Houses and Cottages

Sharla1

Registered User
Oct 15, 2009
1,262
17
38
68
#1
When the buildings were built on the strip, how many were used as cottages and how many were perm. houses?
 

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,985
218
63
The Beach Strip
#2
When the buildings were built on the strip, how many were used as cottages and how many were perm. houses?
From a 1997 Spec article;
"The province gave Hamilton the right to sell land along the Beach Strip in 1874 and extensive recreational and summer residences sprang up. A railway built in 1876 made the beach accessible and use increased.

Luxury hotels sprang up. The beach became a mecca for summer holiday fun, offering activities like rowing, sunbathing, swimming, sailing, strolling along the piers and boardwalks, riding the steamers, dining, bowling, playing pool and billiards.

An amusement park was started in 1903 and a promenade built on the bay side.

In 1907, recognizing the area's uniqueness, the province drafted the Burlington Beach Act and established a Beach Commission government that existed until the strip was split in two and annexed by Hamilton and Burlington in 1958.

By 1910, there were many summer residents and land was becoming scarce. Many of the cottages were late- Victorian architectural gems built in the 1890s by wealthy families in Hamilton and Burlington.

Between 1920 and 1950, the area was transformed from a vacation centre to a residential community. The permanent population reached 1,116 in 1936 and peaked at 3,327 in 1956. Today, it's around 1,200."



So really they were mostly all summer cottages, but more like the Muskoka type of today.
 

David O'Reilly

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
481
4
18
#6
Scott,

""The province gave Hamilton the right to sell land along the Beach Strip in 1874 and extensive recreational and summer residences sprang up."

"In 1907, recognizing the area's uniqueness, the province drafted the Burlington Beach Act and established a Beach Commission government that existed until the strip was split in two and annexed by Hamilton and Burlington in 1958."

Was it in 1958 that the beach was annexed from Saltfleet Township? If so, why was it that in 1874 the province gave Hamilton permission to sell land on the beach?

Scott, do you have a coppy of the Burlington Beach Act that you could post?
 

David O'Reilly

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
481
4
18
#7
Scott,

""The province gave Hamilton the right to sell land along the Beach Strip in 1874 and extensive recreational and summer residences sprang up."

"In 1907, recognizing the area's uniqueness, the province drafted the Burlington Beach Act and established a Beach Commission government that existed until the strip was split in two and annexed by Hamilton and Burlington in 1958."

1875 - "Three days later, the Beach Committee notified the public of its willingness to discuss cottage sites and prices with those desirous of building there."

Scott, do you know anything about the 'Beach Committee'?

Scott,

"Luxury hotels sprang up. The beach became a mecca for summer holiday fun, offering activities like rowing, sunbathing, swimming, sailing, strolling along the piers and boardwalks, riding the steamers, dining, bowling, playing pool and billiards."

H. L. Bastien announced his intention of erecting a new boathouse, complete with the latest conveniences for the season of 1876. He had also built bath-houses on the Beach for the use of his customers.

http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?ID=Y1875
 

Sharla1

Registered User
Oct 15, 2009
1,262
17
38
68
#8
I have an old pic of my grandmother and her sister on the steamer. Let me know if you want me to post it here.
 

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,985
218
63
The Beach Strip
#9
Scott,

Scott, do you know anything about the 'Beach Committee'?
Politics along the strip were confusing

I will let Gary Evans explain the Beach Committee with a plagiarized section from his latest book, Memories of the Beach Strip.
For the whole story, pick up his book.




