The Welland River is actually man made. It flows from Hamilton Ontario, through a hydro power channel in Niagara Falls, and finishes all the way in Queenston. The river was originally called Chippawa Creek, and some locals still call it by that name today. "Chippawa" means "Men without Moccasins". Originally Chippawa River was the only means of getting to and from the interior of Lincoln City. It was in 1856 when the Peninsula was divided and the southern part of the land was named "Welland"