Saturday Travel Feature

School on  the Fox
 
Kaukauna, Wisconsin is 100 miles north of Milwaukee and is east of Lake Winnebago. The town of 12,983 people sits on the banks of the mighty Fox River. Kaukauna High School is on an island in the middle of this river that divides the town into North Side and South Side. Kaukauna High School has
1,350 students and is the only public high school in Kaukauna. The original school was built in the late 1850's. The school in the photo is that school but it is now a middle school.

There are five bridges that cross the river within the city. There is also a hydroelectric company with its dam. And because of the dam there are locks for the movement of boats along the river. In the 1940's all the Kaukauna children knew the chant describing the boat whistles, "One for danger, two for dock, three for passing, and four for locks."

"The city includes diverse industrial and manufacturing businesses, including the Oscar Thilmany Paper Mill, constructed in 1883. The name dropped off the mill when it was purchased by HammerMill in 1969, which was in turn bought by International Paper in 1986. In 2005, theNew York-based equity firm Kohlberg & Company bought the mill, changed the name back to Thilmany, and created a company of the same name. It is this paper mill that is the cause of a less than desirable odor that can be detected at times throughout the Fox Valley. ^[4] Kaukauna club cheese, once made in the city, is now manufactured by the Bel/Kaukauna corporation in the neighboring village of Little Chute."
Link.

Kaukauna High School is where Suzanne Wilson's parents, Hazel Juergenmeyer and Orville Frank, met.

Photo: Taken in 2006 by SW.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaukauna,_Wisconsin

Friday, April 2, 2010
Canary Yellow

The canary yellow home at 332 East 4th Street was built by H. Earland in 1928. In 1931 a laborer, William E. Phillips owned the house. In 1945 the owners were Richard and Ellen McMoran. Richard was a guard for the Canadian government. By 1950 another couple, Ron and Lillian V. Stewart were the owners. Ron was employed as a truck salesman. Two families are reported as residents in 1960: Mrs. I. Ellison and Ernest and Mary Guy. Ernest worked as a clerk for the Pacific Great Eastern Railway in North Vancouver. In 1971 Jamurat and Fatima Begg were the owners at 302 East 4th Street. Jamurat was employed as a carpenter benchman at Custom Mill. C. Varney was the owner by 1980. And in 1991 the new owner was Helen C. Donnelly. Helen continued to live there in 1996 and continued in her position of food and beverage supervisor at Grouse Mountain.

The PGE was completed in 1956 and affectionately known by locals as the "Please Go Easy". The railway wove its way north along the coast of B.C., dropping passengers off at remote locations by request. (See Link.)

During the Christmas season in 1968, Alan and Suzanne Wilson and their nine year old daughter Amy took the PGE from North Vancouver to Lillooet for an over night holiday excursion. It was a picture postcard winter in the Vancouver area with thick clean snow covering the ground and hanging from the trees. As they looked out the windows from the train's wooden benches they were entranced by the old world feel of the rocking of the train car and the storybook views of the ocean and forest. About an hour into the trip, in the middle of no where, the train stopped and a couple got off and trudged into the trees. In Lillooet the Wilson family found that in this one of the coldest winters on record the electricity for the town had been cut off by a winter snow storm. They sought warmth by staying in a restaurant as long as possible, then taking a hot bath in their frigid hotel room. The next day on their return to North Vancouver the train again stopped in the middle of no where. The couple that had been dropped off the day before got back on. Overnight the temperature in their remote cabin had not risen over 45 degrees.

Demolition"Permit applied for in the year 2007.
Photo: Taken in the year 2000 by SW. See Y2K Project at the North Vancouver Archives.

Link: http://www.wcra.org/collection/BC33.htm

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Come Build a House

Although there are no listings in the Building Permit book or City Directories at the North Vancouver Archives until around the 1960's the style of this house at 302 East 6th Street seems to indicate it could have been built in the 1940's. Two homes in the City of North Vancouver Heritage Inventory 1994 are built with similar Streamline Moderne features. (See pages 176 and 177.) What indicates this period in the 302 East 6th Street home are the rounded corners of the exterior walls at either side of the front door.

