Stratford History

04/24/2025

Aside from its landmark status as Scoopers for a number of years, this building along Erie Street now being demolished, is quite inconspicuous. However, swipe left and you shall see that this was once a proud building with a rich history.

Known as the Daly Block, it was likely constructed by 1857 as an early commercial building in Stratford. It takes its namesake from early Stratford resident and Canada Company agent John Corry Wilson Daly who owned the property on which it sat.

Its early history is vague owing to limited documentation, although newspaper records indicate that Daly ran a wholesale grocery business here by 1859 and that in 1863, Joseph Watson opened his wholesale retail store supplying local hotels with liquor and Cuban ci**rs. The ladies from St. James Church held at least one bazaar here just before Christmas 1863.

Its most storied history began in 1880 as the home to the first iteration of the Stratford Times newspaper. The paper was founded in 1876 by a proud Tory and clever and controversial man named Henry T. Butler. A two-time mayor in the 1880s, Butler began his long-standing career as a newspaper man apprenticing for the Beacon before joining the Herald as an editor. Giving that up in the summer of 1875, he set out on his own to create a conservative paper but with a vow to advocate the Tories "in an independent manner, and without following the blind and 'cast-iron policy' which is to [sic] often the case with papers published in the interests of 'rings' and political or office-seeking cliques."

Outspoken, particularly against its fierce rival, The Herald, a series of libel suits eventually caught up to The Times. Although Butler departed the paper after a libel suit ruled against him in the spring of 1890, it must have been to his great chagrin that The Times was bought out by his rival in 1892.

During the time of The Times, vandals tore up the place scattering and destroying type face on an April night in 1884 and the elements of fire and water gutted much of the building in May 1887. However, The Times and the building's other tenants persevered and business was back up and running a month later.

The photos across a span of about 135 years show a slow, sad decline of the building itself. Once displaying an almost Georgian-inspired architecture (see photo 7 - c.1890), some of that detailing had been lost by 1935 (photo 6). Then sometime between then and the 1970s the tall upper storey windows had been replaced with dwarf-like square windows that enfeebled the building's appearance (photo 5 - 1978) Thenceforth the building remained somewhat static (photo 4 - 2020) as if forgotten in time until it's as if time remembered and said no more shall this one stand.

When I documented the building last Friday, April 18, it gave its last gasping breath to the space around and among scattered bricks and debris. Lost in time but remembered through words, this one.

All historic photos sourced from the Stratford-Perth Archives. Photos have been colourized by me in an effort them to life. An extended thanks to the Archives for its ongoing effort to digitize local historical newspapers, including those clippings shown in photo 8 and 9. All other photos are mine.

06/16/2024

Today, downtown Stratford is synonymous for its many shops and restaurants, but a century ago, a host of factories situated in the core formed part of Stratford’s extensive manufacturing base. The physical remains of one of these manufacturers, the Stratford Bridge & Iron Works Company, are long gone, having been removed and paved over for part of the Erie Street parking lot in c.1976. Nonetheless, we bring light to its history.

The Stratford Bridge & Iron Works was originally founded around 1878 by W.W. Cowan to manufacture plows and harrows for the agricultural base around Stratford. By 1890, Thomas Holliday Junior assumed leadership, and the company shifted focus to bridge construction, solidifying its position as the sole iron and steel bridge manufacturer in Western Ontario by 1898, or so the company claimed.

Located at 91-97 Erie Street, the company commissioned local architect Robert Banks Barber in 1894 to expand its Erie Street factory, essentially by constructing anew a two-storey building 80 ft by 50 ft; a one-storey blacksmith building 45 by 40 ft; a foundry and moulding shop 45 ft by 35 ft.; and a powerhouse. J.D. Smith and James Dunn completed the brick and masonry work; Thomas Orr & Son undertook the carpentry; and Jeffrey Bros. did the tinsmith work.

The machine shop operated on the first floor of the street-facing part of the building while windmill manufacturing occurred on the second. The blacksmith shop was located in at the rear as was the powerhouse which by 1913, provided electric light and power and steam-powered heating.

By 1905, the company’s product line included steel and iron bridges of various designs, windmills, grain grinders, and structural steel.

In September 1912, the company was reincorporated and led by Holliday Junior and Bertram D. Dean of Seattle, Washington. Dean, a McGill University graduate, had extensive engineering experience in the eastern United States and in Seattle. In May 1917, he became a Commissioned Captain in the 26th Regiment of Engineers for the American Expeditionary Force and served in France. Although its not clear the extent of his role in the Stratford Bridge & Iron Company, his presence reflects the growing professionalization of the bridge building industry by the 1910s.

