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Brant Inn

 Brant Inn Memories
 A Burlington Historical Society Publication                 
 Author: Stewart Brown
In the 1930s, the little town of Burlington, Ontario, was noted, primarily in the farming community, as a market gardening area. During this period in time, Canada was in the midst of a world-wide depression. It was an unlikely place and an unlikely time for anyone to consider starting a business, particularly a venture into show business.

An impresario named John Murray Anderson saw the potential and turned a site on the shore of Lake Ontario into a nightclub that grew to be internationally renowned. The history of the Brant Inn was recognized within the Burlington Historical Society as a great story that should be fully told and preserved.

Price: $24.95    Sale Price: $17.47
Published: January 2008
Trade Paperback, 152 pages, ISBN 1896899420        Purchase this book today!

 
The 'Footsteps' Series of books

Footsteps in Time: Hamilton's Historic Port
and North-End Neighbourhood (Volume 2)
  Author: Bill Manson
Volume 2 of Footsteps in Time takes you on a
fascinating tour of old Port Hamilton and North-End
that grew up around it. Through stories, maps and
old photographs you can explore the rich history of
the neighbourhood that shaped Hamilton's
transportation, commercial and industrial destiny.

Thanks to 5 detailed walking tours around
North-End, you can take your own personal
footsteps in time through the heart of this heritage
port and neighbourhood and experience them
first-hand.


Price: $17.95 (originally)  Sale Price $15.95 
Published June 2006
Trade Paperback, 66 pages, ISBN 1896899358                purchase this book




Footsteps in Time: Hamilton's first heritage neighbourhoods
Beasley, Central, Corktown and Durand (Volume 1)
 Author: Bill Manson
  Volume 1 of Footsteps in Time takes you on a fascinating tour of Hamilton's four oldest neighbourhoods. Through stories, maps and old photographs, you can explore the rich history of the Beasley, Central, Corktown and Durand neighbourhoods.

Thanks to 18 detailed walking tours around these core downtown neighbourhoods, you can actually take your own personal footsteps in time through the heart of old Hamilton. There you can experience the city's first neighbourhoods first-hand - both as they are today and as they were in years gone by.

Use your feet, your eyes, your imagination and Footsteps in Time to experience and to celebrate Hamilton's earliest heritage neighbourhoods.

Price: $24.95    Sale Price: $17.47
Published July 2003
Sprialbound, 166 pages, ISBN 1896899226                 purchase this book


The 'Beach Strip', 'First Here', 'Vanished' & 'War' Series of books


Memories of the Beach Strip
Author: Gary Evans
It was a place of many things.

It was a great place to spend a
holiday; a fascinating place to
live; and a one of a kind place to
have fun.

It was a special place to watch the
ships sail into the harbour, and
one of the best places anywhere
to hear the music of some of the
world’s best entertainers.

It was a place to fish and to hunt,
and a place to play.
But foremost, it was a beach.

A special beach, just minutes from downtown Hamilton and a stone’s throw from the heart of Burlington, it was Burlington Beach to some, Hamilton Beach for others, and yet was also known as the Beach Strip or the Sand Strip.  

Price: 24.95   Sale Price $17.47
Published September 2011
Trade Paperback, 168 pages, ISBN 9781896899497            Purchase this book

First Here Volume Three
Edited by: Margaret Houghton
When was the first mail delivery service started in Hamilton?
Or, who was the first member of the Royal family to visit the city? Still on Royalty, when was the first Victoria Day celebrated in Hamilton, and how was that first Dominion Day observed?

These are just a few of the stories in the third volume of First Here, a continuing look at when things first happened in Hamilton, and the stories behind these special occasions.

And, of course, Hamilton holds bragging rights as the home of the oldest road race in North America with the Around the Bay Road Race dating back to 1894, three years before the first Boston Marathon was run.
Hamilton was also one of the leading communities in the province when it came to health care, at the forefront of the fight against cholera as well as typhoid and diphtheria, with Hamilton being one of the first cities in North America to undertake a widespread immunization program.

