Manuscript map. "By Thos. A. Blyth PLS". Shows York Street [now York Boulevard], Locomotive Street [now Ray Street], and 25 numbered lots with measurements. "No 34 Drawer 6" is handwritten at the bottom of the sheet.
This is a plan for a subdivision in central Hamilton on land owned by the "Hon. John H. Cameron." The map does not include a directional arrow, author or publisher. On the verso of the map it is dated: "[indecipherable word] subdivision of lots 13 to 22 inclusive Hon. J.H. Cameron survey 17 June 1856." At the top of the map it is numbered: "No 88 Drawer No 1" and the number "199" is crossed out near the base of the map. The plan includes the following streets: Victoria Avenue, East Avenue, Emerald Street, Barton Street, and South Street [now Birge Street]. At the north boundary of the map (the right side) is the line of the Great Western Railway with a "surface crossing" at Victoria Avenue. The location of this map very closely resembles the location of RMC 7457 [Map of Barton and South Streets, Hamilton, Ontario]. The property owner of the lots depicted was John Hillyard Cameron (1817-1876); a lawyer, businessman, and Conservative politician. He was trained as a lawyer and was called to the bar in 1838, shortly after serving with the Queen's Rangers during the Rebellion of 1837-38. He entered politics in 1846, acting as an alderman in Toronto prior to joining the Executive Council of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada. In the 1848 Canadian Almanac by Scobie & Balfour, Cameron was noted as being the Solicitor General for the Province. He served in the Legislative Assembly until Confederation and in 1867 was elected to represent Peel in the House of Commons (Library of Parliament, "Cameron, John Hillyard, Q.C.," Parliament of Canada, accessed May 22, 2015). Throughout his life Cameron was highly involved in Upper Canadian high society. As well as being a lawyer and a politician, he served as a director of the Grand Trunk Railway, a solicitor for the Great Western Railway, and a part-owner of the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge Company. Cameron was also involved in insurance and helped to found the Canada Life Assurance Company in 1847. Lastly, he served on the council of Trinity College (a Toronto Anglican university) where he also acted as a professor of law and served as chancellor from 1863 until his death (Donald Swainson, “Cameron, John Hillyard,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 10, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003).
"Scale 60 Feet = 1 inch." In top left corner of the map, there is a certification statement signed and dated by "Charles H. Wallace, P.L.S. [Public Land Surveyor], Hamilton, 20th April A.D. 1892." In the bottom left corner of the map there is a signed statement of approval by the property owner, W. E. Sanford. Other writing on the map includes the words "County 5" along the left edge of the sheet. The map is marked with a "24" in the lower left corner. On the outer left edge of the Key Plan, there is a written note which reads, "Received from W.E. Sanford and filed this fifth day of July A.D. 1892 at 3:25 O'clock PM [illegible signature] Registrar." Another written note appears on the bottom of the map in red pen, reading "Withdrawn by Order of...[illegible name and signature]."
Boundaries are King Street to the north, Main Street to the south, Sydenham Avenue to the west, and Palmerston Road to the east. In the middle of the map are Earnscliffe Avenue and Rosewood Avenue. The Key Plan inset in the upper right hand corner of the map delineates the geographical location of the survey, as the southeastern portion of Lot 7, Concession 2 in Barton Township.
According to the records of other historical maps, it appears as though this survey was not realized as planned. In Charles Goad's 1911 Insurance Plan of the City of Hamilton, Ontario, part of the lot is shown to be developing as a subdivision with road names different from those shown in the map. As street names, only King Street and Main Street continue to remain in existence today. Palmerston Road was changed to Trolley Street and later became Gage Avenue. Earnscliffe, Rosewood and Syndenham Avenues were all changed but the exact corresponding street names are unknown.