The company was one of 12 producers of iron and steel railway and highway bridges in Ontario by 1916. In 1909, it produced the iron and steel and constructed for the previous iteration of the Waterloo Street Bridge. It provided structural steel for and/or constructed dozens of bridges across Ontario. However, only three of its bridges are known to exist, including the Water Street Bridge in St. Marys.

The Stratford Bridge & Iron Co. ceased operations sometime between 1937 and 1939, marking the end of an era for the Stratford Bridge & Iron Works Company. It is likely that a combination of factors impacted the viability of this business by the late 1930s. Concrete bridges, which improved considerably in design and ex*****on, had supplanted metal bridges, larger structural steel companies made competition more challenging for smaller companies, and the overall decline in infrastructure projects during the Great Depression would have lowered demand. The building on Erie Street was used by other businesses until c.1976, when it was razed for the Erie Street parking lot.

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Photo 1 depicts the Stratford Bridge & Iron Co. as it looked on Erie Street shortly before demolition c.1976.

Sources:
Chas. E. Goad Fire Insurance Plan, 1908-13. Sourced from Western University Archives.
Canadian Contract Record 1894
Contract Record 1909, 1912
J.J. Harpell, 1916
The Beacon 1905
The Herald 1898
The Municipal World 1915
Stratford-Perth Archives
Vernon Directories Limited

02/11/2024

A fascinating history of

Finally after nearly 25 years of searching, I found where the first USA LEGO sets were assembled... and it was only 25 miles (40 km) from my home!! 😯 When LEGO sales first started in the USA in late 1961, it was by the USA/Canada licensee... Samsonite Corporation. Samsonite was founded as a luggage company in 1910 in Denver Colorado USA, by 4 brothers named "Shwayder". It was one of the Samsonite executives that took one of those North Sea ferries with Godtfred Kirk Christiansen in the late 1950s that was the beginning of LEGO sales in North America. Shwayder Bros. (as the company was called until the 1965 change to "Samsonite", but already called Samsonite of Canada earlier to the north)... shows up on USA LEGO box details, and on brochures.

The first LEGO parts were produced from a Samsonite factory in late 1961 in Stratford Ontario (Canada sales started in early 1962), and shipped over to the USA across the border in Detroit to a Samsonite packaging and distribution plant. Well I had been looking for this Samsonite plant for many years, and just this past week my USA friend Joshua showed me a Samsonite shipping label that had a Detroit name/address on it, and it immediately caught my eye. The label said "Detroit", but when I Googled the address, it gave me a suburban location just downriver from Detroit called Ecorse Michigan!

So LEGO parts were produced from the very beginning (1961) in Stratford Ontario (specialty parts were imported from Denmark), and boxes of loose parts were shipped 150 miles (250 km) across the USA border to Detroit, and then 10 additional miles south to the Ecorse Michigan Samsonite suitcase plant. There the loose parts from Canada (and Denmark) were packaged into LEGO set boxes, and shipped across the USA. This arrangement continued for another 4 year, until mid 1965, when a new Samsonite LEGO plant was opened in Loveland Colorado about 40 miles (65 km) north of Denver. So mid 1965 was the first year that Samsonite LEGO was first produced in the USA. This continued until 1972, when TLG discontinued (via litigation) the license agreement with USA Samsonite for many reasons, the most important being that USA LEGO sales were underperforming. So TLG started LEGO sales and production in 1973 in Connecticut. Samsonite of Canada continued their licensing agreement with TLG until 1988, when it ended and Canadian LEGO production/packaging moved to Enfield Connecticut, under TLG.

Here are images of the Ecorse Michigan USA Samsonite packaging and distribution center, the Stratford Ontario Canada production, packaging and distribution center, and the Loveland Colorado USA production, packaging and distribution center (shown as a LEGO model). New to my digital LEGO Collectors Guide chapter on LEGO History. 😁

12/31/2023

82-84 Inverness Street in Stratford is a unique semi-detached house. It was constructed by mason and builder George Hildebrand in 1888. At the time, few semis were being constructed in Stratford but many hundreds of the ubiquitous bay-and-gable semi-detached and rowhouses were being erected in neighborhoods across Toronto.

