Archives

June 2010
S M T W T F S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
27282930  

Windsor Waterfront – 1939

Up today is a panoramic photo of the Windsor Waterfront, from 1939. At the left is the old Station, to the right are the tracks…

Here’s a close up of the old CN station…

As always there are always some interesting details in these old photos…. Looks like some repairs are being made to the tracks.

Note the planking to cross the tracks… Also interesting to note the D.T. & I. railroad car. That railway was owned by Henry Ford from 1920 – 1929, and at one time the stretch from Detroit to Toledo was electrified.


View Larger Map

While the electrified line failed, to this day, some of the arches that carried the power lines are still standing, this shot above is just off of I-94 in Allen Park, MI.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Andrew

View Comments

  • How far we haven't come since then. Considering that in the early 20th century almost half of the cars were electrics and even trains. Now where are we? Less than a quarter are electric and we have electric/diesel hybrid trains.

    Hopefully we continue down this path and say good-bye to oil companies.

  • Railway stations always seem to have such beautiful lines and were built on a human scale. I'm sorry so many are gone now. And that's an interesting bit about Henry Ford. Great photos, great post. Thanks, Andrew.

  • i've got something similar but from the west side of the station. same kinda fisheye lens thing....probably the same photographer, same date i would imagine.
    do you want me to send it to you if i can find it?

  • Aaron, I'd love to see the picture if you can find it. I'm trying to find any pictures showing the old trackage of Windsor. Especially anything for the track that used to be behind Wellington Ave. went to the river, supplying several businesses, including the old Post Cereal and a lumber yard at the end of Carmon, west of the tunnel. :)

  • let me see what i got Jeff.I'm looking for some of that myself lol :)
    Got an e-mail you're willing to throw out? I would but I only have the net at work, and I can't let it out on the net.

  • The trackage shown by I-94 was originaly the Dertoit, Toledo, & Ironton railway. Henry Ford bought it in the early twenties when he was building the Rouge Plant.The railroad said they could not aford to rebiulled theirr bridge at the Rouge River, to avoid delay for his plant he bought the railroad. In 1929 he sold it to a subsity of the Pensylvania Railroad, It is now part of Canadian National.
    Mybe in its history the railroad suffered bankrupcies but not under Ford ownership.I think Ford may have been responsible fore electifying the line, not sure of that.

  • Incredible shots, and I recall the old Windsor station very well, 'til everything was shifted to the Walkerville station. But, on a scandalous, but historic note, this area and for about 8 or 10 blocks eastward on the embankment of Riverside Dr. East, (and the tracks, roundhouse, turntable, etc.) was the scene in 1947 or so, of Windsor's serial killer, dubbed "The Slasher". It was covered in detail in some issues of The Walkerville Times a few years ago.

Share
Published by
Andrew

Recent Posts

Late Update

So I see that it's been a little over 12 months since the last post…

3 months ago

2094 Willistead Cres

From the Border Cities Star - December 6, 1924, almost a century ago to the…

1 year ago

2177 Victoria Avenue

Built in 1929, the house at 2177 Victoria Avenue was originally numbered 1545 Victoria, pre…

1 year ago

Crescent Lanes – 871 Ottawa

Crescent Lanes first opened on Ottawa Street in 1944 at 1055 Ottawa Street, opposite Lanspeary…

2 years ago

1156 Ouellette – Oswald Janisse House

Above is a photo of the home of Mr & Mrs Oswald Janisse, located at…

2 years ago

White’s Restaurant & The Elbow Room – 33 Pitt Street East

in 1917 two Greek brothers Gus & Harry Lukos purchased a one story building on…

2 years ago