1890s Hamilton

“The workmen who have been employed for many weeks past in transforming Dr. Burns’ college building into a first-class modern hotel have completed their work, and on Monday the Waldorf will be open to public inspection. Visitors who desire to take a look through the new house are invited, between the hours of 3 and 5 Monday afternoon.” Hamilton Times. July 9, 1898. The large building on King street east had dominated the south side of King, east of John street, since the late 1850s when it opened as the Anglo-American hotel. The use of the building as a hotel was short-lived because of financial difficulties. That did provide an opportunity for Reverend Dr. Burns to open a college, the Wesleyan Ladies College, using all of the large building. In July 1899 after the college closed, the building was ready to open to the public as a hotel once again. It was named the Waldorf hotel. Monday July 11 1898 was selected as the date for a reception to mark the reopening of ...

His death was not unexpected and so the Times had his obituary ready. During the morning of September 16, 1899, word was received that Mr. John Dynes, one of the most well-known and popular residents of the Beach Strip, had passed. Shortly after the noon hour, the afternoon edition of the Times carried the following : “Mr. John Dynes, the veteran hotelman of Hamilton Beach, and one of the best-hearted and most popular men who ever catered to the travelling public, died this morning.   The end had been expected for some time, and came at 9:30, deceased being surrounded by the members of his family. About two years ago, Mr. Dynes had an illness that everyone thought would prove fatal, but he got better and was quite well for a time. Last winter, he again had a bad turn, and has been sick ever since, though at times improving sufficiently to be about. “The deceased was born in Dundas in 1817. His father, Mr. Samuel Dynes, soon afterwards moved   to the Beach, where he r...

By the summer of 1898, the Hamilton Golf Club, still in its beginning years, had become an object of interest to those not already involved with the game. On August 10, 1898 the Hamilton Times carried the following articles describing how the game was played and how it began as a sporting pursuit in the city just a few years before. The Times artist accompanied the reporter to the links in the city's southwest end and he added his impressions to the piece: “A writer in a recent number of the Metropolitan Magazine offers the opinion that ‘all things considered – golf is the most popular game in the united States today.’ By those whose only knowledge of the ancient and royal game has been gained from the ‘Lady Slavey’ description ‘you hit the ball, and whoever finds it the same day wins’ the Metropolitan writers’ opinion will be taken with a large-sized pinch of salt, yet certain it is that golf has, within a very few years, firmly established itself as a popular game. A few...

“In the 1890s, yachting was a favourite pastime among those Hamiltonians wealthy enough to support the owning and racing of high-class boats.  In August 1899, a reporter was given the opportunity to experience yachting through the courtesy of a member of the Royal Hamilton Yacht. His column describing a trip on the famous yacht, Psyche, appeared on August 3, 1899: "There are few summer pleasures that can equal an afternoon with good company on a staunch and well-handled yacht. Such a pleasure fell to the lot of a party on the Psyche yesterday, and the log which the owners take on every trip contains the following comments today: “The day was made to order; the light was perfect. The multitudinous laughter of rippling wavelets could be heard from Huckleberry Point to the Desjardins Dundas ravine. All had been ready for starting promptly at half past 2. Precisely at the stroke of three bells, the lagging guests came ambling down the hill – a half hour late. “The ...

Hamilton Fire Chief Alex. Aitchison was not only a big man in Hamilton, literally, and figuratively, he was also a very famous inventor of fire apparatus. He and his inventions were known internationally, maybe of the pieces of apparatus he designed being used by fire departments across Canada and the United States. On December 12, 1898, Chief Aitchison’s latest contribution to the advance of fire-fighting was the subject of the following article and illustration, carried in the Hamilton Times of that day : “ “At Fitzcroft’s & Strickland’s carriage works, on Merrick street, stands the finest and most complete combination chemical engine and hose wagon in the world, and a cut of it appears on this page. This apparatus has just been completed, and will be put in commission by the Hamilton Fire Department in a few weeks, and the people of this city will have further cause to be proud of their fire fighters and equipment. “The combination was built according to plans by Chief Ai...