Postcard Memories is a weekly series of historic postcard views and photos submitted by Marcel Rousseau.
Some were previously published by the Orillia Museum of Art and History and in the book Postcard Memories Orillia.
Demolished many years ago, Hot Dog Tom’s Restaurant and Gas Bar was the most uniquely decorated place along Highway 11 north of Toronto.
The exterior of the building located at 80 Colborne St. W. was constructed entirely by Tom Hill and made of mortar and bricks decorated with broken glass and marbles. Most of the glass was supplied by the neighbourhood children.
This photo shows ten clear-view gas pumps all labelled with different brands. When the in-ground storage tanks were removed many years ago, the contractor discovered ten 1,000-gallon tanks had to be disposed of.
On the left of this photograph is a statue named Lady Champlain. Orillia had the Champlain Monument to promote as an attraction but Hot Dog Tom had his own “Lady Champlain” statue.
On the back of this postcard, taken by Orillia photographer Herbert Niebel, is written “Scenery on hunting trip, Nov. 3, 1930.” A testimony to how Tom Hill’s creativity dazzled the tourists driving north to Muskoka and beyond.
