"London and Port Stanley Railway" Commemorative Vase
DateAfter 1915
Credit LineGift of Dr. J. Malcolm Smith, London, Ontario, 1999
Object number1999.003.398
Label TextThis is a commemorative London and Port Stanley Railway vase. The railway launched in 1856 to transport goods and people between London and the Lake Erie port town of Port Stanley. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it had become the primary way for Londoners to get to Port Stanley, a popular vacation spot. With the widespread adoption of cars and trucks, the line became unprofitable both for freight and passengers. It wound up passenger operations in 1957 and freight ones in 1965.
This vase dates from after July 1, 1915, the date from which the London & Port Stanley Railway was powered by electricity. For decades, it had used coal-fired steam engines. Londoner and chair of the Ontario Hydro Electric Power Commission, Sir Adam Beck, encouraged the city of London, which operated the line, to choose electricty.
NameVase
