1800, Seneca Ketchum, the Neighbourhood’s First Merchant
When Seneca Ketchum arrived in the village of York in 1796, he really wasn’t in any position to buy land or qualify for free land being given out by the …
1799, First Business Short-lived
On December 7, 1799, Duke William Kendrick formally announced the launch of the Bedford Park area’s first business with a plea that began “Ashes, Ashes, Ashes.” His ad in the …
1796, The Water Dogs
The rush was on. The Government of Upper Canada was giving away 200-acre lots flanking Yonge Street from Eglinton all the way to Lake Simcoe. To have a shot at …
1794, The Road From Nowhere to Nowhere
Augustus Jones, the deputy surveyor of Upper Canada, set off in February 1794 to plot the route that would become Yonge Street. The middle of winter may not seem a …
1793, A Forgotten Trail Inspires Ontario’s Main Street
On October 13, 1793, North Toronto was an endless maze of beech and pine trees, populated by deer, bears and wolves. The only sign of civilization in the neighbourhood was …
