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The Chinese in Early 20th Century Toronto: 358 College Street c. 1899

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Based on Valerie Ma’s information and verified using records from the Toronto Archives, Gum Chong moved into 385 College Street in 1899 and established a laundromat.  Prior to this, the lot varied between an empty space and a church. According to the City of Toronto Assessment files from 1901, Chong was still occupying the space a few years later with four other residents. It can be assumed that these residents were at the least, over the age of 18 as none of these residents were listed as children. Unfortunately, Gum Chong and his laundromat only lasted a few years. By 1913, the building was then occupied by jeweler F.A. Ellis.

 

2012425-spadina-north-to-college-1890s-s0376_fl0004_it0002

This picture was taken on Spadina facing north to College, c. 1890s.

 

This is the building as it stands today, 2014. It is now a commercial and office space located in the now Kensington Market neighbourhood.

 

Information and Sources taken from City of Toronto. Tax Assessment Rolls. Ward 4 Division 3 (1901). City of Toronto. Directories (1895-1899, 1901).  Mah, Valerie. The Bachelor Society: A Look at Toronto’s Early Chinese Community from 1878-1924. MA Thesis. 1978. Print.

372 Spadina Today

The Chinese in Early 20th Century Toronto: 372 Spadina Avenue – Mark Lum

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Mark Lum didn’t occupy 372 Spadina Avenue until 1901. In 1899, John Law owned an entire block of wood commercial space, with residential space above, from 370 to 382 Spadina Avenue and lived in 372 himself. In 1901, John Law rented out 372 to Mark Lum. Lum lived with three other adults in the apartment above and operated a Chinese laundromat  below. Just a year later, in 1902, Lum disappeared from the assessment rolls but 372 Spadina continued as a Chinese laundromat under Juong Yoong. Yoong lived above with two other adults under this record instead of three the previous year. This suggests that Lum either died or left his laundromat to Yoong and moved out a year after opening it.

Only a year after Yoong took over, 372 Spadina was exempt from the assessment roll. This means that a laundry service was no longer in operation and the building was empty.

Years later the property was sold to Alfred G. Brown who operated a barber and cigar shop at 372 and the neighbouring space next door.

 

 

This is what the block, where Mark Lum's Laundry was situated, would have looked like 60 years before he started.

This is what the block, where Mark Lum’s Laundry was situated, would have looked like 37 years before he started.

Reconstruction of Spadina and College in 1941 --Lum's Laundry is just one block south from this photo --

Reconstruction of Spadina and College in 1927 –Lum’s Laundry is just one block south from this photo —

372 Spadina in the 70's

372 Spadina in the 70’s

372 Spadina in the 90s

372 Spadina in the 90’s

Works Cited

Assessment Roll: Ward 4 Division 2 1899

Assessment Roll: Ward 4 Division 2 1901

Assessment Roll: Ward 4 Division 2 1902

Assessment Roll: Ward 4 Division 2 1903

Assessment Roll: Ward 4 Division 2 1909

Assessment Roll: Ward 4 Division 2 1912

Northwest Corner of Spadina Avenue and Baldwin Street. October, 1973. City of Toronto Archives, Toronto. Print.

Panorama of Spadina Avenue. 1985. Spadina Avenue by Rosemary Donegan. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre. Print

Thomson, W.J. Spadina, Baldwin and Nassau. 1896. Metro Reference Library. Spadina Avenue by Rosemary Donegan. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre. Print

Toronto Transit Commission. Re-Laying Streetcar Tracks. 1927. Spadina Avenue by Rosemary Donegan. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre. Print

 

The Chinese in Early 20th Century Toronto: 834 King Street West

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Valerie Mah’s The ‘Bachelor’ Society indicates that in 1900 a Chinese resident was at 834 King Street West. My research found that in the City of Toronto Directory for 1901, a different person than Sam Lee lived at the address. It was Davis Mrs M, gro Davis Wm.  Where this establishment was supposed to exist is now an intersection at King St and Niagara St.

