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| BRIEF HISTORY OF 112 AVENUE |
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Lot 30 is just west of 64 Street. |
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112 AVENUE TODAY |
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When our Editor (Cheryl Mahaffy) suggested, in 2007, a story on the history of the stores/businesses on 112 Avenue might be appropriate, I decided to take on the task. My original idea was cover from 'day one to the present',however! The first fifty years proved to be 'interesting' enough for now. The original plan was just to list the businesses by year and location, unfortunately, this made the article look like a 'stat' sheet. It is hoped the finished format will be satisfactory, that is, a photo of what is now, and what other businesses operated at the same address. Starting at the 'east' end, through to an 'obituary' for the Bellevue stores. Most Highland locations have a picture except for 6227 Bellevue Meat Market, (1914) 6228-Magrath Hart Building Co. (1914-15). Where the business appears to end in 1964 this may mean, and usually does, the business was open in 1964, the last year of this survey. Henderson's Directories, local business owners, and others are the sources of the information provided. The accuracy of Henderson's is not 100%, but is accurate enough for our purpose. So, if you disagree, let us know!! You will note it is sometimes Highland, sometimes Highlands, once at least, Bellevue, followed by Bellevue. Some addresses contained two businesses but sometimes only one was recorded. To 'err is human, to forgive divine', or something like that! The often annual changes perhaps reflect that to be in business is not all 'peaches and cream' and one has to admire the entrepreneurial spirit of those, as it where, 'having a go'! It seems unlikely that any of the proprietors made a fortune, but many remained in the same location for many years, serving 'Highlanders. Jamison's, according to one person, had the first, albeit unofficial, drive-through window restaurant. The area west of 65 Street, is not quite so old as the one we have just dealt with. It has, over time, contained a variety of stores including a taxi cab office, jewelers and an electrician. We must not forget Cozy Corner at 11204-65 Street. 11204-65 Street: OK, so it's not on 112 Avenue, but it was definitely part of the scene under its various names: Cozy Corner (1945-1960) Tip Top Café (1961 -1962) Tin Ton Café (1963) There was a bit of a mystery over 6506-112 Avenue - although listed in Henderson's it did not look like a business. It was later confirmed by a Mr. Fields, who stated for sure Premier Cycle was in fact located at 6506-112 Avenue. That concludes the lower and middle of the 112 Avenue businesses; included however are a three stores from the west end. 7543-112 Avenue is now an untidy looking lot, the building having been torn down. The two known 'occupants' were indeed diverse... the Grace English Lutheran Sunday School and later Northern Chickeries. 1934 seems to be the last time it was used as a business. |
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MAY 2011 It was decided by Tidridge (!) that this might be an appropriate article for the website under his family name. This seems to be appropriate as he and his family has lived in the Highlands-Bellevue area since 1957. The businesses have been brought up to to date as far as city and Henderson's records allow (City staff have helped). If you find errors or disagree with the findings please 'call' Tidridge. His email address is: jtidridge@interbaun.com .
September 30, 2011: you will see Tidridge has changed his mind again... this article will provide information on all businesses on 112 Avenue from 50 Street to 76 Street) September 23, 2011 HENDERSON'S DIRECTORIES Several years ago,anyone engaged in people or place searches would sooner or later resort to the Henderson's Directories It was 'gospel' to some! The Edmonton editions started off very small, the 1908 edition was the earliest the author could find; of course as the city grew so did the directory. The author is attempting to secure the dates or maps that show 112 Avenue for the first time. So far it has been discovered that 112 Avenue was originally called Knox Avenue & ran from Pine Street (78 Street) to the east city limits. It is first listed in Henderson's (page 233) in 1913. Starting from Pine Street to Agnes Street are house numbers 3-91, Agnes Street intersects, 309-289 (remember we are going east), Bissel Street intersects. 