Monday, April 5, 2010


Monday, April 5, 2010
Stone Wall, Horseshoe Gate

"Vacant" for 367 East 5th Street in 1960 was the first listing found in the City Directories at the North Vancouver Archives. And then by 1971 the Anderson family moved into this North Vancouver City home. First it was Kurt. M. Anderson who was employed as a department manager for CP Air. Then by 1991 it was E. L. Anderson who in the 1995/96 City Directory was reported to have lived there more than 9 years.

Perhaps from the time this house was built or earlier the lane behind the house hinted at a more interesting story. Along the back of the lot was built a roughly made stone wall. The corner of the lot was marked with a tall pyramid shaped pillar on top of the wall. It had the look of a chimney. But it was the entrance to the lot that had the most interesting feature. The entrance opening was topped with what looked like a hand poured cement horseshoe. A wrought iron gate closed off the lot from people walking by. So although the house looked contemporary with the 1960's, the stone wall with its unique entrance looked like something from a previous era. Perhaps it was. Down the street and on the same side of 387 East 5th Street a once grand home in a Tudor Revival style was built in 1908 for J. H. and Mary Elizabeth Hoare. The City of North Vancouver Heritage Inventory 1994 page 75 shows a photo of the house and states "due to subdivision of the original property, the structure now faces the alley between 4th and 5th Streets." Could it be that the old stone wall at 367 East 5th Street was once part of this original Hoare Residence property?


The photos at 367 East 5th Street were taken by Suzanne Wilson as part of her Year 2000 Photography Project, Your House/Our Home. 2000 photos of homes in the City of North Vancouver were photographed.


In the month of June 2007 Suzanne Wilson celebrated the City of North Vancouver's 100 birthday by distributing to their home owners copies of 1000 photos taken for the Y2K Project. At this time it was discovered that the home photographed at 367 East 5th Street had been demolished and a new duplex had been built. The stone wall in the lane had also been demolished.


Photo: Taken in the year 2000 by SW.
Reference: The Year 2000 project was donated by Suzanne and Alan Wilson to the North Vancouver Archives and is available for viewing.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Easter Sunday Church Feature
Lutherans in Kaukauna

On April 15, 1877 Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized with 22 charter members in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. The minister was Rev. Reinhold Pieper of Wrightstown and the services were conducted in German. The next year they built the small wooden church with the single steeple that (shown in the photo below) on the 800 block of Grignon Street. In 1885 the Rev. William Hinnerthan was installed as the first official pastor and in 1889 a charter was granted to the church. In 1917 the Rev. Paul Oehlert became pastor and the following year a Sunday School was started. The present red brick church with the two square steeples was dedicated in 1915. Starting in 1920 services were conducted in English as well as German. In 1965 the Rev. John Mattek became pastor and in 1969 the new front entrance was built onto the 1915 church. (Link. )(See photo above.)

1878 Small Wooden Church on right (Link.)

It is interesting to note that the 1915 Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kaukauna, Wisconsin and the Emmanuel Lutheran Church (See March 21, 2010 blog post.) built in 1915 similar styles. Both are red brick and have two square steeples. The street that the Kaukauna church is on, Grignon Street, is named for Charles A. Grignon who obtained the first land deed in Wisconsin.

Sanctuary Altar (Link.)
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church was the home church of Marie Juergenmeyer when she, her husband Martin, and daughter Hazel lived on Taylor Street in Kaukauna in the late 1920's and early 1930's. The family then moved to Seymour where she attended Emmanuel Lutheran Church. Following Martin's death in the 1950's she returned to live in the Taylor Street house in Kaukauna and again attended Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. Marie and Martin Juergenmeyer were the grandparents and Hazel the mother of Suzanne Wilson.

For more information on Kaukauna, Wisconsin see blog post from April 3, 2010. 

Thank you: To Irene Luehring and Bill Roerig of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran  
               Church, Kaukauna, Wisconsin, for the information and the memories.
Photos: Colored taken in 2006 by SW.
               B and W probably taken shortly after 1915. See Link.




Saturday, April 3, 2010


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.

Friday, April 2, 2010


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.

Thursday, April 1, 2010


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.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

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


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.