 

 

The Chinese in Early 20th Century Toronto: 396 Church Street – Sui Wah’s Laundry

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City of Toronto Archives, Series 372 s0372_ss0033_it0367

390-396 Church Street 1938

 

Google Maps 2011

390-396 Church Street 2011

 

Sui Wah resided at 396 Church Street starting from 1895, when, at that time, the establishment, a laundry, was named after him. In 1904 the laundry changed names to the “Chong Hong, laundry.” A neighbouring building in the 1930’s eventually became the W. York laundromat, but was most likely not Chinese owned. Other spellings in various directories include “Wah-Sui”, “Sul Wah” and “Sin Wah”. At the time religion was also recorded in the tax assessment, and as opposed to Roman Catholic or Church of England designations, his faith was labelled as “Chinese”.

Sui Wah lived alone under landlord Petros Constantinide. During his tenancy the value of the property decreased significantly by several hundred dollars, which may be caused by decreasing the size of the lot artificially.

 

Works Cited

City of Toronto. Tax Assessment Rolls. Ward 3 Division 2 (1894). Reel 103, Location 264736:73.

City of Toronto. Tax Assessment Rolls. Ward 3 Division 2 (1901). Reel 147, Location 264736:39. Microfilm. Pg. 27.

City of Toronto. Directories (1894). Reel 39.

City of Toronto. Directories (1895). Reel 40.

City of Toronto. Directories (1899). Reel 44. Microfilm. Pg. 119.

City of Toronto. Directories (1900). Reel 46. Microfilm. Pg. 116.

City of Toronto. Directories (1901). Reel 47. Microfilm. Pg. 114.

City of Toronto. Directories (1904). Reel 50. Microfilm. Pg. 125.

1938. Dept. of Public Works Photographs, Toronto. 390-396 Church Street. Fonds 200, Ser. 372, Subser. 33, Item 367. City of Toronto Archives. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.

“390 Church Street, Toronto, ON.” Google Maps. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.

The Chinese in Early 20th Century Toronto: 337 Bathurst Street

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According to the research conducted by Valerie Mah and the records found within the City Directory of the Toronto Archives, Mr. Gee Lee became a tenant of 337 Bathurst Street in 1900. Within the wood building lived two residents. Mr. Lee ran a laundry in the downstairs space of 337 Bathurst Street, while a Mr. James Thompson lived upstairs. The 18 x 145 square foot laundry is kept under Mr. Lee’s name until 1913, for in that year the City Directory simply states 337 Bathurst Street is a Chinese Laundry. As of 1913 on, it is unclear if Mr. Lee still lives there or if the laundry was taken over by someone else.

 

1950 Bathurst Street

This is 337 Bathurst Street in 1951. Photo is taken from the Toronto Archives

 

In the Toronto Archives, the city Fire Insurance Plans reveal that from 1899-1924, this address remains the same and the building is still made of wood. Both 335 and 337 Bathurst Street are owned by the Lawson sisters, Caroline and Mary. Both sisters are single and of Catholic faith. In 1902, Mary Lawson is living in the apartment above, while Mr. Lee is still operating the laundry. 335 Bathurst Street is rented to Mr. William Clean, a belt maker. The house has three residents, and according to The City Assessment Roll of 1902, all are of Catholic faith. The neighbourhood appears to be inhabited by the working class. The City Assessment Roll of 1902 reveals the occupation of the residents, they are as follows; book keeper, clerk, belt maker, laundry owner and shoe maker. Skipping ahead a few years to 1951, 337 Bathurst Street is still an active address and now a grocery store. Today this address is currently part of a park.

 

 

 

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337 Bathurst Street 2014.

 

 

Works Cited

City Fire Insurance Plan (1899, 1903, 1913, 1924); Toronto Archives Website

City of Toronto Assessment Roll: Ward 4 Division 2 1902 (1901 for tax year 1902), Reel 155, Toronto Archives

City of Toronto Directory: Year, 1899, 1900, 1902, 1906, 1913; Toronto Archives

Mah, Valerie. The Bachelor Society: a look at Toronto’s early Chinese community from 1878-1924. MA Thesis. 1978. Print.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Chinese in Early 20th Century Toronto: 139 Queen St. W

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According to Valerie Mah’s The ‘Bachelor’ Society, in July 1900, a Chinese resident was listed at 139 Queen Street West. At that time, 139 Queen St. West was a laundromat. The building itself was owned by Edward and Margaret Hodgekinson, and they rented the location to Charlie Mark. 139 Queen St. West was part of Ward 3 in Division 4.