"Scale 60 feet = 1 inch." In top left corner of map, there is a certification statement signed and dated by "Charles H. Wallace, P.L.S. [Public Land Surveyor], Hamilton, 20th April A.D. 1892." In the bottom left corner of the map there is a signed statement of approval by the property owner, W.E. Sanford. Handwritten note beneath the Key Plan, along the right edge, reads "Duplicate original filed in the Registry Office for the County of Wentworth at 3:25 o'clock of the fifth day of July 1892 as [illegible] County 5 [signed] Lewis Springer". Boundaries are King Street to the north, Main Street to the south, Sydenham Avenue to the west, and Palmerston Road to the east. In the middle of the map are Earnscliffe Avenue and Rosewood Avenue. The Key Plan inset in the upper right hand corner of the map delineates the geographical location of the survey, as the southeastern portion of Lot 7, Concession 2 in Barton Township. According to the records of other historical maps, it appears as though this survey was not realized as planned. In Charles Goad's 1911 Insurance Plan of the City of Hamilton, Ontario, part of the lot is shown to be developing as a subdivision with road names different from those shown in the map. As street names, only King Street and Main Street continue to remain in existence today. Palmerston Road was changed to Trolley Street and later became Gage Avenue. Earnscliffe, Rosewood and Syndenham Avenues were all changed but the exact corresponding street names are unknown.
Shows 40 numbered land parcels, as well as the location of the "estate of the late Joseph Kirkendall". Streets appearing on the map include: Fifth Concession Road [now Fennell Avenue East], Mountain Drive [now Howe Avenue], South Street [likely 15th Street], Wellington Street [now transitions into Upper Wellington Street], original road allowance between lots 10 and 11 [now Upper Wentworth Street]. Written in top left corner, "No 67 Drawer 3".
"Scale 132 feet = 1 inch". Survey signed, "Thos A Blyth PLS Hamilton Fer. 25th 1869". According to the Dictionary of Hamilton Biography, Volume 1, "After several moves, he [James Mills] located permanently in Hamilton in 1816, where he and his brother-in-law, Peter Hess, purchased 500 acres between bay and the Mountain (stretching from what is now Bay Street to Locke)...." (p.154). "No 28 Drawer 6" is handwritten on the left side of the sheet. Map pencilled on verso showing lots between John Street and Bowen Street, and above the map are mathematical calculations.
Manuscript map. Cartographer unknown. Lacking north arrow; north is oriented to the left. Map is bounded by Wentworth Street in the west, Vulcan Street [non-existent today] in the east, Ship Street in the north, and the Great Western Railway along branches of the Sherman Inlet in the south. Also appearing on the map from east to west are McKinstrey Street, Dickson Street [both shorter streets today], Hillyard Street and Macnab Street [now Niagara Street]. From north to south are Land Street, Gilkison Street [now Burlington Street], Blyth Street [now Brant Street] and Munro Street [now spelled Munroe Street]. The Great Western Railway has lines drawn in red ink on either side of its full extent. There are also lines in red ink within some branches of the Sherman Inlet with coordinates noted alongside them. The map shows over 200 numbered lots. A circled "F" appears near the upper right corner. McMaster has a manuscript map covering the same area with supplied title, "[Map of Hamilton, east of Wentworth Street to the Sherman Inlet]" (see RMC_7725).
"Scale 50 ft = 1 inch". Date appears below the title, "Hamilton Nov 5, 1872". Shows 27 numbered land parcels. Streets appearing on map include: Concession Street [now Aberdeen Avenue], Markland Street, [Hess Street], and [Bruce Street]. "No 105 Drawer 4", written along left edge.
No scale or directional arrow found on map. The map is laid out with north at the base and south at the top. On the left edge of the map it reads "No 22 Drawer 5". Survey shown is the property of Kerr, McLaren, & Street; owners listed in the 1875 Wentworth County Atlas. Streets listed on the map include: Queen Street, Markland Street, Herchimer Street [now Herkimer Street], Caroline Street, Hesse Street [now Hess Street], Bowery Street [now Bay Street], Bold Street, Duke Street, Robinson Street, and Anderson Street [now Charlton Avenue].
