[Panzerfaust]

After seeing the thread on Blondin Avenue, I became intrigued about street necrology in the Hamilton area. Though I do not have an old map on hand, and I don't know where I could find one, I figured that I could be successful in finding some interesting things just by following the Linc on Google Maps. Oh how right I was.

I shall list the things I found here, though it's almost all pure speculation on my part. I don't really have much of a resource to go by. Any info on this stuff by people more learned than myself is greatly appreciated. This is only a small area of Hamilton, and if people know of similar things in other areas of the city, feel free to share.

Old Mohawk Road - I'm going to assume that Mohawk underwent a realignment sometime around the time the Linc was built, as the Linc now transforms into Mohawk before it terminates at Wilson.
http://maps.google.ca/maps?client=f...79.940643&spn=0.007379,0.014591&t=h&z=16&om=1

Anyone know what this is? Looks like some sort of abandoned road to me.
http://maps.google.ca/maps?client=f...-79.931663&spn=0.00369,0.007296&t=h&z=17&om=1

Old Golf Links Road - Another realignment, I guess.
http://maps.google.ca/maps?client=f...-79.934281&spn=0.00369,0.007296&t=h&z=17&om=1

The first of many breaks in Limeridge Road. You can trace it all the way west to Mohawk in smaller streets and things like that, but it currently terminates at Garth due to the Linc off ramps.
http://maps.google.ca/maps?client=f...,-79.90056&spn=0.00738,0.014591&t=h&z=16&om=1

Could Kendale Ct. have originally run through to Mountbatten? No concrete evidence for this at all, it just seems interesting that the path there goes straight across the park at the same alignment as the road. My grandparents have lived in the area for a long time, so I'll make a point to ask them at some point in the future.
http://maps.google.ca/maps?client=f...,-79.89482&spn=0.00369,0.007296&t=h&z=17&om=1

The second break in Limeridge, at James.
http://maps.google.ca/maps?client=f...-79.884757&spn=0.00369,0.007296&t=h&z=17&om=1

And Limeridge again, by Lime Ridge Mall
http://maps.google.ca/maps?client=f...79.865263&spn=0.003691,0.007296&t=h&z=17&om=1

Fieldway Drive dead-ending just before another Fieldway Drive? Methinks there was a connection here at one point.
http://maps.google.ca/maps?client=f...79.863369&spn=0.001845,0.003648&t=h&z=18&om=1

Limeridge once more.
http://maps.google.ca/maps?client=f...79.845822&spn=0.003691,0.007296&t=h&z=17&om=1

Old Mud street, presumably another realignment.
http://maps.google.ca/maps?client=f...79.804934&spn=0.003692,0.007296&t=h&z=17&om=1

No idea what the hell. Anyone know what the purpose of this "Mud Street Service Road" was/is?
http://maps.google.ca/maps?client=f...79.771165&spn=0.001846,0.003648&t=h&z=18&om=1

That's all I have for now. As I said, other submissions are more than welcome, as I am very new to this. Feel free to put me in my place if I am wrong on any of these points.

 

[TKTKTK]

No idea what the hell. Anyone know what the purpose of this "Mud Street Service Road" was/is?
http://maps.google.ca/maps?client=f...79.771165&spn=0.001846,0.003648&t=h&z=18&om=1

It looks like Mud Street Service road exists to give access to those handfull of houses fronting Mud Street (built before it became a controlled access boulevard). You can see what Mud Street must have looked like before the widening just to the east of Centennial, and at Old Mud Street (and Mud Street W) to the west.

 

[smuncky]

Anyone know what this is? Looks like some sort of abandoned road to me.
http://maps.google.ca/maps?client=f...-79.931663&spn=0.00369,0.007296&t=h&z=17&om=1

Old Golf Links Road - Another realignment, I guess.
http://maps.google.ca/maps?client=f...-79.934281&spn=0.00369,0.007296&t=h&z=17&om=1

could those 2 have been connected at one time? and if not, the first one looks just like a driveway to that tower there. like a service road or something.

 

[Panzerfaust]

could those 2 have been connected at one time? and if not, the first one looks just like a driveway to that tower there. like a service road or something.

It's possible, and maybe even probable. However, I'm immediately suspicious of anything odd surrounding the Linc, because it cut off a lot of roads when it was built. For example, Upper Horning Road, just to the east of the area we are talking about now. It used to run straight through, at least according to my dad. He's been a Postie since long before I was born, so he knows the geography of the city very well.

