The photos on today’s post were actually taken back in February 2005, but I noticed earlier this summer, and meant to post about it sooner than today, but the old neon sign is gone.
Any westsiders out there know anything about it? When was it removed?
The sign was a long time fixture on the streetscape and it looks bare without it (sorry I didn’t get a current photo). The building housing the store is listed on the Municipal Register (the Inventory of Historic Properties), and it states the building was built c. 1880.
i recently came across a postcard on the net of the post office and i know “the mill” is in it and so is wally’s. it’s pretty old seeing as the roads a dirt and there’s an ancient streetcar in the pic. seems like there’s always been a gap between wally’s and the mill.
i’ll send it to you right now seeing as you’re awake!
Cool little shop, i’ve been in a couple times.
Maybe it was taken down for safety reasons? Old signs can be in rough shape and a liability. I have quite a few very old memories of going there in the early 70s for fishing bait.
It would be great to see the sign restored and re-installed. The vibe that those old neon signs give off is great.
This is from my neighbour Jerry..we live in the west end and he took a picture today…if the gentleman wants the pic let me know and I’ll send it along…below is what a gentleman said today about Wallys’ Baits’
I talked to Bill Renauld,he’s involved with the Sandwich Towne Committee ,he says ” the sign was taken down for fixing ,It was in front and someone stole It for scrap ” Bill says Wally is not Heritage minded-So there you go.
figures….
thanks for the info Dale.
on a Sandwich side note: i noticed about two days ago…maybe three, there was a demo of an ancient and delapitated looking old house on Sandwich. it was 7 houses south of chippawa on the west side of the street. the home to it’s right is a 1 1/2 storey home with what looks like cinder block on the bottom and white siding on the top. 2 to the right from that is a burnt out apartment building. i’m surprised the building was the fire target and not this thing that got demo’ed. it was leaning in on itself, all covered in that maroon coloured faux brick siding stuff.
really nothing much lost, but i’m sure it had some stories to tell as it looked to be the better part, if not more, of a century in age.
all that’s there now is a building eater and a shallow muddy depression in the ground.
RE: Wally’s Baits on Sandwich Street in Windsor. For you Sandwich Street history buffs, the original owner of Wally’s Baits was Wladyslaw (Walter) Grabish or ‘Wally’ as he was best known. Wladyslaw GRABISH(aka Grabarz) was born on July 09, 1919 in Trembowla, Poland. He immigrated to Canada via Halifax on May 29, 1924. He sold the business sometime in the 70’s or 80’s. He was married in 1942 (divorced in the 1960’s) and had three children. He died in Windsor on May 02, 1991.