Brant's Pond

scotto

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#1
Attached are a few pictures (one is a painting) of Brant's Pond or Inlet which was located south of Joseph Brant Hospital on the harbour side. Thanks to member Drogo :hail:for the pictures and a little insight into that era (1902)

When these oldies were sent in I asked what the strip of land on the left was in photo#1?



drogo said:
Well you can see Indian Point on the right and it appears the water was fairly shallow and there was land coming in from the left as well. As Indian Point no longer sticks out that far I would guess that it was filled in almost to that point and the inlet that was made with the land from the left. If you look at the width of the Beach Strip at the Brant end you will see that it would have required lots of land filled in to end up with enough to put the road dept. and water ponds behind JB Hospital and have enough to build two bridges and service roads.


They were from about 1902. Don't have exact dates.
When I was copying Corey information from Thompson Diaries at JB Museum there was a reference made by Thompson about two of the Coreys catching a large number of fish in one day in Brant's Pond.
Thanks again to Drogo!
 

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Drogo

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#2
You are very welcome. Glad to be able to pass them on. I goofed when sending to Scotto and didn't send the aerial. Once he posts that you will see the reference I was making to how narrow the Beach Strip was and it gives the bird's eye view of what the others are showing from ground level.:silly:
 

scotto

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#3
Attached is Drogo's aerial find of Brant's Pond, notice the large structure with the smokestack. I would have to estimate that it was located at the entrance of what is the MTO yard today. Never seen that before??
Thanks again Drogo.
To see the picture completely expanded (and all large pictures in Internet Explorer) place cursor over openned photo and click on on the expand icon that will appear on the bottom right.
 

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Drogo

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#4
I've seen mention of a factory on that side. Chisholm comes to mind. I'll keep my eyes peeled as I'm pulling up other stuff. Could it have been the original water pumping station? I know of the other red brick one on the lake side east of that building. My mother was born there. Don't know if I read it in the Sandstrip book or Pathway to Skyway but I know I've heard of something in that area. What strikes me is the natural shoreline as opposed to todays manicured gabion edges in most places. Would you like a copy of the Simcoe drawing of the original opening to the bay?
 

scotto

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#5
I've seen mention of a factory on that side. Chisholm comes to mind. I'll keep my eyes peeled as I'm pulling up other stuff. Could it have been the original water pumping station? I know of the other red brick one on the lake side east of that building. My mother was born there. Don't know if I read it in the Sandstrip book or Pathway to Skyway but I know I've heard of something in that area. What strikes me is the natural shoreline as opposed to todays manicured gabion edges in most places. Would you like a copy of the Simcoe drawing of the original opening to the bay?
I thought Chisholm was very close to the canal??? Let us know if you do find out as I have never heard much about a stack on that that side of the Beach.

And yes send us a copy of the map(thanks).
 

scotto

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#6
The answer to the chimney question has been found in Dorothy Turcotte's book, the Sand Strip. Thanks to Member Drogo

The other major landmark north of the Canal was the old brick power house. Starting in 1893, the Hamilton Radial Electric Company began work on a line across the Beach. A 300-horsepower steam power house was built at the north end of the Beach to provide energy. This coal-fired power house had a large brick chimney from which a daring photographer, possibly C. S. Cochran, took a much-reproduced photograph of the Beach looking south and a less familiar one looking north.
Radial service to the Canal began in July 1896. By September, it had been extended to the power house at Station 30. Eventually, the line went all the way to Oakville. The railway was responsible for providing gravel crossings for the cottagers, and also for watering the right-of-way to keep the dust down.
Later, power was brought from DeCew Falls, and the power house served as a transformer station. Probably the chimney was removed from the building when this change occurred. When the radial electric railway ceased to run in 1929, the building was used as a Hydro storage depot. It was demolished in the 1950's when there was a great deal of change and construction on this part of the Beach.
 

David O'Reilly

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Dec 15, 2012
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#7
Drogo
"I've seen mention of a factory on that side. Chisholm comes to mind. I'll keep my eyes peeled as I'm pulling up other stuff. Could it have been the original water pumping station? I know of the other red brick one on the lake side east of that building. My mother was born there. Don't know if I read it in the Sandstrip book or Pathway to Skyway but I know I've heard of something in that area. What strikes me is the natural shoreline as opposed to todays manicured gabion edges in most places. Would you like a copy of the Simcoe drawing of the original opening to the bay?"

