Captain John W. Meyers 1745-1821

Meyers gained fame as a loyalist spy during the American Revolution. He recruited soldiers, gathered intelligence, and carried dispatches through enemy lines for the British army in his native New York. Exploits such as his daring attempt to capture rebel General Philip Schuyler in 1781 made "Hans Waltermeyer" a legendary figure in the folklore of the times. After the war, Meyers moved north to British territory and bought this site for a grist mill in 1789. He traded furs, ran merchant vessels, and built a sawmill, distillery, fulling mill, and inn nearby. The surrounding community became the town of Belleville in 1816. Meyers was one of many loyalists whose defeat in war led to the beginnings of permanent settlement in what is now Ontario.