George Hamilton (city founder)

He was the son of wealthy and influential Scottish-born Queenston merchant Robert Hamilton, who later held important government offices, being a member of the Legislative Council and lieutenant of the County of Lincoln, and of Catherine Askin Robertson.

Hamilton served during the War of 1812, where he held the rank of captain with the Niagara Light Dragoons, participating in the capture of Detroit and the Battle of Queenston Heights and Lundy's Lane.

This loss, combined with a familiarity with the Head of the Lake acquired during the war when Burlington Heights was heavily garrisoned, may have prompted George Hamilton's purchase of 257 acres (1.04 km2) of Barton Township from James Durand, in January 1815.

At that time, he included a market square in an effort to draw commercial activity onto his lands, but the natural growth of the town was to the north of Hamilton's plot.

All the same, he left enduring marks on the urban landscape; the court-house square, the haymarket, "the Gore", and the basic street plan of the city core.

He helped set up a canal to link Hamilton harbour to Lake Ontario and worked to secure funding for the court house and jail.