1878 - Data Points by Date/Period

The Windsor Hotel, a landmark in Montreal’s history, opened in 1878 and became Canada’s first grand hotel. Initially funded by a consortium of prominent Montreal businessmen, including photographer William Notman, it quickly became a social and business center for the city, hosting notable figures like John A. Macdonald, Mark Twain, and Oscar Wilde. In 1889, it gained a prime connection to the Windsor Station, enhancing its status as Montreal’s social hub.Over the years, it expanded to include a new wing, the Windsor Annex, complete with the renowned 'Peacock Alley,' named for its stained glass. The hotel played a key role in Montreal’s social life, hosting events like the annual St. Andrew’s Society Ball and even the 1917 meeting that founded the National Hockey League. Despite its success, the hotel faced two devastating fires, one in 1906 and another in 1957, which led to the demolition of the original structure. Only the North Annex survived, which continued operating until competition forced the hotel’s closure in 1981.In 1987, the Windsor Hotel was transformed into 'Le Windsor,' an office building that houses key tenants like Valeurs mobilières Desjardins and the Bronfman family’s Claridge offices. Its historic ballrooms and Peacock Alley were preserved and remain available for events, offering a glimpse into the hotel’s former grandeur. Recent renovations have enhanced the building while maintaining its architectural features, with event spaces available for rent and ongoing restorations respecting its rich heritage.

Bonsecours Market (French: Marché Bonsecours) is a two-story domed public market located at 350 Rue Saint-Paul in Old Montreal, Quebec. Opened in 1847, it served as Montreal's main public market for over a century and briefly hosted the Parliament of United Canada in 1849. Named after the nearby Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, the Neoclassical building was inspired by Dublin's Customs House and designed by British architect William Footner. Construction began in 1844, with major alterations by Irish-born architect George Browne completed in 1860.The market also housed Montreal City Hall from 1852 to 1878, including a 3,700-square-meter meeting room and a concert hall added by Browne. It continued as a farmer’s market until 1963, after which it was transformed into a multi-purpose space with cafés, restaurants, boutiques, and event halls.Designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1984, Bonsecours Market was commemorated by Canada Post in 1990 with a $5 stamp featuring its image. The stamp was designed by Raymond Bellemare and printed by the British American Bank Note Company and the Canadian Bank Note Company.

Montreal City Hall (French: Hôtel de Ville de Montréal), a five-story building located in Old Montreal at 275 Notre-Dame Street East, serves as the center of local government in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Designed by architects Henri-Maurice Perrault and Alexander Cowper Hutchison, it was constructed between 1872 and 1878 in the Second Empire architectural style. Positioned between Place Jacques-Cartier and Champ de Mars, the nearest Metro station is Champ-de-Mars on the Orange Line.As an exemplary Second Empire structure and the first Canadian city hall built exclusively for municipal administration, it was designated a National Historic Site in 1984. In March 1922, a fire gutted the original building, sparing only the outer walls and destroying many of Montreal's historic records. Architect Louis Parant led its reconstruction, designing a new self-supporting steel structure within the preserved exterior, inspired by the city hall in Tours, France. The renovations also included replacing the original Mansard roof with a Beaux-Arts style copper roof. The newly rebuilt Montreal City Hall opened on February 15, 1926.The building’s historical significance was further highlighted in 1967 when French President Charles de Gaulle delivered his famous 'Vive le Québec libre' speech from its balcony.

The Château Ramezay is a historic building and museum located on Notre-Dame Street in Old Montreal, directly across from Montreal City Hall in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.Originally built in 1705 as the residence for Montreal's governor, Claude de Ramezay, the Château holds the distinction of being Quebec’s first designated historical monument and is the oldest private history museum in the province. It was recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1949.The Château changed hands and functions several times over the years. After Ramezay’s descendants sold it to the Compagnie des Indes, it served as the headquarters of the Continental Army in 1775 when they captured Montreal. In 1776, Benjamin Franklin briefly stayed at the Château while attempting to recruit troops for the American Revolutionary War. Following the British conquest, the building served as a residence for British governors until 1849, known formally as Government House, complementing the governor’s residences in Quebec City and Sorel.In 1878, the Château became home to the Université de Montréal’s first Faculty of Medicine. By 1894, it had been purchased by the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Montreal, transforming into a museum and portrait gallery. In 1895, architect Sir Andrew Taylor led alterations to adapt the space for its new role.Today, the Château Ramezay Museum houses a collection of roughly 30,000 items, mainly donated by Montrealers, including manuscripts, artworks, numismatic items, ethnological artifacts, paintings, prints, and furniture. Between 1997 and 2002, the museum underwent extensive restorations, adding the Governor’s Garden, which was inaugurated in 2000. In 2003, it received the National Award of Excellence from the Landscape Architects of Canada and has welcomed over a million visitors to date.

