War Surplus

I went in the cellar and found my box of old Popular Mechanics magazine and picked this november 1948 magazine with the B-29 boimber on the cover and page 344 showing an add with all the war surplus items. Imagine an Air Corps fleeced lined jacket for 7.95, it's sickening. I bought a box full of these old magazines in a garage sale about 10 years ago. It's a real gold mine which must surely have a certain interesting value.

Guy

<a href="http://shgverdun.multiply.com/photos/album/85/Popular-Mechanics-Magazine-November-1948#2"><img border="0" src="http://multiply.com/mu/shgverdun/image/1/photos/85/500x500/2/img602.jpg?et=M6z3I8jQoqezkUeCUVkIwg&nmid=571625676"></a>

 

The Premiers-Maurice Duplessis - Québec

Just who  was Maurice Duplessis

The History of Life in the Fifties. The Youth

 Hope you enjoy this   trip down memory lane.   Pauline

CBC - The History of CBC 6 (Montreal based TV Station)

Montreal Amateur Athletic Bicycle Club, 1885

I brought back some goodies from Verdun yesterday as I was on duty at the SHGV.

Here is a Notman photo dated 1885 of the Montreal
Amateur Athletic Bicycle Club.

Guy

Archives de la Ville de Montréal

Madona

I mentioned this before but Madona said during a visit to Montreal in 1987 that she had roots in Québec from ancestors on her mother's side.

She is a direct descendant of Julien Fortin who sailed to Nouvelle France (Canada) in 1650 and an ancestor then moved to Michigan.

Perhaps her complete genealogy will turn up some day.

What this I hear about the rumour regarding Multiply ?

Guy 

 

Wellington Bridge and CN Rail Tracks Circa 1943

Here is another photo of the Wellington bridge and the CN rail that cross the Lachine Canal. These photos are from a booklet published by the National Historic site of Canada, entitled LACHINE CANAL and goes back a few years and which I borrowed from our archives (SHGV).

I believe that the horizontal steel structure two thirds up on the right are the train rails in the up position to allow the boat to pass. The one on the left which is not seen is in the down positon. And of course the two cabins on the top house the men who operate the bridge. I believe the whole structure is still there today. The bridge would be in the open position permanentaly and the CN train tracks are still in use today

I have several other photos from the same booklet which I will post piece'meal to allow us to better digest and appreciate our Montreal landmarks.

Guy

CN-Harbour and CN-Wellington bridges, circa 1943, National Archives of Canada (PA202868)

Archives SHGV

 

Atwater Bridge 1920 -1925

This photo of the Atwater Bridge dated 1925 should bring back memories for those such as myself who had to go to work and  wait 15. 20 minutes or more for the bridge to reopen. I still remember hearing the boat whistle from my home on Galt avenue each time a boat went by.

Guy

Archives SHGV

Petroglyph in LaSalle

Pierre has been working on the petroglyph wich he discovered in 2005 on a rock near the old LaSalle dam on the waterfront. We are keeping this site a secret otherwise it could get the visit from vandals.

Pierre is a member of our society (SHGV) and was at the society saturday and we had a long talk on the subject. Despite his efforts to get the governments involved, he has not as yet found someone who could get things going. However, with Pierre's persistence, it is hoped that goverment funds will be available to unravel the mistery.

Pierre has already posted theses photos and as you can see he is zeroing in on the mistery of the petroglyph. Apparently the sign is commonly used in jewelry and is basically 4 leaves with an intertwined circle.

The subject is fascinating and has caught the attention of many people.

Guy

Petroglyph

Wanting to know more about the petroglyph, I made these drawings showing it's structure which is basically made of 2 parts, a 4 leaf and a circle entertwined in and out like a basket, This will help us identify any discoveries we may make in the future. I have a strong feeling that it is an irish design. One of our members (SHGV) suggested that it may have been carved by some irish laborer who worked at the hydro dam nearby at the end of the 19th century.