515-539 then Carle Street. What follows is the question from the author and the response from the City of Edmonton Archives From: John Tidridge [mailto:jtidridge@interbaun.com] Hello People... According to Henderson's 1913 addition page 233 112 Avenue was known as Knox Avenue... but I can't seem (yet!) to trace if back further until the date of naming.... can you help please? Cheers, From: CMS Archives 496-8711 Hello Mr. Tidridge Thank you for the reference request regarding 112 Avenue. I have looked in our 112 Avenue clippings file (Engineering - Roadways - 112 Avenue). There is only one article and it is from modern times talking about how heavy is the volume of traffic at the time. In the 1916 Henderson's Edmonton Directory (p. 226) it divides 112th Avenue into sections. 112th Street "Formerly Knox Ave. from 50 th St to 78th St.; Pine Ave. from 78th St. to 121st St. and Nipigon Ave. from 121st St. west." I suspect that whichever section runs through Highlands is the part that interests you. Knox Avenue is not mentioned in the 1910, 1911, and 1912 Henderson's Edmonton Directories. It first appears in the 1913 volume with (Virginia Park) in brackets after it. On the 1912 Driscoll and Knight's map, it shows Pine Avenue running along the south boundary of Borden Park but further east it only shows a red line (Street car line?) and no name on the road. Regards To continue...Then Fraser's Lane, Belleville, Riggs, Graham, Scott, Duprau, Wadleigh and Wentworth Streets then appear but no listing of any house in this stretch of Knox Avenue Then the unnumbered Gibbard Block, followed by Houston, Irwin and Johnson Streets finishing at the east city limits but no Street designation. The 1914 record shows the city limits as 55 Street. In 1915 the city limits are shown as 50 Street; heading west from 50 Street there are unnumbered houses to start and then there is the note there are no houses to 62 Street. There is one unnumbered house between 66 and 74 Streets. In 1914 the Gibbard Block gets the number of 6425-112 Avenue. The address of 7461 (old number 2498) is shown between 65 and 66 Streets! This scenario remains until 1921 when the houses without numbers at the east end of 112 Avenue disappear, but there are still no houses to 62 Street. For 1922 (page 222) there is the comment at 50 Street "boulevard intersects" unsure of the meaning of 'boulevard'. There are still no *houses until 62 Street where the Magrath business remains; vacant: there are no houses yet from 66 Street to 74 Street. Highlands Drug Store is shown for 1923 (page 214); the store is vacant the next year (1924). In 1924 (page 193) John Srigley's grocery appears. No other changes. 1925 (page 199) shows the drug store back, and Mr. Srigley adds a Post Office... the first in the area! In 1930 (page 244) Safeway Stores open at 6414-112 Avenue. 1932 (page 221 finds John Balzer living at 7112-112 Avenue... but no other changes. Mary Methven occupies 5005-112 Avenue in 1933 (page 228)and the first service station appears at 6924-112 Avenue. It is shown as Bellevue Service Station form 1933-36, it becomes Bellevue Service Station from 1937-45, when the names changes to Highlands Motors. The business retains this name until 1966, when it closes for business. In 1934 (page 233) 7461 shows up west of 74 Street, along with two other houses. Bellevue Grocery & Meats appears at 7204-112 Avenue in 1940 (page 247), 5104-112 Avenue arrives in 1941 (page 247), 1944 (page 179) puts 5002 on the map, in 1945 (page 185) 5002 disappears, but 5406 & 10 appear. In 1946 (page 191) 7114 is added to 112 Avenue, 1947 (page 152) adds 7116, and there is a large increase in 1948, 6231, 7208-15, 7301-47 are now on the scene. In 1950 (page 245) the first bank (Canadian Bank of Commerce) arrived at 7119, together with 7121. In 1952 (page 279) 5335a-5345 were added. 5345 was Highlands Baptist Church, the first Church actually on the Avenue ... St. Mary's arrived much, much earlier but is situated on 68 Street. Two more addresses were add in 1953: 5341 & 43 were added. This brings us up to date... the houses west of 5335a-112 Avenue to 5311 Street were added in c 1953. This might be a good time to mention that Henderson's runs a year behind. .. |
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FIRSTS First Church: 1951 Highlands Baptist Church at 5345,(now the Neighbourhood Church) now at 5347 as the church purchased and included the lot to the east in their original lot. *It should noted that most(!) houses from 50 Street to 53 Street would have Street addresses rather than a 112 Avenue designation.
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TRANSPORTATION ALONG 112 Avenue The following is composed from Ken Tingley's Ride of the Century - The Story of the Edmonton Transit System, and is used with the permission of the author The Edmonton Radial Railway was extended to the Highlands area in 1912 and initially stopped at Irwin Street (63 Street). This extension occurred when the Magrath-Holgate Company agreed to pay for the construction of more line and to cover any loss of operating costs for the first 18 months. The line was soon thereafter extended to 61 Street
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