| The Emerson Case A Snapshot of London in 1898 |
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| In 1842 the Middlesex County consisted of 15 townships. The town of London was established in 1847 and had a population of 4,668 people. London became a city in 1855. By 1880 London had 19, 941 people living in it, and by 1898 the population of this area had grown to include 45,000 people. The growth of this area was partly due to the annexation of London East (1885), London South (1890), and London West (1898). When London first began to develop, the courthouse was the town center. In the early years, people used to gather and watch public executions, "where the justice system called for the death penalty for more than 300 offences, including simple theft." By 1898, the town had undergone considerable advancement and improvement. School fees had been abolished, the University of Western Ontario had been established, as well as a Medical College. "There were 16 public schools, 5 separate schools and 1 high school. Students had to write entrance exams in order to attend the high school. Altogether in the school system, there were 141 teachers and principals who worked for the public board, and approximately 5,500 students." There were no playgrounds for children in the city, not even at the schools. Swimming at Port Stanley was a popular recreational activity at this time. Although the Thames was closer in proximity to many of the residents, people felt that it was too polluted to swim in. In fact, one of the major debates for the city of London was the treatment of sewage. One of the proposals for a sewage system was just to dump it all in the Thames. During the mid-1880's, drinking water had been hauled from the river by pails and sometimes emptied into huge whiskey barrels for storage. Other people used water wells, but these eventually became polluted from the outdoor toilets (or outhouses) on their properties. People back then did not have indoor bathrooms, sewer systems, and water treatments like they do today. Prior to 1898, tourists used to ride in steam ships along the Thames river. Unfortunately, however, after many disasters with the ships, this service lost its appeal. Also, street trolleys had become more convenient and in 1898 the service of ship travel was shut down completely. The last steamer was burned the following year. Springbank Park had become a popular place to be in this era. After 1896, residents would go skating at Springbank Park during the winter months. An outdoor theatre in the park offered afternoon and evening performances for 15 and 25 cents. People would travel by railway to Springbank Park, especially on holidays when the park provided entertainment by attractions such as performances, concerts and fireworks. The Great Western Railway had opened its first station in London in 1853. This also contributed to the population growth in the London-Middlesex area, since it enabled imports, exports, and travel. The convenience and necessity of the railway for development therefore brought more settlers to the area. By 1887, the Canadian Pacific Railway also serviced the London and Middlesex area. The wages paid to railway workers at this time were 15 and 1/3 cents an hour. This doesn’t seem like very much money today, but as you can imagine, prices were a lot cheaper than they are today. For example, if you went shopping in London in 1898, you would find men’s gloves priced at 75 cents a pair, felt hats for $2 a piece, ladies button and lace boots reduced to $1.25 a pair, or even a children’s "Mother Hubbard Dress" for 35 cents. When traveling within the area, horses were still used, although not as frequently by 1898. Horse drawn streetcars had appeared in 1875 and were used for travel throughout the area. In 1895, horses were no longer needed to pull streetcars, since electric trolleys were attached instead. Another popular means of transportation and recreation was the bicycle. A bicycle could be purchased for $32.95, a "premier London bicycle" was $75, or one could be rented for 75 cents a day. London’s roads were, however, not very good for cycling on, and bicycle riders preferred to ride on the sidewalks. This was not permitted because of a city bylaw, and fines for riding on sidewalks ranged from 25 cents to $3, depending on the distance that had been ridden on the sidewalk. One man, named Joseph Chambers was fined for riding his bicycle 15 miles per hour, when the speed limit was only 8 miles per hour. A bicycle bylaw was also passed which stated that riders must be on the proper side of the road. The bicyclists preferred to ride on the sidewalks, as they had been made from planks of wood, and in 1898 the city began replacing these planks with cement. The roads at this time have been described as a "hodgepodge of materials. Some streets were dirt on one side of the street, gravel on the other. Some of them were brick, covered with asphalt; others in the downtown area, were paved with cedar blocks." In 1898, bicyclists were demanding better roads to ride upon, and some of the streets began to be paved. Another major improvement was the introduction of electricity. In the mid-1880's, the streets were lit with gas lamps. The first electric lighting was installed in 1883 and by 1898 the Hunt Brothers’ London Electric Co. was busy planning to distribute electricity throughout the area to light the city streets. Electricity was not used in homes, however, until the 1920's. Grocery stores, hardware stores, and shops permeated the area, especially in downtown London. Five major carriage factories had been operating downtown since the 1880's. In 1898, London’s first chain store, Grafton’s clothing store, was operating on Dundas Street. The area also had cigar, shoe, and clothing factories. Since the 1870's, over 170 taverns and hotels existed in the area. Among the hotels, the Grigg Hotel on Richmond Street was the most popular, and included a bar, billiard parlour, barber shop, reading room, and dining room. Hotel prices were approximately $1.50 per day. Most of the buildings were made of stone and brick, which gave London a "modern" look. There were still no apartment buildings, and people lived in houses or cottages. Outside the downtown area, there were still many people who worked on farms and either sold their produce at the local market, or had it shipped to other areas. By 1898, the city decided to build a new hospital, which officially opened the following year as Victoria Hospital. The other hospitals were known for their "uncleanliness," which people felt was due to the absence of nurses. At this time, nurses were always women and only men would become doctors. People had to worry about diseases such as scarlet fever, which they were uncertain of how to cure. Although there were advancements in medicine, pills which claimed to cure everything were frequently advertised. On January 3, 1898, what was described by The London Free Press as "The City Hall Catastrophe" occurred downtown. On municipal election night, a crowd had gathered at City Hall to celebrate the election of the new mayor, John D. Wilson. Instead of celebrating, the citizens were stuck with terror as part of the second floor collapsed, and the 250 people who were standing on it fell through to the first floor. Immediately afterwards, the situation became worse when a 500-pound safe fell through the same hole. Unfortunately, 23 people died and 150 were injured from the accident. The City Council also had an important change this year, as the first lady in London to hold a public office was appointed to the Council. If women were employed at this time, it was generally as teachers, seamstresses, housekeepers or nurses. The lady who was appointed to the City Council was Mrs. Harriet Anne Boomer. She was on the Board of Education, since a large number of schoolchildren were girls, and the National Council of Women wanted them to be represented. Many women’s groups and associations were beginning to emerge at this time. Their goals were to advance the interests of women and children. The Local Council of Women, for instance, was formed in 1894, from upper middle class and prominent families. Their early campaigns included establishing child welfare laws, marriage laws, and incorporating domestic science courses into school curriculums. These groups not only offered social services to the community, but also allowed women to use their talents while participating in community life. Although these groups were not considered to be "radical," they made women aware that "their sphere of influence existed far beyond the kitchen." The residents of the London and Middlesex community were kept informed by two prominent newspapers, The Daily Free Press and The Daily Advertiser. Telegraphs were still a popular means of communication. The time to send a telegraph had been reduced to less than one minute from London to Vancouver. The Bell phone company was also established at this time; in 1896 it had erected telephone poles throughout the city, and there were over 600 people who owned and used a telephone. As you can see, the London and Middlesex area has changed considerably since 1898. Nevertheless, this was a time of technological and economic growth, and the improvements and changes which occurred were remarkable. Before long, the automobile would be brought to London, troops would be sent off to fight for the British army, and telephones would be in every home. Do you think you would have enjoyed living in this area in 1898?
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Would you want to live in |
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Researched and written by Karen Allen |
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