Twenty Mile Creek

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.

Course

It rises near Hamilton International Airport, 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.

Cataracts

The Twenty Mile Creek transcends the Niagara Escarpment, over a 83 foot cataract known as Ball's Falls.

ettlements

The waterway played an essential role in the development of the communities on its banks. Smithville, St. Anns, and Jordan 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.

Trivia

The Indian name for the Twenty Mile Creek was the Kenowchdaw, which translates to Lead River.

References

Coffman Barbara and Janet Powell (eds). "Lincoln County, 1856-1956". Saint Catharines, Lincoln County Council. 1956.