Printed map. "T.A. Blyth,P.L.S." Scale "70 Feet to an Inch" North arrows are oriented to the lower right. Upper map shows 98 numbered lots which are bounded by King Street and the properties of Michael Aikman, Samuel Aitkin, E.M. Simons, A. Wood, and Andrew Steven in the south and Colonel Robert Land's property as well as Willson Street in the north [currently Wilson Street, with single 'l' spelling]. The map extends from Samuel Tovel's land in the east to Steven Street and V.H. Tisdale's survey in the west. The lower map shows 64 numbered lots which are bounded by Ida Street in the south, Burris Street in the east, and Burlington Street [currently Sanford Avenue] in the west. Argue Street [currently Gladstone Avenue] runs through the centre of the map. The lower, north section of this map is lacking.
"2 chains = 1 inch". Map is oriented with south at the top. Map is bounded by King Street on the south and York Street on the north, and Sophia Street on the west and Railway Street on the east. "No 27 Drawer 6" along left edge. "57" in lower left corner. "201" appears faintly in circle in the lower left corner. Date and handwritten note on verso. Streets appearing on the map include: Augusta Street [now Market Street], Julia Street [now Napier Street], Louisa Street [now Peter Street], Florence Street, Sophia Street [now Locke Street], and Railway Street [now Ray Street].
This plan shows lots 29-31 in Concession 1 of the former Township of Saltfleet. The map shows the properties of Peter Gage (15 acres) and William Gage (20 acres) and part of the estate of the late William Blaikie. Along the northern road the map depicts [now approximately Brampton Road] there are a number of landmarks listed: "stone monument & oak tree", "white oak tree", "hickory tree", and another "stone monument". This map features no scale or directional arrow. In the top left corner are found the numbers "200" with a strike through it and "No 96, Drawer No 1". The plan focuses on the estate lands of the late William Blaikie. The 1852 Canada West Census shows that a Scottish-born William Blaikie as a 51 year old Presbyterian living in Saltfleet and working as a farmer. According to the land record books at the Stoney Creek Historical Society, Blaikie was first cited as buying lots 29-31 in Concession 1 in either 1834 or 1837. Blaikie is shown to still own some land in this location on the 1859 Map of Wentworth County by Robert Surtees though part of his land was deeded to the Great Western Railway in 1852 [likely just south of the area shown in this plan] and other lots appear to be sold between 1858-1861. The map highlights the land of two Gages: Peter (1804-1869) and William (1801–1888). Peter and William also had a brother Andrew Gage (1824-1893) who was listed as purchasing land in 1858. It is likely that this Andrew had in fact purchased the subdivided survey lots in question from Blaikie. These Gages were the grandchildren of settler William Gage (1744-1820) who came to Saltfleet from Ireland via New York and was granted 600 acres of land in 1790. Part of William's farm was used as the site of the 1813 Battle of Stoney Creek and his farmhouse was used by both British and American military personnel during the war.
The map's scale is found in the bottom left hand corner, "Scale 100 feet to an inch". The map plan corresponds to another similarly titled plan surveyed by Cyrus Carroll in our collection. The map shows a number of lots near Lake Ontario in present-day Winona in the former Township of Saltfleet. Roads mentioned include Centre Avenue [now Winona Road] and two private avenues [both non-existent in the configuration shown]. The homestead shown in the bottom left hand corner was the family farm of John Willson. The family home became the well-known palatial Winona Park Hotel. There are four blocks listed in the plan with block 3 having 49 lakefront lots. A large directional arrow is found on the right side of the map, pointing downwards to indicate the north is at the bottom of the map. In both bottom corners there are certificates signed and dated at Hamilton on November 22 1893. Both certify that the plan follows the "terms of the Registry Act" and have been signed by witness Charles E. Martin. One is signed by Cyrus Carroll, Provincial Land Surveyor, and the other by two property owners [names illegible]. To the right of the title is the full witness statement of Charles E. Martin, signed January 25 1894. There is also a signature statement by Lewis Springer, Registrar, indicating that the plan's duplicate copy has been filed in the Registry Office on April 28, 1894.
