The City of Hamilton - as we know her today - exists because of geography.

Settlement, development and growth have been constant challenges because of the geography of this region.

In the 19th century, Hamilton was extremely successful in achieving these ends. However, by 1950, it was clear that the city's "core" was in need of revival and that any rebirth was dependent on many factors, a major one being transportation. Despite the development of road networks over the past 50 years, Hamilton's core is in an even more deplorable state, social and economic growth continues to stagnate and people have difficulty just getting around the city.

Why were our ancestors able to sustain growth and development, and to get around Hamilton more efficiently than we seem to be able to?

Getting Around Hamilton explores some answers by looking at Hamilton's geography, and by taking the reader on a brief pictorial tour of the city's transportation history in a time when getting around Hamilton did not depend solely on expressways and the automobile.

Bill is a retired educator and amateur historian. He is the author of four books on local heritage, Up and Down Locke Street South, Getting Around Hamilton: A History of Transportation in Hamilton, Footsteps in Time: Volume 1 and Footsteps in Time Volume 2.