 

Works sourced:

139 Queen St. West. City of Toronto Assessment Rolls. Toronto: 2002. Microfilm.

The Chinese in Early 20th Century Toronto: 207 Church Street

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In 1901, a man named Hong Kee lived in the building at 207 Church Street. The building also housed his business, which was a laundromat. According to the 1913 Fire Insurance Map, it was built out of wood. Hopefully the steam from the laundry did not rot the wood. Though there are no pictures of the building to be found, if it was anything like the back of 203 Church Street in 1914 (see picture), it was possibly somewhat rundown.

At this time, there were two other people living with him (three total), who presumably helped run the laundry. Valued at $1005 dollars and deemed “Anglican” in official Assessment records, the building was not owned by Kee, but was instead owned by Kenneth Allison, who lived elsewhere at 668 Yonge Street.

Allison still owned the building by 1909, at which time Kee was 30 years old. By this time though, there now only lived two people in the building. Kee did not have any children with him. In 1909 the property was valued at $1225, which was a slight improvement from 1901, though it’s uncertain whether this was due to improvement of the building, success of the business, or differences in dollar value. Perhaps all three.

 

Works Cited

City of Toronto Assessment Roll, Ward 3 Div. 2, Reel 216

City of Toronto Assessment Roll, Ward 3 Div. 2, Reel 147

Toronto Fire Insurance Plan (1913)

The Chinese in Early 20th Century Toronto: 352 Spadina Avenue

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In 1913, 352 Spadina Avenue was part of a string of houses owned by Mary Leadly and Percival Leadly (they owned units 350 to 358)

Two tenants were listed at this address. The first was Louis Wong age 26, who lived on the bottom section of the unit. It was a laundry business in this bottom section, like most real-estates nearby. The number of residents living here including Wong is two. The second tenant was a Frank Tilley age 39, lived on the higher level of the 352 Spadina Ave establishment. The business title given to the tenant is a Collector. The number of residents living on the top section is 6 including Frank. Currently, this location is a Jewellery shop called Minh Chau Jewellery & Watches.

 

Sources

Title: City of Toronto Assessment Rolls, 1913

The Chinese in Early 20th Century Toronto: 189 St. Patrick St (now 608 Dundas St. W.)

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The residential building was located on what is now Dundas St. W. at Dennison Rd. It was owned by Joseph O’Patterson from 1899 to 1901. This building was a wooden building that stayed wooden for more than twenty years according to fire insurance plans. During the time frame of 1899 to 1901 the building had different tenants. Spark Williams lived in this building with two adults from the end of the 19th century until 1900. In 1903, a new name shows up on the tax records: George Hutchington. Mr. Hutchington lived with three other people, none of them children. A factor that did stay the same was that all of the residents throughout the years observed were listed as Protestant. The building has since been torn down, and it is currently a vacant business place, but the upper floor is home to about twenty tenants, the majority of them being students. This building is two blocks away from the heart of Toronto’s Chinatown and is currently owned by a Chinese immigrant.

Works Cited

Assessment Roll: Ward 4 Division 2 1899. Toronto Archives.

Assessment Roll: Ward 4 Division 2 1900. Toronto Archives.

Assessment Roll: Ward 4 Division 2 1901. Toronto Archives.

Goads Fire Insurance Plan: Central Toronto (1899); Toronto Archives Website

Goads Fire Insurance Plan: Central Toronto (1924); Toronto Archives Website

The Chinese in Early 20th Century Toronto: 69 1/2 Queen Street West

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According to the book called The Chinese in Toronto from 1878 by Arlene Chan, in 1902 this address was operated as a Chinese Tea shop along with other tea shops such as Lee Chong Yung at 154 York street, Yee Quong Teas at 1561/2York Street, and Kwon Yong Loy at 85-87 Queen Street East. This tea shop was owned and operated by Quong Ying Yune. It was part of Toronto’s first Chinatown back (1878-1960). Currently, the Thompson Building in the Sheraton Centre is on the location of the former tea shop.
References:
1. Chan, Arlene. The Chinese in Toronto from 1878: from outside to inside the circle. Toronto: Dundurn Press, 2011. Print.
2. Qiu, Paul . “Changes to Toronto’s Chinatown: Toronto’s First Chinatown and Downtown Chinatown | CCNC Toronto Chapter.” Chinese Canadian National Council Chapter . N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2014. .