The First Land Grants. The road at the bottom of the map is Queen Street, first known as Kingston Road. It is the surveyor’s base line from which they laid out the grid of lots. The road at the top is Danforth Avenue. The double lines running north to south are sidelines dividing the area into three sections. Each section is subdivided into 5 lots numbered from east to west with the name of the man who owned that farm. The Don River is at the west and what is now Victoria Park marks the boundary between the Township of York and Scarborough. The sideline between 5 and 6 is Coxwell Avenue.
The First Land Grants. The road at the bottom of the map is Queen Street, first known as Kingston Road. It is the surveyor’s base line from which they laid out the grid of lots. The road at the top is Danforth Avenue. The double lines running north to south are sidelines dividing the area into three sections. Each section is subdivided into 5 lots numbered from east to west with the name of the man who owned that farm. The Don River is at the west and what is now Victoria Park marks the boundary between the Township of York and Scarborough. The sideline between 5 and 6 is Coxwell Avenue.
Close up of the 1878 County Atlas Map of the Township of York. I’ve turned the map on its side so that west is at the top, east is at the bottom; south is at the left and north is at the right. The map is somewhat distorted but clearly shows the layout of the various farms. Each of the farms between Greenwood and Coxwell were owned by the Ashbridge’s family and men who married into the family e.g. Sam Hill, a farmer and ice dealer.
1878 Country Atlas with modern overlay. I’ve turned the previous 1878 County map so that could overlay a grid with modern streets shown. It then becomes quite clear how our street system is based on the farm boundaries.
City Engineers Map 1892 Showing the boundaries of the City of Toronto as “City Limit” in red. The lot lines still show, but streets hadn’t been built on them yet. The lot lines were the farm boundaries and had muddy lanes the farmers used to access their fields. Coxwell Avenue is a rough dirt road.
The First Land Grants. The road at the bottom of the map is Queen Street, first known as Kingston Road. It is the surveyor’s base line from which they laid out the grid of lots. The road at the top is Danforth Avenue. The double lines running north to south are sidelines dividing the area into three sections. Each section is subdivided into 5 lots numbered from east to west with the name of the man who owned that farm. The Don River is at the west and what is now Victoria Park marks the boundary between the Township of York and Scarborough. The sideline between 5 and 6 is Coxwell Avenue.
In the 1896 map, E.H. Duggan, a real estate developer, now owns the farms between Woodfield Road at the east of the Ashbridge Estate and Coxwell Avenue. He has subdivided the area directly west of Coxwell Avenue that includes Rhodes and Craven, holding it for future development.
Erie Terrace is not yet built on. Houses show on the map as little black rectangles. Rhodes Avenue is very faintly marked between Gerrard and the railway tracks. Upper Gerrard exists as does lower Gerrard but they are both not much more that rutted dirt trails. If you look carefully at the very bottom of the map at the lower right you can see an estate marked “E. Simpson”. A knitting mill was built there in the 1860s by one of the most enterprising and important business men in the area, Joseph Simpson (1824-1898). I will write a separate story about this intriguing Jewish businessman from Charleston, South Carolina who panned for gold in the 1848 California Gold Rush and came to Canada as a “draft dodger” because he did not want to fight for the Confederacy. Ernest Simpson, the E. Simpson on the map, was his son.
E. Henry Duggan, Vice-President, Ontario Industrial Loan and Investment Co. advertisement, Arcade Guide and Record, Toronto, Canada (1884), Developer of Coxwell, Rhodes and Craven
1893 Goad’s Atlas map showing the farm boundaries.
In the 1893 map Reid Avenue (now Rhodes Avenue) has been laid out north of the track. The subdivision has been registered (the numbers in the oval). South of the tracks no road has been opened up yet Erie Terrace (Craven Road) is now a registered subdivision (see the number) and has been divided up into tiny lots on its side. Coxwell Avenue has also been subdivided all along its west side to Danforth Avenue. Duggan intentionally developed Erie Terrace as a “shacktown” with tiny houses on tiny lots and no infrastructure. At the same time, he held back the farm to the west, intending it to be developed later for more lucrative lots with more substantial houses. That is why the west side of Erie Terrace (Craven Road) was not built on.
Enter a captionOpening Erie Terrace (Craven Rd) west of Reid Ave (Rhodes Ave) Toronto Star, May 29, 1906
1903 Goads Atlas map.
In this 1903 map, Erie Terrace is not yet built on. Houses show on the map as little black rectangles. Rhodes Avenue is very faintly marked between Gerrard and the railway tracks. Upper Gerrard exists as does lower Gerrard but they are both not much more that rutted dirt trails. If you look carefully at the very bottom of the map at the lower right you can see an estate marked “E. Simpson”. A knitting mill was built there in the 1860’s by one of the most enterprising and important business men in the area, Joseph Simpson (1824-1898). I will write a separate story about this intriguing Jewish businessman from Charleston, South Carolina who panned for gold in the 1848 California Gold Rush and came to Canada as a “draft dodger” because he did not want to fight for the Confederacy. Ernest Simpson, the E. Simpson on the map, was his son. Joseph Simpson grazed his own sheep where Gerrard Square is today. Only the best wool was good enough for his Toronto Knitting Mills.
