Vrooman's Point
Encyclopedia
Vrooman's Point is a geographical feature in Ontario
, Canada
, near the border with the United States
. The point projects out into the course of the Niagara River
, and is located about a mile north of the town of Queenston, Ontario
. The point is also near the city of Lewiston, New York
across the river. It was named after Captain Adam Vrooman, who owned the property.
During the Battle of Queenston Heights
in the War of 1812
, Vrooman's Point was the home of a vital British
twenty-four-pounder artillery
piece. Despite being near the limits of its range trying to bombard the battle, the piece harassed American troops on the American shore trying to embark their boats for Canada and the battle, as well as providing support for the British recapture of the heights. The cannon was commanded by Captain Samuel Hatt of the Upper Canadian
militia and Lieutenant John Ball.
Today, the point is home to a monument commemorating its role in the battle. Together with the other monuments to the battle in the area, the point is a popular tourist site.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, near the border with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The point projects out into the course of the Niagara River
Niagara River
The Niagara River flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the Province of Ontario in Canada and New York State in the United States. There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the river...
, and is located about a mile north of the town of Queenston, Ontario
Queenston, Ontario
Queenston is located 5 km north of Niagara Falls, Ontario in the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. The community is bordered by Highway 405 and the Niagara River; its location on the Niagara Escarpment led to the establishment of the now-defunct Queenston Quarry in the area...
. The point is also near the city of Lewiston, New York
Lewiston, New York
Lewiston is a village in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 2,781 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Morgan Lewis, an early 19th-century governor of New York. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area.The Village of Lewiston,...
across the river. It was named after Captain Adam Vrooman, who owned the property.
During the Battle of Queenston Heights
Battle of Queenston Heights
The Battle of Queenston Heights was the first major battle in the War of 1812 and resulted in a British victory. It took place on 13 October 1812, near Queenston, in the present-day province of Ontario...
in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, Vrooman's Point was the home of a vital British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
twenty-four-pounder artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
piece. Despite being near the limits of its range trying to bombard the battle, the piece harassed American troops on the American shore trying to embark their boats for Canada and the battle, as well as providing support for the British recapture of the heights. The cannon was commanded by Captain Samuel Hatt of the Upper Canadian
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...
militia and Lieutenant John Ball.
Today, the point is home to a monument commemorating its role in the battle. Together with the other monuments to the battle in the area, the point is a popular tourist site.