In the days before E.C. Row ran though the middle of the city, the Third Concession was the east-west road located along the present route. Parts of the old Third Concession still survive today as the North Service Road.
I have always wondered what the story was with the dead end section near Howard Ave. As you can see in the map above this part of the Third ended at Howard Ave.
When the Expressway was put in, the street was closed off and relegated to service road duty.
In the days prior to Union Gas, the Windsor Gas Co. occupied a huge chunk of the land north of the Third Concession. To this day Union Gas still has some pipelines on the property.
The map above makes reference to a “Concrete Bridge”. There is still a bridge over the creek, although I’m not sure if it is the same one or not. Although the bridge on the map is shown as being smaller, than the road is wide, the maps weren’t always 100% accurate. It also shows an electric rail siding going into the Gas Company. Any rail fans know anything about an electric railroad servicing the Gas Co. in the 1930s?
The main building of the Windsor Gas Co. is still standing, and is today used by Woodall Construction.
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3rd Consession of Sandwich East Township met with Howard Avenue and Marais Road at a Toll Gate. The Marais Road was an earlier French settlement road that ran roughly from Petite Cote near the Chapell house to Mero Corners at Pilette and Tecumseh (2nd Consession) via what I expect was initially a Wyandotte or Chippewa (Ojibwa) native trail following the Turkey Creek (Riviere aux dindons) bed and the large wetland area (Grand marais) that drained into the creek which is now generally filled in as they did with the old creek bed and low lands that is now Giles Blvd.
From Frederick Neal's book:
The Township of Sandwich.
Originally the limits of the municipality of the Township of Sandwich
formed a quarter circle running north and west from a given point for
a distance of twelve miles to Lake St. Clair on the one hand and the
Detroit River on the other. These two bodies of water forming the
north, northwest and western boundries the eastern being formed by
the Township of Maidstone, and the southern by the Townships of Col-
chester and Anderdon. The whole comprises a most fertile region of
over one hundred square miles in extent and advantageously situated
as regards commercial facilities and every adjunct of civilization. Thi<*
section formed the old French Parish of L'Assomption. It was con-
stituted the Township of Sandwich in carrying out the details of Lord
Dorchester's proclamation dated July 24, 1788, dividing the Province
of Quebec into districts this being a part of the district of Hesse. The
surveys, however, had been made under the old French system when
the settlement was first effected at any rate, along the water front, and
running back three or four miles towards the interior; the balance of
the township, constituting the southeast quarter, being laid out under
General Simcoe's administration, 1791.
From the original formation of a township, it remained as the Town-
ship of Sandwich until the year 1854 when Windsor was set off as an
independent municipality under a village charter. Four years later it
was incorporated as a town, and at the same time (1858) Sandwich
Town was also incorporated by special act of Parliament. Municipal
divisions continued thus till 1861 when the township was again sub-
divided ; and from a single municipality in 1854 it now comprises the
Town of Sandwich, City of Windsor, Town of Walkerville, and the
Townships of Sandwich West, Sandwich East and Sandwich South.
The Town Hall of the late Township of Sandwich was a frame house
one and a half stories high of about 40x30 feet and was situated at the
corner of Dougall Avenue and Tecumseh Road (2nd Consession) on Mr. James Dougall's
farm. This historical building was sold by auction by D. Moynahan,
the Township Clerk of Sandwich West on March 11, 1861.
A "Sedentary" Militia was established throughout the western penin-
sula, and four companies had their headquarters in Sandwich and vicin-
ity. The companies were composed of veterans who had served in 1837
and in 1812, but for nearly twenty-five years no call to arms diverted the
energies of the Essex settlers from the task of converting their fair heri-
tage into the "Garden of Canada."
The last inspection of the companies was held at Sandwich on the
twenty-fourth of May, 1856, when they paraded, with many of their num-
ber, togged out in blanket or buckskin coats, scarfs tied tightly around
the waists, and feet encased in shoepacks or moccasins. They were
reviewed by Col. Askin (the grandfather of the present County Regis-
trar) who appeared mounted, wearing the regulation blue frock coat,
sash, sword and belt and a silk hat !
The company from Sandwich was commanded by Constant Gauthier,
one of the oldest pioneers, that from Petite Cote by Maj. Semandre, who
had spiked the outlying guns before the surrender of Detroit to Brock,
and had taken a daring part in the defeat of the Americans at Turkey
Creek, in the war of 1812; the company from "The Marais" was com-
manded by Jerome Dumouchelle, but the writer is unable to ascertain
who commanded the fourth company, which came from the vicinity of
Sandwich East.
JN the original E C Row was a two lane asphalt road that ran all the way to Banwell rd in the east mostly farm land
Yes, It was called 3rd Concession.
Third concession on the west side ran east from Huron Line to Dougall, it ended at Dougall, The old road shown in pics is actually the abandoned section of Cameron between Dougall and Grand Marais Road. From Howard Ave to Walker Road was actually the old E.C. Row, which I think was renamed as a continuation of Grand Marais Rd.
What was the other road that seems to be gone now? It connects to Grand "Marias" right about where the Ivy Rose is now. It just says "HON" on what we can see of it. What is the "Steel Gasmeter" listed? It's a large circle. It looks like it still exists today and the construction company parks equipment on it.
I would also love to see pictures and more information on E.C. Row Expressway. Like when they were knocking down structures in the way, and that sort of thing. Is there any old concept drawings? Things they conceived, but didn't do? I read that it was originally intended to go from Amherstburg to Belle River.
The "gasometer" was a large cylindrical structure used for storing variable quantities of natural gas. The lower part was fixed to the base. The upper part could move inside the lower part, in effect floating on the contained gas. The upper, moveable part was guided and held in place by a set of vertical structures. The circular feature on the map is the base of the whole structure. See "gasometer" on Google for pictures.
That's pretty cool. Thanks, Stephen. I've never heard of those before.
Tony Beresford, that was one of the most interesting things I've ever read.
I often wondered along Grand Marais why there were such old farm houses (far from the town of Windsor when they were built) and still standing.
It totally makes sense, and I would have guessed the same if I did not read that info.
The further detail was also extremely interesting. The defeat at Turkey Creek is often forgotten in our County's history. And cannot be found in any footnote I've ever read, other than one (in which I forget where I read it). After the skirmish at River Canard, the Americans retreated back to Sandwich, but were pursued by Natives. They ended up catching up to them at Turkey Creek and killed 6 of them. From what I know, the bodies were hacked up and scattered everywhere with no trace remaining. This was in retaliation of the first Native killed (and ironically being scalped by the Americans).