John Walden Meyers
Encyclopedia
John Walden Meyers was an Upper Canada
businessman and United Empire Loyalist.
He was born Johannes Waltermyer in Albany County, New York
in 1745, descended from German
immigrants. In 1777, he joined the army of Major-General John Burgoyne
and served as a recruiter for the loyalist forces, also collecting information for the British
and carrying dispatches. In 1781, he led an unsuccessful raid on the house of Philip Schuyler
. Later that year, Meyers became a captain in Edward Jessup
's Loyal Rangers. After the war, he first settled on Lake Champlain
, but was later forced by the British to move further north along the north shore of Lake Ontario
in 1785. He was named a justice of the peace in 1788. In 1790, he settled in Thurlow Township where he built a gristmill
near the mouth of Meyer's Creek, now the Moira River
. The community that sprung up there, first known as Meyer's Creek, was renamed Belleville
in 1816. Meyers also built a sawmill
, distillery
and brick kiln and established a trading post
at Meyer's Creek. He built boats and provided transportation between the area and Kingston
and Montreal
. Meyers later helped prepare a report for the township in response to the questionnaires distributed by Robert Gourlay
and his son attended Gourlay's convention in York
in 1818.
He died of fever at Belleville in 1821. Legend says that he caught the fever while in search of a Lost Silver Cave or "Meyers Cave".
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
businessman and United Empire Loyalist.
He was born Johannes Waltermyer in Albany County, New York
Albany County, New York
Albany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name is from the title of the Duke of York and Albany, who became James II of England . As of the 2010 census, the population was 304,204...
in 1745, descended from German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
immigrants. In 1777, he joined the army of Major-General John Burgoyne
John Burgoyne
General John Burgoyne was a British army officer, politician and dramatist. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several battles, mostly notably during the Portugal Campaign of 1762....
and served as a recruiter for the loyalist forces, also collecting information for the British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
and carrying dispatches. In 1781, he led an unsuccessful raid on the house of Philip Schuyler
Philip Schuyler
Philip John Schuyler was a general in the American Revolution and a United States Senator from New York. He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip J. Schuyler.-Early life:...
. Later that year, Meyers became a captain in Edward Jessup
Edward Jessup
Edward Jessup was a soldier, judge and political figure in Upper Canada.He was born in Stamford, Connecticut in 1735 and moved with his family to Dutchess County, New York in 1744. In 1759, he served with Jeffery Amherst in the Lake Champlain region...
's Loyal Rangers. After the war, he first settled on Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
, but was later forced by the British to move further north along the north shore of 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...
in 1785. He was named a justice of the peace in 1788. In 1790, he settled in Thurlow Township where he built a gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
near the mouth of Meyer's Creek, now the Moira River
Moira River
The Moira River is a river in Hastings County in eastern Ontario, Canada. It travels from its source in the centre of the county to the county seat Belleville and is named after Francis Rawdon-Hastings, Earl of Moira.-Course:...
. The community that sprung up there, first known as Meyer's Creek, was renamed Belleville
Belleville, Ontario
Belleville is a city located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in Southern Ontario, Canada, in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. It is the seat of Hastings County, but is politically independent of it. and the centre of the Bay of Quinte Region...
in 1816. Meyers also built a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
, distillery
Distillation
Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
and brick kiln and established a trading post
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
at Meyer's Creek. He built boats and provided transportation between the area and Kingston
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
and Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. Meyers later helped prepare a report for the township in response to the questionnaires distributed by Robert Gourlay
Robert Fleming Gourlay
Robert Gourlay was a Scottish-Canadian writer, political reform activist, and agriculturalist.-Biography:...
and his son attended Gourlay's convention in York
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
in 1818.
He died of fever at Belleville in 1821. Legend says that he caught the fever while in search of a Lost Silver Cave or "Meyers Cave".