1894 Map showing the 1884 City of Toronto annexations in the East End. The area in yellow is still in the Town of York and could not be systematically developed for housing until it was part of the City of Toronto because there were no water mains, sewers, fire or police services.
An 1891 map given away by the Bank of Commerce showing the Ward boundaries.
In 1909, after a referendum, the City of Toronto annexed the areas marked with pink, as well as the Village of East Toronto which lay between the two pink areas on the right of the map.
The First Land Grants. The road at the bottom of the map is Queen Street, first known as Kingston Road. It is the surveyor’s base line from which they laid out the grid of lots. The road at the top is Danforth Avenue. The double lines running north to south are sidelines dividing the area into three sections. Each section is subdivided into 5 lots numbered from east to west with the name of the man who owned that farm. The Don River is at the west and what is now Victoria Park marks the boundary between the Township of York and Scarborough. The sideline between 5 and 6 is Coxwell Avenue.
Duggan has developed Ashdale Avenue as a slightly more upscale working class street than Erie Terrace (Craven Road). The backyards of the houses on Ashdale extend to Erie Terrace. There are no houses, therefore, on the west of Erie Terrace — just a few sheds. The houses are little rectangular squares. The ones in yellow (all of them) are made of wood or are roughcast (stucco and wood). Erie Terrace is on the right. There are, of course, shacks scattered all over “Shacktown” but they were not considered even houses by the those who drew up this map for fire insurance purposes. So they are not marked. Morley Avenue is Woodfield Road. Applegrove became part of Dundas Street in the 1950’s.
The subdivision and lot numbers are clear on this 1910 map, making it easier to research the history of individual houses. Robin Burgoyne of Caerwent House Stories is that expert on this.
1907 Dominion of Canada topographical map. Coxwell Avenue is beginning to fill in with houses and Rhodes Avenue is built up too. Erie Terrace has houses on the one side.
1923 Dominion of Canada topographical map. The neighbourhood west of Coxwell is beginning to look more like that of today. East of Coxwell is not yet build up yet although real estate agents were trying! The big open area between Greenwood and Woodfield Road south of Gerrard will, in1925, become the Ulster Stadium. The Duke of Connaught School is marked S for school as is Roden School north of Gerrard between Ashdale and Hiawatha. The streets are lined with bungalows and larger houses. There are still a few shacks, probably being remodelled and added to, but Coxwell-Gerrard is no longer Shacktown.
Street name changes Toronto Star, Jan. 24, 1924
A 1947 Dominion of Canada aerial photo.
Goad’s Map 1910. I have added labels.
I know many people may not enjoy maps. So I put this one last map in as a reward for those who don’t like maps but read this post anyway.
A “Flat Earth” map from the 19th Century. Some days I do hope angels are holding the whole thing up!
Well, to paraphrase as Leonard Cohen sang, “Everything has a crack in it, that’s how the light gets in…”
Ring the bells (ring the bells) that still can ring Forget your perfect offering There is a crack in everything (there is a crack in everything) That’s how the light gets in
From Anthem by Leonard Cohen
It appears I was “snookered” along with a whole lot of other people on the quote on our plaque.
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” -Harriet Tubman (1822-1913)
It appears that Harriet Tubman did not say the words attributed to her on the plaque.
Thanks to Toronto historian Kathy Grant, I’m aware of the problem with the plaque wording.
Here’s the back story. We did our best three years ago in terms of due diligence, believing our sources were valid and checking with various authorities. However, this was before the word was out there on the Net that this was very likely not Harriet Tubman’s words even though a scholar discovered that the quote didn’t begin to appear until 2007. http://www.harriettubmanbiography.com/harriet-tubman-myths-and-facts.html
Here was one of our original sources for the quote:
Barbara Lee, Renegade for Peace and Justice: Congresswoman Barbara Lee speaks for Me, 2008 see p. 125
Our own [belated] search for original 19th century sources came up with nothing, no evidence that Harriet Tubman said this or anything like this. However, there is an eerie echoe from another leading Black American:
How easy, then, by emphasis and omission to make children believe that every great soul the world ever saw was a white man’s soul; that every great thought the world ever knew was a white man’s thought; that every great deed the world ever did was a white man’s deed; that every great dream the world ever sang was a white man’s dream. — W.E.B. Dubois, W.E.B. Dubois, Darkwater: voices from within the veil, 1920, p. 2
The sentiments in the quote purportedly from Harriet Tubman are still true though the quotes we have from her are generally pithy and too the point.
Harriet Tubman, on bringing people to Canada from Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman By Sarah Hopkins Bradford.
But the real value of the plaque is not that quote but the recognition of the people and families who came here and made their homes here after escaping slavery. Their lives were hard, marked by tragedy all too often.
March 21, 1876 The TimesBut from the earliest days here in Toronto, members of Leslieville’s black community like the Cheney family were involved in the Underground Railroad. Globe, April 29, 1851
I can personally vouch for the research on that and am more than happy to share the sources with anyone who is interested. If it brings a little more light to this history through this particular crack, then good.
“When I found I had crossed that line, I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. There was such a glory over everything; the sun came like gold through trees, and over the fields, and I felt like I was in Heaven”.
Harriet Tubman, Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman by Sarah Hopkins Bradford, 1869
PS We should say up front that the quote is “attributed to Harriet Tubman”.