It's part of the City of Hamilton today, but for a period of 50 years, that area known as Burlington Beach enjoyed all the rights of an incorporated municipality, and yet never had that official status.
Sound confusing?
Well, in many ways, that word best describes the politics of the Beach over the years, especially during those years when the Beach Strip became a popular resort spot, a unique way of life within the shadow of a big city.
History records that in the years before 1907, most of the Beach Strip that is up to what was then the Halton County boundary was administered by the Township of Saltfleet, then by the City of Hamilton under an unusual lease agreement which meant that many of the events of the day were administered through the city's parks and cemetery committee.
That all changed in 1907 when most of the Beach was placed under the authority of the Burlington Beach Commission, as a result of a
special act enacted by the members of the Ontario Legislature.
There were few such commissions in the province during the 1900s, and while the Burlington Beach Act gave the commissioners total control, their actions were widely accepted by the Beach residents, with only a few voices of dissension over the years.
The Beach Commissioners - and there were many different individuals appointed over the years, had basic autonomy over Beach affairs, ruling on all aspect of Beach life just as the elected council in Hamilton did during that same time frame.
Under their watch, taxes were collected and money disbursed - for police officers, a fire
hall, sanitation, public welfare, parks and recreation, even education where the old Beach Bungalow School was built and teachers hired.



Attached is a picture of the Beach Commission office with the fire truck and the crew in front.
The office was later moved to the Beach Rescue property and used as a club house.



Hamilton Public Library
 

scotto

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 15, 2004
6,985
218
63
The Beach Strip
#12
From 1952

PROCLAMATION
The Municipality Of BURLINGTON BEACH COMMISSION
Public notice is hereby given that in accordance with the provisions of the Lord's Day (Ontario) Act, 1950, and in pursuance of a by-law passed by the municipal council of the Burlington Beach Commission on the 18th day of August, 1952, I require the presence of the voters at the Commission Office, 1147 Beach Boulevard, in the said Municipality on the 24th day of September, 1952, at one o'clock in the afternoon (Standard Time) at which I will announce the names of the persons appointed to act for the Affirmative
Side and for the Negative Side respectively upon the poll to be held under Section 3 of the Lord's Day (Ontario) Act 1950, upon the following question:
"Are you in favour of public games and sports on the Lord's Day to be regulated by municipal by-law under the authority of the Lord's Day (Ontario) Act, 1950?"
YES [ ] NO [ ]
And notice is further given that the vote will be taken upon the same questions in manner provided bv law at a poll to be opened on the 1st DAY OF OCTOBER, 1952, from the hour of 8 o'clock in the forenoon until 7 o'clock in the afternoon (Standard Time) at the following places:
ALL MUNICIPAL ELECTORS to vote at School Auditorium, No. 475 Beach Boulevard, con¬taining three polls: A to G - H to M - N to Z. And further that at the Commission Office, 1147 Beach Boulevard, on the 2nd day of October, 1952, at the hour of twelve noon (Standard Time) I shall open the ballot boxes, add up the votes given upon the said questions and declare the result of the said vote in the said Municipality of the Burlington Beach Commission. Of which all persons are hereby re¬quired to take notice and govern themselves accordingly.
Given under my hand at Burlington Beach this 25th day of August, in the year A.D. 1952.
HENRY B. BLACK, Returning Officer
. GOD SAVE THE QUEEN
 

David O'Reilly

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
481
4
18
#14
Sharla
"When the buildings were built on the strip, how many were used as cottages and how many were perm. houses?"

Scott,
"By 1910, there were many summer residents and land was becoming scarce. Many of the cottages were late- Victorian architectural gems built in the 1890s by wealthy families in Hamilton and Burlington.

Between 1920 and 1950, the area was transformed from a vacation centre to a residential community. The permanent population reached 1,116 in 1936 and peaked at 3,327 in 1956. Today, it's around 1,200."


So really they were mostly all summer cottages, but more like the Muskoka type of today."

It seems that some fishermen made perminit homes on the beach earlyer than that.

1890 - "The seven or eight commercial fishermen who made their homes on the Beach, had had a very good winter. There was no ice in the Lake and the catches of ciscoes had been good. By the 15 April, summer-like weather had arrived."
http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?ID=Y1890




________________________________________

________________________________________
 

David O'Reilly

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
481
4
18
#15
Sharla
"When the buildings were built on the strip, how many were used as cottages and how many were perm. houses?"

