John Street (Hamilton, Ontario)

John Street, is a Lower City arterial road in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Originally it was known as "Mountain Road" or "Ancaster Road". It starts off at the base of Arkledun Avenue, a Mountain-access road in the city, just east of "St.Joseph's Hospital" where it's a one-way street going north and tunnels underneath the Hunter Street Railway bridge" and continues onward to the city's "North End" at the waterfront where it ends at "Guise Street East", the site of "Pier 9".

History

Talk of creating a townsite at what is now the intersection of "John" and "Main streets" arose as early as 1809, but the war delayed the scheme until 1816 when George Hamilton and Nathaniel Hughson successfully promoted Hamilton as the judicial centre for the counties of Halton and Wentworth (the Gore District). cite book|title=Dictionary of Hamilton Biography (Vol I, 1791-1875)|first=Thomas Melville |last=Bailey|publisher=W.L. Griffin Ltd|pg=143|year=1981] When the Town of Hamilton was incorporated in 1833, one of the first orders of business was to find a suitable place for the town board to meet. For the first few years they made do with meeting in local taverns such as "Thomas Wilson's Inn" on the corner of "John" and Jackson Streets. cite web| title =City Hall town meetings at local Taverns- 1833| url=http://www.myhamilton.ca/myhamilton/LibraryServices/Localhistory/City+Hall.htm| accessdate = 2007-03-26]

"John Street" is also one of the original native pathways in the area. In 1837, the police commission officially named it "John Street" - a name originally chosen by George Hamilton (City founder), apparently in honour of a family of early settlers. cite book|title=Hamilton Street Names: An Illustrated Guide|first=Margaret |last=Houghton|publisher=James Lorimer & Co. Ltd.|year=2002]

The Sir John A. Macdonald Statue at Gore Park arrived in Hamilton from London, England on 30 October, 1893. Official dedication of the statue took place 1 November, 1893. Originally, the statue was located at the intersection of King and Hughson Streets and pointed West. Prime Minister Sir John Thompson was in attendance. cite web| title = Sir John A. Macdonald statue, 1893| url=http://www.myhamilton.ca/myhamilton/LibraryServices/Localhistory/Sir+John+A.+Macdonald+Statue.htm| accessdate = 2007-03-26] "Alexander Aitchison", a local Hamilton Fire Chief, died of injuries he sustained from crashing into the base of the statue with his horse and buggy and because of it, the statue was then relocated to "Gore Park" near "King" and "John Streets" only this time the statue instead of pointing West, now points East. cite book|title=The Hamiltonians, 100 Fascinating Lives |first=Margaret |last=Houghton |publisher=James Lorimer & Company Ltd., Publishers Toronto|pg=6|year=2003|id= ISBN 1-55028-804-0]

Ronnie Hawkins came to Canada in 1958. His first gig was at the "Golden Rail" in Hamilton near the corner of "King" and "John Streets" where he became an overnight success. It was a result of Hawkins success in Hamilton that he decided to move to Canada permanently. His career spans over five decades and 25 records. His hits include, “Forty Days”, “Mary Lou”, and “Hey Bo Diddley”. cite press release| title =The Hamilton Memory Project;| publisher =The Hamilton Spectator- Souvenir Edition page MP43| date = June 10, 2006| accessdate = 2007-03-26]

The "London Tap House", is a five-floor entertainment, dance club, lounge and restaurant complex in Hamilton, featuring a 240 seat roof-top patio that is currently under a $2-million construction and renovation on the corner of "John" and Main Street East. This high profile corner's roof-top patio offers stunning views of Hamilton’s skyline and is scheduled to be opened sometime in the summer of 2008. This building is one of the few downtown buildings not designated as an historical landmark. cite web| title = The London Tap House: Official Web site| url=http://www.londontaphouse.com/hamilton/| accessdate = 2007-12-07]

