first Europeans known to have ascended the Great Lakes to Sault Ste. Marie) built a hut and chapel. Just outside the community, a cross with the arms of France had been erected on 23 March 1670, claiming the area for King Louis XIV over the Lake Erie region. By 1794 the first settlers, a group of United Empire Loyalists, had established a hamlet known as Dover Mills (named for the English port of Dover). Peter Walker was the first settler of this community, becoming its unofficial founder. This community was the subject of an American raid during the War of 1812, on May 14–15, 1814. Much of it was destroyed but was later rebuilt. After making their landing on the shore, 750 American soldiers launched a surprise attack on the village's civilians. Scattered elements of nearby militia and regular units tried to defend the village without any success. Re-enactments carried out by local volunteer groups have allowed the British-Canadian forces to soundly defeat the American troops in battle. The survivors of the war rebuilt the town of Port Dover further downstream on Patterson's Creek. The raid was part of America's Niagara campaigns toward the end of the War of 1812. During the war, in August 1812, Major General Isaac Brock gathered a force of regulars and militia here. Crossing the lake by boat, they reached Amherstburg (then also in Upper Canada) and attacked and captured the American Hull's Army at Detroit. In 1835, Port Dover was incorporated as a village and later as a town. By 1842, the village was growing and had a population of almost 400. The harbour, lighthouse and bridge across the river had been completed as had the road to Hamilton; there was a grammar school, a grist mill, a saw mill and a Presbyterian church in the course of construction. By 1896 the population was 1,000. In 1877, Port Dover was a large village with 1,100 residents, most living on the west bank of the River Lynn. The South Norfolk Railway was started in the county and began operating in 1889. Even earlier, the Hamilton & Lake Erie Railway (H&LER) began operating in 1873 but was merged with the Hamilton & Northwestern Railway which completed the final section to Port Dover and to Jarvis in the mid 1870s. A report from 1924 also discusses an electric railway that had been introduced "in recent years". This