These and many other firsts are just a few of the fascinating stories readers will find in First Here Volume Three, stories which play an important part in Hamilton’s history.

Price: $22.95    Sale Price: $8.03
Published November 2010
Trade Paperback, 160 pages, ISBN 9781896899480     Purchase this book


More of First Here
Edited by: Margaret Houghton
There have been many firsts in the history of Hamilton, some all but forgotten while others are well documented or living on only in our own memories. Some of the firsts are with us still while others are long gone. More of First Here continues the story of some of the well known as well as some of the all but forgotten first things and events in our history.

Lions, animal protection, museums, radio broadcasting, aviation by balloon and manned flight, automobiles, politicians of all strips, Santa Claus, singing dentists, transportation, newspapers, Tim Hortons, Royal gardens, raucous rock concerts and many other cultural, technological or social innovations have made Hamilton what it is today.

Price: $22.95  Sale Price $11.48
Published October 2009
Trade Paperback, 160 pages, ISBN 9781896899466              Purchase this book

First Here
Edited by: Margaret Houghton
When Hamilton and area was first settled in the latter part of the 18th century, the area was a wooded, unpopulated wilderness. It has been noted in early descriptions that in these very early years there were more snakes than people in the area.

Since nothing was here, everything had to be created fresh. The first settlers in each township built their houses and began to start families and cultivate the land. As their families grew, so did the need for churches and schools and the other amenities of civilized life.

There is always the first person to do any number of things starting with the first person who actually arrives at a new location and decides to stay.

There have been many firsts in the history of Hamilton, some all but forgotten while others are well documented or living on only in our own memories. First Here tells the story of some of the well known as well as some of the all but forgotten first things and events in Hamilton's history.

Price: $22.95     Sale Price $11.48
Published October 2008
Trade Paperback, 162 pages, ISBN 9781896899435          Purchase this book

Vanished Hamilton III
Edited by: Margaret Houghton
Hamilton has a rich history, with magnificent structures, fascinating people, and interesting events playing such an intriguing role in its growth, but, as it lives up to its name as the Ambitious City, so much of what made Hamilton so unique is now long gone, just a memory for even longtime residents.

In this third volume in the Vanished Hamilton series, local historical societies have come together to highlight some of the captivating, wonderful and unique things - now vanished - that helped make Hamilton such a fascinating place to live.

In Vanished Hamilton III, 19 authors bring back memories of the Mills China Shop, one of the last blacksmiths, Hamilton's ornate yacht club, the five and dime store, the Good Deed Radio Club, old schools, early churches and much, much more.

As in the previous two volumes, readers will find memories of the past coming alive as they re-live Hamilton of another era.

Price: $21.95    Sale Price: $15.37
Published October 2007
Trade Paperback, 136 pages, ISBN (978)1896899412             purchase this book
Vanished Hamilton II
Edited by: Margaret Houghton
Hamilton has always been a city of things that are unusual, fascinating and often quite unique. In this book, some of our local historical societies have once again come together to highlight some of the captivating, wonderful and nostalgic things, no longer with us, that have helped to make us what we are today.

Some of things that have vanished are not even in the living memories of anyone left today, only in the pages of time.

Gone, but certainly not forgotten, are such Hamilton landmarks as the Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo Railway, old Central Collegiate Institute, the Eaton's, Robinson's, Grafton's and Northways department stores, numerous orphanages, Parke & Parke Drug Stores, the Birks building and many more.

Vanished Hamilton II takes us on a continuing tour through Hamilton's past, offering a nostalgic look back in time.

Price: $21.95    Sale Price: $15.37
Published October 2006
Trade Paperback, 136 pages, ISBN 1896899366             purchase this book
Vanished Hamilton
Edited by: Margaret Houghton
  Everyone has their own special memories, particularly of people, events and places from the past. Quite often those memories are all that we have left as the people are gone, the events are over and the places have vanished. Some of those things that have vanished are now not even in the living memories of anyone left today.

