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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 though 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 gristmill 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 the American Revolution led to the beginnings of permanent settlement in what is now Ontario.
● Ontario Heritage Trust
GPS co-ordinates: 44º 10' 17.38" N 77º 22' 58.52" W (44.16888889, 77.38277778)
Street address: 54 Station Street, Belleville
Further notes: The mill is now the headquarters of the Quinte Construction Association. It was built from limestone lifted from the Moira River beside it. The mill's presence attracted other settlers to the area and the river and settlement was named Meyers' Creek in Meyers's honour.
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