 

[Kiwi]

Take a look at Upper Paradise and the Linc....go west until Daisy St and Greencedar Dr. You'll see a support beam in the middle of the Linc, make sure you zoom in to see it. I think the City was planning to build a pedestrian bridge but never got around to it. Neighbourhood probably complained. I always wondered why there was a support beam in the middle of the Linc.

 

[Panzerfaust]

Take a look at Upper Paradise and the Linc....go west until Daisy St and Greencedar Dr. You'll see a support beam in the middle of the Linc, make sure you zoom in to see it. I think the City was planning to build a pedestrian bridge but never got around to it. Neighbourhood probably complained. I always wondered why there was a support beam in the middle of the Linc.

Heh, funny that you point that out. When I was younger and my parents would be driving along the Linc, I always wondered what that was. I figured that it lead into a secret subterranean hideout. That's eight year old logic for you!

This revelation is considerably less exciting.

 

[Jayomatic]

Ahh. All those bring back memories.

Can't really remember much about Golf Club Road. I remember an old house which used to be right on the edge of Golf Club. I'm pretty sure it did cross the 403 at some point.

I had no idea Limeridge had so many breaks in it now. It used to connect from Mud Street. You would turn left onto Limeridge from Mud St/Mountain Brow Blvd and that would run all the way to Garth I think.

Arbour Rd used to connect and was a really small road which would be good for getting to the bowling alley which is on Stone Church.

Old Mud Street used to be part of the main Mud Street. Where it now turns at Paramount Drive is where it connected.

The Mud Street service road used to be Mud Street before Mud was turned into a 4 lane road. It used to be a 2 lane road on the south side until the late 80s/early 90s. On the east side of Mud at Upper Centennial highway, you can see where Mud street bends slightly north. It used to run right along side of the golf course and the tim hortons on the south side. They moved Mud Street north to connect to the new 4 lane mud street increasing the parking lot and gas station.

On Mud Street just east of Paramount used to be only 2 lanes and the city has pre built the bridge on the north side for what would eventually become the westbound lanes of Mud Street. For many years this bridge was just a piece of road which wasn't used and would be used on Canada day as a parking lot for Fireworks in Valley Park.

 

[willyrover]

Take a look at Upper Paradise and the Linc....go west until Daisy St and Greencedar Dr. You'll see a support beam in the middle of the Linc, make sure you zoom in to see it. I think the City was planning to build a pedestrian bridge but never got around to it. Neighbourhood probably complained. I always wondered why there was a support beam in the middle of the Linc.

It's a pedestrian underpass.

 

[catcher_of_cats]

It always has been an underpass. A satellite image does not always tell the correct story.

 

[vic]

How about the top of John St.:
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&sour...870423&spn=0.006697,0.013078&t=h&z=17&iwloc=A

It continues as a wide trail up the escarpment, narrowing towards the top. Great as an alternate bike route once in a while, or as an alternative to walking the James St. stairs.

I'm pretty sure it used to be a "road" of some form, before the Claremont Access went in. I'll have to check some books on that though.

 

[catcher_of_cats]

The escarpment is littered with a host of former crossings, most being simple single lane dirt roads.

 

[willyrover]

It certainly does appear that that trail/road did, at one time, connect the top of John St. with Upper James Street. The Clarence Access and this road met near the top.

Photos are from 1934 and 1960. It appears to still be connected in the 60's.

 

[vic]

Another one along the escarpment

Can you guess that maybe I grew up around here?

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&sour...244023,-79.8848&spn=0.00687,0.013078&t=h&z=17

There's a trail (actually, part of the Bruce Trail) that runs below the Hamilton Psychiatric Hospital (no, that's NOT where I grew up). Starting from the beginning of West 5th, you can walk / ride down to Beckett's Drive and beyond.

This is just a trail, not a road, but maybe it was a road or a railway at some point? The grade is not steep at all, and seems to be a wide, flat ledge carved off the side of the escarpment. Would love to find out more, as I have spent tons of time down there...and still do sometimes when I visit.

 

[Jonny5]

It certainly does appear that that trail/road did, at one time, connect the top of John St. with Upper James Street. The Clarence Access and this road met near the top.

Photos are from 1934 and 1960. It appears to still be connected in the 60's.

I believe there was an incline railway at that location.

 

[willyrover]

I believe there was an incline railway at that location.

Not sure about that but while looking around I found these pictures of the James St. Incline railway (1892-1932)and the old high level reservoir.

The reservoir walls still exists and some kind of Scouts building is inside it.

The ruins of the Mountain View Hotel have been incorporated into the park gazebo/pergola at Upper James and West Claremont Dr.