CachE is a pill bottle with only a log. Please bring a pen to sign it. NO NIGHT CACHING, PLEASE
Historic Hamilton is a series of caches that serve to bring cachers to historic places in and around the City of Hamilton. These caches can be placed by anyone, and are not limited to one CO. If you know of a historic place that you would like to bring people to, feel free to add it to the series!
THE HISTORY
The road bearing this cache is named after John Joseph “Paddy” Greene, an Irishman who came to Canada in 1850 during the potato famine in Ireland and operated several taverns around Hamilton –including hotels in Dundas and Ancaster.
Throughout the 19th century, The Globe was a popular rest stop for travelers moving between Hamilton and Dundas or Ancaster.
In 1906 Greene bought the Globe Tavern at the site of the current-day plaza across from Westdale Secondary School. It was located adjacent to a tollgate on the road to Ancaster, Dundas, and Brantford.
This is a shot of Paddy's taken in 1971
Called The Westdale Hotel, but better known as Paddy Greene’s tavern, it was a landmark and local hot spot on Main Street West and a well-known McMaster University student hangout
Around 1912, Greene passed the hotel bearing his name to one of his 10 children –John Joseph Greene Jr. Over time, John became known as “Paddy” too. In 1939 John Jr. bought a farm in Ancaster. The Greene family lived there at least until 1984 but I haven’t been able to confirm if they are still there. John Jr died in 1971.
In 1916, prohibition began and most taverns in Hamilton closed. Paddy’s tavern was frequented by patrons searching out a low-alcohol brew, but business was slow. To increase business gasoline pumps were installed and Paddy’s became the first service station in West Hamilton.
Later, Paddy added a takeout food service, which was Hamilton’s first drive-in restaurant, specializing in hot dogs and 10 cent hamburgers.
His six sons all had a hand in running this popular watering hole over the years. Dick Greene, one of his sons, operated Paddy Greene’s until last call in 1984 when it was sold and demolished to make way for the current plaza.
This picture (circa 1984) would have been taken from the roof of Westdale High. The current day highway 403 is behind the Hotel. In the background, you can see the old Westinghouse building that is now the site of the McMaster Innovation Park. In the top right corner, you can see Longwood drive heading up toward Aberdeen Ave.
The road that the cache is on was originally just a farm lane, but it turned into a shortcut for local farms to get to the store and feed mill in Copetown.