By 1955 Jason N., retired, and Victoria M. Dezell were living in the house. In 1971 two families are reported as residing there: Danato and Anna Damico and in the rear Miss S. Moore. Donato was a laborer for the West Vancouver Muncipality. Susan Moore was a hairdresser at Queensbury Coiffures.

From 1989 to 1994 Maggie Paquet rented the house.  The actual owner of the house at this time lived near Kerrisdale in Vancouver. Maggie Paquet published two books and was involved in the publication of many more, either as editor or designer. She was also responsible for the saving of many trees.

"The little weeping birch tree in the photos used to be in front of a nearby house, second in from St. Andrews on the same side of 6th. I salvaged it when those old houses were torn down for the condos on that corner. I also made a presentation to the City of North Van to save the big tree beside "my" house, as well as a number of others in the block with the heritage house around which the condos were built. The beautiful chestnut on Keith is one I'm particularly proud to have been responsible for its still standing. I was interviewed by the Vancouver Sun for all the ruckus I made about all the demolition on that street and a fellow who moves houses actually bought a few of them and moved them to various location, I think on Vancouver Island, so I also saved a few houses, as well as a few trees. " (From 2011 e mail by Maggie Paquet.) 

The photos in this blog post were taken during the year 2000 as part of Suzanne Wilson's Year 2000 Photography Project, Your House/Our Home. The original home, lot after its demolition, and four construction photos give information as to how a house was built in the year 2000. Come build a house.

May 2000

July 2000

August 2000

September 2000

December 2000

Thank you: To Maggie Paquet for her 2011 e mail.

End of Month Index
March 2010

Arranged by Subject and Address Country, State/Province, City, Street: numerical East, alphabetical, numerical West.

CANADA

British Columbia

City of North Vancouver

409 East 1st Street, Y2K Project, Monday, March 15, 2010.

648 East 3rd Street, Wartime House, Monday, March 22, 2010.

662 East 5th Street, Decked Our for Every Holiday, Tuesday, March 23, 2010
719 East 6th Street, Originally Built in 1921, Wednesday, March 24, 2010. 

739 East 7th Street, The Mathieson's Lived Here, Friday, March 5, 2010.
309 East 11th Street, Back af far as 1911, Thursday, March 4, 2010.
225 East 18th Street, Street Undergoing Change, Tuesday, March 30, 2010.
243 West 6th Street, Demolished or Moved, Monday, March 29, 2010.

North Vancouver District

877 Clements Avenue, Under the House, Friday, March 19, 2010.

1426 Draycott Road, Pink Cottage at the End of the Lane, Tuesday, 3/9/10.
2790 Edgemont Boulevard, To Demo or Not to Demo, Wednesday, 3/17/2010.

720 Edgewood Road, The Manton Mansion, Thursday, March 11, 2010. 
627 Elstree Place, The Sun Shires Bright on Elstree, Thursday, 3/18/10.
482 Genoa Crescent, A Mountain Behind, Friday, March 26, 2010. 
3890 Loraine Avenue, Lorraine on Loraine, Tuesday, March 16, 2010.

1120 Marine Drive, Montreal on Marine, Wednesday, March 10, 2010.

4742 Marineview Crescent,  Typical Double Decker, Wednesday, 3/3/10.

854 Montroyal Boulevard, Trilevel on Montroyal, Tuesday, March 2, 2010.

3690 Mountain Highway, Fire in the District, Monday, March 8, 2010. 
343 Seymour River Place, Maplewood Farm Neighbour, Thursday, 3/25/10. 

735 Wellington Drive, The Three Wellingtons, Monday, March 1, 2010.

Vancouver

999 Canada Place, Friday special Feature, Olympic Special Feature,

        The Sails of Canada Place, Friday, March 12, 2010.

B. C.

4354 Metchosin Road, Metchosin, Sunday Church Feature, Saint Mary the

          Virgin, Sunday, March 7, 2010.

1775 Connie Road, Sooke, Saturday Special Travel Feature Sooke Markham

        House,  Saturday, March 13, 2010.
1663 Peninsula Road, Ucluelet, Sunday Church Feature, St. Aiden's on the hill,
        Sunday, March 28, 2010.

UNITED STATES

California

550 Geary Street, San Francisco, Saturday Travel Feature, Adagio in San 

        Francisco, Saturday, March 6, 2010.