Guy

Petroglyph Found Near the Former LaSalle Hydro Dam

An insignia has been discovered engraved on a stone (Petroglyph) on the shoreline near the old Hydro dam in LaSalle by one of our members (SHGV) who consulted us for help to try and discover who where the authors. The engraving seems to be very old and speculations are that they where engraved either by the indians, the vikings, the first colonizers, the irish settlers etc. Was the stone transported there by the excavators is one of the ideas that came up. The design of the engraving is the key to the mystery.

Help was requested from the Provincial Government and an expert from Quebec city visited the site and was supposed to get back to our member but has not received any reply yet.

We have found this subject very interesting and we are mobilizing our efforts to try and solve the mystery.

I thought I would request help from MVC members so if any of you out there have any idea of the origins of this engraving, your help would be appreciated.

Guy

 

 

First Gasoline Driven Auto in the World

 

The Benz Motorwagen is the first gasoline driven auto built in 1886 in Germany. I have added this photo to my album no. 33 where you will find other interesting antique autos. You will also find the first steam engine auto built in Canada, bult by Henry Seth Taylor in Stanstead Qc in 1867. There is also the first steam auto built in the world by Nicolas Joseph Cugnot, a french military engineer, between 1669 and 1771 which still exhists today in the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris. You will also find the first auto to be licensed in Quebec in Montreal by Ucal Henry Dandurand (Album no. 45) who also was owner of the Queen's Park velodrome in Verdun (Album no. 31) wich hosted the "World's Meet 1899" International bicycle races. Dandurand had a summer house on LaSalle boulevard and commuted between Montreal and Verdun.

I think autos interests everyone and I try to limit myself as the subtect is limitless.

Guy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Last Irishman - Leo Leonard - Griffintown

This is the french version of the article that appeared on November 17th 2008 in the Montreal Mirror.

I translated this article for our revue "Les Argoulets" in automn 2008. Perhaps the Mirror article is still available on line.

Guy

Électric Trans to Rawdon in 1924

How many people are aware that there where électri trains going to Rawdon as early as 1924. I didn't until I came apon this information from our archives (SHGV).

Guy

Airport in LaSalle

I am continuing my research on the little known airport in LaSalle where Buzz Beurling had his beginning in aviation in the 30s. I found the following aircraft company in the 1930-31 Lovell directory:

Dominion Aircraft Co. Ltd,

7900 Blvd LaSalle,

F G M Sparks mgr

The street address seems to be where the golf course was situated facing or near the dam. I am slowly unraveling the mysteries on the airport and any help members can give me would be greatly appreciated. If we could find some photos of aircraft parked in or in front of the hangar and aircraft landing and leaving the airstrip would be the holy grail but a map showing the airstrip would also be quite a discovery. I previously went through all the Guardians (1929-1967) in our archives and never saw any mention of an airport in LaSalle. 

Yesterday I met a Mr Harry Carlyle who is 91 years old and lives in Verdun since he was 4 years old. wich means he arrived from England in 1924 but he does not recall any airport in the vicinity. He lives on Leclair street in Crawford Park and remembers going to the Bannantyne school and was in the army in the 2nd WW. He was an officer with 2 stripes and remembers hitting a soldier who would not obey orders wich he was not supposed to do. He grew vegetables on his property and used to sell them at the Atwater market and of course he remembers the farms with cows. His wife died 4 years ago and lives alone in his home He gave me his phone number and we agreed to keep in contact.

Guy

Airport in LaSalle

I have asked Denis Gravel, LaSalle historian about the LaSalle airport and he confirms that there was such an airport on the land and prior to the golf course in the beginning of the 30s. There is an old map somewhere showing the airport and Denis will send it to me when he finds it. As far as some photos are concerned, these may be harder to find but hopefully some will turn up sooner or later. Denis also says that a LaSalle citizen told him that light aircraft  used this airport.

