Today’s picture comes to us from the John Stefani collection. A view from about 1908, looking west along Wyandotte Street from the intersection with Devonshire.
The building on the right is the Strathcona Building, designed by Albert Kahn and built in 1907.
The Strathcona Building is still there, but the streetcar is long gone. Unlike most of Windsor’s older urban arterial roads, there is still a touch of tree cover here. Not like there was a century ago, but a little bit all the same.
Last day of February, let’s get on with spring!
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That is a great picture. I found a copy online somewhere…maybe the library of congress. I think there’s a small dog under that ol’ car.
I really love those streetlights! Would those be gaslamps of were they electic?
A sure sign srping is on the way was the lightning and thunder we had tonight!
Thanks Andrew!
Look at all those trees.
Duncan that’s what i said !!
Wonderful stuff here from a collection that is second to none. Dutch elm disease killed a lot of the trees that we see in the photo if I’m not mistaken. Also, I believe the first school in Walkerville stood on the corner where the funeral home is now. It was later replaced by another Kahn designed building, King Edward School.
One of my favorite Windsor intersections. My mother used to work for Robert Langlois, Architect, who’s office in the Strathcona Building overlooked the intersection. Climbing the stairs to the second floor was delightful for the exquisite crunching and groaning the stairs made under your body weight. They were CARPETED the last time I got to check them out: another simple pleasure of Windsor’s varied history muted.
Relatedly, I’m gratified to see the Wyandotte St. business corridor of Old Walkerville is picking up again in commerce and restoration. A bright spot. ~:-)
I’m curious about the lack of trees. What excuse does public works or planning dept give, for not allowing elms, oaks or large trees to line the streets? Everyone likes tree-lined streets but it’s so rare to see today.
Regarding the lack of trees: Using the building on the right (Strathcona?) as a guide, it looks like the street has been widend quite a bit. Maybe to the point where there is not longer room for large trees. Just a theory.
i wonder if that building on the sw corner is the funeral parlour kind of looks like the same building
not to get off topic but the site of the ouellette fire last month is now another empty lot i hope the city doesn’t just make another parkette like thry did at maiden lane with useless chess tables that no body uses a few benchs and grass would be nice
@gary – Walter Kelly Funeral Home
I can’t really make out what is on the south west corner. Is it the original Walter Kelly Funeral Home?
On the south side was the Dr. Chas. Hoare residence, built 1907, designed by Smith, Hinchman & Grylls of Detroit.
The 1937 fire map shows it as the only building on the west half of that side of the road, with a garage to the east and a house on the corner at Kildare.
When I had to have one (then the city came around the next year and took another one) of my Horse chestnut trees taken down I asked to have another one in planted in it’s place.
I was informed the city only plants a few varieties of trees and that they don’t plant the Horse Chestnut any more. The city stated that over time they rot down the middle and could become a hazard. When I brought out proof that ALL old trees will rot down the center eventually I was still rebuffed.
When I showed them that the Bradford Pear trees they were planting only last approx. 25 years (due to large limbs breaking off in storms)I was still rebuffed.
Now we have a city full of potential damaging trees that last 25 years or we can have those ugly Locust trees that make a mess and look horrible.
Tom, I would agree with your theory, but i think there’s more to it. A simple bump-out every so often is possible in a widened street. And, like Dave states, is it having to clean up after fallen limbs, or, highlighting hazards of fallen limbs, really? There’s an agenda of some sort to preclude tree-lined streets in Windsor and I don’t know why. I see columnar trees and dwarf trees and tres of the 25ft varitey. Why not Oaks or Elms and other large trees..Is it the wires? -that can be overcome. ..
There is a better picture in the Shorpy collection. I used to live directly beside where the streetcar is at 1854 Wyandotte St E