Hildebrand was born in Germany in 1835. He emigrated to Canada with his wife Mary Christine Funk during the Franco-Prussian war in 1871. In 1873, they lived in 8 Strachan Street with their eight children. It is unclear the number of buildings he worked on in Stratford. It is known that many of George's sons followed his footsteps into the trades.

84 Inverness was first occupied by Edward McClennan. His story is common during Canada's industrial history; he moved off the family farm in Brant County, resettling in Stratford to work in the fledgling railway shops. He lived here with his wife, Mary, and daughter Bertha.

The three lived here until, sadly, Bertha died of influenza in 1892. Edward and Mary then relocated to a house at Douro and Nile. A year later, Edward died after battling a seven-month illness and was interred in Avondale Cemetery beside Bertha.

12/30/2023

Lodged deep in the vault of 2020 photos is one of 68 Douro Street. The style of this home is common to the Ontario built landscape owing to the publication of its plans in 1864 in the farming magazine, Canada Farmer. Referred to as a "suburban villa of farm house of a moderate size" it was adopted by many homeowners as a practical but presentable house.

This particular house was constructed in 1875 for Grand Trunk Railway lineman, Richard Hudson, though his stay here was brief. He'd sell to railway engineer, Robert Greenshields who did not actually live in Stratford but used it as a rental property for railway workers until the end of the 19th century. Down the street from the railway shops, it would have afforded workers a short commute by foot.

From plans published in the Canada Farmer (which have been graciously preserved on Canadiana.ca) we can understand more about this house. It is decidedly Gothic in its influence as shown by the pointed gables, finials, and millwork applied to the verandah. The protruding bay on the right would be used as a parlour to entertain guests and would be attached to a drawing room. Typically the entry would be centred but in the case of 68 Douro it is located along the left side of the house. A kitchen was most likely added to the rear. The upstairs would have been reserved for bedrooms. In 1864 dollars, a house like this was expected to cost about $1,800 to construct.

12/30/2023

Lodged deep in the vault of 2020 photos is one of 68 Douro Street. The style of this home is common to the Ontario built landscape owing to the publication of its plans in 1864 in the farming magazine, Canada Farmer. Referred to as a "suburban villa of farm house of a moderate size" it was adopted by many homeowners as a practical but presentable house.

This particular house was constructed in 1875 for Grand Trunk Railway lineman, Richard Hudson, though his stay here was brief. He'd sell to railway engineer, Robert Greenshields who did not actually live in Stratford but used it as a rental property for railway workers until the end of the 19th century. Down the street from the railway shops, it would have afforded workers a short commute by foot.

From plans published in the Canada Farmer (which have been graciously preserved on Canadiana.ca) we can understand more about this house. It is decidedly Gothic in its influence as shown by the pointed gables, finials, and millwork applied to the verandah. The protruding bay on the right would be used as a parlour to entertain guests and would be attached to a drawing room. Typically the entry would be centred but in the case of 68 Douro it is located along the left side of the house. A kitchen was most likely added to the rear. The upstairs would have been reserved for bedrooms. In 1864 dollars, a house like this was expected to cost about $1,800 to construct.

12/29/2023

This is 19 Daly Avenue, a relatively simple front gable house with well preserved details including the round headed windows with accompanying shutters, a full width front porch, and a lovely door surround with sidelights and transom window.

It was constructed in 1875 by retired farmer James Hamilton. Hamilton was an Irish immigrant born c.1816. James and Elizabeth Sarah Henry were married in 1845 and a year later Elizabeth gave birth to their first child, John Robert Hamilton. At this point, the family lived north of Toronto in Markham Township.

In 1847, they made what would have been a challenging trek from Markham to Perth County, where they settled into a log cabin on Concession 7, Lot 22 in Ellice Township. The family valued education and built a school on their property which became the first in the area. Two sons became physicians while another became a lawyer.

In the 1870s, as James Hamilton wound down his farming operations he built the houses at 25 and 29 Daly Street as rental properties before constructing this house at 19 Daly. Son John Hamilton would live down the street at 3 Daly.

James passed away in 1887. Elizabeth remained at the house until 1890.

