1914 Jan 5 West End News

“From all accounts the new year promises to be a busy one for the two West End Improvement Societies.”¹

   1 “Street Through Athletic Field : West End Societies Again Have It in View : Skating on Marsh : Large Crowd of Young People Out on Saturday.”

Hamilton Herald. January 5, 1914¹

As part of the competition for local circulation, each of Hamilton’s three daily newspapers, the Times, the Herald and the Spectator frequently carried detailed columns about activities in the various parts of the city.

On January 5, 1914, the Herald ran a column on matters relating to the west end.

Noting that the area had not one but two improvement societies, the Herald commented on a proposal that both organizations would like to see happen.

Originally known as the Cricket Grounds, there was a large parcel of property, between Queen and Reginald streets, north of Charlton avenue, which was devoted to at5hletic pursuits.

However, there was a push to modify the area somewhat :

“One of the questions that will be considered by these organizations is the opening of a street through the cricket grounds. This has been talked of at times for a long time, and will be taken up by the societies soon.

“The idea is to run a 60-foot street east and west near the north end of the grounds, and not to interfere with the field at all.

“Mayor Allan, when asked for his opinion, said that he considered it a good and necessary thing, but in his estimation, it could only be obtained on the local improvement plan.”¹

In 1914, the Hamilton Street Railway served the west end with an electric street car track, notably along Herkimer street and Locke street south.

An exciting, if alarming, incident occurred along that HSR line on January 2, 1914 :

“On Friday evening, Immigration Agent Sweeney, who resides on Aberdeen avenue, was waiting at the corner of Herkimer and Locke streets to catch a car. At this point, the curve is rather dangerous.

“A lady stepped off a car going Herkimer, slipped and fell directly under a car going Locke. Quick as a flash, and with great precision of mind, Mr. Sweeney, realizing the danger, rushed out and grabber her coat, dragged her from beneath the car, and saved her.

“As it was, part of her wearing apparel was run over. The woman was uninjured, and though badly shaken up, was able to continue to her home, first making a search through the crowd to thank her rescuer, who, with becoming modesty, had boarded a car and was well on his way down town.”¹

The prolonged cold weather at the beginning of 1914 had a pleasant effect in one locale, Coote’s Paradise :

“Saturday opened clear and frosty – ideal weather for skating. The word went around the west end that the marsh was frozen over.

“By four o’clock, the place had become the rendezvous of hundreds of young men and women, their merry laughter and the clickety-click of many pairs of skates making the air ring, giving a clear demonstration of the joviality that the greatest of winter pastimes brings.”¹