Watertower Neg 9 Annotated

1872? - present, Moore & Centre Streets. History~ The Detroit to Buffalo line the Canada Southern Railway constructed through St. Thomas in 1872 crossed the London and Port Stanley Railway that had been already been operating for over 15 years. It was then became the responsibility of the CSR to protect the diamond where they crossed the London and Port Stanley Railway tracks. For this they built a mechanically interlocked system of signals and switches which were controlled from the BX Tower. [source Elgin Heritage Collections]

Levers in the tower allowed the operator to remotely operate switches and signals via a system of control rods that snaked along the ground near the tower. No electricity required, no computer chip to fail, no screen to watch. If the power went out, didn't matter. It was analog, and it worked.
[photo is of Bob Binns, operator-leverman of the New York Central BX Tower on day of his retirement, 1949, after 50 years with the railroad]

1965 - 1985, 604 Talbot Street. Ramona's Delicatessen was started by Joe and Anna Ebner about 1965. Ministry of Agriculture and Food was other long time occupant. Upstairs was the Imperial Apartments. Just one of the many lunch options that existed downtown at this time. Building demolished for a plaza.
[photo ca. 1982]

1973 - ?, 595 Talbot Street. The Schooner Inn opened February, 1973. The site was formerly the Hotel Talbot built about 1915, destroyed by fire in 1951, and rebuilt as the Talbot Hotel in 1953. The original Hotel Talbot was larger and had 3 floors. After the Schooner Inn it was later The Point After, J T's Country Tavern, Sunys and more.

1950 - ?, 22 St. Catherine Street. Moore Tire was on a site formerly occupied by Jennings Tire. The corner of St. Catherine and Curtis had been a location for the John O. King Garage, St. Thomas Sheet Metal, Elgin Livery stable, among others. Was later Wine Kits and this was the original location for the Railway City Brewery where Al Goulding started brewing.
[photo is 1950]