Landmarks

"Note: Listing of Landmarks from North to South."
*Pier 9
*Hamilton Waterfront Trail
*McLaren Park
*Canadian National railway overpass
*Stewart Memorial Church (originally St. Paul's African Methodist Episcopal Church. 1961 became a Masonic Hall. North of Wilson Street)
*Hamilton Urban Core Community Health Centre (originally downtown Bus terminal)
*Hamilton Hydro-Electric System Building
*Hamilton Central Fire Department
*Gore Park
*Sir John A. Macdonald statue (Gore Park) [http://www.myhamilton.ca/myhamilton/LibraryServices/Localhistory/Sir+John+A.+Macdonald+Statue.htm Statue info. at myhamilton.ca]
*War Memorial Monument (Gore Park)
*Royal Connaught Hotel/ Holiday Inn
*The London Tap House (5-storey entertainment complex including Hamilton's first rooftop patio restaurant)
*John Sopinka Courthouse
*United Empire Loyalists statue (in front of the Hamilton Courthouse) [http://www.myhamilton.ca/myhamilton/libraryservices/localhistory/united+empire+loyalist+statue.htm Statue info. at myhamilton.ca]
*The Hamilton Courthouse
*New Horizon Office Building (Tailgate Charlie's restaurant/ bar)
*T.H.& B. Railway Bridge
*Blue Line Taxi Cab Company
*Oakland Square (shopping plaza)
*Church of the Ascension
*Olympia Apartments, just east of "John Street South" on "Charlton Avenue East" (Hamilton's 3rd-tallest building)
*St. Joseph's Hospital
*"Arkledun Avenue"/ "Jolley Cut", Mountain-access roads

Communities

"Note: Listing of neighbourhoods from North to South" cite web| title = Hamilton Neighbourhood Boundaries, (map.hamilton.ca)| url=http://map.hamilton.ca/Static/PDFs/General%20Interest%20maps/Overall%20City/NeighbourhoodBoundaries.pdf| accessdate = 2007-05-11|format=PDF]
*North End - Everything north of the Canadian National Railway tracks
*Central/ Beasley, "John Street" is the division between these two neighbourhoods.
*Corktown

Major roads that cross John Street

"Note: Listing of streets from North to South."
*Burlington Street East
*Barton Street East
*Cannon Street East - One way street (Westbound only)
*Wilson Street - One way street (Eastbound Only)
*King William Street - One way street (Eastbound Only)
*King Street East - One way street (Westbound Only)
*Main Street East - One way street (Eastbound Only)
*Jackson Street East
*Hunter Street East - One way street (Westbound Only)
*Augusta Street
*Charlton Avenue East - One way street (Westbound Only)

Roads that are parallel with John Street

"Note: Listing of streets from West to East."
*Queen Street, North, South
*Hess Street, North, South
*Bay Street, North, South
*MacNab Street, North, South
*James Street, North, South
*Hughson Street, North, South
*John Street, North, South
*Catharine Street, North, South
*Ferguson Avenue, North, South
*Wellington Street, North, South
*Victoria Avenue, North, South
*Wentworth Street, North, South
*Sherman Avenue, North, South

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References

*MapArt Golden Horseshoe Atlas - Page 647 - Grids E12, F12, G12, H12

External links

* [http://ourbeasley.com Beasley Neighbourhood (ourbeasley.com)]
* [http://www.downtownhamilton.org Downtown Hamilton]
* [http://www.northendneighbours.blogspot.com/ North End Neighbours]
* [http://www.escarpment.org/ Niagara Escarpment Commission (NEC) Official web site]
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=John+St+N,+Hamilton,+Hamilton,+Ontario,+Canada&sll=43.267331,-79.864812&sspn=0.01575,0.053902&layer=&ie=UTF8&z=14&ll=43.267269,-79.862452&spn=0.031499,0.107803&t=h&om=1&iwloc=addr Google Maps: John Street (Hybrid)]