We hope you will be able to join us for at 11:30 a.m. on November 19, 2019, at The Logan Residences, 899 Queen Street East. The Leslieville Historical Society and The Daniels Corporation will unveil a plaque recognizing the Underground Railroad and the families who made their way to freedom, forming a black community here from the early 19th century.
Here is the wording of the plaque:
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always
remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach
for the stars to change the world.” -Harriet Tubman (1822-1913)
Many families came to Toronto in the1800s to
escape slavery, violence and oppression in the American South. They
courageously followed the dangerous path to freedom via the Underground Railroad
and some settled here, near the corner of Queen Street East and Logan Avenue.
While a few returned south after the Civil War (1861-1865), many remained,
helping to forge the identity of Leslieville today.
This plaque commemorates these families: the
Barrys, Cheneys, Dockertys,Harmons, Johnsons, Lewises, Sewells, Whitneys,
Wilrouses, Winders, Woodforksand others who came here from Kentucky, Maryland,
Virginia and other States.
BY THE LESLIEVILLE HISTORICAL SOCIETYWITH THE
DANIELS CORPORATION AND THEIR PARTNER STANLEY GARDEN
2019
In 1793 Upper Canada passed law banning the import of slaves (first such law in British Empire (9 July). The Abolition Act decreed slave children born in Upper Canada from this day forward are to be freed when they are 25. In the 1840s and 1850s a series of American court decisions and laws tightened slavery’s grip and made escape even more dangerous. Increasingly, refugees from slavery headed to Canada, many using the secret network known as The Underground Railroad, but most travelling alone or in small family groups with no help from anyone, using the Northern Star to guide their way.
By the mid-1860s 60 to 75 black people lived here,
out of a population of Leslieville’s population of about 350. We honor their
contributions to our community where their descendants still live and work
today.
1909 Map of Township of York and City of Toronto East Toronto (north of Benlamond)1909 Map of Township of York and City of Toronto East Toronto (south of Gerrard but not including the Beach)1909 Map of Township of York and City of Toronto- Woodbine to Victoria Park1909 Map of Township of York and City of Toronto Leslieville and Riverside1909 Map of Township of York and City of Torontonorth shore of Ashbridges B1909 Map of Township of York and City of Toronto Midway (north)1909 Map of Township of York and City of Toronto Midway (south)
Globe and Mail, February 15, 1956Toronto Star, Nov. 1, 1957Globe and Mail, April 22, 1959Toronto Star, February 22, 1966 Advance Subway Information regarding the new Bloor-Danforth Subway StationsToronto Star, Feb 6 1966 East West Line OpensToronto Star Feb 26 1966
1965 Photographs of new Greenwood Yard follow
Photos from the TTC Greenwood Yard, 1965TTC Greenwood Yard, photo by Joanne Doucette 2010
1802 Chewitt mapdetail 1802 Chewitt map (digitally enhanced)A new map of Upper and Lower Canada, 18071810 Map of Don River and nearby creeks181118131813 Sketch of the ground in advance of and including York, Upper CanadaYork, 18141817 Plan of YorkPlan of the Town of York, 1818, unknown 18191833 Bonnycastle No.1 Plan of the Town and Harbour of York1834Toronto in 1834183718431846 Holloway map184618511851 Detail showing the subdivision near the Leslie Street School1857Boulton, W. S. Atlas of the City of Toronto and Vicinity, 1858 detail1860 Tremaine map of Leslieville and Beach1868
Ownership map – Township of York showing unsubdivided area of 10 acres and over with names of owners and acreages Horace L. Seymour, O.L.S. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 726, Item 359 NOTE: The colours of the map have been reversed for increased legibility.
London, England has a BBC show, The Secret History of Our Streets. The series claims to explore “the history of archetypal streets in Britain, which reveal the story of a nation.” Our streets are just as interesting and our stories goes back millennia before Austin Avenue existed to when Leslie Creek was full of salmon and Anishnaabe, Haudenosaunee and Wendat gathered wild rice in Ashbridge’s Bay. I hope you enjoy this page. My research ends in 1919, a century ago. I have not explored the history of every family, Austin Avenue has more secrets to tell.
Here are some of those stories — those from 2 to 17 Austin Avenue
2 Austin Avenue
Walter Gray was
born on November 9, 1857 in at Gray’s Mills, York Township, now part of the
Donalda Golf and Country Club. He married Annie Emma Clifford on January 30,
1884 and they had five children in 11 years. The Grays had a grocery store at 2
Austin Avenue and lived above the store. They moved to 100 Boulton Avenue about
ten years later.
His wife Annie
Emma passed away on July 29, 1916, on Bolton Avenue, at the age of 49. They had
been married 32 years. Walter Gray died on April 8, 1938, in Dunnville,
Ontario, at the age of 80.
Son William John was born on December 19, 1885, in Toronto, Ontario. He Gray married Annie Mary Norris on June 28, 1907, in Toronto. They had two children during their marriage. He died in 1948 at the age of 63, and was buried near his parents. Annie Mary Norris died in 1960 and was laid to rest next to her husband. The Gray family plot is in Saint Johns Norway Cemetery and Crematorium, Woodbine Avenue.
Ironically both the Gray family homestead and Leslie Street School principal Thomas Hogarth’s house have been honoured with historical plaques.
