During the 19th and early 20th century, wharves allowed for the movement of goods including agricultural produce, lumber and textiles. One of the most-well known of these ports was built in 1840 by Alex Brown, an agent for the North Western Fur Trades Company in New York. The wharf was a centre of activity as the port of call for lake steamers dropping off and picking up supplies – primarily stone and lumber – from Aldershot and East Flamborough; a road linked the wharf to the industrial centre of Waterdown. The last shipment from Brown’s wharf before it closed in 1897, was 15,000 to 20,000 barrels of apples. In 1913, the land was sold to the City of Hamilton to become part of Wabasso Park later, LaSalle Park. This early photograph of the wharf depicts a simple structure with infill providing access to a boathouse.