Happy Friday! Today’s photo is stamped on the back with only a date March 28, 1933. A neat shot showing the Windsor Shoreline in its natural state.
Interesting to see this little restroom hut, long a favourite little building of mine.
This was neat to see… A big old house on the river hard by the bridge. Looks like the bridge gobbled up part of the lot, as the east end of the decorative path in the gardens is lopped off…
Anyone know anything about it? Westsiders? Did it make it to the 1950’s, was it pulled down for Villa Maria?
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is that all sludge in the water?
Maybe seaweed or algae? Not sure, but I don’t think it’s sludge
Could it be the last bits of ice of the season, it is dated in March and the winters used to be colder and last longer, at least thats what my grandpa said.
I don’t think the picture was actually taken in March – the trees look in full leaf.
It is so nice the little building has survived.
Andrew: You surmise correctly on the house. According to the DTE aerial collection, it was still there in ’52 but goners in ’56.
I agree, its probably a combination of aqautic vegetation and sand bars, I think the shoreline was a bit more on the natural side in the 30s, the sheetpiling and major shipping channel dredging had yet to take place (around the 1950s), the near shore was probably more like a tranquil wetland than the open waters and waves along the shore we see today –
Love the bridge photos. Had no idea the restroom hut was so old.
I notice that the pier on the east side of the bridge isn’t there in this picture. When (and why) did it turn up?
Interesting as well to see the lack of traffic on the bridge.
If you look closely at google satellite view you can still faintly see the outline of that decorative path between the building and the bridge.
I always liked to go out on that pier but its been closed for at least 10 years now, are there any plans to repair it?
If you zoom in on the yellow and black sign on the north side of Riverside Dr. you can see a pier, its a blue grey colour.
on DTE aerial, the pier wasn’t there in 1961 either, then it skips that area in 1967…..presumably because of the riots.
i’ve always enjoyed it too, and used to spend time with our Pipi on it. i specifically remember his red hat blowing off, hitting the water and slowly sinking. I would have to imagine it only a fishing pier, i can’t see it being deep enough for even a small tour boat.
I would like to think it would be fixed, but it’s probably deemed a damn security risk now a days.
Andrew, I had read in some city report regarding developing the riverfront. It said something about replacing the bathroom! can’t it just be rehabed?!
I believe the “pier” is the outfall from a storm sewer.
I believe the house in the picture is the house that my father lived in for a few years as a child. I think the house was orginally owned by John Sale, a lawyer, who traded the house to Dr. Charles Devendorf. Dr. Devendorf was the founder of Children’s Hospital in Detroit. I have a picture of my father standing on the steps of the house before walking to school. I remember my father saying that there was a gardner for the grounds, that he climbed on the bridge structures during construction, “speak easies” (not sure of spelling) still operating in the area after prohibition, and the third floor of the house being like a ballroom. My father told me that the house was sold to the Catholic church in the area and torn down by the church.
Also, is it possible to get a copy of this picture.
Joe is correct. The “pier” is the outfall of a storm drain. Quite a large one at that, being just shy of nine feet square. It runs along under Huron Church for a fair bit. It is out on the pier like structure to take advantage of the flow of the river to help draw the water from the drain.