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…
1910? With the horse buggies out back it could be even earlier. But I am just guessing.
The picture looks like something from a French village.
A very nice clear picture.
There are some misleading elements to the pic – look closely above the left door, the bricks have fallen out. The window on the left is boarded up, there is more brick damage near the bottom under that window, the roof is a mess and the banner type sign across the top is peeling off. With the exception of the buggy, other elements in the photo may indicate a newer date- I don’t know but when did fire hydrants come into common use? The power lines also have a newer look to them. Any thoughts?
I picked 1910, it can usually go five years either way… Up to WWI horse and buggies were still common on Windsor roads despite the Ford Plant being set up in Windsor since 1904…
Man, I know I’ve seen this picture before.
…..I’ll be back.
Too bad they painted over the lettering on the bricks.
I KNEW IT!
http://heritage.windsorpubliclibrary.com/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/heritage&CISOPTR=543&CISOBOX=1&REC=13
Apparently a copy of this photo has at some point been forwarded to the Windsor Community Museum. The captions at the bottome of the photo in “subject” indicate that it was at or near Pitt and McDougall. Although, I’ve found the captions on a chunk of the stuff on the site to be inaccurate. The title is or “Hay and Feed Store”, speaks of the disrepair of the building and that that banner tells of an up coming Horse Show. It says that’s a coal hopper on the right behind the fence so this place probably ended its life as a coal distribution center. It mentions the Royal Yeast sign but only says that its on the fence, I would bet its just an advertisment.
Whatever this place was originally, and I’m thinking a side by side tennement, it was built very early in this communities beginnings.
Either way, thanks a bunch Jeanette for the photo, and thanks for posting it Andrew!
Oh….the WCM peggs this at 1900.
Thank you to all! I will tell my Mom that she truly has a wonderful piece of Windsor history.
Jeannette
Great detective work, Aaron. I knew by the end of the day it would be solved, by someone. What a great site.
Thanks John. Whenever there’s a mystery on IM it just compels me to dig and dig and dig!
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?!
Agreed, check with the Museum first. Aaron, it is an original.
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.