Ball's Falls and employed many local residents.

By 1840 the place was known as Glen Elgin. The village of Glen Elgin contained two lime kilns, a barrel maker, a blacksmith and several houses. Glen Elgin met its demise when, during the 1950s, the Great Western Railway laid down track nearby and new industries began locating near the tracks. The documentations were sent in by Chris Savage.

In 1962, the 110 acreage was sold to the Niagra Conservation Authority by Manly Ball.

Location: From the Queen Elizabeth Way, take exit 57 and drive South on Regional Road 24 to Vineland.At the intersections of RR 8 and RR 24 follow the signs to the Conservation Area. The mill still continues to operate, the Ball house and the lime kilns can be found as well. The site is protected by the Conservation Authority, an idea which should be followed for all ghost towns.