2 Austin Avenue, Many of these small family businesses have been converted into homes. Globe, May 25, 1909
4 Austin Avenue
4 Austin Avenue was the home of Henry Bowins in 1919 and, in 1921, by widow, Mrs. Louisa (Beckett) Greenslade and her five children, ranging in age from 7 to 17. in 1921. Her husband, William Henry Greenslade, a market gardener, had dropped dead of a heart attack in 1915. The family lived in Etobicoke at that time.
6 Austin Avenue
6 Austin Avenue, Toronto Star, October 6, 1918
8 Austin Avenue
8 Austin Avenue William Robertson Hodge8 Austin Avenue, William Robertson Hodge, Circumstances of Casualty8 Austin Avenue, Globe, November 9, 19188 Austin Avenue, William Hodge’s death was reported on the day the Great War ended: now known as Remembrance Day.
Toronto Star, November 11, 19188 Austin Avenue, discharge papers for John Christopher Waldron, marked “medically unfit”.
John Christopher Waldron married William Robertson Hodge’s sister Eveleen in 1919 and was lived with her, sister Jean, and their mother, Mary. Like his brother in law he was a tall man for the time (5’11”) and fit. He was an Irish Catholic while Eveleen Hodge was an Irish Protestant. Both were from Dublin. Unlike his brother-in-law, he was not conscripted but volunteered. Like his brother-in-law he was hit by shellfire. Clearly from the medical records doctors had a hard time identifying just what was wrong with Pte. Waldron, apart from flat feet which was easy. The blast buried Waldron completely under mud, timbers and rubble, causing a severe concussion and what was known as “shell shock “. He died in 1964.
10 Austin Avenue
10 Austin Avenue: Highway Robbery Globe, September 10, 1909
It appears that Mrs. Robinson at 10 Austin Avenue took in lodgers, as many widows did. Since the lodgers were mostly young men who moved frequently, it is difficult to determine just which Frank Mulhern was responsible, but it appears to have been Frank Beauchamp Mulheron (1881-1917) who moved to the U.S. permanently shortly after this assault occurred. Strong-arm tactics to hijack valuable cargo was not uncommon though this was particularly audacious. Often the motive was to re-sell the produce and sometimes simply to get something to eat. The perpetrators usually knew their victims and counted on intimidation to keep the victims from reporting to the police. Gangs were a reality back then too. Timothy Lynch of 51 Austin Avenue took the law into his own hands shooting those who robbed his orchard. But that’s another story.
10 Austin Avenue, Globe, January 2, 1917
Dudley Seymour Robinson was born on July 6, 1892, in San Jose, California, USA,. Both his parents were English. He married Gladys Elsie Moffat on October 6, 1920, in Toronto. They had two children during their marriage. He died in March 1963 in Michigan, USA, at the age of 70. In 1911 he was living with his widowed mother Rosina Alice Robinson at 10 Austin Avenue and working as a Foreman in a leather shop. Dudley Seymour Robinson enlisted on February 16, 1916 and sailed to England where he became an Acting Sergeant but injured his left knee while training. A torn meniscus kept out of the trenches, he was discharged from the army on Dec. 17, 1916 and sailed on the troop ship Metagama back to Canada, arriving in St. John, New Brunswick on Christmas Day 1916. He married Gladys Elsie Moffat in Toronto, Ontario, on October 6, 1920, when he was 28 years old and they lived in an apartment on Silverbirch Avenue. His mother Rosina Alice passed away at home 10 Austin Avenue on November 9, 1922, at the age of 55 from pneumonia. After his mother’s death Dudley Robinson moved to Detroit and died at the age of 70 in March 1963 in Michigan, USA.
William Edward Harrold, 14 Austin Avenue, is likely in this photo of the band of the 48th Highlanders.
14 Austin Avenue
William Edward Harrold was born in March 1873 in Monkton Combe, Somerset, England, his father, William, a wheelwright, was 54 and his mother, Amelia Ann, was 29. Though in 1871 the family owned their own home and even had a servant, Ten years later family was destitute and he was educated in a pauper school. In 1881 his father was in the Poor House as a pauper, as was William and his brothers, Alfred and Henry, but there was no sign of his mother. His father died in 1887. In 1890, at the age of 17, he immigrated alone to Canada. He was related to the Billing family, another Somerset family, for whom Billings Avenue is named. William Harrold married Ellen Sophia Eva Cox on June 15, 1897, in Toronto, Ontario. They had two children during their marriage: Alfred William Badgerow Harrold and John E Harrold. He died at home 14 Austin Avenue on November 11, 1936 of heart disease. Though he spent his working life in a foundry, his death certificate lists his true vocation: musician.
Nominal Roll and Paylist, band of the 48th Highlanders, 1904Wheelwright Arms, Monkton Combe, Somerset, England
Every family has stories and secrets. We don’t know why 17-year-old Kate Wellings mysteriously left home, alarming her parents. But perhaps the numerous articles about the Wellings family might hold a clue. My sympathies are with Kate. I was a teenage daughter of a man with some “unique” ideas, obsessed with politics and who wrote numerous Letters to the Editor. I was sometimes proud of him and sometimes embarrassed. Perhaps Kate felt the same or perhaps there was another reason.
The Wellings family were the first to live at 17 Austin Avenue and built the house there where Katherine “Kate” Wellings was born on January 31, 1887, but their story, like every family’s, goes back further.
