in background, view from Pier 9 Catharine Street was named after
Nathaniel Hughson's daughter. Hughson was one of the city founders of Hamilton. Other streets in the city were named after him and his family members,
Hughson Street,
Rebecca Street (wife) and
James Street (son). In 1898, The "Five Johns", (John Patterson, John Dickenson,
John Morison Gibson, John Moodie, Sr. and John Sutherland), form
The Cataract Power Co. Ltd. introducing electric power to Hamilton in 1898. On August 25, 1898, power was sent twenty seven miles from
DeCew Falls,
St. Catharines, using water from the old
Welland Canal. New industries, such as the forerunners of the Steel Co. of Canada (
Stelco) and Canadian
Westinghouse, were attracted here by the cheaper, more efficient power. One time this Company controlled hydro power from
Brantford to St. Catharines, including the
Hamilton Street Railway and the area's radial lines. Back then the city's nickname was "
The Electric City." Then in 1907 they erected
The Terminal Station building on the southeast corner of
Catharine and
King Streets, where the present day
Terminal Towers stand. Prior to this, in 1868, the
Wanzer Sewing Machine Company was based here employing more than 250 workers. The
Pantages Theatre opened up in 1921 on
King Street, (between
Catharine Street and
Mary Street), with a seating capacity of 3,500 made it the largest theatre in Canada at the time. In 1930 it was renamed
The Palace Theatre. It closed down in 1972. Hamilton one time was home to many Grand Theatres, all of which are no longer in existence. These include,
Grand Opera House (
James Street North),
Savoy Theatre (Merrick Street),
Temple Theatre (behind the
Terminal Building on
King Street),
Lyric Theatre (Mary Street) and
The Loews Theatre renamed later to
The Capitol (King Street East). In 1974, Hamilton's tallest building;
Landmark Place, (formerly known as the
Century 21 building) was completed. 43 stories/ 127.0 metres in height. It is also the tallest residential building in Canada outside of Toronto as of January 10, 2007. ==Landmarks==