Hamilton History Research - Page 2

DC83 · #21 Posted **Aug 8, 2008, 4:19 PM**

Great site! I've already showed a bunch of ppl at the office! hahaha
Thanks!

astroblaster · #22 Posted **Aug 8, 2008, 10:04 PM**

thanks DC. thanks for spreading the word

astroblaster · #23 Posted **Aug 15, 2008, 12:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by flar

That sounds like a great project. I would be interested in seeing it if you do it.

You could start with "Housing the north American City" by Michael Doucet and John Weaver. It uses Hamilton as a case study and has a wealth of info about when neighbourhoods were built and what types of houses were built there. ...

i finally got this book out from the library. looks promising

Boomtown_Hamilton · #24 Posted **Oct 16, 2008, 5:38 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by astroblaster

i finally got this book out from the library. looks promising

You may also want to try and pick-up a 4-volume set of books titled, "Dictionary of Hamilton Biography" in it you will find bios of all the movers-and-shakers from Hamilton's past and included in their bios are their home addresses, where they use to live, and what buildings, if any, they owned or built in town.

astroblaster · #25 Posted **Oct 16, 2008, 12:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boomtown_Hamilton

You may also want to try and pick-up a 4-volume set of books titled, "Dictionary of Hamilton Biography" in it you will find bios of all the movers-and-shakers from Hamilton's past and included in their bios are their home addresses, where they use to live, and what buildings, if any, they owned or built in town.

yup, i've been thinking about ordering those (at least the first 2 volumes to begin with)

i didn't know that they included information about buildings as well. i will check these out at the library in the near future.

thanks!

astroblaster · #26 Posted **Oct 18, 2008, 2:20 AM**

I went to the library yesterday afternoon,

I got the first volume of the DHB.. so far it's great.

I also picked up john c weaver's Hamilton: An Illustrated History. I've been wanting to check out this out since i read through Housing the North American City. it's also really good.

I am currently reading Marjorie Freeman Campbell's A Mountain and a City, which I bought a few weeks ago. I find this book has some really good descriptions of the early landscape, alot of specific references to where early buildings were located.

I love all of these books.

flar · #27 Posted **Oct 18, 2008, 2:23 AM**

I saw Heritage Treasures by Susan Evans Shaw for 40% off at the Coles in Dundas. It has writeups and interior and exterior photos of quite a few notable historic homes in Greater Hamilton.

Boomtown_Hamilton · #28 Posted **Oct 18, 2008, 6:44 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by astroblaster

I went to the library yesterday afternoon,

I got the first volume of the DHB.. so far it's great.

I also picked up john c weaver's Hamilton: An Illustrated History. I've been wanting to check out this out since i read through Housing the North American City. it's also really good.

I am currently reading Marjorie Freeman Campbell's A Mountain and a City, which I bought a few weeks ago. I find this book has some really good descriptions of the early landscape, alot of specific references to where early buildings were located.

I love all of these books.

I bought DHB a few years back when they only had 3 volumes. I still need to pick-up the 4th one, they have a copy of that one at the Hamilton Public Library, 3rd floor history department. I heard there was a 5th volume of it currently in the works but don't quote me on that one. Great thing about these bios is they list they exact address, street name and house number, that the individual lived in here in Hamilton.

astroblaster · #29 Posted **Dec 10, 2008, 3:19 PM**

Hey everyone,

We're still working on our site, historicalhamilton.com

We are currently trying to revamp the whole thing.. lots of behind the scenes work for now.

If anyone has any pictures of local historic buildings, we'd love to include them on the site.

We will provide credit for each photo, including your name and, if you want, a link to your website, portfolio, profile etc.

Please PM me, or email us: info (at) historicalhamilton.com

realcity · #30 Posted **Dec 10, 2008, 4:11 PM**

Contact Richard Harris at McMaster.
http://www.raisethehammer.org/index.asp?id=169

I do know that a large section of the East Mountain (between Gage and Ottawa, Fennell and just south of Mohawk) was built by a company called "Sunshine Homes" you can still see their sign from their head office in the second floor of the plaza on the southwest corner of Fennell and U Ottawa. The white plaza with 1up Games (formerly housed the Sherwood Library branch). They built that plaza too.

astroblaster · #31 Posted **Mar 16, 2009, 3:12 PM**

i was wondering if anyone knows anything about the Chedoke Estate west of Garth at the escarpment.
I know its associated with James Balfour (and it's off of Balfour St.).
Did he design it, or was this his residence?

It looks like there was a laneway from Garth. There is an old stone house beside the laneway, and a stone wall along Garth. I assume this house was the gatehouse for the larger Chedoke estate.

Any insights?

Atticus · #32 Posted **Mar 18, 2009, 1:00 PM**

I believe the Balfour family still owns the property.I am not sure who designed the house.The home remains occupied by an elderly women who is the only remaining Balfour on the site.Upon her passing, the family have agreed to donate the property to the City as parkland. The City has not yet determined what will become of the home on the property. City parks dept. should be able to provide additional information.

Atticus · #33 Posted **Mar 18, 2009, 1:02 PM**

I believe the Balfour family still owns the property with the large home on it.I am not sure who designed the house.The home remains occupied by an elderly women who is the only remaining Balfour on the site.Upon her passing, the family have agreed to donate the property to the City as parkland. The City has not yet determined what will become of the home on the property. City parks dept. should be able to provide additional information. I think that the Gatehouse was sold off years ago.

astroblaster · #34 Posted **Mar 18, 2009, 3:39 PM**

thanks for the info!

bigguy1231 · #35 Posted **Mar 21, 2009, 9:19 PM**

If the property you are talking about is the same one I think it is, it was once the Southam Estate. As in Southam Newspapers. That house is still there, although obscurred by the newly built fence.

astroblaster · #36 Posted **Mar 21, 2009, 9:34 PM**

we might be talking about different ones, are you refering to the one right at the top of the dundurn/garth stairs, yellow?

if so, thats not the same building, but thank you for identifying that one, I was curious about this one as well

the one I'm talking about is accessed from Balfour Dr. and is not directly adjacent to garth.

bigguy1231 · #37 Posted **Mar 21, 2009, 11:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by astroblaster

we might be talking about different ones, are you refering to the one right at the top of the dundurn/garth stairs, yellow?

if so, thats not the same building, but thank you for identifying that one, I was curious about this one as well

the one I'm talking about is accessed from Balfour Dr. and is not directly adjacent to garth.

Yes, the yellow one was the one I was refering to. That was the Southam Estate.

I never realized the other estate existed. I'll have to walk the area one day.

Atticus · #38 Posted **Mar 22, 2009, 12:37 AM**

The Southams and the Balfours were related by marriage. Former Spec Publisher St. Clair Balfour, who died in 2002, was married to Ethel Southam, a daughter of William Southam,who was the founder of the Hamilton Spectator and Southam News.

astroblaster · #39 Posted **Apr 12, 2009, 7:19 PM**

apparently there was a church on the corner of main and dundurn, where the taco bell is now. it housed quite a few notorious musical performances at one point.

does anyone know what this church was called, or have any other information or recollections?

thanks

bigguy1231 · #40 Posted **Apr 12, 2009, 11:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by astroblaster

apparently there was a church on the corner of main and dundurn, where the taco bell is now. it housed quite a few notorious musical performances at one point.

does anyone know what this church was called, or have any other information or recollections?

thanks

I used to live just down the street from there. I think it was a German language church originally. Possibly Lutherin. After that there were many different denominations. I am not sure of the original name, but I think it may have been St Rudolphs or St. Ruperts or something like that.