Scott,
"By 1910, there were many summer residents and land was becoming scarce. Many of the cottages were late- Victorian architectural gems built in the 1890s by wealthy families in Hamilton and Burlington.

Between 1920 and 1950, the area was transformed from a vacation centre to a residential community. The permanent population reached 1,116 in 1936 and peaked at 3,327 in 1956. Today, it's around 1,200."


So really they were mostly all summer cottages, but more like the Muskoka type of today."

It seems that some fishermen made perminit homes on the beach earlyer than that.

1890 - "The seven or eight commercial fishermen who made their homes on the Beach, had had a very good winter. There was no ice in the Lake and the catches of ciscoes had been good. By the 15 April, summer-like weather had arrived."
http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?ID=Y1890




________________________________________

________________________________________
 

David O'Reilly

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
481
4
18
#16
Scott
"From a 1997 Spec article;
"The province gave Hamilton the right to sell land along the Beach Strip in 1874 and extensive recreational and summer residences sprang up. A railway built in 1876 made the beach accessible and use increased."

Scott, the railroad that was built in 1876 was the Hamilton and North Western (H&NW) which if I understand correctly , was built to the east of the existing houses, right along the Lake Ontario shore. And again if I have understood things correctly, in 1896, the Hamilton Radial Electric Railroad (HRER) was built to the west of the existing houses, immediately to the east of Beach Road.

So was the property that the two railroads were constructed on, origenally owned by the peaple who owned the houses? And, was it necessary to remove any houses to make way for the construction?
 

David O'Reilly

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
481
4
18
#18
scotto
10-03-2010, 10:44 PM
When the buildings were built on the strip, how many were used as cottages and how many were perm. houses?
From a 1997 Spec article;
(1) ("The province gave Hamilton the right to sell land along the Beach Strip in 1874 and extensive recreational and summer residences sprang up. A railway built in 1876 made the beach accessible and use increased.

Luxury hotels sprang up. The beach became a mecca for summer holiday fun, offering activities like rowing, sunbathing, swimming, sailing, strolling along the piers and boardwalks, riding the steamers, dining, bowling, playing pool and billiards.

An amusement park was started in 1903 and a promenade built on the bay side.

(2) (In 1907, recognizing the area's uniqueness, the province drafted the Burlington Beach Act and established a Beach Commission government that existed until the strip was split in two and annexed by Hamilton and Burlington in 1958.))

By 1910, there were many summer residents and land was becoming scarce. Many of the cottages were late- Victorian architectural gems built in the 1890s by wealthy families in Hamilton and Burlington.

(3) (Between 1920 and 1950, the area was transformed from a vacation centre to a residential community.) The permanent population reached 1,116 in 1936 and peaked at 3,327 in 1956. Today, it's around 1,200."


So really they were mostly all summer cottages, but more like the Muskoka type of today.

Scott,
(1) since the beach wasn't annexed by Hamilton and Burlington until 1958, why was it that the province gave Hamilton the right to sell land on the beach in 1874?
(2) What was it that was unique about the beach in 1907? If I understand things correctly, it was only summer cottages and the amusement park that were there at that time - no permanent residences.
(3) (Between 1920 and 1950, the area was transformed from a vacation centre to a residential community.) is this just a figure of speech? Or is there some number of permanent residences that has to have been built, before the area could be considered a 'residential centre?
 

David O'Reilly

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
481
4
18
#19
Sharla1
11-06-2013, 01:20 PM
Thanks for that info David. That gives the time frame of the approximate time when my family cottage was built. pertaining to this link. The cottage is still on the lakeshore at Selkirk Ontario after it was moved from lake Ontario beach strip.

http://hamiltonbeachcommunity.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1475&highlight=info


Sharla,

I’m not sure I understand. How do these dates give the time frame for when your family cottage was built. ________________________________________
 

Sharla1

Registered User
Oct 15, 2009
1,262
17
38
68
#20
I guess it was this info "The province gave Hamilton the right to sell land along the Beach Strip in 1874 and extensive recreational and summer residences sprang up."
 
Top Bottom