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GOVANHILL (for years known as No-man's-land) was at first of no great importance. On 4th July, 1877, it became a burgh, with municipal officials, and handsome burgh hall. Since then it has increased in size and population. Near to it is Dixon Avenue with most respectable villas.
CROSSHILL is a new district. Little more than 100 years ago it was almost without a tenement; only a few farmhouses were to be seen here and there. No one who walked over its grassy fields could have dreamed that it would be the lively place it is now. But changes came. The pleasant "parks" soon were covered with dwelling-houses. Portland Street and Abbotsford Place became famed for healthful residences, and the process of expansion still continuing, Victoria Road came into existence. Attractive buildings were reared and inhabited, and the population multiplied. With the increase of inhabitants came an increase in the shops, and Crosshill's amenity and charms grew greater when the Queen's Park was formed in 1862. The laying out of the grounds of this beautiful park is very artistic, and the park itself a great source of refreshing to the tired toiler in close-pent habitations. The views from its highest point on a clear day are extensive. Near it was fought, in 1568, that famous battle of Langside, with which Glasgow had something to do. The opening of this park also gave a stimulus to building, and Royal Crescent, with its fine and handsome residences, was erected and soon inhabited. Royal Terrace followed, and soon all over this lovely district new streets, squares, and avenues were formed; churches were built and schools were opened; vehicular travelling increased, a tram-line was laid, and now railways carry on a large passenger traffic. The Institution for the Deaf and Dumb lies a little to the south-east, while nearer is the Victoria Infirmary - an hospital doing much-needed service in alleviating the sufferings of humanity.
Adjoining Crosshill are
STRATHBUNGO AND CROSSMYLOOF. - Neither of these possessed much artistic beauty. Now in them are many charming squares and pleasant habitations. Since Moray Place became a residential quarter, the rents of the houses in these two outlying districts have doubled, notwithstanding their closeness to Strathbungo Railway Station. Contiguous to both is Shawlands, another locality fast coming into prominence.
For a long series of years there stood in MOUNT FLORIDA only one dwelling. Its proprietor and habitant was Bailie Walker, a cabinetmaker in Thistle Street, Hutchesontown. For many years a magistrate of the Barony of Gorbals, he took a great interest in its Sabbath School Society. This beautiful district became popular fifteen years ago, and after the completion of the Cathcart Railway gradually grew in favour, until it is now a populous locality, with many stately residences on hill and dale. Eildon Villas and a fine row of handsome dwellings on the western side of Cathcart Road, looking both southward and northward, lend dignity to this suburb.
POLLOKSHIELDS, WEST AND EAST, - Pollokshields West has had a longer existence than its eastern neighbour. Long neglected as a possible residential suburb, villas and mansions sprang into existence with the means of conveyance from and to West Pollokshields. The area of the western is nearly three-fourths that of the eastern, and consists wholly of villas, with gardens attached, no shops being allowed within its precincts. Four years ago the western had a population of about 4,000, while that of the other was double that number. Each had its own commissioners and magistrates, and was under the surveillance of the Renfrewshire powers that be, who happily needed but few representatives to carry out their decrees or to enforce order. The rural aspect of these two districts has to some extent disappeared, especially in East Pollokshields, where broad and cheerful streets have multiplied.
West Pollokshields for the past two or three years has greatly thriven. New avenues have been opened, and its villas are increasing in number. Forming, as it does, a part of greater Glasgow, its pathways are brilliantly lighted compared with earlier years. Maxwell Park, with its artificial pond, is valued for its pleasant walks, and is often well filled when "music charms the air." In this place of resort there have been erected a suite of rooms and a hall in the baronial style of architecture, at a cost of about £8,000. As yet they have not been much favoured for meetings or festivities. East from the park there has been recently formed a bowling green, which, since its opening, has been a great success. At the back of this place of physical enjoyment there are tennis grounds. Adjacent to the park Mr. Colledge, the legal adviser of Sir John Maxwell of Pollok, has his residence, the surroundings of which have changed from the time when I looked at and walked round it, in years long gone past, as dilapidated Haggs Castle. Near its demesnes now rush the trains of the Cathcart Inner Circle Railway.
Unlike its aristocratic neighbour, East Pollokshields consists of terraced and flatted houses, with shops. A square has been set apart, with seats, where the aged can rest and the young can play. Its baths receive a fair amount of patronage. With Established, Free and U.P, churches, it has no hall for public meetings. The two School Board schools are flourishing, but the adventure schools have not been a great success. In Nithsdale Road is a well-equipped and excellently managed post-office.
KINNING PARK. - This small suburb lies close to Kingston, and was constituted a burgh on 16th January, 1871. In my early days it was a truly beautiful rural spot, away from the smoke and stir of the city. The Kinninghouse Burn, formerly called the Mile Burn or Shiels Burn, was a sweet purling stream that meandered through arcadian groves down to the river. The opening of the Kingston Docks on 10th October, 1867, and the extension of the harbour brought trade and commerce to this place, and 1894 sees within its boundaries large engineering works, iron foundries, mills, and many other important industries. It is anticipated that in a few years this burgh will seek to form part of Greater Glasgow.
PLANTATION. - This land, not many years ago, was wholly agricultural, and embraced an area of about eighty acres. It included three separate estates, viz.: Craigiehall, Miln Park, and Sleads and Knolls, and extended south from the Clyde to the old Paisley Canal, and from the Park House on the east to Bellahouston and Haughead on the west. Formerly this district was called Craigiehall, until Mr. John Robertson, a West Indian merchant, in 1783 changed its name to Plantation, from the fact of his being interested in the West Indian trade. Robertson Street, west of Jamaica Street, was also called after him. The next proprietor was Mr. John Mair, who spent £30,000 in improving this estate. It was afterwards purchased in 1828 by Mr. William MacLean, Deacon-Convener of the Trades' House, who laid it out for feuing purposes.