The McCord Stewart Museum, originally founded as the McCord National Museum on October 13, 1921, is a public institution dedicated to research and education, located in downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada, across from McGill University. The museum's extensive collection, comprising 2.5 million images, objects, documents, and works of art, spans Archives, Documentary Art, Dress, Fashion and Textiles, Indigenous Cultures, Material Culture, and Photography. This positions the museum as a key custodian of Canada’s historical heritage.The museum's origins trace back to David Ross McCord, who expanded his family’s collection, which had been growing since their arrival in Canada in 1878. His vision was to create a national history museum in Montreal, then the largest city in Canada. Housed in the former McGill Union building, designed by Percy Erskine Nobbs in the Arts and Crafts tradition, the museum was administered by McGill University for over sixty years. The building, which also served as the seat of student government, was replaced after riots targeted the Students' Society of McGill University (SSMU), leading to the construction of a new, more secure facility.Today, the McCord Stewart Museum is supported by the governments of Canada, Quebec, and Montreal, as well as by a wide network of members, donors, and sponsors. Its collections are renowned for their depth and diversity. The Indigenous Cultures collection includes over 16,000 items, documenting the arts, traditions, and ways of life of Indigenous peoples from Quebec, Alaska, and northern U.S. The Dress, Fashion, and Textiles collection features 27,000 garments and accessories, while the Photography collection contains over 2.15 million images, including the Notman Photographic Archives, with 400,000 photographs offering a visual history of Montreal and Canada.The museum’s Documentary Art collection, with 92,000 pieces, illustrates the history of Montreal, Quebec, and Canada through paintings, prints, and caricatures, while the Material Culture collection reflects the material environments of past centuries through 18,860 objects, including furniture, folk art, and 19th-century toys. Its Archives collection spans 340 linear meters and includes rare books, manuscripts, and correspondence from notable Canadian figures and families. The museum’s exterior is adorned with Pierre Granche's sculpture 'Totem urbain / histoire en dentelle', symbolizing Montreal’s rich history.

Fort Walsh, a National Historic Site of Canada, was a North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) fort and the location of the Cypress Hills Massacre. Managed by Parks Canada, it is part of Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park.Constructed in June 1875 and named after its builder, Inspector James Morrow Walsh, the fort was established to address the illegal whisky trade, secure Canada's border with the United States, and support native policy. These issues were highlighted after the Cypress Hills Massacre of 1873, leading to the creation of the NWMP under Prime Minister John A. Macdonald.Assiniboine chiefs Man Who Takes the Coat, Long Lodge, and Lean Man signed Treaty 4 at the fort on September 25, 1877.Fort Walsh served as the NWMP headquarters from 1878 to 1882 but was closed and dismantled in 1883. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1924 and was later reconstructed in the 1940s to breed horses for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Musical Ride.Visitors can explore the fort's buildings, the former townsite, cemeteries, and the whisky trading post. On September 28, 2004, Fort Walsh was included in the Cypress Hills dark-sky preserve.On June 28, 1985, Canada Post issued a stamp titled 'Fort Walsh, Sask., circa 1880,' as part of the 'Forts Across Canada' series. The stamps, designed by Rolf P. Harder and printed by Ashton-Potter Limited, are perforated 12+1⁄2 × 13 mm.

Humboldt is a city in Saskatchewan, Canada, located 113 km east of Saskatoon at the junction of Highway 5 and Highway 20. Surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Humboldt No. 370, the city is named after the German explorer Alexander von Humboldt. Humboldt originated as a telegraph station along the Carlton Trail, a wagon route used in early Western Canada to connect Fort Garry (Winnipeg) and Fort Edmonton. The name 'Humboldt' was approved in 1875 for a site in the North West Territories along the Canadian Pacific Telegraph Line, where a repair station was built 8 km southwest of the present city location. The Humboldt Telegraph Station, built in 1878, played a crucial role in communications for the developing West.During the Métis uprising led by Louis Riel at Batoche, 100 km northwest, Humboldt became the only communication link between Prime Minister John A. Macdonald and his forces in the West, making it a site of strategic importance. In April 1885, General Frederick Middleton arrived with 950 soldiers, established a garrison at the station, and used it as a base for scouting operations. At the time, the Humboldt station was critical because the telegraph line further west was intermittently cut, making Humboldt the last secure link to the East.On May 1, 1885, Humboldt became the site of a large supply depot under Major Lieutenant-Colonel G. T. Denison of the Governor General's Body Guard. Approximately 460 men built extensive entrenchments, turning the station into a fortified military encampment to protect the supplies. The troops left Humboldt in July 1885. The area was also the site of the first stagecoach robbery in Western Canada. Parts of the Carlton Trail, in the form of wagon tracks and ruts, still exist in the Humboldt area.In its early days, Humboldt was primarily a German Catholic community and became the largest settlement in the Territorial Abbey of Saint Peter-Muenster, also known as St. Peter's Colony, established by Benedictine monks from St John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota. The German American Land Company promoted immigration to the area from both the Northern Plains states of the US and Germany. Many German immigrants settled in Humboldt and surrounding areas such as Muenster, Fulda, Pilger, St Gregor, and Englefeld. Ethnic Germans from the Russian Empire also settled west of Humboldt and south of the hamlet of Carmel.As the community developed, Humboldt became an important location in Saskatchewan, previously known as the 'Heart of the Sure Crop District' for its reliable growing conditions. This led the town to become a hub for farming equipment and supply businesses. Approximately 95% of all goods produced in the province rely on its basic resources, including grains, livestock, oil, gas, potash, uranium, and timber, along with their refined products.The area primarily grows wheat, canola, flax, peas, rye, lentils, canary seed, and barley. Beef and pork production, as well as other livestock, are significant to the community. The presence of many farmers in the area has led to the establishment of agricultural-related businesses, offering services in trucking, financial management, business services, wholesale trade, and transportation. Humboldt is also located in the heart of potash country, with many residents employed in nearby mines. The city's manufacturing sector, represented in the 'Iron Triangle,' is another significant employer.In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Humboldt had a population of 6,033, living in 2,494 of its 2,707 total private dwellings. This was a 2.8% increase from its 2016 population of 5,869. With a land area of 13.3 km² (5.1 sq mi), the population density was 453.6/km² (1,174.8/sq mi) in 2021.

