Westmount places:
Rosemount Avenue

The history behind the familiar: the former residents who called Rosemount Avenue their home

By Michael Walsh

April 10, 2024

Wanted. A man to attend horses and cows. W. Johnston, Rosemount Avenue, Cote St. Antoine.

– The Daily Witness, August 1881

How would one provide a historical description of Rosemount Avenue, aside from the three residents who served as City mayors? I would emphasize that the street can also be tied to the formation of the Montreal Stock Exchange, the inquiry into the celibacy of Montreal’s Catholic clergy, and the failure of a large Montreal banking institution – quite a potpourri of items. Let us start at the beginning and see if you arrive at the same conclusions.

To begin, while researching the various streets and avenues that comprise today’s Westmount, I was surprised to learn that Rosemount Avenue’s history has received the greatest amount of attention for the wrong reasons, partially because it was laid out as a private carriageway to a residential home named “Rose Mount.” This leads one to imagine a bucolic pathway lined with huge trees and wildflowers, coupled with the sound of horses pulling carriages containing finely dressed passengers toward an Elizabethan manor, like Chawton House, with visions of Jane Austen sitting at a desk penning her well-known novels.

A passage through farmers’ fields

This idealized description could not be further from the truth. The carriageway was an ungraded dirt path that became impassable during heavy rains that turned the ground into areas of deep mire. It traversed farmers’ fields and needed to be fenced to prevent cattle from crossing it. The only source of water was a large artesian well described as

“…400 feet deep and has a capacity of 3,800 gallons per day. The water rises to 15 feet off the surface, and is hard and slightly sulphurous.”
– The Artesian Wells of Montreal, 1915

‘I was surprised to learn that Rosemount Avenue’s history has received the greatest amount of attention for the wrong reasons, partially because it was laid out as a private carriageway to a residential home named Rose Mount.’

In all fairness, what must have been striking was the extent of the property – over 40 acres of orchards—more than four times the size of today’s Westmount Park. The original owner, however, being a tavern proprietor, could scarcely afford the staff required to maintain a property of that size in pristine condition.

As for the residence itself, it was large by today’s standards but hardly opulent, and is best described in an advertisement during its sale:

“For Sale – That Fine Old Family Residence. “Rosemount” – Head of Rosemount Avenue, Westmount. Beautifully situated – fine view. With about forty thousand feet of land. Nine bedrooms, a large drawing room, and dining room, conservatory. Low price – easy terms, quick purchase.”
– Montreal Gazette, April 11, 1919

Sale of the property and success of the Goodenough company

Surprisingly, the residence still exists, although subdivided in later years, as 16 and 18 Severn Avenue. The latter was the original “Rosemount” (at one point the Weston School), and the former was named “Little Rosemount.”

In addition, the residence’s name “Rose Mount” was not by choice. There was another residence, named “Rosemount”, owned by William Watson Ogilvie, of Ogilvie Flour Mills, at 107 Simpson Avenue. Rosemount’s owner was a New Englander named Asa Goodenough, who was the proprietor of the Exchange Coffee House (formerly The City Tavern) on St. Paul Street. His coffee house was advertised as a

“…fit and comfortable receptacle for travellers, as well as a convenient and eligible place for the transaction of domestic and commercial business…”
– Canadian Spectator, May 1, 1823

‘Goodenough’s sale of the property, in 1851, was tied into the Parliamentary inquiry of the failure of the Montreal Provident and Savings Bank (founded in 1841) and its inability to meet depositors’ claims. Interestingly, Goodenough was one of the bank’s stockholders.’

Goodenough’s enterprise was quite successful, drawing favourable attention from travellers when describing their experiences in Montreal:

“The most comfortable hotel in those days was kept by Mr. Asa Goodenough, a tall, stout, hearty New Englander, and there for the first time I saw the stage for Lachine leave the courtyard drawn by six horses, and only one driver, which astonished me very much…”
– Reminiscences of Canada, A. D. Ferrier, 1866

Interestingly, The Montreal Stock Exchange started with a group of brokers meeting at his Exchange Coffee House and, in 1872, receiving their provincial license.