Drogo, what was the 'red building' that you refered to?
________________________________________
 

David O'Reilly

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Dec 15, 2012
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#8
Scott,
"The answer to the chimney question has been found in Dorothy Turcotte's book, the Sand Strip. Thanks to Member Drogo

The other major landmark north of the Canal was the old brick power house. Starting in 1893, the Hamilton Radial Electric Company began work on a line across the Beach. A 300-horsepower steam power house was built at the north end of the Beach to provide energy. This coal-fired power house had a large brick chimney from which a daring photographer, possibly C. S. Cochran, took a much-reproduced photograph of the Beach looking south and a less familiar one looking north.
Radial service to the Canal began in July 1896. By September, it had been extended to the power house at Station 30. Eventually, the line went all the way to Oakville. The railway was responsible for providing gravel crossings for the cottagers, and also for watering the right-of-way to keep the dust down.
Later, power was brought from DeCew Falls, and the power house served as a transformer station. Probably the

chimney was removed from the building when this change occurred. When the radial electric railway ceased to run in 1929, the building was used as a Hydro storage depot. It was demolished in the 1950's when there was a great deal of change and construction on this part of the Beach."

Scott, what was constructed on the beach at that time?

Do you know why the powerhouse was built on the north side of the canal, given that the radial line wasn't extended to Burlington until two years after it started running?

Here is a link for a page on the radial.
http://hamiltontransithistory.alotspace.com/HRER.html
 

Drogo

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Feb 8, 2005
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#9
Drogo
“I've seen mention of a factory on that side. Chisholm comes to mind. I'll keep my eyes peeled as I'm pulling up other stuff. Could it have been the original water pumping station? I know of the other red brick one on the lake side east of that building. My mother was born there. Don't know if I read it in the Sandstrip book or Pathway to Skyway but I know I've heard of something in that area. What strikes me is the natural shoreline as opposed to todays manicured gabion edges in most places. Would you like a copy of the Simcoe drawing of the original opening to the bay?”

Drogo, what was the ‘red building’ that you refered to?
________________________________________
The red building I was referring to was the pump house on the lake side. Not the power house on the Bay.

If you have a really good copy of Lady Simcoe's drawing I would love it. I have a couple but they are copies of copies of copies and not really great to see.
 

David O'Reilly

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Dec 15, 2012
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#10
scotto
12-07-2009, 10:46 PM
"The answer to the chimney question has been found in Dorothy Turcotte's book, the Sand Strip. Thanks to Member Drogo

The other major landmark north of the Canal was the old brick power house. Starting in 1893, the Hamilton Radial Electric Company began work on a line across the Beach. A 300-horsepower steam power house was built at the north end of the Beach to provide energy. This coal-fired power house had a large brick chimney from which a daring photographer, possibly C. S. Cochran, took a much-reproduced photograph of the Beach looking south and a less familiar one looking north.
Radial service to the Canal began in July 1896. By September, it had been extended to the power house at Station 30. Eventually, the line went all the way to Oakville. The railway was responsible for providing gravel crossings for the cottagers, and also for watering the right-of-way to keep the dust down.
Later, power was brought from DeCew Falls, and the power house served as a transformer station. Probably the

chimney was removed from the building when this change occurred. When the radial electric railway ceased to run in 1929, the building was used as a Hydro storage depot. It was demolished in the 1950's when there was a great deal of change and construction on this part of the Beach."

Scott, what did the construction at that time involve"
________________________________________
 

David O'Reilly

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Dec 15, 2012
481
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#11
scotto
10-04-2007, 02:55 AM
Attached are a few pictures (one is a painting) of Brant's Pond or Inlet which was located south of Joseph Brant Hospital on the harbour side. Thanks to member Drogo :hail:for the pictures and a little insight into that era (1902)

When these oldies were sent in I asked what the strip of land on the left was in photo#1?



Well you can see Indian Point on the right and it appears the water was fairly shallow and there was land coming in from the left as well. As Indian Point no longer sticks out that far I would guess that it was filled in almost to that point and the inlet that was made with the land from the left. If you look at the width of the Beach Strip at the Brant end you will see that it would have required lots of land filled in to end up with enough to put the road dept. and water ponds behind JB Hospital and have enough to build two bridges and service roads.


They were from about 1902. Don't have exact dates.
When I was copying Corey information from Thompson Diaries at JB Museum there was a reference made by Thompson about two of the Coreys catching a large number of fish in one day in Brant's Pond.

Thanks again to Drogo!
________________________________________
Scott, do you know when and why Brant's Pond was filled in?
 

Drogo

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Feb 8, 2005
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#12
David I'm sure Scott will chime in on this because I don't have dates. I remember they filled in to provide enough land to hold the Skyway (which is pretty well on reclaimed land) and to put the service road on the west side going to the Canal. If I guess how old I was when they built the skyway and give a date you'll all know how old I am now.
 

