Although I've entitled this blog and my layout 'Kingston's Hanley Spur', where did the name come from? (In both those contexts, I refer to the parallel CN and CP lines reaching our waterfront as the Hanley Spur, though that was only an official title of the CN 'branchline'.) The spur was named in honour of several men of the Hanley family. (I could use the terms eponyms or namesakes interchangeably.) The Hanley family the operated what we would today call a travel agency, namely the train/ship ticket office that was later known as Kingston's Inner Station, or the Hanley Station.
THE GTR BRANCHLINE COMPLETED
THE HANLEY TICKET AGENCY
GTR’s 1886 Inner Station was designed by William Newlands as was the K&P’s station, just one block away, also on the south side of Ontario Street. Located at the prominent corner of Ontario and Johnson Streets, the GTR station was topped by a three-sided mansard roof. The sales office on the corner was flanked by waiting rooms along both streets.
Built of red brick, with yellow accents, hand-painted period advertising proclaimed the worldliness of this little GTR outpost. “Passenger Trains for All Directions Leave from Here”; “Short Line East-West”, “Allan Line-Royal Mail Steamship Office”; ”Tourist Tickets”; “Office Montreal and Dominion Telegraph” and “Remember This is the Only Line Running Pullman Class”. Names of distant cities were also spelled out: “St John[sic]-Halifax-Montreal-Boston-Detroit-Windsor”:THEN A RESTAURANT...
THE HANLEY FAMILY
Thomas Hanley and his wife Sarah McCauley had three sons: Cleary Vincent, Frank A. and James P. and three sisters. Joseph P. Hanley was born on March 2, 1863. he began his career at the GTR freight office in the Napanee station as Clerk, under his uncle J.P. Hanley. he transferred to the Kingston freight depot in 1882, joining his father Thomas at the GTR ticket agency in 1884, then succeeding his father upon his father's death in 1896. He married Katie Reid, daughter of the late James Reid in 1888, though she died in 1891. The couple had one son, James S. Hanley.
Molly Aldridge called herself the sole surviving member of the Hanley Family in a 1985 Whig interview, a daughter of Cleary Hanley.
CONNECTIONS
I received a comment on my Trackside Treasure blog in 2015 from Laura (Hanley) Roobol, great-granddaughter of J.P. Hanley who didn't know that the spur was named after the Hanleys. She referred to the ticket office as Hanley Station. In 2016, also on Trackside Treasure, a comment from Joseph Peter Hanley of Ottawa, a great-grandson of J.P. Hanley. After publishing this post, Joseph Peter Hanley commented and emailed: "I grew up in Kingston and was always aware of the GTR connection, and of course, the location of the station as it was only a couple of blocks from where I was raised at 85 Wellington St. The Hanley home was at 67 Earl St. (at Wellington St) and is designated a historical building. The coal and sand docks where the Delta Hotel by Marriott is now located were also a part of the Hanley history as they owned the dock. The dock came into my sister and my hands briefly (inheritance) when my father, Joseph L Hanley passed away (car accident) in 1959. Prior to that, lakers tied up there for the winter."
RESOURCES
The late Gordon Smithson wrote an article 'The Hanleys of Kingston' in the January 1992, Volume 40 edition of the Kingston Historical Society's Historic Kingston.
Hello Eric...
ReplyDeleteI'm always interested hearing/reading articles about the Hanley family and their connection to the Grand Truck Railway since, as you mentioned in the very last sentence - I'm the Great Grandson of JP Hanley with whom I'm named after. Since there were so many Joseph's (Joe) in the family, including my father, thus I'm called by my middle name "Peter".
In anycase, I enjoyed the article but felt it could have been rounded off a bit by including a couple of archival Queens University photos of the "Hanley Station" as the building appeared in about 1890 with its wild advertising covering every inch of the building exterior when Thomas Hanley owned and ran the business. This was followed by a major improvement on the exterior of the building in about 1900 when J P Hanley (my Great Grandfather) took over the business after his father passed away. The advertising certainly had a more subdued look naming the station "Depot GRAND TRUCK Railway System" with J P HANLEY & Son lettering on the rear of the structure. Locally, I'm told it was simply known as the "Hanley Station" as you rightfully pointed out.
The photos appear in the late Gord Smithson's reference you highlighted. I'll send a copy of the photos separately to your attention via your email address since I can't include an attachment in this post.
Thanks again for a great summary of the Hanley Family and their connection to the GTR. It's always rewarding to hear the role they played in Kingston's history. It was very much appreciated.
Kind regards,
J Peter Hanley
Ottawa, ON
Great to hear from you, Dave and Peter. I'd considered adding the two vintage photos of the GTR station, decided against it, but now in favour of the idea! My wife and I had one dinner in Hanley's Station restaurant. I wonder if I'd listened closely, that I could have perhaps heard the Hanley ancestors' footfalls on the wooden floorboards around me?
ReplyDeleteEric