Long Branch photos on site entitled North York / Toronto Historic Photos and Maps
Colleen O’Marra writes (Dec. 8, 2013):
Just surfing the net this evening and found an interesting set of old
Long Branch photos on a site titled NORTH YORK/TORONTO HISTORIC PHOTOS
AND MAPS. There are five pictures of: Long Branch Villa Lots(1887)
drawings and floor plans of residences designed for George Farquhar,
R.B. Ellis, J.J. Wilkes, Richard Ough, C.S. Gzowski Jr. and H.P.
Dwight. Second photo: Women learn to shoot at Long Branch Camp (now
Curtis Park) 1915. Third photo:the Long Branch Race Track, fourth is
Long Branch Park (1931) and fifth is the Long Branch Hotel in 1953. The
1915 photo is just wonderful and rare. (Colleen M. O’Marra)
Comment
These are great photos. I much appreciate learning about this site. I don’t spend much time searching for such great sites, because doing interviews and learning how to do film and sound editing pretty much takes up my available time. Thus it’s great to have people contact the Preserved Stories website with interesting links related to Long Branch.
There’s also a Facebook page, which some visitors to the Preserved Stories site have told me about, devoted to the history of Long Branch and nearby communities. I look forward to finding my way to that site also. It’s on my list of things to do.
Hi Jaan,
I am most intrigued by the name Richard Ough amongst those who signed up for? lots
My grandfather’s name was Richard Ough…….Ough is not a particularly common name primarily rooted in Cornwall, ENG. Many descendents emigrated to Canada, the US and Australia however.variation spelling is Howe) How can I find out more info on the Richard Ough you listed in the newsletter?
Looking for the Donna Magee that asked this question. I have information on her grandfather Richard Ough. On his time spent in Maryland from 1892 to 1912 ..I would like her to contact me if possible. I live near Annapolis and came across something of interest.
Hi Donna,
Great question!
Colleen O’Marra writes:
Under Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada: Richard Ough was born in East Gwillimbury Twp., York County, Oct. 24,1841, uncle of John Ought, local builder and hotel keeper at Newmarket. Ough left Canada and moved to California in 1868 to work as a builder and may be related to Joseph Ough(1841-1897) another Canadian-born architect and builder who was active in Sacramento, California. Richard Ough was described as a “gentleman in middle-life, native of Canada”, who was previously in California(17 years), then opened an office in Toronto in 1885.
He was commissioned by American developer John Wilkie to plan the Long Branch Grove Resort on Lake Promenade. This was a scheme of 250 wooded villa lots adjacent to a new hotel and a tract of private residences also designed by Ough. His best known work is the Masonic Hall at Yonge and Glouster Street, 1888 (restored in 1972). Ough left again for California in 1892 and moved to Washington, D.C., later to Bathesda,Maryland. Ough died in Oakland County, Almeida (Cal.), Jan. 20, 1920.
Hope this info. is helpful to [Donna] Magee. (C. O’Marra)