Beamsville, Ontario, a charming community nestled within the town of Lincoln, is home to an estimated population of 13,323 (as of 2021). This picturesque town, located along the southern shore of Lake Ontario, is a part of the fruit belt of the Niagara Peninsula. Beamsville is a delightful blend of the old and the new, with century-old brick buildings, a quaint downtown area, and an abundance of orchards and vineyards.
The Queen Elizabeth Way, the main artery connecting Toronto and Buffalo, New York, conveniently has an interchange at Beamsville. This makes the town a popular stopover for tourists who can grab a quick bite at the numerous fast-food restaurants in the vicinity.
Beamsville is at the heart of Ontario's wine country and plays a significant role in the Niagara Peninsula's wine industry. The area's wineries have won numerous accolades, including the prestigious Grape King at the Niagara Grape & Wine Festival, as well as several international awards. Beamsville was also home to Alanson Harris, who operated a foundry making farm tools and later became the farm implements marker Massey Harris.
Beamsville was named after Jacob Beam (1723-1812), a United Empire Loyalist. Both of his homes — the original one located on the Thirty Mile Creek and the one near downtown Beamsville — are still intact today. Jacob Beam, his wife Anna Catharine (Boughner) Beam (1737-1820), their daughter Catharine (Beam) Merrell (1766-1842), and son-in-law Samuel Russell Merrell (1757-1835), emigrated to Canada from Hopewell, Sussex County, New Jersey in 1788, and founded Beamsville.
By 1869, Beamsville had grown into a village with a population of 550 in the Township of Clinton, Lincoln County, and was located on the Great Western Railway. The average price of land in the vicinity was $45. In 1898, Beamsville's hockey players were the first to use a hockey net.
In 1917, the Royal Flying Corps established a School of Aerial Fighting on the farmland immediately east of Beamsville. The school consisted of a camp, an airfield, and a gunnery range over Lake Ontario. Today, an historical plaque at 4222 Sann Road marks the geographical centre of the 300-acre school property. The building adjacent to the plaque is an original hangar. In 1970, the Town of Beamsville was amalgamated with Clinton Township and half of Louth Township to form the larger Town of Lincoln.
