Main Street (Hamilton, Ontario)

Main Street, looking East

Main Street is a street in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

History

Landed Banking & Loan Co. Building, Main Street East
John Sopinka Courthouse, Main Street East

Main Street was originally called Court Street, after the first courthouse that stood on it. It is now called Main Street because it formed the "main" concession line of Barton Township.[1]

On June 20, 1877, the first commercial telephone service in Canada began in Hamilton, Ontario.[2] Hugh Cossart Baker, Jr. learned of Alexander Graham Bell's invention in 1877 at the Philadelphia International Exposition and from there decided to test the communication tool in Hamilton.[3] Hugh Cossart Baker Jr. is credited with making the first telephone exchange in the British Empire from an office building (Exchange Building) at the corner of James and Main Street East which still stands there today (March 2007).[3]

In 1925, The first traffic lights in Canada went into operation at the Delta. (11 June 1925).[4]

McMaster University arrived in Hamilton in 1930 from Bloor Street in Toronto. The total student population at McMaster University is well over 27,000. Almost two-thirds of the students come from outside the immediate Hamilton region.[5]

Built in 1931, Westdale Secondary School was immediately deemed the largest composite school in the British Empire, having cost $1.3 million to build and consisting of 4.7 hectares of building, grounds and athletic fields.[6]

Landmarks

  • Crystal Palace Site
  • Wentworth County Court House Site
Convention Centre & Hamilton Place Auditorium

Note: Listing of Landmarks from West to East.

Communities

Delta Secondary School
Railway line at Main East, near Gage Avenue
Railway line at Main East, near Gage Avenue
The Delta, where King & Main Streets cross over

Note: Listing of neighbourhoods from West to East.[8]

  • Ainslie Wood
  • Westdale
  • Strathcona/ Kirkendall North
  • Central/ Durand
  • Beasley/ Corktown
  • Landsdale/ Stinson
  • Gibson/ St. Clair
  • Stipley/ Blakeley
  • Crown Point West/ Delta West
  • Crown Point East/ Delta East
  • Homeside/ Bartonville
  • Normanhurst
  • McQuesten West


References

  1. ^ Manson, Bill (2003). Footsteps In Time: Exploring Hamilton's heritage neighbourhoods. North Shore Publishing Inc. ISBN 1-896899-22-6.
  2. ^ "Chronology of the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Ontario". Retrieved 2007-03-26.
  3. ^ a b Houghton, Margaret (2003). The Hamiltonians, 100 Fascinating Lives. James Lorimer & Company Ltd., Publishers Toronto. p. 6. ISBN 1-55028-804-0.
  4. ^ Houghton, Margaret (2006). Vanished Hamilton Calendar. North Shore Publishing. ISBN 1-896899-39-0.
  5. ^ "McMaster's Economic Impact on the Hamilton Community". McMaster University. Archived from the original on 2006-11-13. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
  6. ^ "Celebrity High: Westdale Secondary Alumni" (Press release). The Hamilton Spectator. 2006-05-19. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-04-21.
  7. ^ Bailey, Thomas Melville (1981). Dictionary of Hamilton Biography (Vol I, 1791-1875). W.L. Griffin Ltd.
  8. ^ "Hamilton Neighbourhood Boundaries, (map.hamilton.ca)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
  • MapArt Golden Horseshoe Atlas - Page 646/647/648 - Grids H5, J5, J6, J7, J8, H8, H9, H10, G10, G11, G12, G13, G14, G15, G16, G17, G18, G19