Drogo

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Feb 8, 2005
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#13
Just a thought. I looked above this message to the arial shot of the Beach pre skyway, filling in of Brants' Pond, and Pier whatever it's number is along the bay south end of the Beach. What was a natural, beautiful act of Nature has become a little strip of land filling up with condos from one end to the other. A google look today can't compare with that shot on this page. That's my opinion many may not agree.
 

David O'Reilly

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Dec 15, 2012
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#14
Drogo

"I'm sure Scott will chime in on this because I don't have dates. I remember they filled in to provide enough land to hold the Skyway (which is pretty well on reclaimed land) and to put the service road on the west side going to the Canal. If I guess how old I was when they built the skyway and give a date you'll all know how old I am now."

I wonder if there are any news paper articles on, and pictures of, the infill of the pond at the Hamilton Public Library.
 

scotto

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#15
David I'm sure Scott will chime in on this because I don't have dates. I remember they filled in to provide enough land to hold the Skyway (which is pretty well on reclaimed land) and to put the service road on the west side going to the Canal. If I guess how old I was when they built the skyway and give a date you'll all know how old I am now.
I don't have a year that it was filled in, from the books on the beach I see that the area was even a dump at one time, if some had their way, the harbor would be filled in a lot more than it is now.
Free land when they aren't building anymore.
 

David O'Reilly

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Dec 15, 2012
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#16
scotto
10-04-2007, 02:55 AM
Attached are a few pictures (one is a painting) of Brant's Pond or Inlet which was located south of Joseph Brant Hospital on the harbour side. Thanks to member Drogo :hail:for the pictures and a little insight into that era (1902)

When these oldies were sent in I asked what the strip of land on the left was in photo#1?




Well you can see Indian Point on the right and it appears the water was fairly shallow and there was land coming in from the left as well. As Indian Point no longer sticks out that far I would guess that it was filled in almost to that point and the inlet that was made with the land from the left. If you look at the width of the Beach Strip at the Brant end you will see that it would have required lots of land filled in to end up with enough to put the road dept. and water ponds behind JB Hospital and have enough to build two bridges and service roads.


They were from about 1902. Don't have exact dates.
When I was copying Corey information from Thompson Diaries at JB Museum there was a reference made by Thompson about two of the Coreys catching a large number of fish in one day in Brant's Pond.

Thanks again to Drogo!"

Scott, heris a reference to an inlet at the Brant House. Is this the same inlet? And it seems that there was a pier for loading passengers at the Brant House.

"On the 26 May, advertisements appeared for the steamers FLORENCE and TRANSIT running to the Beach. The latter called at the Brant House, on her way.
The TRANSIT was involved in a slight mishap on the Bay on the 5 July and this was reported by the Spectator as follows:
"The steamer TRANSIT had taken on 300 people at the Brant House for a trip around the Bay and all were enjoying the prospect of a delightful excursion, when just as the vessel passed out of the little inlet into the Bay, a violent squall struck her and tore away her hurricane deck, carrying it over 200 yards from the steamer. The sound of the breaking timbers and the roar of the wind was deafening, causing not a little commotion among the passengers, who rushed hither and thither in the wildest excitement. The TRANSIT drifted before the gale, unable to stem the force of the wind sweeping with irresistible fury across the Bay and was finally driven into the marsh, where the grounded. In about two hours, after the greatest labour, the vessel was got off and was able to proceed on her way home."

http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?ID=Y1876#p13.76.1





________________________________________
 

scotto

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#17
scotto
10-04-2007, 02:55 AM

Scott, heris a reference to an inlet at the Brant House. Is this the same inlet? And it seems that there was a pier for loading passengers at the Brant House.



________________________________________
Yes that would be the same inlet, not to be confused with the outlet which connected the harbor to Lake Ontario.

Added, this picture was taken by William Barker sometime between 1919-1921.
http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/barker_william_george_15E.html
 

Drogo

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Feb 8, 2005
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#18
David wrote off list the following

Hi Peggy,


I don't know if Scott has changed the page, because I can't find the link to make a reply to a thread. I wanted to ask if anyone has information on how big Brant's Pond was. If you know, can I please ask you to post it to the thread?

I can't tell you area wise but if we use the body/beach pattern you will remember your head is Brant's house and your chest is the old outlet. There was a line of reeds that from the north bay edge of the outlet across the bay to Indian Point. It formed an Isosceles triangle shape. In the middle of the line of reeds was an opening. This is the intlet you are referring to. Scott can maybe estimate the distance better than I. Brant's Pond is really just a triangular shaped corner of the bay that was very shallow and was yearly defined by a line of reeds. It looks to be an entity unto itself but it was really just a very shallow area of the bay.
 
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