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Evocative Images of Lost Toronto

Except that photo is probably from the 30s or 40s, so I don't see how they could have been at the Hippodrome in 1915. Maybe the original de Leon sisters retired and these ladies inherited the business.
 
Pictured below is the south-west corner of Francis and Commercial in 1918 (now St. James Park). The building on the corner was 14 Francis. In her book on E. J. Lennox, Marilyn M. Litvak writes that Lennox’s father ran a hotel on Francis Street “for about 20 years.†The 1856 directory (which, as JT would remind us, is based on data gathered in 1855) lists a “Lennox, Edward, Crown Inn†on the west side of Francis. The 1861 directory further identifies the Crown Inn as 14 Francis. This has got me wondering if the building pictured below was the childhood home, and maybe even the birthplace, of E. J. Lennox.

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1856:

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1861:

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Yikes. This is the first time I've seen a photo of Oak Hall. No Mean City shows a render that is much cleaner and simpler and writes "Only a very modern, progressive firm would build such a building."

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wwwebster, your Oak Hall post has inspired me to hunt up some new pics of King East from some newly digitized photos on the TPL website:

The old Jail and Courthouse on the north side of King between Toronto and Church Streets, 1835:

jrr262.jpg


Court House 1835:

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John Howard's never-built proposal for a new Guildhall, integrating the two buildings, 1834:

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Court House (1827-1853), King St. E., n.w. cor. Church St., showing s. side exposed during construction of Toronto Railway Chambers (1898):

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The First St. James' Church (1807-1818), Toronto, in 1816 (drawing from 1910):

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The next St. James:

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St. James' Anglican Church (1833-1849), King St. E., n.e. corner Church St.; aftermath of fire of 7 April 1849:

pictures-r-6715.jpg


The "new" St. James:

1867, photograph by Octavius Thompson:

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1874:

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Hughes & Co., 'Golden Griffin', King St. E., n. side, w. of Market St. (1872):

pictures-r-5963.jpg


St. Lawrence Hall (Photographed by ARMSTRONG, BEERE & HIME, Toronto. 1859):

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SE corner of King and Jarvis, 1890:

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The King Edward Hotel 1925:

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Chester Hill Road Look Out

OK. For some reason, it looks familiar. I lived three blocks from there on Thorncliffe Ave, from 1969 to 1977. Actually, if anybody has any pictures of what we called the "Lookout", I'd love to see that. It's the municipal "ending" of Chester Hill Road. It has a concrete & aluminum fence that stops on the hill right above the DVP. That view was my train set as a child. You can spend hours there just watching what's going on..."

Hi, new here. I just love reading this stuff! Thank you!

I have just moved into this area from Riverdale and been digging into various aspects of what used to be Chester, Todmorden, etc.

Can anybody help with a few questions please:

The lookout on Chester Hill Road: When was it actually built as a lookout? There's a stone wall there and a plaque but it's too worn to read. Also, does anybody have an idea when that astrology circle was painted on the asphalt?

Royal Drive: In doing some research on the Queen's first visit -- as a princess in Oct. 1951 -- she and Philip did an extended tour of the city via automobile. One of their stops was Riverdale Park (I found an old NFB film) and then they left via "Royal Drive." My best guess is that Royal Drive was the eastern end of Winchester which used to cross the valley and is now the on-ramp just west of Broadview to the DVP north. Can anybody confirm that? Or do I have it wrong?

Pottery Road: I recently encountered an older gentleman who grew up on Browning. He recalls Pottery Road as "Pothole Road" and claims that the "Queen's Cavalcade" rode on it in 1951. I can find no record of that. I am wondering if his memory is really of Royal Drive -- although I don't doubt his memories of cycling along Pottery Road. He does not recall it being moved south to where it is currently located at the end of Mortimer. However, another person, around 60, who grew up on Mortimer confirmed that it was moved and recalls playing in the abandoned Bellehaven Mansion. He also remembers the old Broadview Hotel surounded by a fence, as well as a blacksmith on the site of the current Sobey's.

For those who are interested, here's a link to that NFB film: http://www.nfb.ca/film/royal_journey The Riverdale Park sequence is at the 15 minute mark or so.
 
Thank you

Thanks. I may have "misquoted" him. He's going to give me a walking tour of the area and share his memories, and he has plenty. Going to movies at Pape and Danforth etc.
 
Royal Drive: In doing some research on the Queen's first visit -- as a princess in Oct. 1951 -- she and Philip did an extended tour of the city via automobile. One of their stops was Riverdale Park (I found an old NFB film) and then they left via "Royal Drive." My best guess is that Royal Drive was the eastern end of Winchester which used to cross the valley and is now the on-ramp just west of Broadview to the DVP north. Can anybody confirm that? Or do I have it wrong?

For those who are interested, here's a link to that NFB film: http://www.nfb.ca/film/royal_journey The Riverdale Park sequence is at the 15 minute mark or so.

It looks like you have it right - these are from the Toronto Star from Oct 5th 1951

RoyalParadeRoute.jpg

RoyalRoute.jpg
 
Great find

Cool maps!

I need to solve that Pottery Road mystery though. Although my guess is that the gentleman's memory is not the best and he mistook it for Royal Drive.
 

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