Volume 1 Issue 1 - Hamilton Historical Board

FEBRUARY 2008
VOLUME 1
ISSUE 1
NEWSLETTER OF THE HAMILTON HISTORICAL BOARD
The New Face of Hamilton History
Hamilton Historical Board Launches Quarterly Newsletter
By Dr. Walter Peace, Chair
th
2008 marks the 35 anniversary of
the Hamilton Historical Board
(HHB), the first meeting having
been held at City Hall on 21 April
1973. The Board’s mandate is to
advise the City Council on heritage
matters and to promote the awareness and appreciation of Hamilton’s history.
Specifically the
Board makes recommendations and
offers advice to Council on the operation and maintenance of Hamilton’s eight Civic Museums, their
grounds, structures, collections and
programming.
WHAT’S INSIDE
The City Beautiful Movement Revisited
Page 4
A New Look
Page 8
Continued on page 3
Hamilton’s First Royal Visit
Page 5
Our World’s A Stage
Page 7
Did I ever think what a great word “university” is? It has never been
let down, never becomes stale or commonplace, always dignified and
lofty.”
Thomas B. McQuesten on bringing McMaster University to Hamilton from Toronto in 1928.
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HAMILTON historiCITY
HAMILTON historiCITY is published
quarterly by The Hamilton Historical Board. The
mandate of the Board is to advise City Council on
heritage matters and to promote the awareness and
appreciation of Hamilton’s history.
The Hamilton Historical Board is comprised of
volunteers representing all areas of the City of
Hamilton.
ISSUE 1
The current members of the Board are:
Dr. Mary Anderson
James Bretzler
Graham Crawford
Deborah Eker
Darrell Epp
Robert Hamilton
Christine Lei
Bill Manson
Carolyn McCann
Robin McKee
Susanne Noordyk
Dr. Walter Peace
Martha Ronalds
Michael Sangermano
Patricia Saunders
Robert Williamson
The Board is also supported by the following City staff:
www.hamiltonhistoricalboard.ca
Anna M. Bradford—Director of Culture
Ian Kerr-Wilson—Manager of Museums and Heritage Presentation
Rebecca Oliphant—Cultural Heritage Special Events
Coordinator
A
Sitting (left to right): Sarah Linfoot-Fusina, Rebecca Oliphant, Susanne Noordyk, Mary Anderson, Christine Lei. Martha Ronalds,
Deborah Eker
Standing (left to right): Michael Sangermano, Pat Saunders, Bill Manson, James Bretzler, Robert Williamson, Robert Hamilton,
Darrell Epp, Graham Crawford
Absent: Walter Peace, Robin McKee, Carolyn McCann, Ian Kerr-Wilson
HAMILTON historiCITY
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(continued from front page)
A
L
T
The provincial Ministry of Culture requires a separate
board (HHB) to
oversee the operation
of the museums in
order to qualify for
Canadian Museum
Operating Grants
(CMOGs).
Dr. Walter Peace, Chair
In 2007, seven Hamilton Historical Board (HHB)
members stepped down from the board: Art
Bowes; Jane Evans; Brian Henley; the late Rev.
Dr. John Johnston; Richard Lockley; Lorraine
Marshall; and Elizabeth Shambrook. As HHB
Chair, I would like to express my sincere thanks
and gratitude to each of these former Board members for the time and effort that they dedicated to
the Board and to the cause of promoting Hamilton’s heritage. I would especially like to recognize the contributions of Brian Henley (who
surely must be the longest-serving HHB member)
and the late Rev. Dr. John Johnston who was
Chair of the Joint Plaquing Subcommittee.
To replace those who stepped down in 2007, it is
my pleasure to welcome eight new members to
the HHB: James Bretzler; Deborah Eker; Darrell
Epp; Rob Hamilton; Christine Lei; Susanne
Noordyk; Martha Ronalds; and Michael Sangermano. In addition, the Board has retained several
experienced members: Mary Anderson; Graham
Crawford; Bill Manson; Carolyn McCann; Robin
McKee; Pat Saunders; Bob Williamson and Walter Peace.
The energies of the new Board membership have
resulted in many significant achievements in the
past year. These include developing a Hamilton
Historical Board Logo; work on an HHB website;
development of a Volunteer Speakers’ Bureau;
and this newsletter among other things. The efforts of Bill Manson, Graham Crawford, Christine Lei and Mary Anderson along with the other
members of the HHB’s Communications and
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Education Subcommittee must be acknowledged.