02/14/2023

Stratford’s First General Hospital - at risk!⁣
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⁣Stratford’s first general hospital is at risk of demolition. Designed by prominent Canadian architect, George F. Durand (who also designed our Courthouse and what is now Gallery Stratford), subsequent additions were added in 1910 and 1922 to serve the community during Stratford’s population growth (📸 3). ⁣
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⁣A huge piece of Stratford’s civic fabric and heritage, it ushered in a modern era of healthcare in the community. ⁣
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⁣The Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance has put out tenders for its demolition claiming that costs are too high to reuse the building, though cited costs are disputable. HPHA president, Andrew Williams, does not have a plan for the site should demolition ensue, leading to rumours that the site will become another parking lot.⁣
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⁣I’d like to put forth a few considerations:⁣
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⁣• Restoration costs versus new construction - the cost breakdown associated with the restoration or rehabilitation of buildings is about 25% for materials and 75% for labour. ⁣
⁣-For new construction, material and labour costs balance out at about 50% each. I.e. restoration and rehabilitation has the potential for a more positive impact on the economy through wages paid to tradespeople who in turn spend money in the economy;⁣
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⁣•“The greenest building is the one that is already built” - In Canada, construction and demolition (C&D) waste accounts for anywhere from 20 to 50 % of municipal waste (or about 9 million tons of C&D waste every year), according to a study from the University of British Columbia;⁣
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⁣•Abatement to remove harmful materials like asbestos has to happen even when a building is demolished and that costs money.⁣
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⁣What about uses for the existing building?⁣
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⁣•Housing in Ontario is in short supply and many of our citizens simply need a roof over their heads;⁣
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⁣•The Baby Boomer generation is aging and already we need to consider adding more retirement and long-term care facilities;⁣
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⁣•Stratford is an innovative city. Imagine the prestige and honour of adaptively reusing Avon Crest as a state-of-the-art healthcare facility!⁣
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So, how can you help ?
1. Sign the petition and share it with your friends and family! There’s over 1,500 signatures already! (Sign here: change.org/p/save-avon-crest-stratford-1891-preserve-our-heritage-and-protect-our-environment)

2. Send a letter to Mayor Ritsma, City Council, and Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance president Andrew Williams. Save Avon Crest has prepared template letters for you! (View here: https://saveavoncrest.ca/what-you-can-do/)

3. Read my latest article to learn more! Share to friends and family. (Read here: https://stratfordtimes.com/article.php?Save-Avon-Crest-for-the-Health-of-our-Community-546)

Addendum: When I started writing about Stratford’s history, it was to shed light on our rich heritage and our cherished architecture, with the goal to reach the great citizens of this city - especially our youth who are stewards of our heritage and environment. I see no exception to that with Avon Crest hence why I am posting about it.



Photos 1-3: Stratford-Perth Archives. Colourized & annotated by me.
Photo 4: Courtesy of . Annotated by me.
Feel free to share photos (please credit original sources)

11/21/2022

As it is currently undergoing renovations, I thought I’d share a brief history of the Stratford Public Library.

11/10/2022

Stratford War Memorial and Walter S Allward - Part II⁣
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⁣Before the Vimy Memorial, Allward focused on completing the Stratford War Memorial. The Stratford memorial is a marked departure from earlier war memorials in Canada which commonly positioned a lone soldier on a pedestal. ⁣
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⁣Two bronze sculptures are mounted on a wide slab of granite flanked by two taller narrower granite slabs. The memorial is cloaked in symbolism. ⁣
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⁣One figure is the spiritual man holding a palm branch, a symbol of peace, looking upward toward the heavens while the other represents strife, as he looks downward in defeat, covering his face in disgrace and carrying a broken sword. ⁣
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⁣Right has triumphed over might. However, anguish is seen in the eyes of this figure as he looks up reminding the observer of sacrifices made. Life vanquished. An inscription reads, “They gave their lives to break the power of the sword.” ⁣
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⁣For me, I have always admired how the memorial does not glorify battle or war. It is not chauvinistic or jingoistic. It is a far cry from the bellicose and jovial nature of 1914 when boys left with a duty to prove themselves. Victory is still tragedy.⁣
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⁣Initially, the memorial listed the 345 locals who died in conflict in the First World War. To commemorate the 10th anniversary since the Second World War ended, an additional 158 names were added to the memorial and it was re-dedicated on May 8, 1955. A hundred and fifty-five of those names belonged to those killed in the Second World War. The remaining three were those who died in the Korean War. ⁣
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⁣Of note, the ranks of the fallen are not listed. There is no hierarchy, no superiority. The dead are regarded equally. ⁣
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⁣Continued below⁣
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📸1: Library and Archives Canada. Colourized.
📸2-3: my own

⁣ #1945 ⁣
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