An early map of Birmingham, England, showing Duddleston, now a downtown industrial area, but home to the Wellings family 150 years ago.
Father George Washington Wellings was born in 1855 in Birmingham, England, the centre of Britain’s steel industry. His grandfather had been a blacksmith. His father, George Wellings Sr., was a “steel toy maker”. However, at the time, “toys” were not the playthings we think of today, but the term meant small metal items like buttons and buckles, and was part of the jewelry trade.
In 1830 Thomas Gill described the production of steel jewelry in Birmingham, from cutting the blanks for the steel beads or studs, to final polishing in a mixture of lead and tin oxide with proof spirit on the palms of women’s hands, to achieve their full brilliance. Gill comments: No effectual substitute for the soft skin which is only to be found upon the delicate hands of women, has hitherto been met with.” — from Revolutionary Players Making the Modern World, published by West Midlands History at https://www.revolutionaryplayers.org.uk/birmingham-toys-cut-steel/
George Sr. also worked as a gun maker during the 1850’s and 1860’s. This was a lucrative business during that period. Between 1855 and 1861, Birmingham made six million arms most went to the USA to arm both sides in the American Civil War. Not long after George Wellings Sr. father retired from gun making and opened a pub, The Wellington, in the Duddeston at 78 Pritchett Street. German aircraft bombed the area heavily in World War. The pub no longer remains.
George Jr. became a jeweller specializing in engraving on gold.
George Washington Wellings married Anna Maria Johnson in 1875 in Birmingham. They and their five children immigrated to Toronto in 1884. They would have seven more children, all born in Toronto.
Walter was their first child born in Canada – at home 13 Munro Street. Dr. Emily Stowe delivered the baby. Florence was born at home 17 Austin Avenue in 1889 and was soon joined by sister Hilda Marie was born on October 4, 1891. Harold was born on July 14, 1893. Another son Howard George was born on January 1, 1896, but died two years later on March 21, 1898. Irene Wellings was born on September 18, 1897.
listing from the Canadian Trade Index 1900Toronto Star, December 28, 1896
In 1896 George Wellings ran for Alderman for the first time and was beaten badly by brick manufacturer John Russell.
Toronto Star, January 5, 1897Toronto Star, November 17, 1897
Wellings a proponent of the ideas of Henry George, popular at the time, but still on the fringes. For more about the Henry George Club, go to:
A tireless activist, George Wellings persevered. In the days before social media, Letters to the Editor had to fill the need for expressing political ideas.
Toronto Star, December 11, 1901
Unsuccessful in his attempt to enter municipal politics as an Alderman, in business George Wellings prospered, renovating his home at 17 Austin Ave and building a new factory downtown on the site of his previous manufacturing plant.
Toronto Star, July 18, 1904Toronto Star, August 22, 1904 Building permit factory George Wellings Mfg Co, 67 Richmond Street East. 17 Austin Avenue, Globe, May 19, 190517 Austin Avenue, Globe, May 19, 1905
Katherine “Kate” Wellings married Albert Edward Ward in Toronto, Ontario, on November 13, 1911, when she was 24 years old.
Toronto Star, September 16, 1911
Wellings Manufacturing Company continued to proper, turning out buttons, badges, etc., what were known as “toys” in Birmingham in the mid-nineteenth century. Many thousands of Wellings cap badges, buttons and medals went overseas on the uniforms of Canadian soldiers during World War One.
Kate’s husband died of a heart attack on January 8, 1927 at their farm on the 3rd Line West, Chinguacousy, Peel, Ontario.
Canadian Jewish Review, February 17, 1922Toronto Star, May 30, 1931
George Washington Wellings passed away on May 31, 1930, in Toronto, Ontario, at the age of 75. Though he tried and tried again, he never succeeded in becoming a Toronto alderman.
Katherine Wellings married James Templeman in York, Ontario, on March 27, 1937, when she was 50 years old. Both were widowed. Katherine was living at 17 Austin Avenue at the time of her marriage. James Templeman was a truck driver from Todmorden Mills. Her mother Ann Maria passed away on April 12, 1938 at her son-in-law’s home on Oakdene Crescent. Kate Wellings died in 1960 when she was 73 years old. She is buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery. 67 Richmond Street East is now a Domino’s Pizza take-out.
To see all of thislarge table drag the bar below across. The table shows who lived where and when on this part Austin Avenue from 1887 when the street was born to 1921. The 1888 City Directory was based on 1887 date and there were no street numbers as it did not get mail delivery. Postal service required numbers. Joanne Doucette
The Agricultural Wealth of York County viewed From the Saddle of the Bicycle.
1895 Mights Toronto Directory
It is questionable if one out of every ten of those in this city who possess bicycles really appreciates a quarter of the opportunities for enjoyment which it places within his reach, and it is certain if he does that he makes little attempt to improve them.
With the average rider the question of largest moment seems to be that of covering the greatest amount of space in the least possible time, and in the runs into the country which he takes once or twice a week the terminal point of his trip, and the desire to reach it as soon as possible, usually possesses his mind to the exclusion almost of everything else. He is carelessly conscious, perhaps, of a pretty country through which he may be passing, but he is so indifferent to such matters that no considerations of this kind would tempt him to deviate from the straight road leading to his goal.
