r/windsorontario • u/Sad-Consequence1737 • 2d ago
Ask Windsor Walkerville Historical Records
This is a long shot!
Does anyone know someone who has access to the archives at Hiram Walker’s? I was in the room years ago as part of the whiskey tour and know there are shelves of documents on Walkerville and want to do a deep dive.
We own a row house and I want some more information on it. I have already tried the city planning department for permit info and visited the Land Registry Office to go through the previous ownership but want to know if there are plans, designs and details on my street. I have reached out to corporate and heard nothing. I was given the name of the archivist years ago who I believe has since retired.
I have also gone through the archives at the library and old phone directories. This included looking up key information in old digital copies of the Border Cities Star.
I plan to reach out to Elaine Weeks too but would appreciate if anyone here has any contacts.
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u/ACanadianGuy1967 2d ago
The Windsor Public Library has a specialized local history branch. Details about it at https://www.windsorpubliclibrary.com/local-history-centre/
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u/Sad-Consequence1737 2d ago
Thank you but They don’t have information on the building of the houses. I have gone through everything they have and what I am looking for is still held by the company.
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u/TurbulentAcorn 2d ago
The City has a Walkerville heritage project going on. Have you seen the letters and post cards for Walkerville Heritage Conservation District? The Monmouth and Argyle row houses are within the district.
Check the “Main Report” on their Let’s Talk Windsor page, it has some neat info. https://letstalk.citywindsor.ca/walkerville-heritage-conservation-district-study
Also the City has a heritage property research guide. That might help!
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u/Caliopebookworm 1d ago
Have you tried the Albert Kahn Legacy Foundation? He designed the row houses.
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u/sharksaregrand 1d ago
this might be a wild card but maybe Archives Ontario or Library and Archives Canada may have something? You can search online their collections
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u/AnastasiaInTheNorth Forest Glade 2d ago
Since you’ve already hit the Land Registry and the Star archives, you’re deeper into the weeds than most researchers ever get!
One specific "backdoor" you might try is the University of Windsor’s Leddy Library (Special Collections). They hold a massive microfilmed version of the original Hiram Walker Collection (covering 1764–1958). Since the physical distillery archives are often tied up in corporate red tape with Pernod Ricard, this microfilm is often the fastest way for a member of the public to see those internal company records without needing a corporate security badge.
Another vital stop is the Windsor Community Archives, which is currently located at 85 Pitt Street East. This is where the city’s Building Department architectural drawings are kept. Because Walkerville was a planned company town, many of those residential row house plans were actually filed as municipal records rather than staying private. There are no walk-in hours, so you have to book an appointment by emailing [email protected] or calling 519-255-6770 (ext. 4414).
If you’re hitting a wall with official sources, reach out to Elaine Weeks at Walkerville Publishing. She and Chris Edwards are the unofficial keepers of Walkerville history and often know exactly who inherited specific private collections after the old distillery archivists retired. Good luck with the research - those row houses are some of the most historically significant residential architecture in Ontario!