This is a survey for part of Abbotsford, a planned residential community on property owned by Lockart Duff (1793-1858). The survey is likely located in West Hamilton. The map has been surveyed by Thomas Allen Blyth, a well-known surveyor in the area during the 19th century. Blyth's signature found in the bottom right-hand corner "ThS. Allen Blyth, P.L.S." Below his signature the survey is dated "Hamilton June 1854". The scale is found at the base of the map "Scale=2 Chains to 1 inch" and the directional arrow is found along the left edge. In the bottom left-hand corner the map is numbered: "No 62 Drawer 2". The proposed streets listed are "George Street" [estimated to be approximately where Broadway Street is today], "Lockart Street" [estimated to be approximately where Bowman Street is today], and the "Macadamized Road to Dundas" [estimated to be approximately where Main Street West is today]. A macadamized road is a type of road construction invented in 1819 by engineer John Loudon McAdam (1756-1836). It involves layering small stones and coating them with a binder. Given the street names listed on the map it is unclear whether the plan was built as surveyed but it is clear that all of the roads listed were given new names. It is assumed that the "George Street" listed does not refer to the George Street located between King Street and Main Street in central Hamilton. Lockart Duff (sometimes spelled Lockhart) was a Scot who moved to Hamilton in 1830. He purchased 250 acres on the eastern edge of Dundas. In 1838 he built a ten-room stone house at the corner of Main and Broadway which he named "Abbotsford Hall" . The house was demolished in the 1950's. Today the site is home to a modern commercial plaza (opposite McMaster Hospital). Duff chose the name Abbotsford as a tribute to the former estate of his close friend, the famous novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott. Scott built his baronial mansion, Abbotsford, in the initial part of the 19th in the Scottish Borders. He is buried in Hamilton Cemetery. (Melville Bailey ed., "Duff, Lockhart," in Dictionary of Hamilton Biography, vol. 1. Hamilton: W.L. Griffin Limited, 1981). The former community of Duff's Corners (at the intersection of Garner Road and Wilson Street) was named after Duff's family name (Arthur Bowes ed., Ancaster: A Pictorial History vol.1 (Ancaster: Ancaster Township Historical Society, 1999).
"Scale 3c to one Inch." This map features a significant amount of writing surrounding the survey itself. Below the title, in the bottom right corner there is a date and signature, "Ths. Allen Blyth P.L.S., Hamilton - Nov. 18th 1853." In the centre of the map there is illegible script that is dated "this 29th day of March A.D. 1856..." Below this there is print script outlining the dimensional details of the "Survey of Road leading to the Grave Yard..." To the left of this information are details of the "Survey of the Grave Yard." This is found under the "Reference" section. At the top right of the map there is a paragraph of illegible script signed "J.S. Hopkins". "Book1, Plan 50" is written on the left edge of the map. Other writing and numbering found on the map includes "30th Page", "# 195", and "17". The directional arrow is found in the centre of the survey, indicating that the map is oriented with east being up. On the upper right hand corner of the verso it reads, "Page 30th, Joseph Hopkins." The roads featured on the map are titled "Road leading to Burlington Heights" [now Old Guelph Road] and "Road from Dundas to Wellington Square" [now York Road]. The graveyard mentioned on the map matches the exact location of the Hopkins Family Cemetery today (also known as the Valley Cemetery).
This map illustrates the area around the former industrial community known as Crooks Hollow (present-day Greensville). There are two bordering roads shown: “Second Cons.” [Hwy 8] and “original road allowance” [now Brock Road]. There are also smaller roads drawn and not labeled: Old Brock Road and Crooks Hollow Road.
The scale is listed on the left-hand side of the map: “Scale 3c [chains] = one Inch”. There is a directional arrow to the right of the “original road allowance” pointing to right side of the map as north. At the top of the map, written in red ink, is the following: “No 7”, “Drawer No 1”, and “West Flamboro (5 & 6
in 2nd Con)”. On the back there appears to be a signature or simply written name “James Crooks”. Within this community drawn on the map are listed a number of dwellings, including a woolen factory, distillery, dam, mill pond, barn, and numerous houses. There is also a “Family Burial ground” indicated just north of what is now Crooks Hollow Road. This was the Crooks Family Cemetery. In 1902, the bodies were exhumed and re-interred at Grove Cemetery in Dundas. It is now residential property.
