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.You can take a trip down memory lane with us each Saturday morning!
This circa 1900 photo of Orillia's downtown, the earliest-known postcard view of Mississaga Street, was taken from the square tower of the Opera House, built in 1895.
In 1915, a fire destroyed the interior and roof of the building and this tower was not rebuilt. A small portion of the roof of one of the round towers, at the entrance to the Opera House, is just visible in the left foreground.
Cedar Island, which can be seen in the distance, does not appear to have a bridge to the mainland.
The Orillia Hotel, with its three-story balcony overlooking the street, is visible just past the building with the W & W.G. sign. The building with the W&W.G. sign was the Bingham Hardware Store. Barely visible is the name “BINGHAM HEADQUARTERS” painted on the brick.
On the bottom right is George White’s Hardware, and the first building with an awning is the Moore & Kerr Market.
In the postcard of the Opera House, you can see the original tower where the photographer climbed to snap this early downtown image.
