Montreal
Montreal names 4 different subjects across the 6 encyclopedias on this shelf. Each is set out below. 1 of them is described by more than one encyclopedia.
Montreal the metropolitan city of Canada
Described by 2 of the 6 encyclopedias.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
the metropolitan city of Canada; on an island of the same name, in the Province of Quebec, at the head of ocean navigation on the St. Lawrence river; 180 miles S. W. of Quebec. The city originally called Ville Marie, derives its present name from Mount Royal, which rises abruptly to a height (at the Obin the river which runs at its base, and servatory) of feet above low water upon the lower slopes and terraces of which a large section of the city is built. The St. Lawrence in front of Montreal averages about 2 miles in width and is crossed at the narrowest point by the Victoria Jubilee Bridge 17% miles in length and 60 feet high in the middle. The river is also crossed by the Lachine bridge of the Canadian Pacific Railway near the city. A fine natural harbor for ocean-going ships has been greatly improved by extensive dredging and gigantic works and improving the wharfage accommodations. The ship channel between Montreal and Quebec has been dredged to a depth of 27 feet at an expense of about $5,500,000. Montreal is the terminus of ocean navigation by the Lachine Rapids about 7 miles above the city, which are navigable downward only by small steamers. These rapids are overcome for inland navigation by the Lachine canal 84 miles in length, with a rise of 45 feet, the first of the extensive system of St. Lawrence canals. Municipal Improvements. The topography of Montreal has facilitated the construction of a fine system of waterworks deficient only in the matter of filtration; the main reservoir with a capacity of 36,500,000 gallons being situated 200 feet above the level of the river and a higher level reservoir 210 feet higher affording a high pressure service available for fire protection to the highest buildings in the city. The supply is obtained from the Ottawa river. The season of navigation extends from May till November. Noteworthy Buildings. The twin towers of the Roman Catholic Church of Notre Dame, the parish church of Montreal, built 1824-1829, constitute the most characteristic landmark of Montreal. The towers are 227 feet high, and one of them contains the largest bell on the continent, the "Gros Bourdon." The church is one of the largest in North America, and will hold 15,000 people. The Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. James, commenced in 1868, is modelled after St. Peter's at Rome. There are about 100 churches in Montreal, the oldest being Notre Dame de Bonsecours (1771). Christ Church Cathedral (Anglican) is an exquisite example of English church architecture of the Gothic style. Other fine churches are Notre Dame de Lourdes, the Church of the Gesu, and St. James, Methodist. The oldest structures in Montreal are two old towers in front of the Grand Seminary, built in 1694 for protection against the Indians. Among the more noteworthy modern buildings are the Royal Victoria Hospital; the Bank of Montreal; the general general offices of the Grand Trunk Railway; the Windsor Street and Place Viger stations of the Canadian Pacific Railway; the McGill and Laval University buildings. Monuments. The best statues are those of Queen Victoria, in Victoria Square; of Maisonneuve, in Place d'Armes Square. Perhaps the most interesting monument is that of Lord Nelson, near the City Hall, erected in 1809. Business. In 1918 the imports were valued at $197,162,520, and exports $524,- 365,342. Montreal is an important banking center, the oldest and largest bank being the Bank of Montreal, al, found founded in 1817, and since then developed into one of the most important banking institutions of the world. In 1919 the bank clearings were over $6,200,000,000. In the same year the assessed valuation was over $850,000,000. Education. As a seat of learning Montreal occupies a high place. Chief among its educational institutions are MCGILL UNIVERSITY (q. v.); a branch of Laval University, Quebec; the medical faculty of Bishop's College University, Lennoxville; the Seminary of St. Sulpice; St. Mary's College (Jesuit); and the Ville Marie, Sacred Heart, and Hochelaga Convents. The public schools of Montreal are controlled by boards of Roman Catholic and Protestant School Commissioners respectively. History. Ville Marie, afterward called Montreal, was founded by Maisonneuve, May 18, 1642, during the French régime in Canada. The site had previously been visited in 1535 by Jacques Cartier, who founded there a large Indian town called Hochelaga; and in 1603 by Champlain, when it was found that the Indian town had completely disappeared. The early French settlers had much trouble with the Indians, culminating August, 1689, in the massacre at Lachine, 9 miles from Montreal, of 200 settlers and the capture of 200 more by a band of 1,500 Iroquois Indians. On Sept. 8, 1760, Montreal capitulated to General Amherst and the surrender of the city completed the conquest of New France by the English. In 1775 Montreal was captured by the Americans, who sent expeditions under Montgomery and Arnold to capture Quebec and Montreal; and General Carleton in command of