As for the historical record of Asa Goodenough, it is a bit difficult to ascertain; however, what is published is quite interesting. For example, he served jury duty in 1830, in a trial “On indictment of a riot, obstructing by force and violence the due course of an election…” (A topic familiar to all of us in 2021.) His name also reappears in an affidavit, dated 1835, questioning the moral standards of Montreal’s Catholic Priests:

“…two gentlemen and a young female with a child put up at the Exchange Coffee House of which I am the owner; they were entered in the book, one under the name of Judge Turner, the other as Mr. Hoyte, a Methodist preacher… Being informed by Catherine Conners, a confidential servant, that something mysterious was passing amongst the above-named… I afterward learned that the name of the young woman was Maria Monk… that she was not married to Mr. Hoyte, and that they came to Montreal with the vie, as Mr. Hoyte said, to disclose the infamy of the Priests, whilst she was at the nunnery…”
– Awful disclosures, by Maria Monk, of the Hotel Dieu nunnery of Montreal, De Witt & Davenport, 1855

‘The fate of the original estate property comprising large orchards was not so fortunate. It was subdivided into thirty-six lots and sold to developers that created the residential landscape that is known today as Rosemount Avenue.’

Goodenough’s sale of the property, in 1851, was tied into the Parliamentary inquiry of the failure of the Montreal Provident and Savings Bank (founded in 1841) and its inability to meet depositors’ claims. Interestingly, Goodenough was one of the bank’s stockholders. The inquiry stated that John Eadie, the bank’s actuary, and William Footner

“…purchased a lot of land and houses and other buildings erected thereon in Cote Saint Antoine from Asa Goodenough. The amount of the purchase was 5,000 pounds. Their intention was to erect an additional two houses for their individual residences. They withdrew funds from the Savings Bank to cover the costs of construction.”
– Appendix to the Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, 1851

Investigation and fate of the original property

For some reason, the findings and recommendations of this inquiry were not made publicly available.

Over the years, the original “Rose Mount” was sold to several notable Montreal families, including John Young, “the father of Montreal Harbour” and Norman William Trenholme, Dean of McGill University’s Faculty of Law in the late 1800s. Fortunately, the previous owners took pride in maintaining the residence, leaving us with the beautiful home that graces Severn Avenue.

The fate of the original estate property comprising large orchards was not so fortunate. It was subdivided into thirty-six lots and sold to developers that created the residential landscape that is known today as Rosemount Avenue. Its adjoining street, Rosemount Crescent, was opened in 1923 to accommodate the large number of residents desiring to call this street their home.

One must admit that this street contains quite a story; however, it is incomplete. At this point, we should become acquainted with a sampling of the prior residents and decide for ourselves if Jane Austen could have called Rosemount Avenue her home.

Postcard of Rosemount Avenue, 1907 • Image: The Valentine & Sons Publishing Company

1 Rosemount
Harry Hawley, Fownes Brothers, English glove manufacturers (1934)
James Gourlay Gray, President, Gourlay Engraving Company and Governor, Montreal General Hospital (1950)

5 Rosemount
Thomas F. How, Manager, Bank of Toronto, today’s Toronto-Dominion Bank (1900)
Von Zoederflicht, residential business, The Old Curiosity Shop (1904)

“Under the Patronage of Her Excellency The Countess of Minto. Situated on the most beautiful spot in Westmount. All distinguished parties visiting Canada’s Metropolis favour us. On view: A famous collection of china, antique mahogany, repeating clocks, grand display of firearms (world known), silverware, jewellery, postage stamps, choicest rare books selected from the very best libraries…”
– Montreal Gazette, August 10, 1904

8 Rosemount
Charles I. Root, Lumber merchant (1900)
Catholic Women of Westmount War Work Group (1942)

10 Rosemount
Charles Albert Cantin, Marine Works (1900)
His father, Augustin Cantin, founded the Montreal Marine Works. In 1857, it was the largest shipwork facility in Montreal. In 1893, following his father’s death, Charles Cantin took control of the company.

