Walkerville police station by Nicholas Hornyansky

Hornyansky Images Coveted

The cover of your Christmas 2001 issue displayed the beautiful front page picture of the painting “Willistead,” by Nicholas Hornyansky (1896 – 1965). Where can we see the original and his other works? We have his Christmas card “Vernal Equinox.” My wife, Ann, knew his family. Thank you and best wishes.

Edward G. Rawling, Erin, ON
Ed: Nicholas Hornyansky painted a series of Walkerville scenes for Hiram Walker & Sons in the early part of the 20th century, including the one pictured above. The originals are in the company’s possession and are on display on their premises in Walkerville.

More Movie House Stories

Just a note to let you know how much I enjoyed reading Salvatore Ala’s “The Accordion King” in your March issue. I am a former Windsorite (born and raised), and I am familiar with your publication. I discovered it a year ago while I was doing research in Windsor. My friends continue to mail it to me.

Have you ever done anything on the movie houses in Windsor? There were ten of them: Royal, Capitol, Empire, Palace, Vanity, Park, Kent, Tivoli, Temple, and Centre. It’s a shame that most of them are gone.

Robert Stewart’s “Portrait of a Scandal” was also interesting. Incidentally, Joe Assef, the bootlegger mentioned in this article, was a friend of my father’s. Joe Assef passed away some years ago in British Columbia.

Thanks for the enjoyable time.
Len Gasparini, Toronto

Ed: We have done several stories about the Tivoli Theatre in Walkerville which has recently reopened as a combination movie theatre/nightclub. As for the others, we have noted the recent renovation of the Capitol Theatre, which has been transformed into a live performance venue, but have not had the opportunity to highlight any other theatres. We are hoping to do them justice in future issues.

Oops!

In your April edition of The Times, Virginia D. Bastedo wrote that the St. Claire and the Columbia were also the ferries flying back and forth every fifteen minutes from Windsor to Detroit. This isn’t correct – the St. Claire and the Columbia had no automobile decks.

It would be interesting to find out what happened to the Walkerville ferries: the Halcyon, the Wayne, and the Victoria. I believe the Victoria became a tug, one became a gambling hall somewhere on the Great Lakes, and the third a seagoing tug (now aground somewhere in Baffin Island.)

I also wanted to make another correction concerning the caption for the photograph on page 12 showing Ouellette Avenue looking towards the Detroit River in 1953. The caption says that it is the Landsdowne in the photo, but it is not; the Lansdowne was a paddlewheeler. The photo shown is of the Windsor. The Windsor and Detroit were owned by the Wabash R.R. The Landsdowne and Huron were owned by C.N.R.
Edward Busby, Windsor

Ed note: Thank you for clarifying this information for us. We appreciate it!

Walkerville Soccer Team

My father George MacDonald Stewart played centre half for the Walkerville soccer team in 1909. They competed in International leagues in Detroit against teams like the Sons of England, Packers, Sons of Scotland, and Old Scots.

The Walkerville team won the Michigan Cup in 1909. Members of the team, whom my dad could still remember when he was 89, were Andy Leishman, Tom Crosby, Tom Telford (right wing), Vic Bowman. Can anyone remember who the other players were?

Dad recalled the last year he played; the Walkerville team signed an agreement to split the gate at Packard Park in a 5-game playdown. They played to massive crowds, but he was only paid $4, so he quit.

Dad always said, “Work comes first, play second.” He got a gold medal from which the girls made a broach.
George Stewart, Windsor

The Walkerville Soccer Team, 1909: second from left top row, George MacDonald Stewart, Andy Leishman, far right top row Tom Crosby, first in second row Tom Telford, Vic Bowman (with ball)

Hooch Special Delivery

Your article “Portrait of a Scandal” from the March 2002 issue brought back an old memory. My mother had a good friend named Catherine Corbett who lived in Michigan. When booze was rationed during WWII, you could only get it with coupons. I recall one particular visit from Catherine when there were no coupons available. She got on the blower and called her local bootlegger, Joe Asef (mentioned in the article) to order a bottle. He delivered it by cab.
Pat Walker, Windsor

Wonderful Windermere

Like so many ex-Walkerville residents, I’ve just been delighted with your Times editions, which have brought back so many good memories. In the March edition I noted that Patricia Stevens Scholz had again written, describing her Windermere home. Like her, we were also neighbours (one house removed) of Milton and Bill Featherstone. My younger sister Gwen and I were friends of Patricia and her sister Elizabeth.

Though I was born in Detroit, my parents returned to good old Canada when I was just two years old. First we lived at the very end house on the east circle of Dacotah Drive. My friends there were the Farquharson girls. Then we moved down to Windermere Road, first to 114, as it was then numbered (just south of Wyandotte) and then to 106 Windermere, where I lived while attending King Edward School and then W.C.I. My dad, Stuart Smith, was the Prudential Insurance man for the district from Gladstone to Walker Road. He was pretty well known, I imagine. At that time, (the Depression years), we also had a bachelor gentleman rooming with us – Bruce Barber.