Toronto Bicycle Association, 1892
Toronto Bicycle Association, 1892
Toronto Bicycle Association, 1892
Toronto Bicycle Association, 1892
1890 Toronto Bicycle Club
There are many, too, who are not constantly attempting to make or break a record, and who in their leisurely journeys succeed in obtaining all the benefit and delight which a healthy exercise and charming surroundings can give them, but who always keep to the same beaten track over which they repeatedly pass, oblivious to the fact that there is a wealth of scenic beauty lying all about them if they would only rouse themselves to seek it out.
Royal Canadian Bicycle Club 1899
There are indeed few cities which contain in their outskirts so many delightful spots as does Toronto.
Ravine Toronto
To the north, the west and the east are successions of wooded ravines, and, running along the hilltops above them shaded and, in the main, well-made roads, from which may be obtained in hundreds of places outlooks over lake and stream and meadow too beautiful for the brush of any painter adequately to portray.
All the enjoyment, whether real or fancied, which can be gathered from contact with nature and from communion with her in the secret recesses of her home, are obtainable by the people of Toronto if they would but care to know what they possess. To the bicycle rider, especially during the long summer days, these charming places should be as familiar almost as the street on which he lives. A number of the points will be indicated in other articles, and in the meantime, several of the favorite runs on the wheel will be spoken of.
Detail, 1898 Cyclists Road Map of the County of York
A POPULAR TRIP.
Among the popular trips from the city is that along the Kingston road to Whitby, to which place and back again a fair rider can “wheel” without fatigue in one day.
Globe, Jan. 13, 1894
The road throughout almost is good; here and there occasionally heavy, and in some places cut up by the traffic which passes over it, but in general such as no bicyclist can reasonably complain of.
Michael Hannaford, Scarborough Heights, 1883
The most difficult part of it, by reason of the hills which have to be climbed, is that from the Woodbine to Highland Creek, but this, too, is the prettiest portion, containing many charming bits of scenery, and having in view the broad, blue stretch of the lake to the right.
Kingston Rd, looking south-west, Norway School
Leaving the Woodbine, what is, perhaps, the least agreeable piece of the journey is immediately met with.
Wagons collided on hill on Kingston Road, Toronto, Ontario. April 7, 1918. Library and Archives Canada
This is the half mile hill at Norway, which is certainly full of ruts at the present time and anything but pleasant wheeling especially to experienced riders. A good shower of rain, however, remedies this, and also lays the heavy dust; and when in this condition no better place could be found for practice in hill-climbing.
To the left of this hill, along which the electric road to Victoria Park runs, the deep and thickly-wooded ravine presents as charming a bit of scenery as could well be wished for, but at this point the rider is usually too much occupied to give it the attention it deserves.
Half-Way House, Kingston Road. – [1920?]
At Norway the climb and the ravine both terminate, and an excellent run is offered to a considerable distance beyond the Halfway House, almost eight miles from the city.
Globe, Jan. 13, 1894
On the short stretch from Norway to this point the road is gradually rising till the rider can command a view of the lake from the elevation of Scarboro’ Heights and especially on a fresh summer morning, before the heat of the day brings fatigue with it, the sight presented is worth a hundred-fold the labor of the run. The strong, fresh breeze from the water, carrying with it the odor of the fir trees over which it blows from the shoe; the awakening voices of the new day and the half-solitude of the country make up a condition of things the pure delight of which those who have never experienced it are unable to imagine.
Globe, Jan. 13, 1894
At the Halfway House the rider usually halts for refreshment, and, perhaps, for breakfast or dinner. Many there are, too, who in the morning or evening run out here for the short trip, and when this is the case it is not unusual for them to seek the lake shore and enjoy a dip in the water. At this point, however, the land is some hundreds of feet above the level of the water, and the descent to the shore is somewhat of a task. From the Halfway House to Highland Creek numerous hills are met with, and one of them especially taxes the strength of the riders to surmount, but once over this part of the road the run to Whitby is easy and rapid.
Toll house Rouge River Kingston Road, April 25, 1896
The return trip is especially pleasant by reason of the fact that a great portion of it is down grade.
Cycling club in Swansea, Toronto, Canada, 1899
A CROSS-TRIP
Instead of gong on to Whitby from the Halfway House, the rider, if he chooses, can take the side line across to the Don and Danforth road, and run by it to Woburn. This road is on the whole superior to the Kingston road, being built of excellent gravel, and not being cut up so much as the other, over which a far greater amount of travel continually goes. If the bicyclist should take this road, however, he would do better by running up Broadview avenue where he meets it, take the sidewalk as far as it goes, and soon on through Little York, than by way of Norway, as he would by doing so avoid the heavy climb at the half-mile hill. From Little York half way to Scarboro-station a long ridge of gravel on the centre of the roadway, placed there for purposes of repair, renders this part not quite as good as the rest of the way, but with reasonable care a path on either side can be picked out by the rider.
1890s Danforth
These two roads, however – the Kingston and the Don and Danforth – are well known and continually travelled by bicyclists.
LITTLE YORK TO WEXFORD
House in Milne Hollow 1884
A trip that offers many attractions and can be accomplished in a few hours is from Little York straight north to the pleasant hamlet of Wexford, about three and a half miles’ run, and, after crossing the bridge over the C.P.R., west along the side line to Millen’s Hollow, nestling beneath the hills which enclose the east branch of the Don, up the opposite bank, and along for some miles further to the west fork of the Don, and on to the second concession, which is a mile and a quarter from and runs parallel with Yonge street; due south along the second concession to Moore Park road, and by way of Reservoir Park to Yonge street.