Hamilton has always been a city of things that are unusual, fascinating and often quite unique. Many of the local historical societies have come together in this book to highlight some of the strange, weird and wonderful things, no longer with us, that have helped to make us what we are today.

Gone but certainly not forgotten are such Hamilton landmarks as the Incline Railway, the B-Hive Restaurant, the Sunken Garden, the Gore Park Washrooms and the Shorty Green. 

Vanished Hamilton takes us on a tour through Hamilton's past, both recent and long ago, to give us a unique perspective on the history of the city we all call home.

Price: $21.95    Sale Price: $15.37
Published October 2005
Trade Paperback, 136 pages, ISBN 1896899307          purchase this book
Hamilton at War: On the home front
 Author: Margaret Houghton
 Something amazing happened in Hamilton during the years of the Second World War. That brief period of time from 1939 to 1945 saw the city and its people create something so special that it was unlike anything they had known before.

Never before and never since has Hamilton been so focussed on a single goal. They worked together to win the war on the home front and they succeeded beyond their wildest expectations.

Hamilton at War re-lives that exciting time with stories and photographs of the people and places that made the city such a vital example of the best that Canada had to offer.

Price: $24.95    Sale Price: $17.47
Published April 2005
Trade Paperback, 184 pages, ISBN 1896899293    purchase this book

The 'Prints' Series of books
(Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville area)



Memories of Wentworth
Author: Gary Evans
 
It no longer exists, erased from the landscape with the stroke of a pen, but so many people still have such vivid memories of the old County of Wentworth and its many communities which spread out and surrounded what was in earlier days known as the Head-of-the-Lake.
Wentworth County can trace its roots back to 1816 when it was created as part of the Gore District.

As Hamilton grew - it became a town in 1833, and a city in 1846 - it became the dominant population and commercial centre at the Head of the Lake, and with that came its status as the county seat for the County of Wentworth.

The creation of the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth in 1973 could have been the first step towards the loss of identity, but that was not to be despite the loss of some political and administrative independence.
Then, in 2001, with the formation of the new City of Hamilton, Wentworth was no more, as the mega-city swallowed up the entire county becoming indeed a super city.

Today, while the names and identities of the historic communities have been preserved, those living in the former Wentworth County have fond memories.

And yes, they all live in Hamilton today, but try telling that to the loyal residents of those historic communities clustered around the Head of the Lake. For them, they’re still at home in Wentworth County.

Price: 21.95    Sale Price: $7.68
Published November 2010
Trade Paperback, 104 pages, ISBN 9781896899473  Purchase this book

 
Images of Burlington
Author: Gary Evans
Images of Burlington is the 14th book in the highly popular Prints series of books, providing a nostalgic look back in time with a series of fascinating photographs at what Burlington used to look like - many years ago.

There are photographs of Burlington's downtown core from the 1950s, the long vanished Cedar Springs Ski Club, farmers loading fruit at the old train station, as well as rare photographs of old schools, churches and landmarks long gone.

Images of Burlington is also filled with memories, memories of a different sort of city, when the sounds of the Brant Inn could be heard along the lakeshore, or when traffic crawled along the beach highway, long before the opening of the Skyway Bridge. Plus there is a series of aerial photographs, taken many decades ago, photographs which offer a unique perspective of how Burlington has grown over the years.

Price: $19.95    Sale Price: $9.97
Published November 2008
Trade Paperback, 104 pages, ISBN 9781896899442           purchase this book

  Prints of King                                            
  Author: Gary Evans
It's long, stretching from the McMaster campus right through Stoney Creek.
It's old, dating back to the very roots of the community.

It runs right through the heart of the city.
And it's home - or has been - to many of Hamilton's finest buildings, grand churches, various hotels, old schools, several parks, as well as countless stores.

Of course it's King Street!

There are photographs from one end of the street to the other, with old buildings, street scenes, buildings long gone, and a look at parts of the street from the air.
The photographs show a vibrant street, one which has evolved over the years, one filled with memories.