Without the hard work and dedication of these
volunteers, it would not be possible for the HHB
to have taken these dramatic and important steps
forward.
Among the many
important achievements of the Board
in the past year, one
warrants
special
mention. It will be
formally announced
on Heritage Day
2008, that the City
of Hamilton has approved the T. Melville Bailey Heritage
Award in recognition of Reverend T.
Melville
Bailey,
Rev. T. Melville Bailey
whose outstanding
contributions to the
promotion of Hamilton’s heritage are known
throughout the region and beyond. This award is
intended as a lifetime achievement recognition of
the recipients’ efforts in promoting and preserving Hamilton’s history and heritage.
Throughout this newsletter you will read about
ongoing projects and upcoming events in which
the Hamilton Historical Board is involved. The
HHB continues to play a vital role in promoting
public appreciation of the history and heritage of
all communities in Hamilton. As Chair, I encourage everyone who shares the HHB’s interest in
local history and heritage to become involved
with one of the many heritage organizations in
our communities. To paraphrase the HHB motto
slightly, by embracing the past, we really do enhance our future.
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THE “CITY BEAUTIFUL” MOVEMENT--REVISITED
By: Dr. Mary Anderson
Hamilton and Ontario have been greatly influenced by the “City Beautiful” movement through
the work of Thomas Baker McQuesten (18821968) and his associates, who shared the same vision in the 20th Century. He provided us with so
many beautiful parks and architecture, including
the Royal Botanical Gardens, McMaster University, the Niagara Parkway, and much more. In
fact, in the first ten years of T.B.’s tenure on the
Parks Board, Hamilton had more developed park
land than any other city in Canada.
Administration Building McMaster University
ues began to soar.
The actual term “City Beautiful” was coined by
Olmsted for the Chicago Exposition in 1893, and
the slogan soon spread throughout North America.
Sunken Gardens, Royal Botanical Gardens
T.B.’s vision was part of a much larger movement
that had its start in the 1850’s with Frederick Law
Olmsted when he developed New York’s Central
Park—843 acres of gardens, public art, water, and
recreational spaces, that are enjoyed by rich and
poor. Olmsted suffered objections, but the advantages soon became obvious when real estate val-
To go back even further, the ideal of Beauty was
recognized by the Greeks and Romans in their
Classical architecture in city centres, markets, arenas, theatre, and public art, all serviced by clean
water. The Classical rulers knew that these places
were politically expedient, since they fostered an
ordered and moral citizenry, and increased property values.
T.B. McQuesten, an astute historian, was wise
enough to recognize these advantages. His moral
ideal was acknowledged in his eulogy: “Like
Christopher Wren’s your monuments are beauty
spots.”
Books by Bill Manson
available at all local bookstores
Getting Around Hamilton
the history of Hamilton’s unique transportation systems
Footsteps in Time, Volumes 1&2
the history of Hamilton’s oldest neighbourhoods
Beasley, Central, Corktown, Durand, and North-End
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HAMILTON’S FIRST ROYAL VISIT
By: Dr. Walter Peace
In Hamilton’s 161 year history, there have been
seven royal visits, three of which involved reigning monarchs (George VI and Queen Elizabeth in
1939; Queen Elizabeth II in 1959 and 2001).
tion of Upper Canada at the Crystal Palace; the
opening of the Hamilton Waterworks; and lunching with Sir Allan MacNab at Dundurn prior to his
departure from the city on September 20th.
The first royal visit took place in
September 1860, when Edward Albert, Prince of Wales, was regaled
and feted by Hamiltonians. The visit
was part of a three month royal tour
of Canada and the United States.
During his brief stay in Hamilton,
the prince stayed at Arkledun, the
residence of Richard Juson, situated
at the head of John Street South.
2010 marks the 150th anniversary of both
the first royal visit to Hamilton and the
opening of the Hamilton Waterworks, a
National Historic Site. Plans are currently
being developed to celebrate these important events in Hamilton’s early history.
Walter Peace, Chair of the Hamilton Historical Board is currently researching the
1860 royal visit with the intention of producing a book to be published in September, 2010. (The working title of the book
is “Royalty Comes To Hamilton: The
Visit of H.R.H. Albert Edward, Prince of
Wales, 1860”).
