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August 2011
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Today’s picture is a reader submission, from a reader named Jeannette, who came across this photo at her mother’s house.

The sign on the fence reads “Royal Yeast Cakes”, but I’m not sure if it was a sign or merely advertising. Her mother who is in her 80’s thought the building may have been from her old neighbourhood where she grew up around the Cadillac/Wyandotte area.

Through the magic of Google, it would appear that Royal Yeast Cakes were produced by the Gilette Corporation, likely not made here.

If it looks familiar to anyone, or any detectives out there, I would love to hear your thoughts, I would guess about 1910 for a date on this…

Andrew

View Comments

  • Now here comes a question....if my Mom decided to donate the photo, where would I bring it?

  • Is this an original photograph, Jeanette? Did prehaps your Grandpa of Grandma take this photo? Maybe someone in your family used to be a photographer for the Border Cities Star at some point! That's how I would suspect the WCM got a hold of a copy, if you have the original. Either way, I would suggest the Windsor Community Museum, located here on the north side of Pitt St between Ferry and Dougall:

    http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=8717+riverside+drive+windsor+ont&hl=en&ll=42.318209,-83.042715&spn=0,0.005659&z=18&layer=c&cbll=42.318244,-83.042564&panoid=kUHYF-_InhRyuNzvmx_3zg&cbp=12,26.3,,0,-0.09

    Even though their website is where I found the image, they may not actually have the original. I would bring it to them anyways, since they'll know what to do with it. Or the Main Library on Ouellette. Someone there may be able to take it off your hands.

    Thanks again, Jeanette! Has she got any other facinating photographs of our fair city?!

  • Hi
    Our copy of this image at the museum is also an original.
    I was just asked to do research on this for someone last week!!
    We would be happy to work with anyone to preserve images and find appropriate homes for them.
    Heather Colautti
    Registrar, Windsor's Community Museum

  • Style of the building looks approx. 1820, French design, and looks to be a middle class dwelling (for the 1800s). I like it, there are virtually no more of these buildings in Essex county.

  • It's also a one and a half story house much like Laura Secords in Queenston Ontario. Government taxed you for a two floor dwelling back then, so this was merely considered a one floor. The upstairs has low ceilings to keep the heat downwards and close to your bed in the winter. It would also have had four fireplaces. Two on the main floor for wood burning, and two upstairs for hot coals.

  • The Jews of Windsor, 1790-1990: a historical chronicle
    By Jonathan V. Plaut (p.65) describes this building as the Louis Kaplan Feed Store and Coal Yard (n.d.). The book is searchable on Google Books.

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