scotto
12-08-2013, 06:31 PM
Development of Hamilton Beach Has Been Rapid
Hamilton Spectator 1915
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Veteran Resident Tells of Early Days
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Hotels Were Common Thing On Sandstrip
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Great Season Expected This Coming Year
Today the summer season at Burlington beach comes to a close, and from now until the end of this month business men, who with their families have enjoyed the breeze of the lake during the hot weather, prepare to leave for their winter homes. Never in the history of the resort has there been such a demand for houses for the summer months, and old sages predict that next year the demand will be even greater. The growth of the beach proper, from about the power house to the Beach road, during the last fifteen years has been remarkable. Probably no one on the sand-strip has witnessed this growth better than Robert Fletcher, who resides at station 4 the year round, and who eighty-four years first saw the light of day in a house about two hundred feet from where the canal now is. Mr. Fletcher was the only son of Erin and Mrs. Fletcher, and was born about two years after they immigrated to this country from England.
He has resided on the sand-strip all of his life, and despite his ripe old age, enjoys good health and has the use of all his faculties.
IN THE EARLY DAYS
When Mr. Fletcher was a boy, the beach was one vast stretch of waste land, with only a house dotted here and there. In a disastrous fire, his father lost his home near the canal, and, in building a new house, selected a site between station 4 and the Beach road. Mr. Fletcher lives in the house just opposite the homestead. Four years ago he celebrated his golden anniversary. About a year later his wife died.
BRIDGE NOT BUILT
When he was a young man, Mr. Fletcher did consider sailing on the Great Lakes, and later was ferryman at the canal. At that time the canal was not quite so large as it is now, nor was it built of concrete, but, instead of common logs. The ferry had a heavy chain attached at both sides, and the ferryman’s duty was by means of hand power, to turn a large wheel which wound up the chain, while either went slack, similar to an incline. No charges were made to persons wishing to cross this stretch of water, and the ferry ran when anyone was ready to go across. The old ferry lies on the shore at the present day, about a hundred feet north of the canal. Of the few families who resided on the beach, practically all (difficult to read) sand-strip, and for several months. Mr. Fletcher was employed at this work. During the summer months trains were run every hour between Hamilton and Burlington, stopping the canal, about station 12, Dynes and the Beach road. In the winter months the train ran only in the morning and the evening. In exceptionally hot weather so many sand flies would get on the rails that for days at a time it was impossible to run the trains over the line. At times the flies would be over a foot in depth.
About fifteen years after the railway was built, or about 25 years ago, the present radial company commenced operations, and things from then on continued to improve.
HOTELS FLOURISHED
Thirty years ago there were no less than nine hotels in operation along the Beach strip, although the population was considerably less than 200. About 100 yards south of the beach road, there was the Kings Head Inn, owned by the Fitches. Below station 4 was the Dynes. At station 8 was a hotel owned by Ben Fold, who, while out fishing, was drowned in the lake, and whose body has never been recovered. On the bay side at this station there was another hotel owned by George Snook. Fred Corey was the proprietor of a “wet inn” at station 9, and Captain Campbell kept another one at station 12, where the post-office now stands. The Bungalow, owned by John McNeil, was doing business between station 16 and 18. Later it was called the Arlington. At the canal there was the Ocean House now owned by John Perry, and another hotel which was owned by a Mr. Baldrie. At this time there was also what was Martin’s Pleasure gardens, at station 8, which was owned by John Martin. At this point there was a pier built on the pier side, and boats with picnickers and sightseers came daily to see the gardens. There were also a number of games and amusements of various sorts staged each week at this point. A few years ago there was a hotel at station 8 owned by George Snook, afterwards run by Mr. Martin and later by Fred Freed, who at present lives in Dundas. Whisky at that time sold for 20 cents a gallon, but the Beach hotel proprietor usually received so many barrels of whisky for so many fish. Both were plentiful on the Beach 30 years ago. The growth of the Beach in those days was not very fast, but each year saw some improvement.
COMMISSION NAMED
Not many years ago, the government, noticing the development of the Beach, appointed a commission to look after the affairs along the strip. The first two commissioners were Bill VanAllen and W.J. Morden. As a result of the death of Mr. VanAllen and the resignation of Mr. Morden, Commissioner Col. J.J. Grafton and James Crooks were appointed and at present fill the office. From a summer population a few years ago of less than 200 people, the sand-strip now has residing on it each summer considerably over 3,000 people. Property which ten years ago sold for two and three dollars a foot now is worth thirty or forty dollars a foot.
This summer over 30 new houses were built on the strip and even this did not satisfy the ever increasing demand. Next summer promises to be one of the best yet and houses are now being rented (the rest is unreadable)”
Scott,
This item in ‘Beach Articles From 1956’ also gives a snap shot of how quickly the beach was developed.
“Eminent Group On First Beach Radial Car
To the Editor:
Some years ago Hamilton Beach was in the County of Wentworth. Under the rule of the county, with Daniel Mc-Gwin as road commissioner and John Hazell as police chief, the Beach began to undergo a transformation. Fishermen and gardeners, hotel keepers and summer residents were the population. The Beach from Station Nine to the Canal consisted of the summer residents from Station Nine to Beach Road were fishermen and gardeners.
In those days children were sent to Van Wagner's Beach School, a distance of two miles, which they rode or walked. Incidentally, I attended this school as did the late Ellis Corman. It was a great Beach in those days. Back of Dynes' Hotel shacks and fish shanties dotted the shore. There were dense poplar woods from Dynes to Station Six, and another from Station Nine to Station Ten. There were poplar bushes along the lake shore from Station Eight to the Brant House.
Gradually the Beach began to look very different. On the lake side, three-plank wooden sidewalks replaced the three-foot cinder path. From Station Eighteen to the Canal bridge, there was a wide, six-plank wooden sidewalk on the bay side. Commissioner McGwin enforced the rule that the road was to be graded each year.
In 1907 the Burlington Beach Commission, with Eli Van Allen as the first commissioner, established an office at Station Sixteen. In 1908 came the cement walk on the lake side. In 1910 a cement walk was built on the bay side. In 1906 the radial electric railway, which had operated on a single track from 1896, was double tracked across the Beach.
Then in 1910 the swamp extending from Station Ten to Station Five, a mile long, was filled in. Thus came about Kenmore Survey which in 1912 blossomed forth with avenues and stately houses. In 1915 the first school was built. It was called the Beach Bungalow School. In 1923 the dirt road was replaced with a cement highway. In 1937 the small electric lights on every pole were replaced with larger lights.
In conclusion, I would digress to say that on the first radial car leaving Hamilton in 1896 were Sir John Gibson, John Moodie, James Dixon and Charles Kime as the only passengers. The car travelled backward all the way to Burlington. On the last radial car leaving Hamilton at 11.10 p.m. January 5, 1929, Charles Kime was among the last passengers. Then came the buses.
Royston C. Kime
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http://hamiltonbeachcommunity.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-1977.html
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