Belleville is a city in Ontario located on the north shore of the Bay of Quinte. The city’s bustling streets contrast with the rolling countryside that surrounds them. In 1615, Samuel de Champlain explored the area. It was settled by Americans after 1776 and given the name Meyers’ Creek in honor of John Meyers, who operated a gristmill at the time. Belleville was renamed in 1816 in honor of Arabella Gore, wife of Francis Gore, lieutenant governor of Upper Canada.
Belleville was incorporated as a city in 1877. As part of Ontario’s reorganization of municipalities, the City of Belleville merged with the surrounding Township of Thurlow in 1998 to form an expanded City of Belleville. Quinte West was also annexed to the west by the city.
Below are some fascinating vintage photos that show What Belleville downtown looked like in 1975.
#1 Carmen’s Beauty Salon at 269 and Meagher’s Men’s Wear at 267 Front Street, Belleville
#2 Reddick’s Bakery at 304 and Wray’s at 306 Front Street, Belleville
#3 Woodley Furs at 273 and The Coach Room at 271 Front Street, Belleville
#4 Fish and chip restaurant at 352 Front Street Belleville, and T. and J. Variety store at 356 Front Street
#5 Murrays Foodmaster store at 290 Front Street, Belleville
#6 Building on Bridge Street East in Belleville west of the TD Bank.
#7 186, 188, 190 and 192 Front Street, Belleville, Ontario (the Lister Block).
#8 194, 196 and 200 Front Street, Belleville.
Businesses included McKinney Insurance and Central Taxi which was located on the southwest corner of Bridge and Front Streets
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196 Front Street was HFC finance
#9 Bank of Montreal at 201 Front Street, Belleville (northeast corner of Bridge and Front Streets)
#10 Brady & Menning Law Office at 283 Front Street, Belleville
#11 Mr Jeffery at 316, Olympia Restaurant at 318, Cue & Cushion Billiards at 320 and Mr Zed Submarines and Burgers at 324 Front Street, Belleville
#12 160 and 162 Front Street, Belleville, Ontario, with Cablevue office at 160
#13 160, 162 and 166 Front Street, Belleville, Ontario. The Corbin Lock building on Coleman Street is visible through the passage way
#14 166 and 168 Front Street, Belleville, Ontario
#15 Brennan & McBride insurance adjusters at 146 and McDougall Insurance at 148 Front Street, Belleville, Ontario
#16 Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce building at 237 Front Street, Belleville (southeast corner of Front & Campbell Streets)
#17 City Hotel at 310 Front Street, Belleville
#18 Corby/Jamieson Bone building at 157-163 Front Street, Belleville
#19 Ed Thomas’s cigar store at 182 Front Street, Belleville, Ontario
#20 Esquire Men’s Wear store at 258 Front Street, Belleville
#21 Florence’s Baby Palace store at 313 Front Street, Belleville
#22 Geen’s pharmacy at 276 Front Street, Belleville
#23 Goodman’s store at 307 and Conventional Barber’s Shop at 309 Front Street, Belleville
#24 Hamilton’s Jewellery and Gifts at 209 and Cosy Grill at 207 Front Street, Belleville
#25 Leslie’s shoes and luggage store and Leslie’s Ski Den (on the second floor) at 255 Front Street, Belleville.
#26 Office of Paul Fleming, chartered accountant, at 123 Front Street, Belleville
#27 Reward Shoes store at 220 Front Street, Belleville
#28 Roluf’s store at 227 Front Street, Belleville, with Singer store next door
#29 S. S. Kresge store at 260-266 Front Street, Belleville
#30 Sherwin Williams store at 303 and Tropical Gardens Pet Shop at 301½ Front Street, Belleville
#31 The Bata shoe store at 233 Front Street, Belleville
#32 The Reading ‘n’ Greeting Shop and Coles Jewellers at 292 and 296 Front Street, Belleville (Nathan Jones building)
#33 The Red Shark at 281 and Copp Shoes at 279 Front Street, Belleville
#34 Walker Hardware store at 248-250 Front Street, Belleville
#35 Walker’s menswear store at 280 Front Street, Belleville, with the adjoining store advertising a ‘Going Out of Business’ sale (Harrison building)
#36 Woolworth’s store at 242-246 Front Street, Belleville
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Great stuff. Where did you find these photos?
My father is Carmen Guerrera & I remember growing up playing in the salon. Well of course I grew up to be a hairstylist & I’m still working as a stylist at Salon You in the Quinte mall, Laura