Happy Friday once again everyone! Today’s photo is dated July 11, 1930 and features a good look along Windsor’s waterfront.
I’m not sure what event this was used to illustrate, but with early “photoshop” techniques, they’ve circled the old train station, and also highlighted with the arrow, the location of the City Hall. It would have been a stroll though a densely packed urban area, a much different Windsor than one would see today if they took the same route…
Interesting to note as it was still 6 months away from opening, the Windsor-Detroit tunnel plaza is still far from complete…
One of the parts of the photo that grabbed my eye, was this stretch of Pitt St. West. and the two 3 story buildings side by side. Those two buildings were both fine looking structures, and today are parking lots.
This photo truly shows what downtown Windsor once was, and how much has been lost. In 80 years, we’ve gone from a dense urban area, to an area devoid of a cohesive feel, and devoid of the life that many vibrant urban areas have.
Hopefully the election in a few weeks puts in some people with foresight and initiative into office….
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Also, don’t forget the pre-sale for the 2011 IM.com calendar
Click the cover above ^^^ or on the icon on the sidebar —->; to go to the store to purchase your copy via paypal visa/master card etc… No account nessecary.
If you would rather pay by cash/cheque, email me for instructions on how to pay by an alternate method.
Pre-sale orders close in 3 weeks.
Don’t miss out on this chance for a great and unique gift for someone who’s a history fan or as an early Christmas present for yourself!
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wow! hard to believe we actually had a city back then. even industry. wierd.
I just drove by St. Anthony of Paduo (sp?) church at Parent and Shepherd - It's got demolition fences around it. Looks like you were right about it, it'll be coming down.
One of the three story buildings on Pitt St. housed the Windsor Recreation Centre. There were bowling alleys on the upper floor, with pinboys re-setting the pins. The basement held a pool hall (billiard parlor to those of a more genteel persuasion), right out of a late '40s film noir, all dark and sinister, with brass spittoons by every table. Used to transfer buses downtown on my way home from Assumption High back in the mid '60s. A bunch of us would often go down there for a game of snooker or two, soaking in the atmosphere. The whole setup survived into the seventies. Pitt St and downtown was full of hustle and bustle. Very depressing going down there now.
Love how everything north of Tecumseh is basically semi-rural. Also interesting is how you can identify the older residential streets based on the size of the treetops.
Would be neat to see a high res version of this picture.
W-I-E - The bigger of the two was the Windsor Recreation Centre I believe. I think I've come across ad's for it in old newspapers, and I seem to recall it being a fairly large building.
WOW...DOWNTOWN WINDSOR USED TO BE SO CUTE...THE BUILDIGS WERE SO COLORFUL AND DETAILED...THANK GOD WE RIPPED THEM ALL DOWN TO BUILD UGLY BORING BUILDING THAT HAVE NO CHARACTER WHAT SO EVER!!!...THIS IS WHY I HATE PROGRESSION...NO THOUGHT GOES INTO THE ESTHEIC BEAUTY OF A BUILDING ANYMORE...ITS JUST ALL FUNCTION...
WHEN WILL SOMEONE PERFECT TIME TRAVELING? IT WOULD BE SO NEAT TO GO BACK AND LOOK!
I too am a "Windsorite in exile"...left in 1974. In the 50's I set pins at thw Windsor Recreation Bowling alley on Pitt...we were paid 5cents a game for 5-pin and 8 cents for 10-pin. If you set for a league on a Sunday PM (two teams of 5 players each playing 3 games) you could earn $2.40 in about three hours. This was alot of money when you were 13 years old in 1957. Played a little pool (billiards)downstairs on my transfer from Assumption High.Thanks for the memories!!
Looking further out, you can see the racetrack that is on the site where Kennedy sits, you can see that Ouellette pretty much ends at Tecumseh ( just a little past). You can see the beautiful homes where the old Greyhound bus station was. Wow. The buildings N of the drive where the ferry docks were.