Price: $19.95   Sale Price: $9.97
Published November 2007
Trade Paperback, 104 pages, ISBN (978)1896899404            purchase this book
 Prints Over Hamilton
Author: Gary Evans
While most photographers have had their feet planted firmly on the ground when taking images of Hamilton, others have sought out a completely different perspective when photographing the city over the years.

Many of these photographers have taken to the sky, taking fascinating photographs looking down on the city.

Most of the photographs in this book were taken by photographers flying high over the city, but others climbed to the top of the old city hall building, or the Pigott building, offering a closer view of the landscape.

There's photographs of Clappison's Corners before traffic lights controlled this busy intersection, the old B-Hive restaurant, bridges, neighbourhoods and old buildings in downtown Hamilton.

Prints Over Hamilton is filled with nostalgia, a book that offers readers a chance to explore the city from a most different perspective.

Price: $19.95  Sale Price $9.97
Published November 2006
Trade Paperback, 104 pages, ISBN 1896899374   purchase this book
Prints of the Steel City
  Author: Gary Evans
 When one thinks of the historic cities in this country, it is seldom that the city of Hamilton is on that list, and yet, it is such a historic city.

Few cities in Canada can boast of having an incline railway, whereas Hamilton had two scaling the face of the escarpment. Or a Mountain, which offers panoramic views out over the city.

Then, there's a castle, right at the edge of the bay, and on the other side of the waterway, the Beach Strip community fondly remembered by those who spent time enjoying the amusement park, or the beaches.

But with this history comes nostalgia, longing for the days when the inclines were running, the beaches were swelled with day-trippers, and carnivals were set up in the Market Square.

Prints of the Steel City offers a nostalgic look at Hamilton from back then, a Hamilton fondly remembered through the images of old photographs.

Price: $19.95  Sale Price: $9.97
Published November 2005
Trade Paperback, 104 pages, ISBN 1896899315      Click "SHOP" tab to purchase
Prints Across the Mountain
 Author: Gary Evans
  Prints Across the Mountain is but a snapshot of this unique community, a fascinating look back in time through the eyes of photographers who captured images in a way words cannot describe.

There is a lot of nostalgia within these pages. The photographs show a different sort of community as it has evolved over the years.

A series of aerial photographs, some dating back more than 50 years, help document the transformation of the Mountain, showing acres and acres of raw land, much of it surrounded by sub-divisions recently developed.

There are old houses, many of them long gone, early views of the incline railway as well as long ago photographs of neighborhood schools and Mountain churches.

As you leaf through these pages, Hamilton Mountain of another era will come alive, one rich in tradition, one as seen through the eyes of photographers.

Price: $19.95  Sale Price: $9.97
Published October 2004
Trade Paperback, 104 pages, ISBN 1896899285   click "SHOP" tab to purchase
Memories of Burlington
  Author: Gary Evans
  Memories of Burlington is a fascinating look back through the eyes of photographers who captured images of Burlington in a way that words cannot describe.

There is a lot of nostalgia within these pages. It is flooded with memories of a community which has experienced great changes. Mansions are replaced by new development, street patterns change, and open spaces become populated. Suddenly, that small town Burlington is but a memory, a memory that comes alive in old photographs.

There is a series of photographs taken on Brant Street long, long ago, showing popular stores long gone from the streetscape, as well as other shots of historic houses, old churches, and just developing subdivisions.

A series of aerial photographs, some dating back more than 40 years, provide a different glimpse of Burlington, from the downtown core, to the QEW to the lakeshore.

As you leaf through these pages, Burlington of another era will come alive, one filled with memories, one as can only be seen through the eyes of photographers.

Price: $19.95  Sale Price: $9.97
Published November 2004
Trade Paperback, 104 pages, ISBN 1896899250   purchase this book
Prints of Oakville
 Author: Gary Evans
  There is something very special about Oakville, a community nestled on the shores of Lake Ontario, a community which was incorporated in 1857, but with roots going back long before then. It's also a community in transition, one which incorporated many smaller communities over the years so that today, while it experiences phenomenal growth, Oakville has retained its quaint charm of another era.

