Dominion Day 1897

“Yesterday was the quietest public holiday the city of Hamilton has seen in many summers. During almost the entire day, the streets were almost as devoid of people as the lanes of Ancaster .”

Hamilton Times.   July 02, 1897.

The thirtieth anniversary of Confederation, Dominion 1897, was so quietly observed, the reporter with the Hamilton Times went into some detail to explain why that was so:

“The reasons for this are not hard to find. The baseball games were the only attraction within the limits of this good city, while there were excursions by boat or rail to every part of the compass.

“Excursion managers generally are of the opinion that business in their line was the heaviest in years. This speaks well for the prosperous condition of citizens, in that the surest evidence of people having money is the fact that they spend it freely when on pleasure bent.”¹

¹ “Dominion Day Observed : Most Pleasure Seekers Were Out of Town”

Hamilton Times.    July 2, 1897.

A nearby destination for the citizens of Hamilton on Dominion Day, 1897 was the sand strip which separated Lake Ontario from the bay:

“The Beach, that old-time mecca of Hamilton pleasure seekers, would seem to have got back some of the popularity which made it such a populous place on the holidays of former years.

“By rail and boat, people flocked there in thousands to enjoy the delightful breezes of bay and lake. The Hamilton Steamboat Company carried an immense number of people; and, notwithstanding that it had several special cars in commission, the Radial line had difficulty in accommodating all its passengers

          “At no time since the destruction of the old Ocean House has the need for an up-to-date summer hotel on the Beach been more emphasized than it was on Saturday. Capt. Campbell is authority for the statement that the crowd at the Beach was the largest in ten years. And the worst of it was that, while there were thousands of excursionists, all with money to spend for amusement, there was little or nothing for them to spend it on but beer and peanuts.

“Toronto, Burlington and Stoney Creek added their quota to the crowds, and the road was lined with rigs and bicycles.

“Despite the immense crowds, not a single accident was reported during the day.”¹

In 1897, there were two very large steamboats that connected Hamilton with the provincial capital by water:

“The steamers Macassa and Modjeska were well-patronized on their trips to and from Toronto, the lake trips each way proving a special accommodation to many.

“The Toronto excursionists for the most part spent the afternoon on the mountain, the pretty little park at the head of James street having over two thousand people within its bounds.”¹

1897 Hamilton not only had an electric radial railway running from the city to the Beach strip and beyond, but two other lines:

“The Hamilton, Grimsby and Beamsville line did heavy business all day, bringing country people to the city, and conveying city people to Grimsby village and Park.

“The Hamilton and Dundas road also had its fair share of holiday traffic, Ainslie Park and the House of Providence picnic at Dundas attracting large crowds.”¹

For those wishing to travel a longer distance by railway, and to cross the border into the United States, there were two annual outing organized by two of Hamilton’s benevolent societies as fund-raisers:

“Nearly five hundred people took advantage of the annual excursion run by St. Andrew’s Society to Buffalo and Niagara Falls over the Grand Trunk Railway, and the trip was made in good time.

“In Buffalo, the excursionists found plenty of entertainment in sight seeing, and many, the ladies especially, spent many happy hours in the big department stores. The Union Jack and Stars and Stripes were entwined in many prominent stores, showing that Buffalo merchants believe in mixing a little sentiment among other baits for business.

“Patriotic sermons were preached in many Buffalo churches last evening, and Judge Crosby, an able disciple of the late Henry George, admitted in one pulpit that Canadians enjoyed more real liberty than the people of the United States.”¹

The other excursion to the Bison City was organized by a different benevolent society and used a different railway line:

“The excursion by the A.O.F. (Ancient Order of Foresters) was also very liberally patronized, and was thoroughly successful, the T. H. & B. management showing every attention to the excursionists. The train consisted of ten coaches”¹

In the end, the Times reporter came up with a good argument as to why the streets of Hamilton were almost deserted during Dominion Day, 1897. As for Ancaster, Dominion Day, 1897 was as quiet as any other day in the village.