Today’s entry comes as a suggestion from long time reader Barbara, who told me that she often drives down University on her way to work, and has always noticed these two older houses on California, just south of University. The one on the east side of the road has recently had the windows on the lower floor boarded up.
Hopefully it isn’t destined for life as a parking lot, but given its proximity to the University, and the U’s love of surface lots, it’s probably likely. I don’t have much information about them. From looking at them, I would guess this one to be from around 1900. The 1923 directory lists two tenants:
Jas. Cassidy was listed as a watchman with the Michigan Central Railroad.
Chas. Cassidy was listed as a mechanic working at the Ford Motor Company.
Not sure if they were father and son or two brothers…
Across the street on the west side is this house. This would I would guesstimate to a little older, probably dating from around 1890 or so.
The 1923 directory lists Malcolm Dunlop, no job given, as being the tenant here.
A little glimpse back into old Sandwich, hopefully they don’t end up as black top.
Thanks for pointing them out Barbara.
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A month back, I was sitting in the Subway across the street (University), two ambulances pulled up to the second house you have listed, went inside, did their thing, came out and left. Then two police cars came, a cruiser and a supervisor's SUV, followed by an undertaker service vehicle.
Possibly an elderly tenant of this place had passed away, which unfortunately may mean that this house will be pulled to fit the bill of, as you suggested, another University parking lot (or perhaps parking garage).
I know I've seen other houses in Windsor that look exactly like the one in picture 3. Is this a house kit like those Sears house kits in the 1930s? Is it because it was built by the same builder who used the same architect drawings? If so, I think it'd be interesting to know who the builder was and what happened to them. Anyone?
I lived in a house just like the second one in Kingsville years ago and they are all over the county. David might be on to something!
You can imagine Jas. Cassidy's commute, up and over the Bridge just after it opened and over to the Michigan Central Terminal. Did he drive? Was there a bus? I think he must have walked from the bridge, through Detroit at Zenith.
Shawn - he could have worked on the Windsor side. The rail tunnel was owned by the MCR at the time. The Michigan Central Station in Windsor was around Tecumseh & Wellington area.
http://internationalmetropolis.com/?p=87
The first house pictured has been falling into disrepair for at least 15 years (or more). I recall a renovation around the early 90s, but it was never completed and it never appeared that there was anyone actually living in the house. I could be wrong about this, but to all appearances that first house has been vacant for a long time.
The Michigan Central had a HUGE presence in Windsor in those days, both passenger and freight service. What is now the CN Van De Water Yard is what's left of the Michigan Central Windsor yard, but that yard used to sprawl just as much on the east side of Dougall Rd. as well. In where the Roundhouse Center is was once all rail yards, and employed many people in this city. The old Roundhouse wasn't torn down until the 1980s to make way for the shopping plaza (which was about 70% vacant last time I was there).
The old Michican Central rail yards and maintenance facilities in Windsor might make a great topic for I.M. :) It's nice that at least a portion of it remains in operation by CN, but it's a small shadow of what once was.
Walked by that first house daily when I was going to school and had a gf in that neighborhood.
Ah, MCR was in Windsor. I recall when the station burned in '96. Thanks.
WFW, Andrew -- why is the CN yard called "Van De Water"? Don't recall that name coming up before.
Van De Water Yard is named after a high ranking official with CN at the time when they purchased the old Canada Southern rail line from Conrail. George Van De Water was apparently the person who orchestrated the deal, and the yard was later named after him