Washington

330 Boone Avenue, Sunday Church Feature, St. Aloysius at Gonzaga, Sunday
        3/14/10.

Wisconsin

Highway 54 at the corner with C Road, Seymour, Wisconsin, Saturday Travel

        Feature, Phillips 66 in Seymour, Saturday, March 20, 2010. 

349 North Main Street, Seymour Wisconsin, Sunday Church Feature,

        Sunday, March 21, 2010.

Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin, Saturday Travel Feature, "Terry's shack is a
        thing of beauty," Saturday, March 27, 2010.

FEATURES

Saturday Travel Features

1775 Connie Road, Sooke, Saturday Special Travel Feature Sooke 

          Markham House,  Saturday, March 13, 2010.

550 Geary Street, San Francisco, Saturday Travel Feature, Adagio in San 

        Francisco, Saturday, March 6, 2010.

Highway 54 at the corner with C Road, Seymour, Wisconsin, Saturday Travel

        Feature, Phillips 66 in Seymour, Saturday, March 20, 2010.  Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin, Saturday Travel Feature, "Terry's shack is a
        thing of beauty," Saturday, March 27, 2010.

 Sunday Church Features

330 Boone Avenue, Sunday Church Feature, "St. Aloysius at Gonzaga", Sunday
         3/14/10.

4354 Metchosin Road, Metchosin, Sunday Church Feature, "Saint Mary the

          Virgin", Sunday, March 7, 2010.
1663 Peninsula Road, Ucluelet, Sunday Church Feature, "St. Aiden's on the
          Hill, Sunday", March 28, 2010.

349 North Main Street, Seymour Wisconsin, Sunday Church Feature,
         "Emmanuel Lutheran Church", Sunday, March 21, 2010.

Special Olympic Feature

999 Canada Place, Friday special Feature, Olympic Special Feature,

        The Sails of Canada Place, Friday, March 12, 2010. 

Photo: Taken of North Vancouver water front, city, and mountains from Wall Street, Vancouver in 2006 by SW.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Street Undergoing Change

The 200 block on the south side of East 18th Street in the City of North Vancouver is on the march. The house on the corner lot has been demolished and a modern trim multifamily housing built. The houses on the next two lots have been demolished. Only a couple of trees, some rough low brush, and the entrance sidewalk and steps to where the houses were remains. A church like looking house sits on the next lot with no notice of demolition in its future. To the east of it is 219 and 221 East 18th Street, a side by side duplex with a wrought iron fence across the front yard. Here a demolition permit has been applied for. And then we come to the house in the photo above, 225 East 18 Street, that also has a demolition permit applied for it. So it looks like it is the hopes of the developers that the possibly 6 lots to the east of the corner complex at East 18th Street and St. George's Avenue  will become another modern trim multifamily housing complex. Time will tell.


As to the history of the house at 225 East 18th Street, there are no entries in either the Building Permit book or the City Directories until around 1960. Then Joseph R. and Kathleen Walsh are reported as owners. Joseph was employed as an assistant accountant at Clarke-Simpkins. In 1971 Donald Wilson was the owner and the proprietor of Wilson's Gifts and Coffee Lounge. In 1980 Doughlas J. Renforth lived in the house. He was employed by Pacific Truck and Trailer Ltd. By 1991 Don and Karen Wilkins had moved to 225 East 18th Street. Don was an accountant at B. C. Tel. In the year 2000 children were photographed in front of the house during Suzanne Wilson's Y2K Project, Your House/Our Home so a young family was living there at that time. A photo of the house is on file at the North Vancouver Archives as part of that project.


Two interesting features of the house at 225 East 18th Street are the view and the front low stone wall. If you look through the bare branches of the large tree on the right of the photo above you can see Burrard Inlet. This could also be the view from the back of the house. The front low stone wall looks like it has been there for some time and could tell the more of the history of the house than could be found in research at the North Vancouver Archives.


Demolition: Permit applied for in February 2010.
Photo: Taken in February 2010 by SW.

Appendix

243 West 6th Street

In April 2011 Suzanne Wilson photographed the home that was moved from 243 West 6th Street, North Vancouver in its new home at 301 Stern Rd., Fanny Bay, B.C. (See photos below.)