This run is principally over clay roads, and there is no more accommodation, by the way, than is afforded by forest shade and the pure water from the farm house pumps, but the trip is only a matter of from fifteen to eighteen miles and can be covered leisurely in two hours.
Artwork on Toronto, 1898
The roads are excellent during dry weather, except at the passages of the river, where the rider will find it to his advantage to dismount, at least in descending into the valleys, as the highway at these spots is steep, circuitous and rocky. After rain the road will be found less easy and pleasant to run on, as the farmers’ waggons are apt to cut it up while the clay is soft. The whole road, however, is full of interest to a visitor from the city, and the crossings at the river are picturesque in the extreme.
Artwork on Toronto, 1898
The run form Little York to Wexford gives one a fairly good idea of the excellence and wealth of the County of York as an agricultural section. The houses of the farmers are substantial brick structures, erected with some attention to style and possessing pleasant and tasteful surroundings. The growing or ripening crops evince the richness of the soil, and the sleek and contented stock show the care which they receive at the hands of their owners. The same condition of things, indeed, prevails all along the route, broken only by the wide and untillable valley of the river.
At the point at which the Don is reached jut about Millen’s Hollow the river makes almost a half circle, opening up a wide stretch of valley, along which between the branches of the trees one catches glimpses of the running water. It is indeed a pleasant place, seated in the shade, from which to enjoy the cool breeze and pretty picture, after a sharp run.
C. E. Doolittle editor, Wheel Outings in Canada and C.W.A. Hotel Guide, 1895
IN MILLEN’S HOLLOW.
In the hollow beneath is Millen’s factory, in which blankets and other woollen goods are made, and where the families who live there rejoice in coolness in summer and shelter from the blasts of winter. The road up the opposite bank can be made in the saddle by a good rider, but the average man will find more comfort and quite as much satisfaction in walking. The road to the other fork of the Don is somewhat sandy in places, but otherwise good.
Artwork on Toronto, 1898
Once across the other valley and on to the second concession there is a fine road and a beautiful run to the turn to Moore Park.
From the highway the rider catches a magnificent view of the southeastern portion of the city over the ravines running through Rosedale, and the eye travels with pleasure over house and garden and church steeple and away across the lake, dimly descrying the line of coast on the other side.
Toronto Bicycle Club, 1890
The sidewalk, of generous size and in good repair, which was laid down along Moore Park road during boom days, makes good way for the rider, and he takes it without hesitation, knowing that in that spot he is little apt to meet any pedestrians. A stop at Reservoir Park for a cup of water, a short run down Yonge street, and a two-hours’ pleasant ride is brought to a conclusion.
An 1851 map with the lot numbers. The east-west street is Queen St. (Kingston Rd in 1851). Kingston Road turns north just east of Coxwell. A small settlement, called Small’s Corners, is at the corner of Coxwell and Queen clustered around a steam saw mill, a tavern and a tollgate. The north south street between Lot 8 and 7 will become Coxwell Avenue. Lot 7 was originally granted to Paul Wilcott and sold in 1801 to John Small. A larger village is clustered around Woodbine and Kingston Road. It was called the Village of Norway for the Norway or Red Pine that grew there so abundantly.
East of Coxwell Avenue, Goad’s Map, 1903.Map drawn by Gordon T. Cassels, from The Toronto Golf Club, 1876-1976 by Jack Batten.
Plan of Toronto Golf Club old grounds, Golf, Vol. III, No. 1 (July, 1898)
Toronto World, December 5, 1890Toronto World, December 5, 1890 continuedToronto World, December 5, 1890The Canadian Contract Record, Vol. 5, no. 13 (May 3, 1894)Looking up the Dell from a private collection (date unknown)Globe, June 16, 1894The Osler CupThe Punch Bowl and Plateau from a private collection (date unknown)Globe, April 18, 1895Weekly British Whig, June 6, 1895 (Kingston, ON)Toronto Golf Club House, “Fernhill”, ca. 1895. The photo was reproduced in Athletic Life, Vol. III, No. 1, January 1896, p. 25. Photographer Josiah Bruce also took all the photographs in the Globe article of November 7, 1896. Toronto Public Library.Daily Mail and Empire, July 11, 1896Daily Mail and Empire, July 11, 1896Daily Mail and Empire, July 11, 1896Daily Mail and Empire, July 11, 1896Daily Mail and Empire, July 11, 1896 Andy Smith was one of Canada’s top golfersA. W. SmithGlobe, November 7, 1896Globe, November 7, 1896Globe, November 7, 1896Globe, November 7, 1896Globe, November 7, 1896Globe, November 7, 1896Globe, November 7, 1896Globe, November 7, 1896Golfers, 1896. Photo by William James. Andy Scott putting on the Toronto Golf Club grounds.Golfers, 1896. Photo by William James on the Toronto Golf Club groundsThe