Scott,
The thread ‘Wars Fires and Picnics’ states, “By 1833 the Beach Strip boasted four small hotels, and two saloons.”
http://hamiltonbeachcommunity.com/f...cnics-all-part-of-beach-strip.651/#post-11825
were there really hotels on the beach that early?
The thread ‘Wars Fires and Picnics’ states, “By 1833 the Beach Strip boasted four small hotels, and two saloons.”
http://hamiltonbeachcommunity.com/f...cnics-all-part-of-beach-strip.651/#post-11825
were there really hotels on the beach that early?
Fred,
“Yes, there was a lot of them at the canal, to get the trade of the boats passing through the canal.”
Fred, seeing as how the boats were loading and unloading cargo at the Hamilton docks, to me it would have made more sence for hotels to have been built there. Did boats also unload freight at the canal for the beach at that time?
“Yes, there was a lot of them at the canal, to get the trade of the boats passing through the canal.”
Fred, seeing as how the boats were loading and unloading cargo at the Hamilton docks, to me it would have made more sence for hotels to have been built there. Did boats also unload freight at the canal for the beach at that time?
From Fred;
David:
Yes, there was a lot of them at the canal, to get the trade of the boats passing through the canal.
Fred
Fred your are very correct. Also, as I've found doing the diaries, many people would go to the canal in the evening and stay at a hotel so that they could catch the first ferry across in the morning. The ferry was a blessing and a curse. The first bridge didn't work well and the ferry didn't present the problems of collisions that a bridge did. On the other hand it wasn't open 24/7 and it was slave to the seasons and storms. Wind from the east in winter plugged the canal with ice so no ferrying. If the canal froze solid a sled became the method of crossing. If the Bay was solid you walked around. Strong east winds in the other months sometimes caused water levels to rise and currents that played havoc on the ferry. Seems odd today to think that people would pay the price of a hotel and meal just to make sure that crossed that narrow strip of water first thing in the morning. We have never been subjected to those conditions in our lives.
David:
Yes, there was a lot of them at the canal, to get the trade of the boats passing through the canal.
Fred
Fred your are very correct. Also, as I've found doing the diaries, many people would go to the canal in the evening and stay at a hotel so that they could catch the first ferry across in the morning. The ferry was a blessing and a curse. The first bridge didn't work well and the ferry didn't present the problems of collisions that a bridge did. On the other hand it wasn't open 24/7 and it was slave to the seasons and storms. Wind from the east in winter plugged the canal with ice so no ferrying. If the canal froze solid a sled became the method of crossing. If the Bay was solid you walked around. Strong east winds in the other months sometimes caused water levels to rise and currents that played havoc on the ferry. Seems odd today to think that people would pay the price of a hotel and meal just to make sure that crossed that narrow strip of water first thing in the morning. We have never been subjected to those conditions in our lives.
David,
Somewhere I have a drawing showing like a corderoy road made of logs crossing the Beach in three of four places. The logs were laid sideways from the lake to the bay. Cargo was unloaded and rolled across the Beach and reload onto boats in the Bay to go farther up. The whole idea of the Canal was to stop having to do that. If cargo came for the Beach it was unloaded at the Beach but anything going up to Hamilton, Dundas or Brown's was taken by ship to the docks. I must see if I can find that drawing.
Somewhere I have a drawing showing like a corderoy road made of logs crossing the Beach in three of four places. The logs were laid sideways from the lake to the bay. Cargo was unloaded and rolled across the Beach and reload onto boats in the Bay to go farther up. The whole idea of the Canal was to stop having to do that. If cargo came for the Beach it was unloaded at the Beach but anything going up to Hamilton, Dundas or Brown's was taken by ship to the docks. I must see if I can find that drawing.
Drogo
“Somewhere I have a drawing showing like a corderoy road made of logs crossing the Beach in three of four places. The logs were laid sideways from the lake to the bay. Cargo was unloaded and rolled across the Beach and reload onto boats in the Bay to go farther up. The whole idea of the Canal was to stop having to do that. If cargo came for the Beach it was unloaded at the Beach but anything going up to Hamilton, Dundas or Brown's was taken by ship to the docks. I must see if I can find that drawing.”
Drogo, I think that I read some where that at that time the land on the beach was all privatly owned, and that a fee was charged to the boat owners to transport there freight from one side to the other. And, that on the bay side, it was row boats, not ships that were used.
Do you have any information on this?
***************
“Somewhere I have a drawing showing like a corderoy road made of logs crossing the Beach in three of four places. The logs were laid sideways from the lake to the bay. Cargo was unloaded and rolled across the Beach and reload onto boats in the Bay to go farther up. The whole idea of the Canal was to stop having to do that. If cargo came for the Beach it was unloaded at the Beach but anything going up to Hamilton, Dundas or Brown's was taken by ship to the docks. I must see if I can find that drawing.”
Drogo, I think that I read some where that at that time the land on the beach was all privatly owned, and that a fee was charged to the boat owners to transport there freight from one side to the other. And, that on the bay side, it was row boats, not ships that were used.
Do you have any information on this?
***************
Drogo and Fred, maybe what we need is a separate 'Pre-canal History' thread.
This happens in discussions. We were talking about the need for hotels at the canal. Then you asked about ships unloading at the canal and that was answered. If we move too much around you will lose the train of thought or a part of one thread will get dragged to another thread.