Among the prince’s activities during
his hectic three day stay in the city
were: a visit to Central Public School; the opening
of the 15th Exhibition of the Agricultural Associa-
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Signs of the Times
Historical Plaques Keep History Before Us
By: Robert Williamson, Chair, Joint Plaquing Sub-Committee
The eight–member Joint Plaquing Sub-committee (JPSC) is responsible to the Hamilton Historical Board for the creation of historical
plaques within the City of Hamilton.
Saturday May 3
& Sunday May 4
2008
Over 50 Hamilton landmarks open
their doors to the public.
Volunteers Needed
Training provided in April.
For a volunteer application or
event information contact:
doorsopenhamilton@sympaticio.ca
Tel: 905-528-0136
www.doorsopenhamilton.ca
Dr. Corrine Johnston and the late Dr. John Johnston at the unveiling of the
First Birth Control Clinic in Canada plaque. October 6, 2004.
Capturing and displaying significant parts of our heritage on
plaques is not an easy task, made all the more difficult by budget
constraints and an expanded inventory created by the amalgamation
of local communities. However, we are encouraged by the number
of organizations that have come forward to finance plaques of interest to their local heritage. Such an example would be the Ancaster
Township Historical Society which has offered to pay for plaques
displaying the history of the Hatt and Wilson Mills in Ancaster, two
of the oldest mills in our region.
Within the coming year, the JPSC will unveil two plaques, one in
Hamilton and one in Stoney Creek. The Hamilton plaque, to be located in Wellington Park at the corner of Wellington and King
Streets, will be dedicated to a Place of Firsts, one of the oldest gathering places in the city. In Stoney Creek, to enhance the fountain
and statue of Augustus Jones on King Street, local historians have
written a plaque describing this great surveyor’s accomplishments.
Creating a plaque is one thing. Finding the right place to put it is
another. Two plaques although written, have been placed on hold
because of planned construction on their intended sites. These delayed plaques are the Jockey Club at the Centre Mall and the Hamilton Psychiatric Hospital on the Mountain.
HAMILTON historiCITY
Calling All
Former Hamilton Cadets
Researcher is conducting oral
histories of former Hamilton
sea, army and air cadets.
If you would like to assist in
this research, please contact:
Dr. Christine Lei at
leickknm@walla.com
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Our World’s A Stage—The Summers Family Story
Book Review by Jackie Carson
Can you imagine what life was like a century ago,
before the advent of radio, silent films or television? The popular place to go for live entertainment was the theatre. To beat the summer heat,
crowds of 73,000 Hamilton patrons ascended the
Niagara Escarpment on the Wentworth Street Incline Railway each season to attend the opensided, air-cooled theatre overlooking Lake Ontario. For eleven seasons the George H. Summers
Theatrical Enterprises Limited operated this oneof-a-kind attraction to standing-room-only audiences. Ironically what was once the site of overflowing crowds and unbounded laughter is
marked today by a stark provincial plaque.
This book is a rare picture history of a family,
their theatre and the world of entertainment a century ago. The story reveals the creative genius of
George Summers, recognized as Canada’s greatest
comedic actor. His wife and children were equally
talented and lived a grueling work regimen on the
stage. The Summers’ story reads like a Harlequin
romance, but it really happened and their amazing
legacy is now a part of our Canadian heritage.
It is an exceptional literary achievement – the first
book of its kind in Hamilton to combine a theatre
history, a biography and a revealing dramatic
novel, all in one fully illustrated book.
This well-researched Hamilton Mountain Heritage
Society publication contains 112 pages with an
index, bibliography and descriptive appendix of
plays. It is available in selected bookstores.
Autographed copies can be obtained
from the author by return mail.
Send a cheque for $16.00 to:
Robert Williamson
1 Clonmore Avenue
Hamilton, ON L9A 4R2.
Remembering Dr. John Johnston
Dr. John Johnston, a former Hamilton Historical Board member and Chair of the Joint
Plaquing Sub-committee, enthusiastically and selflessly promoted the culture and history of Hamilton. Minister Emeritus, MacNab Street Presbyterian Church, Hamilton.