There is a series of photographs taken on Colborne Street - better known today as Lakeshore Road - showing retail establishments long gone as well as other shots of historic houses, the harbors in transition, and Rebecca Street of long, long ago.

A series of aerial photographs, some dating back more than 40 years, provide a different glimpse of Oakville, offering a unique perspective of the downtown core. Then marvel at the old schools, the Middle Road and the bustling community of Palermo, and even an antique car display at the Ford plant.

As you leaf through The Prints of Oakville, an Oakville of another era will come alive, one rich in tradition, one as seen through the eyes of photographers.

Price: $19.95  Sale Price: $9.97
Published November 2003
Trade Paperback, 104 pages, ISBN 189689920X    click "SHOP" tab to purchase
Prints Along the Beach
 Author: Gary Evans
 Cool breezes, wide sandy beaches, the inviting waters of Lake Ontario.

Just minutes away from the big city, a vacation paradise right at home.

Such is the Beach Strip, a narrow piece of land, not more than a sandbar, but an oasis, a favorite spot for a day, a holiday or for many, a place to call home.

There are photographs of the amusement park, early cottages, packed beaches, old lighthouses and houses long gone. There's also a series of pictures of Van Wagners Beach, showing how this area of Hamilton has changed so dramatically over the years.

Prints Along the Beach is a rare collection of old photographs - photographs which will rekindle many memories of a different way of life.

Price: $19.95  Sale Price: $9.97
Published June 2002
Trade Paperback, 104 pages, ISBN 189689917X    Click "SHOP" tab to purchase
Prints of Dundurn
  Author: Gary Evans
  There is something very special about Dundurn Castle. It's a building rich in history, and one filled with intrigue. It was home to a remarkable politician, a man who played a leading role in bringing the railway to Hamilton, a man who went from the role of a promising lawyer to that of prime minister. Allan Napier MacNab wanted a home that was in keeping with his status in the community.

Built on a ridge overlooking Burlington Bay, Dundurn Castle has 72 rooms, twin turrets and hidden passage ways.

When completed in 1835, Dundurn Castle was the largest home built in Upper Canada, a home that would open its doors to royalty and to the common man.

The Prints of Dundurn provides a unique visual image of this historic building in a series of photographs dating back many decades.

Price: $19.95  Sale Price: $9.97
Published November 2001
Trade Paperback, 104 pages, ISBN 1896899153   Click "SHOP" tab to purchase
Prints of Aldershot
 Author: Gary Evans
  There is something very special about Aldershot. It's an area rich in history, and fabled for its market gardens. Its amusement park attracted thousands of visitors.

The waters of the bay were clean, clean enough for a swim on a hot summer's day.
It was a small community, growing at a slow pace, maturing year by year, but not caught up in the development crush of nearby communities.

There is a series of aerial shots which show Aldershot of another era, but which help plot its growth into the 21st century. Other photographs offer a rare glimpse at Wabasso Park, with its roller coaster and swimmers enjoying a dip in the cool waters of Burlington Bay.

The Prints of Aldershot is a fascinating rare collection of old photographs, photographs which will stir up a lot of memories.

Price: $19.95  Sale Price: $9.97
Published July 2001
Trade Paperback, 104 pages, ISBN 1896899145   click "SHOP" tab to purchase
Prints of Burlington
 Author: Gary Evans
  It goes by the name of Burlington today, but for many years it was known as Wellington Square, a community which can trace its roots back to Chief Joseph Brant.

The Prints of Burlington provides a unique visual image of the community over the years in a series of photographs dating back many decades.

There are fascinating street scenes, old schools, and a formal picture of one of the first classes at Burlington High School.

Other photographs go back to a long-lost era when LaSalle was an amusement park, complete with a roller coaster, while old aerial shots offer a bird's eye view of Burlington.

Price: $19.95  Sale Price: $9.97
Published October 2001
Trade Paperback, 104 pages, ISBN 1896899048    Click "SHOP" tab to purchase
Prints of Hamilton
 Author: Gary Evans
  It is known as the Ambitious City, a city with strong links to the past but with a view to the future.

