Sarah Van Hoosen Jones turned 17 years old on June 23, 1909 and was about to embark on a trip overseas with her mother, Alice; her aunt, Bertha (lovingly referred to as "Gubble"); and her grandmother, Sarah ("Gran"). In early July 1909, the women left Stoney Creek in Rochester, MI, and boarded a train for Montreal.
Here's an excerpt from her diary about their brief stay in Montreal:
July 2, ’09 Friday: Spent last night on the train in a state room. We woke up
just in time to get dressed and get off the train at Montreal. Mamma and Gubble
went to the docks to see about the baggage while Gran and I stayed in the Grand
Trunk waiting room . . .
The ladies rode into Montreal, hired a cab and "went all over the town," Sarah wrote.
We visited two cathedrals. Upon paying 5 cents a piece we went up into a
tower where we saw the facimilie (sic) of the house in which the angels brought the
Virgin to Loretta from Nazarith (sic) . . . We went down one street
on which was located 30 banks. Then we saw the McGill College; the big fur store where we took 2 pictures;
after this we began to climb the mountain . . . We wound round & round before we reached the top. On the top we
looked down upon Montreal and the beautiful St. Lawrence. Upon which we
were soon to embark. We spent about 20 minutes up here. Took 2 pictures and
used Gubble’s field glass. After this we went to the docks . . . Could not board until 4 p.m. We we took a walk through the town, ate our
dinner . . . and returned to the boat. Mama and I sent
off a dozen cards to the states. God bless them! After this we boarded the
[ship] Gan and I walked around while Mama and Gubble set up housekeeping. Then we
went to bed.
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The 1909 U.S. Passport application for Sarah's mother, Alice.
Source: Passport Applications, 1795–1905. NARA Microfilm Publication
M1372, 694 rolls. General Records Department of State, Record Group 59.
National Archives, Washington, D.C. Via Ancestry.com |
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Postcard of St. James Street (rue Saint-Jacques) in Montreal, Quebec, Canada,
showing the Bank of Montreal and the post office. Postcard postmarked on August 30, 1909.
Note: This postcard is not associated with Sarah or her time in Montreal.
Source: Wikimedia Commons. |