Founding minister of St. Giles Presbyterian Church, Prince George, B.C, St. Timothy’s Presbyterian Church, Ottawa, ON, and Lagos Presbyterian Church, Nigeria. For
twenty-seven years, minister of historic MacNab Street Presbyterian Church and latterly interim minister of Alberton Presbyterian Church. Curator, National Presbyterian
Museum, Toronto. Long time convenor of the General Assembly’s Committee on
History and Archives. Former president of the Ecumenical Study Commission on
Education in Ontario; Hamilton Public School Board Trustee; Mayor’s Race Relations
Committee; Hamilton Historical Board; past Grand Chaplain AF&AM, GRC and
Royal Scottish Rite 33’; past chaplain of Rameses Shrine Temple, Toronto.
In celebration of his life and ministry, gifts may be forwarded to support the Leprosy
Mission (100 Mural Street, Suite 100, Richmond Hill, ON, L4B 1J3) or the National
Presbyterian Museum, (50 Wynford Drive, Toronto, ON, M3C 1J7).
HAMILTON historiCITY
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A New Look for History + Heritage :
James Street North Exhibition Space Celebrates Hamilton
Bill Manson is holding up a sewing machine. It’s
no ordinary sewing
machine. It was
made in the late
1800’s by a company
called Wanzer. He’s
telling the nearly 60
people who have
gathered at 165
James Street North to
hear his talk about
the history of the
street, that this Victorian era sewing machine was made a few blocks
away at the corner of Merrick and James North.
There’s a parking lot there now, but at one time, it
was the largest sewing machine manufacturing
facility in Canada.
This is the second talk Bill Manson, Vice Chair of
the Hamilton Historical Board, has made on this
cool Saturday in November at the recently opened
Hamilton HIStory + HERitage. He
had already given the same talk a
month before, followed by a guided
walking tour. This day, he had
planned give only one talk, but an
article in the Spectator the day before by Paul Wilson about Manson
and his upcoming slide talk ensured
that the narrow storefront museum
would be standing room only. In
fact, the turnout was such that Graham Crawford, owner of H+H, had
to turn people away, inviting them
to the second show hastily scheduled for one hour later.
“It felt a little odd turning people away from the
space that I had just opened a month before, but
when Paul Wilson writes about something, people
pay attention. The great thing is that people were
very understanding about the SRO situation. All of
them came back an hour later for the second show.
For me, it confirmed my belief that Hamiltonians
want to talk about and to learn about their city.”
HAMILTON historiCITY
Crawford bought the narrow storefront, one of five
that comprise the 1882 building, earlier in the year
with the intent of opening up a space that celebrates the lives of the men and women who have
helped to shape the city of Hamilton. The form
that celebration takes is perhaps what makes HIStory + HERitage different. Along the 50 foot long
north wall of the space, Crawford has installed six
32-inch flat screen televisions on which he displays the changing exhibitions. The inaugural exhibition Across from the monitors is a wall lined
with bookcases that present practically all of the
books currently in print about Hamilton, all of
which are for sale. The remaining wall space is
covered in black and white photographs taken by
Crawford featuring Hamilton’s architecture.
“My plan is to have constantly changing exhibitions on the monitors, as well as new photographs
taken by Hamiltonians, whether they are professional photographers or people who do it as a
hobby. The
only criteria is
that they have
to be about
Hamilton.”,
says Crawford.
He adds that,
“The key is
involvement. I
want people to
feel that this
place reflects
all aspects of
Hamilton’s history and heritage. I want it
to be accessible. Not so academic that it intimidates, but not so light that it doesn’t educate. Striking the right balance is essential to the success of
this space.”
In the two months that Hamilton HIStory + HERitage has been open, it seems as if Hamiltonians
agree. Since October, Crawford estimates that
nearly 2000 people have visited.
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DOORWAYS TO HISTORY
Hamilton’s Civic Museums Provide Unforgettable Historical Experiences
Dundurn National Historic Site
One of Hamilton's most-recognized landmarks,
Dundurn Castle is a National Historic site that illustrates the life and times of Sir Allan Napier
MacNab (1798 - 1862). Dundurn Castle was constructed over a three-year period, and completed
by 1835. Dundurn was built around the brick shell
of Colonel Richard Beasley's colonial home. Dundurn (Gaelic for "strong fort") was nicknamed
"Castle" by the citizens of Hamilton. Today, it has
been restored to the year 1855 when MacNab was
at the height of his career as a lawyer, landowner,
railway magnate and Premier of the United Canadas (1854-56). Over forty rooms, above and below
stairs, have been furnished to compare the life of a
prominent Victorian family with that of their servants. Costumed staff guide visitors through the
home, illustrating daily lfe from the 1850s.
