1914-03-10

“Two important resolutions were adopted at an open meeting of the Center Mount Improvement club last evening.”

Hamilton Spectator March 10, 1914

In 1914, the number of people living on the mountain, both within the city limits and also in the bordering lands of Barton township, was increasing rapidly. New housing surveys were being opened up and demands for improved city services were constant.

The citizen organization known as the Center Mount Improvement held a meeting on March 11, 1914 at which it was unanimously decided that two initiatives would help to organize affairs in that section of the community.

One of those resolutions passed would have long term ramifications while the other did not.

The first resolution concerned the name given to the area, including the section within the city limits (basically Concession street north to the mountain brow) plus those areas of Barton Township south of Concession where former farm lands were being subdivide into building lots.

As recounted in the words of the Spectator reporter in attendance at the meeting :

“In view of the possibilities of the district growing until it will sometime form an important part of the city, some definite name should be decided on, and after several had been suggested, the one selected was Upper Hamilton. That will take in the entire district from the asylum to Ottawa street.”¹

¹ “Upper Hamilton : New Name Selected By Mountaineers for Hill Top District”

Hamilton Spectator. March 10, 1914.

It was felt that a common name for the whole district above the escarpment would at minimum help residents receive more dependable main delivery.

The motion next passed would also, if approved,  have an immediate impact on the addresses of mountain residents, as it recommended a change in the names of streets in the area:

“The second resolution affects the mountaineers just as much, if not more so than the first, inasmuch that all the street names are to be dropped entirely and numbers used instead, such as 13^th street and 14^th avenue.

“According to the suggestions offered at the meeting, and which will be recommended to the township council, which has the power to make the changes.

“Those thoroughfares running east and west will be known as streets, while those running north and south will be avenues.”¹

While they were just two suggestions, it would ultimately be the council of Barton township to agree to the resolutions as a whole or tinker with them.

The first resolution was not accepted, while the second was adopted with some tweaking.