There are also several mills shown on the map along Crooks Hollow Road including: a paper mill, a grist mill, and a saw mill. These mills were all located along Spencer Creek (originally known as Morden’s Creek). The Morden’s were the first settlers in the Dundas Valley, and Jonathan Morden (1763-1803) was the first to build a sawmill on the creek in 1799. This mill remained in operation until 1905.
James Crooks (1778-1860), another early settler, purchased four hundred acres of land in the area in 1811 and built a grist mill, which he named the Darnley Mill, that same year. Crooks used the flour produced by the mill to supply rations to the British Army during the War of 1812. In return for his efforts and he was well paid and was able to expand his industrial area on Spencer Creek. He developed Crooks Hollow into one of the most prolific industrial operations in Upper Canada. By 1825 Crooks had numerous mills and factories built including the province’s first paper mill (shown on map). Although Crooks was extremely wealthy, powerful, and politically involved, his operations began to decline through the second half of the 19th century. In 1860 Crooks died and his remaining assets were sold. His paper mill was willed with Thomas Helliwell and later acquired by the MacDonald Brothers (as shown on the 1875 Wentworth County Atlas). There is no date on the map but we know that it was surveyed after the death of James Crooks (1860) and likely before the purchase of the Darnley Grist Mill by Robert Sanderson and James Stutt in 1869. Ruins from the Darnley Mill can still be seen today along Crooks Hollow Road.
Information sourced from:
Green, Patricia., Maurice H Green, and Waterdown-East Flamborough Heritage Society. From West Flamborough's Storied Past: A Celebration of West Flamborough Township's Heritage. Waterdown, Ont.: Waterdown-East Flamborough Heritage Society, 2003.
Manuscript map. "Thos. Allen Blyth, P.L.S., Hamilton Novr. 18th, 1853" North arrow oriented to the left. Scale "3c[hains] to one Inch". Map extends from Burlington Bay in the east to "Road leading over Burlington Heights" [currently York Boulevard] in the west. A road labelled "Road from Dundas to Wellington Square" bounds the north. Lower half of map sheet contains "Reference" for "Survey of Grave Yard" and "Survey of Road leading to the Grave Yard". Upper right corner and centre of map sheet contain handwritten notes of certification in ink. Along left edge, "Book 1, Plan 50". Upper left corner, "30th page". Handwritten on verso, "Page 30th, [illegible writing] Hopkins".
"Scale 100'-1"". The left side of the map reads, "No 2 Drawer 5". The map is situated in North portion of Main Street and Emerald Street. Location was determined with the aid of the 1851 Smith Map. Streets appearing on the map include: Main Street, Emerald Street, and Clark Street. Clark street appears to never have been implemented. The land owner to the West had the sir name of Clark. In the middle of the map there is a detailed boundary drawn in with latitude and longitude coordinates.
Manuscript map. Cartographer unknown. "Scale 20 Feet = 1 Inch". Shows Cherry Street [now Ferguson Avenue], Hannah Street [now Charlton Avenue], and 7 numbered lots. The north arrow is pointing down and to the left. "No 73 Drawer 6" is handwritten in the top left corner. "171" is circled in the bottom left corner.
Sheet 2 of 2, the second copy of the map with the same name. Scale: "50 Feet=to one Inch". The number "44" is written in the top, left corner and above that it reads, "No 44 Drawer No 2." The map covers a downtown block, highlighting the dwelling of the late P.H. Hamilton. In the map are MacNab Street South to the east, Bond Street (now Park Street South) to the west, Duke Street to the south, and Bold and Charles Streets to the north. This plan includes writing on each lot, indicating the approximate price of each property. On the map's verso it reads, "Plan of the Hamilton Homestead".