| 1854-1855 |
Crimea war |
| 1857 |
The Town Hall tower and dome was still being built when
the hall was opened. |
| 1858 |
The Town Hall opened by Queen Victoria.
The impressive Town Hall organ, built by Gray and Davidson in the central great
hall being named Victoria Hall. |
| 1859 |
The over 6 foot diameter bell weighing over 4 tons installed in the Town Hall
Tower |
| |
The first purpose synagoge in Belgrave Street Leeds |
| 1863 |
  The
Corn Exchange
is completed. One of Britain's finest Victorian buildings. The architect
was Cuthbert Broderick |
| 1864 |
The only public execution at Armley Jail |
| 1864 |
Tower Works built in Globe Road with 2
magnificent chimneys, which still dominate the skyline of. The smaller steam
chimney based on the Verona Lamberti Tower, the larger dust extraction chimney based
on the Florence Giotto Campanile . |
| 1864-69 |
The General Infirmary built in Great George Street, design
by Sir George Gilbert Scott in a medieval gothic style,
contributions to the design layout of wards by Florence Nightingale.
|
| 1864 |
The acts of 1864 and 1875 made it illegate to use "climbing boys" to
sweep chimneys. |
| 1865 |
The Victoria Hotel built |
| 1865-8 |
The Mechanics Institute built. Now the Civic
Theatre and college of Music. Another building by Cuthbert
Brodrick. |
| 1866-9 |
The New Station (Now Leeds City Station) built next to
City Square. Built on a series of arches - the Dark Arches, now part of Granary
Walk, and over the River Aire. See
River side Walk
The railway viaduct running Eastwards almost alongside
Sovereign Street, The calls (part) and Call Lane splitting the town into two. |
| 1867 |
The Lions installed in front of the Town
Hall |
| 1868 |
The 3rd White cloth Hall is demolished. Replaced
by the 4th. Later replaced by the Hotel Metropole. |
| 1869 |
The old stone Leeds Bridge is removed. The new iron one
opening in 1873 |
| 1870 |
Educational provisions started. |
| 1871 |
A horse drawn tramway system constructed. Trams continued
in Leeds long after they were discontinued in other Cities. |
| 1872 |
Roundhay Park purchased for £139,000 by Leeds City Council in 1872 opened
to the public. At the time the purchase was regarded as a waste of tax payers money,
due to it's distance 4 miles from the smoky town centre. |
| 1873 |
The opening of the wrought and cast iron Leeds Bridge
designed by Thomas Dyne Steele and built by John
Butler Iron Works in Stanningly. This bridge replaced a several arched stone
bridge, removed in 1869. |
| 1876 |
The Grand Theatre and Opera House opens |
| 1885 |
City Varieties built |
| 1868 |
Most of Boar Lane remodeled |
| 1874 |
Yorkshire College of Science founded in Leeds, later becoming Leeds University |
| 1876 |
The Leeds Theatre Royal in Lands Lane opens |
| 1876 |
Provender Mill built in The Calls selling foodstuff for
horses. Now The Chandleres flats. Note the horse's head
over the old archway |
| 1878 |
Thornton's Arcade built |
| 1879 |
The opening of the current Leeds Bridge House, the wedge
shaped building between The Adelphi pub and The Old Red Lion Pub. Originally opened
as the Cobdent Temperance Hotel. |
| 1881 |
Mr Gladstone the Prime minister visits Leeds |
| 1884 |
Michael Marks of Marks and Spencer's fame opened his
first Penny Bazaar, a stall in Leeds Market
Municipal Buildings opened to house Civic departments, Police and Central Library.
Designer: George Corson |
| 1888 |
The worlds 1st successful moving picture was made of horses crossing
the bridge, by Louis Le Prince
City Art Gallery opened |
| 1889 |
The Rose and crown demolished for the building of Queens
Arcade. |
| 1890 |
Joshua Tetley buys his first pub the Duke William in
Bowman Lane. The pub now closed is within the brewery grounds. |
| 1891-4 |
School of Medicine built in Thoresby Place.
St Aidan's church. Harehills built. Contains an imposing
1,000 square foot mosaic. The mosaic was designed in 1909, finished 1916 |
| |
Michael Marks Marks and Spencer's founded. Now the largest
European shop chain |
| 1893 |
The Leeds Electric Lighting Works opened. |
| 1893 |
Leeds is a commercial success and City charter
granted by Queen Victoria giving Leeds a City status |
| 1894 |
The Yorkshire Penny Bank erected on the site of the
original Leeds General Infirmary in Infirmary Street.
Electric trams start to replace horse drawn ones
Michael Marks formed a partnership with Tom
Spencer thus founding Marks and Spencer's, now the
largest European shop chain |
| 1898 |
Grand and Victoria Arcades built |
| 1899 |
The hotel Metropole was opened on the site of the 4th
White Cloth Hall |
| 1899-1902 |
Boer War in South Africa |
| 20th Century |
The main industries are now Engineering and Tailoring.
During this century these industries would diminish and services industries, banking,
financial, insurance and National Health industries take over. The City council
becomes a very large employer.
Towards the end of the century Leeds becomes a tourist attraction.
|
| 1900 |
Leeds prospered as the woolen trade grew, nevertheless it was never a town wholly
reliant on wool. By 1900, Leeds boasted a varied economic base and alternative forms
of employment were made available by its flourishing commercial activities. The
ready-made clothing and textile industry, then pioneered by off-the-peg clothing
manufacturers such as Montague Burton, operated successfully
alongside the printing and engineering industries. John Waddington
became the world’s biggest playing card and games manufacturer and Clarke,
Fowler and Kitson ran the biggest engineering works in Yorkshire. As such,
Leeds never experienced the mass depression suffered by many single-industry towns. |