the British forces at Montreal had to retreat to Quebec, where the Americans were ultimately defeated. In 1775 the American General Wooster made his headquarters in the Château de Ramergay, which still stands opposite the city hall and which was the official residence of the British governors after the conquest. In this same château, the Commissioners of Congress, Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Chase, and Charles Carroll, in 1776 met and held council under Gen. Benedict Arnold. In 1776 the American forces retreated. Montreal obtained its first city charter in 1833, the first mayor being Jacques Viger. In 1844 the city became the capital of the province of Canada formed in 1841, by the union of the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, but Parliament met for the last time in Montreal in 1849; when a mob of English-speaking citizens, enraged at the passing of the "Rebellion Losses Bill," burned down the Parliament Buildings and pelted the Governor-General, Lord Elgin. The fire (which destroyed valuable public records, the parliamentary library, and in fact everything appertaining to Parliament but the mace and the portrait of Queen Victoria) terminated Montreal's brief career as the seat of government. Pop. about 700,000.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
the metropolis of Canada. It is situated on the northern bank of the St. Lawrence River, 180 miles above Quebec. It is at the head of deep water navigation. It is nearly 1,000 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. It is as far from the open sea as the mouth of the Ohio is from the Gulf of Mexico. It is 420 miles by rail from New York City. The name is French for Mount Royal, an eminence in the rear of the city. The site is a beautiful one, being a triangular island formed by the mouths of the Ottawa River. Mount Royal is one of the most sightly city parks known. The St. Lawrence is about two miles wide. It is crossed at different points by the Grand Trunk Railway Tubular Bridge and by the Lachine Bridge of the Canadian Pacific. The former has been adapted also to the use of foot passengers and vehicles. The natural channel of the river has been improved by dredging. Immense wharves have been constructed. Steamers requiring twenty-seven feet of water are enabled to reach the city. A canal around Lachine Rapids permits the passage of boats from the interior. Montreal is thus the meeting place of shipping from the Great Lakes , ocean steamships, and several lines of railway, making it one of the great commercial cities of the world. Merchandise from the upper Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes region en route for Liverpool, finds the Montreal route 350 miles shorter than the route by way of New York. The city hall, postoffice, courthouse, custom house and other buildings are imposing. The city is famous for its church buildings. The most prominent edifice is the Catholic Cathedral of St. James. It resembles St. Peter's at Rome, except that it is smaller. The leading educational institution is McGill University. It is noted for a high standard of scholarship. The city was founded in 1642. The Indian name is "Hochelaga." The city surrendered to General Amherst in 1760. It was captured by the Americans under Montgomery and Arnold in 1775. It was for a time the capital of Canada ere the removal of the government offices to Ottawa. The city is growing rapidly. The population in 1908, including suburbs, was reported at 332,544. Montreal is one of the great cities of the American continent. See St. Lawrence; Quebec ; Canada
Montreal CANADA, SHOWING DOMINION SQUARE AND ST
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
CANADA, SHOWING DOMINION SQUARE AND ST. JAMES'S CATHEDRAL Paul Thompson THE ROCK THAT FELL FROM MONT BLANC TO THE BRENVA GLACIER, CAUSING AN AVALANCHE, NOVEMBER, 1920 Photo by Ewing Galloway
Montreal an island of Canada
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
an island of Canada, in the St. Lawrence river, at the confluence of Ottawa river, 32 miles long and 10½ broad, containing the city of Montreal.
Montreal CANADA MONT BLANC AVALANCHE
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
CANADA MONT BLANC AVALANCHE
What Has Changed in the Last Century
Collier's called Montreal in 1921 "the metropolitan city of Canada," and it was: the country's largest city, its busiest port and the seat of the Bank of Montreal, whose clearings it put above $6,200,000,000. That primacy has gone. Toronto passed Montreal in population around 1970 and drew away its financial business, a shift hastened by Quebec's language legislation of 1977 and the sovereignty referendums of 1980 and 1995; the Bank of Montreal itself moved its executive operations to Toronto. The Lachine Canal that Collier's described as "the first of the extensive system of St. Lawrence canals" was superseded by the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959 and closed to commercial shipping in 1970, surviving now as a park and pleasure-boat route. Meanwhile the city gained a subway system and Expo 67 in 1967, the 1976 Summer Olympics, and a population of roughly 1.8 million in a metropolitan area of over 4 million; Notre-Dame, the Victoria Bridge and the Chateau Ramezay all still stand.
Written for this edition, 2026.