Belleville in Hastings County, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
Home of the Wharf Rats
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 30, 2024
1. Home of the Wharf Rats Marker
Foster Ward historically has been one of the most colorful areas of Belleville, with all its characters and the shenanigans that occurred in this area south of the CPR tracks. During the Prohibition era of the 1920s, major shipments of whiskey and beer departed from here for markets in “Barbados” and “Cuba” (actually the United States). It was also the home of the Wharf Street Debating Club, where women weren't allowed, and a feminist once angrily tossed an iron bar through a window into the debating hall. For years the Club was the home of the infamous “bun feed” where candidates for city council endured a raucous reception loosely defined as a debate. Residents of the ward were known as “Wharf Rats” who literally and metaphorically lived on the other side of the tracks.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas • Sports • Waterways & Vessels.
Location. 44° 9.372′ N, 77° 22.558′ W. Marker is in Belleville, Ontario, in Hastings County. It is at the intersection of Harbour Drive and South John Street, on the right
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Eastern Ontario and specifically in Southeastern Ontario. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Rupert’s Land.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Jane Forrester Park (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); The Belle of the Bay / Strolling Meyers Pier (about 180 meters away); The Thurlow Purchase (about 180 meters away); Sir Mackenzie Bowell (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Site of the Wharf Street Debating Club from 1921-2013 (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Belleville (approx. 0.6 kilometers away); George Zegouras Market Square (approx.
Courtesy Hastings County Heritage Center & C.W. Hunt
2. Marker detail: “King of the Rumrunners” Ben Kerr
More about this marker. This marker is on the south side of the park sign at this location.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.
Also see . . . Whisky and Ice: The Saga of Ben Kerr, Canada's Most Daring Rumrunner (Amazon.com).
During the Roaring Twenties, Ben Kerr was known as the "King of the Rumrunners." The U.S. Coast Guard put him at the top of the most-wanted list and offered a reward of $5,000. But ending up in Club Fed was not Kerr’s only worry - he had to contend with Hamilton crime lords Rocco and Bessie Perri. Whisky and Ice takes the reader back to the Prohibition era, when Canada and the United States were obsessed with "demon liquor" (not to mention the endless posturing by politicians). As Hunt aptly writes, the U.S. during Prohibition "was about as dry as the mud flats of the Mississippi at high tide."(Submitted on December 10, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Courtesy Hastings County Heritage Center & C.W. Hunt
3. Marker detail: Ben Kerr’s boat “Martimas” 1924
Courtesy Hastings County Heritage Center & C.W. Hunt, May 30, 2024
4. Marker detail: Ben Kerr’s boat “Pollywog” 1926
Courtesy Hastings County Heritage Center & C.W. Hunt
5. Marker detail: Belleville Harbour
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 30, 2024
6. Home of the Wharf Rats Marker
Looking north along South John Street from the Jane Forrester Park parking lot; Harbour Drive crosses behind the marker.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 10, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 9, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 172 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on December 9, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