It's a city with unparalleled beauty, a city where huge steel mills provide a backdrop to the waters of Burlington Bay, a city with a mountain, and beautiful gardens.

Welcome to Hamilton, the Ambitious City, the Steel City, a city which has been a magnet for photographers through the ages.

There are fascinating street scenes, pictures showing early churches, great moments in Tiger-Cat history, and panoramic views from atop old downtown buildings.

The Prints of Hamilton is a fascinating rare collection of old photographs, photographs which will stir up a lot of memories, and open the doors to the city's history.

Price: $19.95  Sale Price: $9.97
Published December 1999 Reprinted!
Trade Paperback, 104 pages, ISBN 1896899099    Click "SHOP" tab to purchase
Prints of Paradise
 Authors: Gary Evans and Russ Powers
  It goes by the name Dundas today, but there was a time when the Valley Town was known as Paradise, as in Coote's Paradise.

Those associated with the community still look upon the town as a bit of paradise, a tranquil community just minutes away from the nearby steel mills, and yet surrounded by such natural wonders as the Niagara Escarpment and a marsh that is home to abundant wildlife.

Welcome to paradise.

The Prints of Paradise offers a unique visual image of the community over the years in a series of photographs dating back into the 1800s.

There are early - very, very early - photographs of King Street, with a dirt road and planks from the wooden sidewalks over the open ditches.

The Prints of Paradise is a rare collection of old photographs - photographs that open the door to paradise, the paradise that today is called Dundas.

Price: $19.95 Sale Price: $9.97 SORRY, SOLD OUT
Published October 2003
Trade Paperback, 104 pages, ISBN 1896899021   
Prints of Time
Author: Gary Evans
  It's quite amazing what can be found buried deep inside a newspaper library.

The newspaper photographer has played an important role over the years, snapping visual images of Hamilton's important events, the historic buildings, the changing landscape and her people.

While most of the images were published in The Spectator, many others were filed away until today.

There are visits by the Royal Family, jubilation in the streets as the guns are silenced in Europe, ice cutters hard at work in the Bay and a series of fascinating shots of what Hamilton looked like from the air.

The Prints of Time is a rare collection of old photographs - photographs which add a new dimension to the history of the Ambitious City. 

Price: $19.95  Sale Price: $9.97
Published November 1998
Trade Paperback, 104 pages, ISBN 0969846088    Click "SHOP" tab to purchase
Hamilton Back Then
Author: Brian Henley
It's a city rich in history, a city which values its heritage, and a city which preserves its past.

That city is Hamilton, a city famous for its old castle, the historic Beach Strip, old buildings and its statues.

Hamilton Back Then is a unique collection of stories which trace the city's link to its exciting past.

Selected from some of Brian Henley's best Heritage columns in the Hamilton Spectator, this book provides a fascinating look at Hamilton of another era.

There are stories about the James Street incline and how an ugly hole became one of Hamilton's real beauty spots.

There is a fascinating story about Dundurn Castle at a time when no buyer could be found, and for those longing for the good, old days, they can reminisce about swimming in the bay.

Hamilton Back Then provides a vibrant look at a city of another era, a city proud of its heritage.

Price: $19.95  Sale Price: $9.97
Published October 1998
Trade Paperback, 120 pages, ISBN 1896899064 purchase this book
The 'Haldimand' Series of books


Dr. Marshall's History of Haldimand County
Author: David Marshall
It's a county rich in history, one which values its heritage.

The county is Haldimand, and for those living here today, it's a piece of paradise.

Serene, picturesque, Haldimand County has always been one of the great places to live. It's far from the maddening crowds, nestled along the quiet waters of the Grand River as it flows through historic towns and villages on the way to Lake Erie.

Dr. Marshall's History of Haldimand County offers a unique insight into the history of the county, with fascinating stories about the people, places and events which shaped the history of the county.

Price: $16.95   
Published November 2002
Trade Paperback, 80 pages, ISBN 1896899188 purchase this book


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