Image: Peter Winkworth Collection of Canadiana and the National Archives of Canada

Rosemount Apartments (1922)
Constructed by the Westmount Industrial Corporation and designed by Ross and MacDonald architects.

“…the approach to the apartments is also admirable, for Rosemount Apartments commands attention through the secluded appearance given it by the gates with towers at either side. Privacy is thereby assured by the distance from the street, and the entrance itself is of the character which marks the building as being of good quality… The servant problem has been considered for those tenants who wish to have a maid… arrangements have been made for the installation of five maids’ rooms in the basement of the building…”
– Advertisement, April 1922

13 Rosemount
John McKergow, A. A. Ayer and Company. President, Boundary Republic Mines Limited. Director, Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada and Mayor, City of Westmount (1913-1919) (1900)

“By the 1860s a number of Montreal food merchants had become interested in marketing butter and cheese. During the summer their representatives combed the countryside in the Eastern Townships, the Montreal region, and eastern Ontario buying the produce of rural households and of cheese factories and dairies. The merchants then arranged to sell it, mainly to wholesalers in large American and British cities but also to retailers in Montreal. A. A. Ayer and Company soon began specializing in the export of cheese and butter to England. This market expanded swiftly in the second half of the 19th century, with more than two-thirds of England’s cheese imports coming from Canada by the end of that period… ”
– Dictionary of Canadian Biography

Milton L. Hersey, President, Milton Hersey Company Limited, President, Canadian Tube and Steel Products Limited, Vice-President, Canadian Marconi Company (1940)

« Ville-Émard commence à se développer au tout début du XXe siècle. À l’époque, de grandes compagnies choisissent de s’établir le long du canal de Lachine, à la hauteur de Côte-Saint-Paul et de Ville-Émard, puisque le secteur est alors presque vide, et les terrains disponibles y sont vastes. L’arrivée de la Canadian Tube & Steel va attirer de nombreux travailleurs dans le quartier, notamment des immigrants italiens qui s’installent en périphérie de Montréal. »

Greater coat of arms of the Kingdom of Belgium

« Dans une étude publiée en 1934, Harold A. Gibbard fournit une description de ce processus : selon lui, le secteur a été construit autour de trois usines majeures, soit la Canadian Car & Foundry (1905), la Mount Royal Spinning Wool Company (1908) et la Canadian Tube & Steel. Ces entreprises auraient agi comme un aimant, favorisant le développement résidentiel et urbain du quartier. Ainsi, dès 1915, toutes les rues de Ville-Émard auraient été officiellement ouvertes et graduellement peuplées par une majorité de Canadiens français, mais aussi par des Italiens et des Polonais. Gibbard estime que la Canadian Car & Foundry et la Canadian Tube & Steel ont donné du travail à environ la moitié des Italiens ayant résidé à Ville-Émard avant 1930. »
– Mémoires des Montréalais

18 Rosemount
Honourable J. K. Ward, Proprietor, Mona Saw Mills (1900)
Baron Ernest Kervyn de Meerendré, Belgian Consul-General, Montreal (1936)

27 Rosemount
C. W. Trenholme, Montreal Lime Company (1900)
The Parker School, Training, for attendants, in convalescent nursing (1924)
Joseph-Omer Asselin,  Councillor, District “A”, City of Montreal (1942)
His wife, an O.B.E. recipient, was the national president of the Canadian Prisoner of War Relatives Association.

