1890s Hamilton

During the early evening hours of June 7, 1892, the streets in the vicinity of Hamilton saw a steady, almost uninterrupted, stream of horse-drawn carriages heading towards the housewarming ceremonies, hosted by Senator William Sanford. At times, the traffic in the vicinity of Senator Sanford’s home was so heavy that some streets were completely blocked.           The recently completed mansion known as Wesanford was the attraction for the invited guests, numbering over 1,000. An added attraction was the opportunity to greet Senator Sanford’s new daughter-in-law, who had recently been joined in marriage with his son, E. Jackson Sanford.           The young lady hailed from Knoxville, Tennessee. The Spectator reporter on scene “commended Jackson Sanford’s taste and discrimination in having plucked this flower of the south”           As part of the tour of the mansion, guests were invited to view the wedding gifts which the Spectator man noted were “beautiful and costly e

With the building, and opening of one of the finest horse racing tracks, the city of Hamilton had established itself as one of the key thoroughbred horse-racing centers in Canada.           J. M. Lottridge, president of the Hamilton Jockey Club when the race track was completed, was determined that the Hamilton area would also become renown as a location where thoroughbred horses were bred and raised in surroundings second to none.           To that end, Lottridge purchased an already-existing farm on the west side of the Red Hill Valley and, at great expense, converted it into Vine Vale Farm, one of the most famous horse raising operations of its day.           In October 10, 1893, as the conversion of the property was still underway, Lottridge invited a reporter with the Hamilton Times to visit and describe his farm for readers of that particular newspaper.           The Times account, in full follows: “ Equaled by none in Ontario, and excelled by few in

“About two inches of snow covered the new grounds of the Central Fair and Industrial Company yesterday when the large party of invited guests went out to view the scene, but this had no noticeable effect upon the enthusiasm of the horsemen and citizens generally who took in the little Jaunt”           “Call It Hendrie Park : A Fitting Name for the Fair Grounds and Race Track” Hamilton Herald. November 30, 1892 1           Despite the cold and unpleasant weather of Tuesday afternoon, November 29, 1892, a large number of prominent gentlemen gathered at Hamilton’s Stuart street railway station to board a special train which was moved out at 2:30 p.m.           Seven minutes later, the party arrived at the seventy-one and a half acres of property which had purchased from Mr. J. W. Gage for $250 an acre. The property had been acquired for the purpose of building what was hoped to be the finest race track on the North American continent.           The gentlemen, on a