Battlefield House Museum & Park
The Gage Homestead, built in 1796, captures the
way of life during the early 19th century. During
the War of 1812, the Gages fled to the cellar as the
Battle of Stoney Creek raged outside.
The Battlefield Monument stands as a symbol of
peace and commemorates those soldiers who died
on June 6, 1813.
Site Liaisons: Martha Ronalds & Darrell Epp
The Hamilton Military Museum.
Investigate the War of 1812, the Rebellion of
1837–38, the Boer War and World War I. See a
reconstructed World War I trench, a medals display and our changing
exhibit gallery.
Curator: Susan Ramsay
Susan began her career in museums as a volunteer
under the auspices of the Niagara Parks Commission. She was hired by the City of Stoney in 1989,
to fill the position of Curator of Battlefield House
Museum and Park. Her position includes the management and preservation of the 34 acre site, a National Historic Site, which last year welcomed
over 25,000 visitors.
Site Liaison: Michael Sangermano
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Fieldcote Memorial Park & Museum
Fieldcote is a cultural heritage centre with an emphasis on the collection, preservation and exhibition of local history, the promotion of fine arts and
the celebration of natural heritage through beautiful landscaped gardens and walking trails.
Curator: Lois Corey
Lois has been with the City of Hamilton Civic
Museums for 20 years. She holds an Honours BSc
in Wildlife Biology and an Ontario Museum Association Certificate in Museum Studies. She is involved with the Bruce Trail Association, Royal
Botanical Gardens, Halton Conservation Authority, and Wentworth Pioneer Village. She runs
marathons, including the "Around the Bay" road
race. Born in Dundas, Lois has two children of
whom she is very proud: Catherine, 28 years and
Michael, 27 years.
Site Liaison: Dr. Christine Lei
Griffin House
Griffin House stands as a testament to the bravery
and determination of black men and women who
journeyed to freedom in Southern Ontario by the
Underground Railroad. Griffin House offers tours
and black-history-related programs as part of the
Black Heritage Network.
The Hamilton Children's Museum
The Hamilton Children’s Museum is an exciting
and interactive destination for young children. We
welcome schools, community organizations, daycare classes and group bookings. We'd be happy to
give you more information, so please call or visit.
Curator: Karen McCartney
Karen came to this site as the Acting Education
Officer in December of 2004. Before that she was
the Curatorial Assistant at the Hamilton Museum
of Steam and Technology from 2001 to 2004. She
began working for the City as an Historical Interpreter at the Steam Museum in June of 1997 and
from that time to 2001 she also held positions at
Whitehern Historic
House and Garden
(Historical Interpreter)
and Dundurn National
Historic Site Museum .
Site Liaison: Carolyn
McCann
Site Liaison: Robin McKee
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Hamilton Museum of Steam & Technology
Take a peek into
life at the beginning
of Canada's industrial
revolution.
This magnificent
example of 19th
century
public
works architecture
preserves two 45foot high, 70-ton steam engines which pumped the
first clean water to the city over 140 years ago.
One engine operates as a demonstration every day!
The only surviving facility of its time in North
America, the museum is a National Historic Site
and a Civil and Power Engineering.
Curator: Mac Swackhammer
Mac Swackhammer is a Folklorist by training, and
a museum worker by necessity. His particular interest is industrial folklife. He has worked at museums in Atikokan, Welland, Dawson City Yukon
and here in Hamilton. His primary purpose right
now is to empty and restore the HMST 1913
Building to create an expanded museum facility.
For fun he practices yoga and builds boats.
Site Liaison: James Bretzler
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Whitehern Historic House & Garden
Whitehern Historic House & Garden, a National
Historic Site was the former home of three generations of the McQuesten Family (1852-1968) of
Hamilton, Ontario. Whitehern is an outstanding
example of an urban estate originally owned by a
wealthy industrialist. The house today has a multilayered character that reflects the alterations made
by three generations of the McQuestens over the
years: Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian.