33 Rosemount

28 Rosemount
James H. Redfern, Lumber merchant and Public Library Trustee (1900)

29 Rosemount
Robert Henderson, R. Henderson and Company (1900)

33 Rosemount
L. H. Packard, L. H. Packard and Company. Residence designed by Arthur J. Cooke, architect (1900)
Gustave Roch Martin, President, P. P. Martin Company, Governor Ste. Jeanne d’Arc Hospital and Director of the Chapleau Club (1945)

Ad for Packard’s shoe polishes • Image: Canadian Grocer, Volume 32, Number 34

38 Rosemount
George S. F. Robitaille, Manager, Royal Bank of Canada, Three Rivers branch (1922)

39 Rosemount
William George Maxwell Shepard, Director, Canadian Fur Investments and Montreal Lands Company. Founder, Rotary Club of Montreal. He also operated the company of W. G. M. Shepard and Son and represented Colgate Company products which he made popular throughout Canada.

44 Rosemount
Buck A. Chaffee, Canada Railway News Company (1900)

44 Rosemount

Recipe Unlimited Corporation (formerly Cara Operations Limited) is a Canadian company that operates several restaurant chains, as well as major food distribution for correctional facilities, educational facilities and other large operations.”

“The company was originally chartered in 1883 as Canada Railway News Company, selling newspapers, magazines and confectionaries at railway stations. The company’s roots go back to the mid-1850s when Thomas Patrick Phelan was selling fruit and newspapers to train passengers between Hamilton and Buffalo. Canada Railway News soon moved into the food business, catering to a boom in passenger rail traffic in Canada.”
– Wikipedia

Ad for Lyman Sons and Company • Image: Starke’s Pocket Almanac 1881

In the 1930s, the company began offering catering services to the airlines. By 1951, it was serving about 1,500 meals a day. In 1961, the company changed its name to Cara Operations Limited. The name Cara was derived from the first two letters of each of the words “Canada Railway”.

Arthur Lyman, Lyman Sons and Company (1900)

“The main operations of the firm as chemists and druggists were located on St. Paul Street, where extensive premises were erected in 1855 (burnt down in 1888). Both wholesale and retail operations were carried on until about confederation when the retail side was dropped. Manufacturing of pharmaceutical products, linseed oil, paints, and oils took place at a separate location on the south side of the Lachine Canal basin. These products won medals at several exhibitions including those in Paris in 1855 and 1878. In addition, the Lymans were importers of drugs, seeds, oils, dyestuffs, and painters’ colours. ”
– Canadian Bibliography

Edwin Headley Holgate, Artist (1920)

Edwin Holgate (1930) • Image: en: M.O. Hammond, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

“Edwin Holgate was born in Allandale in Ontario in 1892. He studied at the Art Association of Montreal with William Brymner and Maurice Cullen before travelling to Paris in 1912 to study at La Grande Chaumière until 1914. Then, he served in the army in Canada, England and France in 1916-19.”

“In 1920 he went back to Paris where further training with Russian artist Adolf Milman impressed upon him the importance of fine draughtsmanship and strong colouring. Holgate also admired French artist Paul Cézanne, whose emphasis on solid structure inspired his compositions. In the early 1920s, Holgate was a member of the Beaver Hall Group, along with such artists as Prudence Heward and Lilias Torrance Newton.”

“He travelled to Jamaica in 1920 and 1929, to France in 1920-22, and to the Skeena River in British Colombia in 1926 with A.Y. Jackson and Marius Barbeau, and to Natashquan, Quebec, in 1930. He taught at the École des beaux-arts de Montreal from 1928 to 1934, at the Art Association of Montreal in 1934-35 and 1938-40.”

“Mountain” painting by Edwin Holgate

“When Holgate exhibited his nudes in the 1930 Group of Seven exhibition, the art critic for The Toronto Daily Star acclaimed: “Holgate sets a new fashion in nudes – away from French decadence to the Laurentians for a background; splendidly painted nudes without cosmetics.” Indeed, Holgate showed innovation in presenting a nude in a wilderness setting, free of the subtleties of drapery and the pretences of mythology often associated with traditional depictions of the subject. He died in Montreal in 1977. ”
– Jean-Pierre Valentin Gallery

47 Rosemount
Sub. Flight Lieut. Norman A. Magor R.N.A.S., awarded the WW I Distinguished Service Cross (1917)

48 Rosemount

48 Rosemount
Dr. Francis E. Devlin (1942)
One of three founders of St. Mary’s Hospital – the others were Dr. Donald Hingston and Rev. Father O’Reilly. His wife, Maude Steele, was a noted pianist and well-known musical composer.