The Old Government House, built in 1876, is located 1.5 miles (approximately 2.4 kilometers) south of Battleford on Old Highway No. 4. From 1876 to 1883, Battleford served as the seat of government and was known as the Territorial Capital of the Northwest Territories, which now includes Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories. During this period, Battleford and the North-West Mounted Police played a significant role in the 1885 North-West (Riel) Rebellion. Between 1878 and 1882, Lieutenant-Governor David Laird resided in the house, which also served as the Government Office and Chambers when Battleford was the Capital of the Northwest Territories. In 1883, the Capital was relocated to Regina. From 1883 to 1914, the building housed the Indian Industrial School under the Anglican Church. Between 1916 and 1931, it was used as a Seventh-day Adventist Academy. In 1931, the property was sold to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, and from 1932 to 1984, it functioned as the St. Charles Scholastic Seminary. The building was designated a Municipal Heritage Site in 1976 and a Provincial Heritage Property in 1984. In 2003, the vacant site was leased to Battle River Settlement Foundation Inc. as part of a restoration project but was destroyed by fire in the summer of that year.

Sigulda Castle, also referred to as Sigulda New Castle (Siguldas jaunā pils in Latvian), was constructed in 1878, showcasing the neo-Gothic architectural style. Originally intended as the residence for the Kropotkin family, owners of the manor, its ownership and purpose underwent multiple alterations over time. Since 1993, the Sigulda Region Council has been situated within the castle's premises.The Sigulda manor's focal point, evolving from the Sigulda Medieval Castle's fore-castle during the 17th century, boasts 18th and 19th-century structures linked to the Von Borghs and Kropotkins. Notable among these are the Summer Castle, New Castle, White Castle, vagar's house, servants' quarters, a barn, laundry, and a fruit and vegetable cellar. Enclosed by rugged boulder walls and a grand gate structure, this central area retains historical charm. The New Castle, constructed between 1878 and 1881 during Duchess Olga and Duke Dimitry Kropotkins' tenure, reused materials from a 17th-century predecessor. Built in neo-Gothic style by Jānis Mengelis, its architectural value lies in Gothic elements and the hues of repurposed boulders. The panoramic view from its windows encompasses the Gauja River valley, Sigulda castle ruins, Krimulda, and Turaida. Following World War I, the castle was destroyed, later becoming the Writers’ Castle in 1922, hosting literary figures and undergoing substantial restoration. In 1934, the Latvian Press Society acquired the castle, initiating significant reconstruction led by architect August Birkhans in 1936–1937. The tower was heightened, the terrace expanded, and modern interior design introduced, shaping it into a prominent example of national modern design in the Baltic region. The monument of Atis Kronvalds was unveiled in 1938. Post-war, it served various purposes, including housing for high state officials and a rehabilitation center until Latvian independence restoration. From 1993 to 2002, it housed the Sigulda City Council, transitioning to the Sigulda District Council from 2003 onwards. The adjacent Summer Castle, fashioned in classicism style, initially served as an orthodox church before being remodeled for various uses. Additionally, the former brewery was transformed into an art gallery within the Sigulda manor.

The Ioan Meșotă National College, known as Colegiul National 'Dr. Ioan Meşotă' in Romanian, holds a significant place in Romanian education history, named after Ioan Meșotă, a pivotal figure in Transylvania's educational system. Established in 1869, it stands in the civic heart of Brașov, renowned as one of the municipality's and county's oldest and most prestigious institutions. Initially recognized as one of the first 'Realschule' in Transylvania, it was a driving force in modernizing Romanian education. Dr. Ioan Meșotă's directorship from 1869 to 1878 marked a transformative period for the college. In 1919, it merged with the Hungarian High School and was named 'Ioan Meșotă' High School. Throughout its history, it navigated various challenges, from political changes to educational shifts. The college was eventually redefined as a theoretical high school with a focus on mathematics and physics. In 1999, it gained National College status. A new building with modern facilities was constructed in 2017. The college, originally oriented toward mathematics and physics, evolved to offer a science-focused profile emphasizing mathematics and computer preparation, while also catering to students with humanistic interests.

1878 (20)

Other Dates/Periods

17-06-1904

0198 BC

1911 - 1940

23-08-2015

25-12-2023

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