If you read it was all privately owned land and that there were fees for crossing it is probably true. Some land was sold but it was my impression that there was also a military reserve on at least part of the Beach.
This happens in discussions. We were talking about the need for hotels at the canal. Then you asked about ships unloading at the canal and that was answered. If we move too much around you will lose the train of thought or a part of one thread will get dragged to another thread.
If you read it was all privately owned land and that there were fees for crossing it is probably true. Some land was sold but it was my impression that there was also a military reserve on at least part of the Beach.
Scott,
“As the years went by, a number of hotels sprang up along the Beach. The best known, and still the oldest operating tavern in Ontario is Dynes, established in 1846. City folks gladly braved the deplorable dirt road or the choppy ride
across the Bay in order to enjoy one of John Dynes' famous fish or duck dinners.”
Drogo
“Fred your are very correct. Also, as I've found doing the diaries, many people would go to the canal in the evening and stay at a hotel so that they could catch the first ferry across in the morning. The ferry was a blessing and a curse. The first bridge didn't work well and the ferry didn't present the problems of collisions that a bridge did. On the other hand it wasn't open 24/7 and it was slave to the seasons and storms. Wind from the east in winter plugged the canal with ice so no ferrying. If the canal froze solid a sled became the method of crossing. If the Bay was solid you walked around. Strong east winds in the other months sometimes caused water levels to rise and currents that played havoc on the ferry. Seems odd today to think that people would pay the price of a hotel and meal just to make sure that crossed that narrow strip of water first thing in the morning. We have never been subjected to those conditions in our lives.”
do you know if there was a Jitney business in Hamilton that brought people from Hamilton to the beach? Or, was there ever a Jitney business established on the beach?
“As the years went by, a number of hotels sprang up along the Beach. The best known, and still the oldest operating tavern in Ontario is Dynes, established in 1846. City folks gladly braved the deplorable dirt road or the choppy ride
across the Bay in order to enjoy one of John Dynes' famous fish or duck dinners.”
Drogo
“Fred your are very correct. Also, as I've found doing the diaries, many people would go to the canal in the evening and stay at a hotel so that they could catch the first ferry across in the morning. The ferry was a blessing and a curse. The first bridge didn't work well and the ferry didn't present the problems of collisions that a bridge did. On the other hand it wasn't open 24/7 and it was slave to the seasons and storms. Wind from the east in winter plugged the canal with ice so no ferrying. If the canal froze solid a sled became the method of crossing. If the Bay was solid you walked around. Strong east winds in the other months sometimes caused water levels to rise and currents that played havoc on the ferry. Seems odd today to think that people would pay the price of a hotel and meal just to make sure that crossed that narrow strip of water first thing in the morning. We have never been subjected to those conditions in our lives.”
do you know if there was a Jitney business in Hamilton that brought people from Hamilton to the beach? Or, was there ever a Jitney business established on the beach?
To David and Scott
Scott is the moderator of the site. He put me on so that I didn't have to keep looking for new posts of interest to me. I get an email notice on any of the threads I work on. It is up to Scott. He can put the thread wherever he wants to make things more orderly. I have no problem with that but I don't step in on his territory.
Scott is the moderator of the site. He put me on so that I didn't have to keep looking for new posts of interest to me. I get an email notice on any of the threads I work on. It is up to Scott. He can put the thread wherever he wants to make things more orderly. I have no problem with that but I don't step in on his territory.
do you know if there was a Jitney business in Hamilton that brought people from Hamilton to the beach? Or, was there ever a Jitney business established on the beach?
David
If I knew what a Jitney business was I might have an answer but I know that various smaller boats or the tugs sometime gave people a lift from Hamilton down to the Canal. Capt. Hall ran a shuttle business for awhile with the little tug Prince Alfred.
David
If I knew what a Jitney business was I might have an answer but I know that various smaller boats or the tugs sometime gave people a lift from Hamilton down to the Canal. Capt. Hall ran a shuttle business for awhile with the little tug Prince Alfred.
You could be correct David but it isn't a term I'm familiar with. I wouldn't stake my life that there was never a stagecoach but I don't think so. I don't ever recall reading about one. In the 1880 specator articles there is a story about 2 hookers and a couple of thugs who hired a carriage to come from Hamilton and then proceeded to beat a couple of Beach men up. I've heard of people walking to Hamilton on the ice, bumming a ride on a tug or sleigh across the frozen Bay, rowing or getting to Hamilton through any means they could. The train was the first scheduled transport and I think they got it in Wellington Square to go to Hamilton. Then I believe the Radial Car was the closest they had come to having a "bussing" service.
Drogo, the train of course was the Hamilton and North Western (H&NW) (which began operating across the beach in 1878) and the radial car was the Hamilton Radial Electric Railroad (HRER) which commenced running to the beach in 1896). I wonder if there are any stats in Charles Cooper’s book, on the H&NW and in old Hamilton Spectator articles, on the number of passengers that each carried in their first year of operation.
In this David you need to get the people interested in the train and radial car. To tell the truth I think the steamers and paddlewheeler are beyond my research. I'm into the Indian habitation of the Beach, the old outlet, anything to do with the War of 1812 and I like the lighthouse because it's history tells the Beach secrets. I can't help you on the people who used the trains. I can tell you the name of the ship that took the first produce from here down the St. Lawrence to New Brunswick.