Monday, March 29, 2010

Demolished or Moved

To be demolished or moved, that is the question. Both are possibilities for the 1921 house built by A. A. McLean at 243 West 6th Street. The architect for the 1921 house was G. D. Curtis. He designed it for owner Alexander McLean, a compositor for the World newspaper.  The contractors that built this $2900 house were John Mclean & Sons. (City of North Vancouver Heritage Inventory 1994, page 154.) In 1925 Alexander McLean added a $100 garage. He was still living in the house in 1933. "Famous Canadian artist, E.J. Hughes (1913-2007), lived in the house with his grandfather, John McLean, and uncles, Alexander and John McLean, for four years (1929-1933) while studying at Vancouver's School of Decorative and Applied Arts."(See Link 2.)

After Alexander McClean there were a series of owners. Mrs. Mary Sloane, a widow, owned it in 1940. J. A Renfrew a salesman at an establishment at 123 East 3rd Street owned it in 1950. David J. and Vivian M. Nicoll owned it in 1971. David still owned in in 1971 and continued to work making signs at a company at 1140 Lonsdale. However in 1971 Mrs, Elsie G. Millar an accountant at Borsholt Furniture also was a resident at 243 West 6th Street. Y. Marisol lived there in 1980 and Frederick L. Willis is listed in both the 1991 and 1995/96 City Directories and year 2000 phone book.


The present owners of the 89 year old Craftsman style house are Douglas Fugger and Abigail Kinch. They purchased the heritage home in 2008 intending to renovate it. However, they couldn't reach an agreement with the city over the renovations and decided to demolish it and build a new house. After much jockeying they got the demolition permit but then came up with the idea of giving to anyone that would like to move it. Nickel Brothers house moving suggest that the price of moving it locally would be about $75,000. A final solution is hoped for by mid-April 2010. 

The quaint house with the sun room entrance hall sits on the south side of Ottawa Gardens. The front porch and door are on the left side of the windowed sun room. A living room fireplace is also evident in the photo above. There are also three bedrooms, a den, a dining room, and a kitchen with a nook.  All are wonderfully lit with many multipane windows.  To see all these lovely rooms look at the web site reference to interior photos in Link 2. Ottawa Gardens is a wide boulevard on West 6th Street between Chesterfield Avenue and Mahon Avenue. St. Edmunds Catholic Church anchors Ottawa Gardens on the west side.


Thank you: To Nickel Brothers for the information and photos on their web site-Link 2.
Photo: Taken in February 2010 by SW. There is also a photo on file at the North Vancouver Archives as part of Suzanne Wilson's Year 2000 Project, Your House/Our Home.

Link 1: http://www.bclocalnews.com/greater_vancouver/northshoreoutlook/news/82818882.html?period=W&mpStartDate=01-20-2010&
Link 2: http://www.nickelbros.com/102431.html  
Later Note: One night in May 2010 the house was moved, first to the Automall at the foot of Fell Street in North Vancouver, then on a barge, finally to its new home on a water front lot in Fanny Bay on Vancouver Island.  It was sold for $1.(Thank you to Sharon Proctor editor of the North Vancouver Museum and Archives publication  the "Express" for this information.)
2011 Note: In April 2011 Suzanne Wilson photographed the home at its new location at 301 Stern Rd., Fanny Bay.  Photographs are available on request and at the North Vancouver Archives.
Ref# 10-243-1
Located: Vancouver Office: Vancouver
Price: $75,000.
Sq feet: approx 1800 (over two floors)

Dimensions:

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms:1

Floors:original fir

Roof:asphalt shingle

Exterior:wood shingle

Heat Type:

Type: craftsman

FEATURES
This classic craftsman style house is ready for another life. Built some 80+ years ago it still stands the test of time. Upgrades yes but the overall feel of the house has remained. Two bedrooms upstairs with a master bedroom on the main floor. Check out the floor plan and make your offers today. Call for details.

House HIstory: This house was designed by George D. Curtis, Architect in 1921. The one-storey bungalow was built for Alexander McLean, a compositor for the World newspaper.
Famous Canadian artist, E.J. Hughes (1913-2007), lived in the house with his grandfather, John McLean, and uncles, Alexander and John McLean, for four years (1929-1933) while studying at Vancouver's School of Decorative and Applied Arts.
click for more interior photos
 

Ref# 10-243-1