A view here looking north towards the Detroit River along Ouellette from just south of today’s Riverside Drive. It’s always great to look at an image, from less than a century ago, of a pretty major intersection, and there not one single thing still standing.
There were some pretty impressive structures downtown at one time. I’ve always been a fan of the building on the north west corner. Built as the Merchant’s Bank, it later became the Ritz Hotel & Bar, before being demolished for Dieppe Park in the late 1950’s. Tough sometimes to even believe this is the same city.
Have a great weekend everyone, see you back here Monday!
The façade from the bank on the southwest corner was dismantled and stored by the city to be preserved for future use. I’ve heard nothing about plans for using it in many years. I wonder what’s up with it? I know of an outside storage yard long unused by the city which contains building stones being taken away by locals.
I think the only thing left standing, in this picture is the two story building you can see the corner of, on the extreme right. The one with the “Cigars and Tobaccos” sign. I believe that’s the Loose Goose, today.
Always appreciate seeing pictures of the British American hotel which was owned by my great-grandfather, E.E. Ingram, around that time. My grandmother worked there and ended up marrying the boss’s son Eddie Ingram.
This corner was quite a major transportation junction. The ferries of the Detroit & Windsor Ferry Company crossed to Detroit as you can see ahead at the foot of Ouellette (Ferry Hill). The streetcars of the Sandwich, Windsor, and Amherstburg Railway Company on Ouellette Ave. travelling north-south met those going east-west. Also, to the right off the photo past the British American Hotel was the Grand Trunk Railway station where the Spirit of Windsor now sits.