Curator: Ken Heaman
Ken Heaman has been curator of Whitehern since
1999. From 1975 to 1996, he was an Historical
Interpreter at Montgomery’s Inn in Etobicoke. He
has also worked at Upper Canada Village, Queen’s
University and Dundurn Castle where he recently
held the position of Acting Curator. He holds a
Master of Museum Studies from the University of
Toronto. He lives in an old house on the Hamilton
Mountain which he is restoring to its early twentieth century appearance. Ken is a collector of many
things including photographs of house interiors as
well as old wallpaper books and linoleum catalogues.
Site Liaison: Dr. Mary Anderson
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Have you ever wondered what historical figures lived in your
ward or what historical events occurred there?
Hamilton Historical Board members provide Ward Councillors with Historical Fact Sheets for
their Ward. One little known or interesting fact for each Ward follows:
WARD ONE:
Desjardins Canal. Lying below
the York St. Bridge is an unassuming and shallow passage of
water called the Desjardins Canal. In the
mid 1800’s
this simple
canal helped
to establish
Hamilton as
a major port
city and important centre for commerce and
trade. In March of 1857, 59 people plunged to their death in those
waters in what was at that time
the worst rail disaster in Canadian history.
WARD TWO:
Hamilton’s first municipal art
gallery opened in the Old Public
Library Building in 1914.
The city designated the second floor and
attic as space
for the art gallery. It shared
the building
with Hamilton’s Public
Health Department until 1952.
WARD THREE:
In 1794, 100 acres of land
bounded by Main Street to the
south, Barton in the north, Emerald in the east and Victoria in the
west was sold for a barrel of pork
and a yoke of oxen. This land
HAMILTON historiCITY
now covers approximately 14 city
blocks.
WARD FOUR:
Thomas C. Keefer, a founder of
the Canada’s engineering profession was the designer of Hamilton Waterworks
which were
erected between
1857 and 1860.
Edward, Prince of
Wales, later King
Edward VII,
opened the waterworks during a State Visit in
1860. It is now the Museum of
Steam and Technology and a National Historic Site.
WARD FIVE
John Dynes built a windmill on
his beach property that became
the Dynes Tavern. The building,
which had been modified considerably, was demolished in 2007.
WARD SIX:
The Sherman Access road was
first named “Shearman” but later
changed to Sherman in honour of
Frank Sherman (1887-1967) who
was the co-founder of Dofasco.
Construction on the Sherman Access began in 1931. Workers
were assured of two to three days
work per week on the project.
can be found on the old headstones in the Burkholder family
cemetery.
WARD EIGHT:
Idlewyld Manor is an accredited,
not-for-profit, charitable long
term care facility situated on
Hamilton’s west mountain.
It celebrated 150 years of service
in 1996 and is the descendant of
The Aged Women’s and Orphans’ Home.
WARD NINE:
The Powerhouse is not just a colourful name for a local restaurant.
It produced electricity for the
Hamilton, Grimsby and Beamsville electric railway from 18941899. Unfortunately, the creek
dried up too often so the entire
building, which once had a towering smokestack, was shut down
in 1899 and became a Hydro storage building for the next 75
years.
WARD SEVEN:
United Empire Loyalists of Pennsylvania Dutch origin travelling
along the Mohawk Trail settled
much of Ward 7 around 1794.
Family names such as Almas,
Bowman, Burkholder, Martin,
Munn, Neff, Snyder and Young
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WARD TEN:
Model of the Philander Barnes house,
formerly on the NE corner of Dewitt
Road and Highway #8.
Philander Barnes
(b1831) was a
farmer and early
Saltfleet resident.
Among his buildings
in Saltfleet are an
early 1800’s inn, a
tavern and stagecoach stop, where
soldiers often visited. The house was
demolished in 1960.
WARD ELEVEN:
Winona was the name of the daughter of Chief
Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant (c.1743 –1807) ).
It means “Shining Water.”
Brant was a Mohawk leader
and British military officer
during the American Revolution. He acted as an interpreter
for the British Indian Dept.
and aided missionaries in
teaching Christianity to the
Aboriginal people. He met
many of the most significant
people of the age, including
George Washington and King George III.
WARD TWELVE
St. John’s Anglican Church has been on the same
site since
1824. The
present stone
building was
consecrated
on May 1,
1873. It is
constructed
on a high
point of the
escarpment,
and the
tower with its finials can be seen for miles around.
The Church has a fascinating architectural history.
The present church was built after a fire had irreparably damaged its predecessor on February 27,
1868. Work on the rebuilding started in May of
that year and the new church was opened May 9,
1869.