After graduating from W.C.I, I left with my parents to live in Bothwell, where I worked for the Bank Of Montreal until returning to Windsor after marrying Al Montrose in 1946. In 1952 Al re-enlisted in the RCAF and we spent time on various stations till retirement in 1966.

In May 1983, Al and I enjoyed the 60th Anniversary of Walkerville Collegiate – great to see so many old friends. Al died very suddenly in 1990. In 1997 I was back to WCI for the 75th celebration along with Beverly (Black) Brown and Peg (Jones) Bauer. We were all living in Chatham at this point.

Peg and Elmer Bauer have now moved back to Windsor, but Beverly, whose husband Russel (Rusty) Brown died in 1989, is soon moving into the apartment across the hall from mine. We will both enjoy The Times, which another friend in this building gave me as a Christmas gift. Her husband Wallace began life just around the corner from my Windermere home on Chilver and Cataraqui. Sadly, he died a few years ago before Alice moved to Chatham.

Do keep up the good work!!!
Muriel A. Montrose, Chatham

Lloyd Would be Chuckling

I just picked up my copy of The Times (dad and I hunt down each issue) and was amused by the letter from Virginia Bastedo - We Have Freedom - You Have Beer. She wrote that she attended “Old Sandwich High School (now J.L. Hoister Collegiate.)” I am sure she was referring to J.L. Forester (High School when I went), Collegiate now.

She mentioned a Floyd Watkins. That would have been Lloyd Watkins, a neighbour of my parents and us kids for going on 40+ years.

My brothers and myself grew up and played with the boys day in and day out. Unfortunately, Lloyd left us a couple years ago. Dorothy, Lloyd’s wife, still resides in the home. Their two sons, Randy and Raymond are of course long grown up; Randy still in the Windsor area and Raymond with his wife and kids in Edmonton.

Lloyd is missed by many. I just know he would be laughing at this letter. I can just see him chuckling. His massive frame (I was only 2 feet tall then, much the same as today) shaking like jelly while his deep husky voice tried to stifle the outburst.

Not laughing because of the errors - that wasn’t Lloyd’s way. He’d be laughing because the errors merely entertained him.

I just bet Ms. Bastedo’s letter was hand written and the mistakes were purely from the interpretation of her penmanship.
Penny Hannam Gallagher, Windsor

Ed: Thanks for pointing out the typos. I meant to correct Lloyd’s name as we had written about his family in an earlier issue. I also wanted to add a note about his passing and that Lot Street is now known as Watkins Street in honour of his dad (see Issue 22) also archived on our website walkervilletimes.com Feb. 2002 issue, “A Street Named Watkins.”

Bringing Things into Focus

Your recent issue is really a collectible. Congratulations! Your centre spread of almost-forgotten old familiar sights especially caught my eye and attention... however the accompanying hieroglyphics left me rather stumped; but then, I have no knowledge of word typesetting. Fortunately I was able to solve some of my problem by referring to page 3 and the “On the cover” detailing. At least that gave me some clues.

One or two of the visuals I am not quite sure about. At the far left there is a beautiful schooner which, to me, looks like the once renowned Blue Nose out of Nova Scotia, the one featured for many years on the Canadian dime. Could it possibly be? Just below this ship is a building which looks like the old flatiron building once used by Hiram Walker and Sons. Is that so? Finally, I have absolutely no clue as to the time and place of the Ford dealership pictured. Looks like the joint where the Chicago gangsters used to acquire their cars. (Chicago was my second home for many years.)

I want to thank you for bringing back into focus many memories of my happy experiences in Walkerville long ago. Maybe it was the times, or the people or the place, but all of my recollections of school years spent growing to adulthood in Walkerville are most pleasant ones. When I contrast that with the perils, pitfalls and agonies that today’s youth seem to have to fight through, I feel fortunate indeed for the untroubled and pleasant experience of my youthful years in Walkerville.
Army Ellis, California

Ed: Army, please see page 22 for the captions and hopefully, all your questions will be answered.

Mystery child from Issue 23 identified as Edward Mapes, son of reader Charlie Fox’s Aunt Bessie, below. Edward became a Walkerville policeman.

It’s a Boy!

Research has determined that the child in question in Issue 23 (“Who is this Child?”) is Edward Mapes, son of A.E. Mapes, Walkerville policeman and later town assessor.

His mother was my aunt Bessie. She appeared in an earlier issue of he Times standing on the front porch of her home at 549 Chilver. I remember Ed as being somewhat of a character, probably the result of having that awful picture taken.
Charlie Fox, Walkerville

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