This is a new and interesting subject and I hope we can discover more information on this airport where Buzz Beurling started his interest in aircraft. Buzz died at age 26 in 1948 therefore he was born in 1922 and he must have been very young when he started flying.

Guy 

A Royal Love Story

While you are waiting to watch the wedding of Kate and William you can get a taste of Royalty with the courtship of William's Grandmother and Grandfather Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

104 Year Old San Francisco Film prior to the earthquake

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=NINOxRxze9k

THIS IS REALLY UNBELIEVABLE!  NO TRAFFIC LIGHTS, NO

RULES.

 

This is a fascinating movie. A camera was mounted on the front of a street car in San Francisco 104 years ago (1906).  Perhaps

the oldest "home movie" that you will ever see!   Look at the hats the ladies were wearing and the long dresses.  

Some of the cars had the steering wheels on the right side.  I wonder when they standardized on the left? 

Sure were still a lot of horse drawn vehicles in use.    Mass transit looked like the way to get around.  Looks like everybody had the right of way.

 

Watch the beginning carefully. At the 33 second mark and immediately after an oncoming trolley clears the screen, a well dressed

policeman walks across the street from left to right.  Notice his right hand that he's carrying a truncheon (26 inch police baton) and

although he appears walking his beat, he looks ready to use it. Imagine the police of today walking down the street carrying a 26 inch

club in their hand...??? also notice every man is wearing a suit

 

This film was "lost" for many years.  It was the first 35mm film ever.  It was taken by camera mounted on the front of a cable

car.  The number of automobiles is staggering for 1906. The clock tower at the end of Market Street at the Embarcadero wharf is still there.

How many "street cleaning" people were employed to pick up after the horses?  Talk about going green!

 

This  film was originally thought to be from 1905 until David Kiehn with the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum figured out

exactly when it was shot.  From New York trade papers announcing the film showing to the wet streets from recent heavy rainfall & shadows

indicating time of year & actual weather and conditions on historical record, even when the cars were registered (he even knows who owned them

and when the plates were issued!).  It was filmed only four days before the Great California Earthquake of April  18th 1906 and

shipped by train to NY for processing.

   http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=NINOxRxze9k

   Enjoy!

Get a load of this fascinating 104 year old film of San Francisco just prior to the earthquake.

Guy

First Steps of the Automobile

Here is my translation of the text on the bottom of this april 1st 1899 La Patrie article:

     THE AUTOMIBILE OF THE FUTURE - DRIVERS LEARNING THEIR TRADE

"The automobile has made considerable progress in France in the last 2 years. The gasoline driven automobile has no more vibrations and do not make any noise. We do not believe that the electricity will replace the gasolline to power the motor in the near future: an automobile with a gasoline engine can travel a long distance, while an electic driven automobile can only travel 60 to 80 kilometers without recharging. A machine activated by a mineral fuel can travel 1000 kilometers. However, it is hoped that progress and development of electricity will permit the automobile owner an extraordinary performance. The automobile manufacturers have more orders than they can supply. According to the new regulations of the state council, the speed cannot surpass 16 kilometers per hour, The inspectors will have autotricycles."

It is interesting to note that the debate was already on concerning gasoline versus electricity and that the speed limit was 16 km per hour and motorcycles where called autotricycles in 1899. I have added the photo in my Album no. 33 with other antique cars.

Guy

 

 

Ferries

The stagecoach had a close connection with the ferry and navigation as the river was also part of the method of transporatation in the 19th and early 20th century as is illustrated in the top 1910 photo of the "Richelieu" ferry unloading the farmers at Quai La Tortue (Torchy Wharf) in Laprairie returning from the markets in Montreal.The lower undated photo probably from the 30s is the "St Louis" ferry-boat tied up at the foot of second avenue also called the Leblanc wharf. Horses where still around in the 30s and 40s delivering milk, bread and ice and us old-timers still remember that era.