This Hamilton real estate brochure from the 1950s went viral over the weekend
- Craig Clark
- 31 Aug 2020
A Hamilton resident shared images of a brochure from the 1950s that was made to encourage people to move to the city.
The brochure gained some traction on Reddit after user skyrobot-ca shared it on Saturday. According to another user, the brochure has appeared on eBay in the past.
The front of the brochure shows a family standing outside city hall and says “Beautiful, Wonderful Hamilton … a city you and your family will love!”
To entice families to move to the city, the brochure teases Hamilton’s convenient transportation, fine shopping, and excellent hotels and motels.
A map of the area also shows local landmarks and attractions such as Gage Park, Dundurn Castle Museum, and McMaster University.
Hamilton was a lucrative city during the 1950s. During the Second World War Hamilton focused on producing war material, which changed the city forever.
In the 1950s and ’60s, textile mills and knit-wear plants moved out of the city and Hamilton became increasingly dependent on steel and related industries.
Also in 1954 European immigration reached its peak with Dutch, German, Italian, and Polish people moving after the Second World War.
Industrial unions and older craft unions merged in 1956 and during the next two decades secured wage increases, job security, and vacation pay for their members.
With the growth of these industries and rapid residential development, Hamilton was a desirable place to live for families.
It wasn’t until the last 20 years of the century that Hamilton’s growth slowed. This was mainly because of competition in steel manufacturing from the global market as well as the incorporation and development of cities in the area.
Still, the brochure is a great look into the past and showed that Hamilton was considered an exciting city during the 1950s.
Lead image courtesy of Reddit user skyrobot-ca
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