John Street (Hamilton, Ontario)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Street, is a street in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Originally it was known as Mountain Road or Ancaster Road. It starts off at the base of Arkledun Avenue, a Mountain-access road in the city, just east of St.Joseph's Hospital where it's a one-way street going north and tunnels underneath the Hunter Street Railway bridge and continues onward down to the waterfront and ends at Guise Street East, the site of Pier 9.
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[edit] History
Talk of creating a townsite at what is now the intersection of John and Main streets arose as early as 1809, but the war delayed the scheme until 1816 when George Hamilton and Nathaniel Hughson successfully promoted Hamilton as the judicial centre for the counties of Halton and Wentworth (the Gore District). [1]
When the Town of Hamilton was incorporated in 1833, one of the first orders of business was to find a suitable place for the town board to meet. For the first few years they made do with meeting in local taverns such as Thomas Wilson's Inn on the corner of John and Jackson Streets. [2]
John Street is also one of the original native pathways in the area. In 1837, the police commission officially named it John Street - a name originally chosen by George Hamilton (City founder), apparently in honour of a family of early settlers. [3]
The Sir John A. MacDonald Statue at Gore Park arrived in Hamilton from London, England on 30 October, 1893. Official dedication of the statue took place 1 November, 1893. Originally, the statue was located at the intersection of King and Hughson Streets and pointed West. Prime Minister Sir John Thompson was in attendance. [4] Alexander Aitchison, a local Hamilton Fire Chief, died of injuries he sustained from crashing into the base of the statue with his horse and buggy and because of it, the statue was then relocated to Gore Park near King and John Streets only this time the statue instead of pointing West, now points East. [5]
Ronnie Hawkins came to Canada in 1958. His first gig was at the Golden Rail in Hamilton near the corner of King and John Streets where he became an overnight success. It was a result of Hawkins success in Hamilton that he decided to move to Canada permanently. His career spans over five decades and 25 records. His hits include, “Forty Days”, “Mary Lou”, and “Hey Bo Diddley”. [6]
[edit] Landmarks
- Pier 9
- Hamilton Waterfront Trail
- McLaren Park
- Hamilton Central Fire Department
- Sir John A. MacDonald statue (Gore Park) Statue info. at myhamilton.ca
- Gore Park
- Connaught Block (Royal Connaught Hotel/ Holiday Inn)
- John Sopinka Courthouse
- United Empire Loyalists statue (in front of the Hamilton Courthouse) Statue info. at myhamilton.ca
- The Hamilton Courthouse
- Oakland Square (shopping plaza)
- Olympia Apartments, just east of John Street South on Charlton Avenue East (Hamilton's 3rd-tallest building)
- St. Joseph's Hospital
[edit] Communities
- North End - Everything north of the Canadian National Railway tracks
- Beasley
- Corktown
[edit] Major roads that cross John Street
- Burlington Street
- Barton Street East
- Cannon Street East - One way street (Westbound only)
- Wilson Street - One way street (Eastbound Only)
- King William Street - One way street (Eastbound Only)
- King Street East - One way street (Westbound Only)
- Main Street East - One way street (Eastbound Only)
- Jackson Street East
- Hunter Street East - One way street (Westbound Only)
- Charlton Avenue East - One way street (Westbound Only)
[edit] Roads that are parallel with John Street
- Queen Street, North, South
- Hess Street, North, South
- Bay Street, North, South
- MacNab Street, North, South
- James Street, North, South
- Hughson Street, North, South
- John Street, North, South
- Catharine Street, North, South
- Ferguson Avenue, North, South
- Wellington Street, North, South
- Victoria Avenue, North, South
- Wentworth Street, North, South
- Sherman Avenue, North, South
[edit] References
- ^ Bailey, Thomas Melville (1981). Dictionary of Hamilton Biography (Vol I, 1791-1875). W.L. Griffin Ltd.
- ^ City Hall town meetings at local Taverns- 1833. Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
- ^ Houghton, Margaret (2002). Hamilton Street Names: An Illustrated Guide. James Lorimer & Co. Ltd..
- ^ Sir John A. MacDonald statue- 1893. Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
- ^ Houghton, Margaret (2003). The Hamiltonians, 100 Fascinating Lives. James Lorimer & Company Ltd., Publishers Toronto. ISBN 1-55028-804-0.
- ^ The Hamilton Spectator- Souvenir Edition page MP43 (Saturday June 10, 2006). The Hamilton Memory Project;. Press release. Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
- Downtown Hamilton
- MapArt Golden Horseshoe Atlas - Page 647 - Grids E12, F12, G12, H12
- Google Maps: John Street (Hybrid)
| Roads in Hamilton, Ontario | ||
|---|---|---|
| Lower City Arteries (Primary Roads): | Bay • Burlington • Cootes • Dundurn • James • John • Queen • Victoria • Wellington • Wentworth |
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| Lower City Collectors (Secondary): | Catharine • Ferguson • Hess • Hughson • Locke • MacNab | |
| Municipal Expressways: | The Linc • Red Hill Valley | |
| Provincial Highways: | 2 • 5 • 6 (By-Pass) • 8 • Chedoke Parkway • QEW | |
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