GOVAN AND PARTICK. - The annals of Glasgow from the sixth century till these times show that the development of our city has been comparatively slow, and it was only at the end of the eighteenth and beginning of the nineteenth centuries that Glasgow made any real advance. This slow progress was due to many causes, but the prosperity since experienced arose from many discoveries in art and science, and not least to the deepening of the river Clyde. The proximity of the city to the vast beds of coal and ironstone made Glasgow prosper, yet few of the men who contributed to the city's greatness could have foreseen the extent to which its commerce would grow, nor forecast how far its fame would reach. They saw the dawn of its day of progress; it has been reserved for us to see the day grow brighter and brighter. Perhaps in no part of St. Mungo has greater advance been seen than in these two places. The burghs of Govan and Partick have been long in existence. The history of one is collateral with that of the other. Although they do not yet form an integral part of Glasgow proper, yet very soon I hope to see them incorporated. A few years ago, where houses stand were green meadows, with here and there a small villa. But the villas have become many, and the houses of the working classes still more, while the pleasant places along which the youth of the time rambled in the quiet evenings are only remembered by men and women of riper years. The chief amusement of my comrades at that time was to pick up stones and try to throw them from the south to the north side of the Clyde, an effort in which they generally succeeded. A favourite place of enjoyment was the "Fisher's Hut" at Govan, around which we clustered, gazing at the fishermen going out in their vessels, and somewhat excited were we when we saw them return with their boats well filled with the fruit of their toil.
Eighty years ago the chief industries were the weaving, spinning, dyeing, and calico-printing works of Messrs. Charles Todd & Co., at the corner of Springfield Road, which through the enlarging of the harbour were sold and taken down. This company became known afterwards as that of Messrs. Todd & Higginbotham, who have now had their works for many years located at Little Govan, off Rutherglen Road. There was a public work a little west of Springfield known as Edmond's printfield. Beyond this westward there was no factory till the old silk mill of Govan, belonging to Messrs. Morris, Pollock & Son, was reached. I believe this was the first place in Scotland where silks were spun. This factory, although looked upon then as a large one, would nowadays be deemed small. The first iron shipbuilding yard on the south side of the river, started by a Mr. Wingate, was located in open ground between Todd's mill and Edmond's printfield. Being small in extent, its appearance was not striking. When it was suggested that, as they required less depth of water, iron steamers should be used in the Liverpool and Irish trade, the suggestion was condemned by many, but vigorously supported by a Mr. Tassie, whose foresight has been clearly justified by the result.
In these places there has been great material prosperity. Warehouses and shops are large and important, many of them closely approaching, in appearance and amount of business, those in the heart of the city. From morning to evening there is a constant flow of people going to or coming from these districts, the means of conveyance being many. Since the Cluthas were established a big trade on the waters of the Clyde has been done, upwards of 380,000 passengers being carried yearly; besides the tram and rail carry thousands.
In these great centres of business, and among their amazingly large populations, there is no lack of those institutions which can ennoble man's dual nature. Churches and day and Sabbath schools, total abstinence societies, bands of hope, lecture halls, etc., are well supported. The surroundings, too, are pleasant, and open spaces are not awanting for recreation and amusement.
Shipbuilding and marine engineering are the chief branches of industry in both places, although numerous other public works now cluster there. Govan and Glasgow, it may be said, are now literally joined together, although not yet municipally incorporated. The Cessnock Docks, which formed a parliamentary bone of contention with the City, may yet happily form a bond of union. Govan, with its many industries, has grown and expanded rapidly. In 1871 its population was 19,899, and in 1891 it was 61,363. The familiar old parish church, with its quaint spire, which used to form a feature in the landscape in passing up and down the river, is now removed. In lieu thereof a handsome new church has been built, of which Dr. John Macleod is minister. For some time after the Reformation it was obligatory for the principal of the University of Glasgow to preach every Sabbath at Govan. In memory of her husband, Mrs. Elder laid out at great expense and gifted a large park for the benefit of the toiling masses of Govan. It is named the Elder Park, and has a statue of her husband in it. It was opened in 1885 by Lord Rosebery.
It is said that at Partick the Bishop of Glasgow had a castle, which stood on the bank overlooking the Kelvin and Clyde. While Partick has large engineering and other public works, with an industrial population to correspond, yet, in addition, it has always had in villas and terraces in Partickhill residents whose businesses were in Glasgow. In 1851 it had a population of 6,670; which in 1893 was 36,538. The growing importance of Partick, Whiteinch, Yoker, Clydebank, etc., has led the Caledonian Railway Company to invade the territory, thought to be a special preserve of the North British Company, and to open a new line through these places, connecting Dumbarton with the Lanarkshire ironstone and coal fields. The Partick of to-day has so completely outgrown that of my younger years, I can only exclaim, like the Bailie of old, "Ma conscience!" On the line of Dumbarton Road, but for a field or two on each side of old Granny Gibb's cottage, Whiteinch now almost joins Partick. In olden times, before the era of railways, this old cottage (still standing) was the halting-place for man and beast to get refreshed before entering the city.
WHITEINCH is but of recent growth; but it has grown rapidly. At present it has a population of 6,600. It is sure to expand still more when the railway now forming is opened. Already it has a tastefully laid-off public park, with an artificial pond for the sailing of model yachts. While the ground was being levelled, several interesting relics of the stone age were found. A number of fossil trees were also discovered, which have proved a source of attraction to thousands of citizens as well as to visitors to the metropolis of the west.
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