The Railway City By Adrienne Lacey Griffin, Supervisor of Parks, and Forestry for the City of St. Thomas
The City of St. Thomas is commonly known as the Railway City or the Railway Capital of Canada.
Jumbo’s death, the city dedicated a a monument to Jumbo.
St. Thomas was an important railway town; at its peak it was a hub for a multitude of prominent railways and served as the primary stop on the Canadian shortcut between Detroit and Buffalo. By 1914, a total of eight different railways brought in more than 100 trains per day. The railways transformed St. Thomas from a town of 1700 to a city of over 40,000 today, by bringing jobs and prosperity. St. Thomas was also put on the map through the unfortunate incident that occurred on Sept 15, 1885, when Jumbo the elephant was struck and killed by a Grand Trunk Locomotive. On the 100 th anniversary of
The Jumbo monument
located on the west end of the city serves as a hub for visitors to the city and gives an opportunity for pictures with the landmark and provides important tourist information.
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The Green Sward – Winter 2022
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