49 Rosemount
David G. Carter, Director, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (1964)
Peter F. Trent, Mayor, City of Westmount (1990)

52 Rosemount
George E. Mason, Paymaster, Grand Trunk Railway (1900)

Bonaventure Station, Grand Trunk Railway. Built in 1847, destroyed by fire in 1916 • Image: Public Domain

61 Rosemount
William Rutherford, William Rutherford and Sons, Mayor, City of Westmount (1900)

“Westmount Loses Prominent Citizen In W. Rutherford / Former Mayor and Alderman of Suburban City Dies in 68th Year / Leading Industrialist / Was Director of Lumber Business Bearing Family Name – Had Various Sporting Associations.”

“Over the City Hall of Westmount, a flag flew at half-mast yesterday. It signified that the municipality is mourning one of its most distinguished sons – William Rutherford, ex-alderman, former mayor, and widely known businessman, who died on Saturday evening at his home, 458 Mount Stephen Avenue. He was 67 years of age and had been ill for a long time.”

“Always interested in civic affairs, Mr. Rutherford was elected by acclamation to the highest post the municipality could offer, that of chief magistrate. He occupied the mayoral chair for the term of 1911-12 and previous to that had been an alderman for three years.”

“His business activities were centered in the Rutherford Lumber Company, formerly known as the William Rutherford and Sons, Company, Limited. This firm was founded by Mr. Rutherford’s father. At the time of his death, he was a director of this firm, having served for many years as treasurer.”
– Montreal Gazette, February 29, 1932

N. W. Trenholme Q.C., Advocate (1900)
Dr J. C. Meakins, M.D. F.R.C.P., Professor of medicine and director of the Department of Medicine at McGill University (1926)

“J.C. Meakins joined the Faculty of Medicine of McGill University in 1909 as demonstrator in clinical medicine. He subsequently held a number of positions in pathology and experimental medicine before becoming Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, 1941- 1948. As well, he was director of the Department of Experimental Medicine, 1918-1919, 1924- 1948, and Director of the University Medical Clinic, 1927-1948. He held the first full-time position in Medicine at McGill. Dr. Meakins served in the Canadian Army Medical Corps from 1914 to 1919. He was also in function during World War II with the rank of Brigadier as Deputy Director of Medical Services, R.C.A.M.C. from 1942 to 1945, and was awarded the C.B.E. for his services. A prolific writer, his best-known work “The Practice of Medicine” reached its 6th edition in 1956.”
– The Osler Library of the History of Medicine McGill University, Montreal Canada Osler Library Archive Collections

62 Rosemount
Eva Thibaudeau, President, Fédération Nationale Saint-Jean-Baptiste (1950)
Awarded the Order of the Fidelity by the Committee for Survival of French Culture in America. Her husband was Canadian Senator Alfred Thibaudeau.

Image on the right: First presidential board, Fédération nationale Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Montréal, 1907
From right to left : Top: Caroline Dessaulles-Béique, Lady Jetté, Marie Lacoste Gérin-Lajoie; Middle: Marie-Louise Globensky (Lady Lacoste), Marguerite Thibaudeau, “Mme Arthur Gagnon”, “Mme Henry Hamilton”; Bottom: Madeleine Huguenin, “Mme Leman”, Victoria Cartier, Robertine Barry – Image: Le Passe-Temps, vol. 13, no 319, 15 juin 1907

Residence sold, in 2008, by the City of Westmount for non-payment of taxes.

Feature image: Andrew Burlone

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