HAMILTON historiCITY
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WARD THIRTEEN
The Ellen Osler Memorial Home, the home of Dr.
William Osler’s
mother, still stands
in Dundas at the
corner of Hatt and
Ogilvie Streets.
Ellen died in 1906
at the age of 100.
The Home officially opened on
October 30, 1909. It was sold to the Salvation
Army for $1 on October 16th, 1974. The Home
now serves as a residential facility for women in
conflict with the law.
WARD FOURTEEN
On September 24, 1669, Réne-Robert Cavelier,
Sieur de La Salle, met with the Neutral Indians in
the village of Tinawatawa, near the present day
Westover on the edge of the
Beverly Swamp. La Salle
settled in Canada in 1666.
He received a land grant
near Montréal, entered the
fur trade, and began exploring the North American
continent.
WARD FIFTEEN
Waterdown is the largest community in Ward 15.
It was developed upon land that was originally
granted to Alexander McDonnell in 1796. In 1805
ownership was transferred to Alexander Brown
who built a sawmill at the falls on Grindstone
Creek. This creek provided power for the endeavours of the early pioneers and thus the Village of
Waterdown was born. Waterdown was incorporated as a village in 1878 based on a village plan
prepared by Ebeneezer Griffin. The enterprises of
Brown, and later of Ebenezer Griffin accounted
for
substantial
industrial growth
in the Grindstone
Creek Valley. A
series of fires in
1906, 1915 and
1922, destroyed
most of the frame
structures in the
village
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HAMILTON HERITAGE ARTS INC.
President: Dr. Mary J. Anderson
Writer and Playwright
Current project:
www.whitehern.ca
andersmj@mcmaster.ca
HAMILTON historiCITY
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HISTORICAL
PERCEPTIONS
Historical Cemetery Tours
-tours-research-writing-photographyRobin McKee—B.A.
83 Leinster Ave. South, Hamilton, Ontario, L8M 3A4 905‐544‐9559 robin_mckee@hotmail.com www.hamiltonhistory.ca 14
FEBRUARY 2008
VOLUME 1
ISSUE 1
FutureHistory
Upcoming Events Telling the Story of Hamilton
February
March
April
May
16 & 23
5
11
15
The Women of Whitehern
The Summers: First
Family of Theatre
Hamilton Psychiatric
Hospital
Five Famous
Hamilton Women
TalkAbout with
Dr. Mary Anderson
HIStory + HERitage
(165 James St. North)
Noon
FREE
23
Historian Robert
Williamson presents an
illustrated history of this
fascinating stage family.
Hamilton Convention Centre
Room 203
2 p.m.
Pat Saunders will speak
about the history of the HPH.
Canadian Football Hall of
Fame
7:30 p.m.
Head-of-the-Lake
Historical Society
Speaker:
Michael Gemmell
Olivet United Church
(Empress & Princess)
7:30 p.m.
Hamilton Mountain
Heritage Society
28
20
“Ruthven”
Historic
Locke Street South
Walking Tour
The Road to Freedom
Performers tell the story of
Black history in Ontario
Dundas Little Theatre
2:00 p.m.
Tickets $15
In advance from the
Dundas Museum
Ancaster Old Town Hall
(310 Wilson St. East)
with
Historian Bill Manson
7:30 p.m.
FREE
10 a.m.
lunch included
Call AGH at
(905) 527-6610 ext. 225 for
details
Ancaster Township
Historical Society
(905) 627-7412 or
mail@dundasmuseum.ca
29
Early Stone Homes in
Ancaster
Robert Williamson
and Jim Green
Ancaster Old Town Hall
(310 Wilson St. East)
7:30 p.m.
Sponsored by the Ancaster Township Historical Society
HAMILTON historiCITY
Ongoing exhibitions at
HIStory + HERitage
Always on My Mind
The Lister Block
Hamilton Photographs
Staircases
28
“Fessenden”
Ancaster Old Town Hall
(310 Wilson St. East)
7:30 p.m.
FREE
Ancaster Township
Historical Society
Coming soon..
“A City’s Hall”
Architect Stanley Roscoe’s
Masterwork—
The Story of
Hamilton City Hall
HIStory + HERitage
15
FEBRUARY 2008
HAMILTON historiCITY
VOLUME 1
ISSUE 1
16