WEEK, Vol. 13, no. 51 (Nov. 13, 1896)The WEEK, Vol. 13, no. 51 (Nov. 13, 1896)The WEEK, Vol. 13, no. 51 (Nov. 13, 1896)The WEEK, Vol. 13, no. 51 (Nov. 13, 1896)The WEEK, Vol. 13, no. 51 (Nov. 13, 1896)The WEEK, Vol. 13, no. 51 (Nov. 13, 1896)Toronto Star, July 23, 1898Toronto Star, July 23, 1898Toronto Star, July 23, 1898 looking north west. Foreground Gerrard Street. Williamson’s Ravine is visible as is the bridge where the fence ends on the left. The Toronto Golf Club House is on the top of the hill.Toronto Star, July 23, 1898 continuedToronto Star, July 23, 1898 continuedToronto Star, July 28, 1898Golf Magazine, Vol. III, No. 1, July 1898 CoverGolf, Vol. III, No. 5, October 1, 1898, International Team, page 262Golf, Vol. III, No. 5, October 1, 1898, International Team, page 263Golf, Vol. III, No. 5, October 1, 1898, International Team, p.264Golf, Vol. III, No. 5, October 1, 1898, International Team, p. 265Golf, Vol. III, No. 5, October 1, 1898, International Team, p. 266Golf, Vol. III, No. 5, October 1, 1898, International Team, p. 267Globe, October 8, 1898Toronto World, April 20, 1899Toronto World, April 20, 1899Archie Smith was the golf pro at the Toronto Golf Club — not to be confused with A. W. (Andy) Smith, the champion golfer of the Toronto Golf Club.Cassels Avenue at the east side of the course is named for Walter Cassels who donated land to the Toronto Golf Club and was Captain (President)Globe, June 11, 1901Globe, June 11, 1901 continued The women members felt particularly threatened by the flying bullets of the In and Out Club and with good reason. The mound that was the barrier was too small and inadequate. The Toronto Police Force also practiced at this range near Small’s Pond.Globe, August 30, 1901Globe, September 11, 1901Globe, September 11, 1901Globe, September 11, 1901Globe, September 11, 1901Globe, September 28, 1901George Cumming followed Archie Brown as Toronto Golf Club’s pro. He went on to be the Club’s “Old Man of Golf” and Professional for the next 50 years.By well known Canadian artist C. W. Jefferys. Note the windmill in the background for pumping water up to fill the water tank (not visible) that supplied the Grand Trunk Railway’s steam locomotives. Also note the new extension to the north side of the building.Toronto Star, Sept. 24, 1903Looking south September 24, 1903 by C. W. JefferysGlobe, May 11, 1904 Tea on the wide verandah is delightful.Globe, October 4, 1904Manitoba Free Press, Winnipeg, August 26, 1905Manitoba Free Press, Winnipeg, August 26, 1905 continuedDorothy Campbell, Hamilton, runner up, Toronto Star, September 26, 1906Toronto Star, September 26, 1906Toronto Star, September 26, 1906Golfers and Caddie, 1907, by William James, Toronto Golf ClubThe Canadian Courier, Vol. II, No. 6, July 6th, 1907The Canadian Courier, Vol. II, No. 13 (August 24th, 1907)Dorothy Campbell, 1908, Toronto Golf Club grounds, City of Toronto ArchivesGlobe, March 12, 1909 The Toronto Golf Club failed to negotiate a special deal on taxation with the City of Toronto, probably because it was political suicide for East End aldermen to support such a “goodie” for the privileged members of the Club.Canadian Courier, Vol. VI, No. 6, 1909 Note the stile in the background. These little steps over fences, allowed pedestrian access across fields and roads.Canadian Courier, Vol. VI, No. 6, 1909Globe, July 3, 1909Globe, July 10, 1909. The shanties of “Shacktown” on Coxwell Avenue are visible in the background. The presence of these unwanted neighbours violated the club members’ sense of privacy. The lower crust stared at the upper crust through the fence and, although many local boys found jobs as caddies, the gulf between the classes made the golfers uncomfortable. Privacy was an important value to those who played “the Royal Game” then and is still now.Toronto Golf Club 1910 Canadian Ladies’ ChampionshipGoad’s Atlas, 1910, showing the location of the Toronto Golf Club HouseToronto Star, June 16, 1911Summer, 1911, The City of Toronto’s Civic Car Line’s streetcar tracks being laid. This is looking eastward on Upper Gerrard at the bridge over Small’s Creek at Williamson Park ravine.Building Civic Car line on Upper Gerrard Street — with Toronto Golf Clubhouse in background, Canadian Courier, Vol. X, No. 22, October 28, 1911Civic Car Line Construction – Upper Gerrard Street, 1911 – Bowmore HillW. Perkins Bull, From rattlesnake hunt to hockey, 1934, p. 189Toronto World, January 22, 1911Globe, January 23, 1911Globe, March 14, 1911 Harry Colt was a famous golf course designer.Globe, April 29, 1911Dorothy Campbell, Canadian Courier, Vol. X, No. 1, June 3, 1911London Standard, October 9, 1911, London, EnglandLondon Standard, November 9, 1911, London, EnglandLondon Standard, Feb. 1, 1912Toronto Star, Feb. 12, 1912Toronto Star, Feb. 12, 1912Globe, March 18, 1912Toronto Star, June 18, 1912 Note the somewhat misleading wording regarding sewers, roads, telephone, hydro, etc. This is what comprised “every convenience” at the time. The ad says “Every convenience is already installed in around this property”. Nothing was actually installed on the property yet and the Civic Car line wasn’t finished so there were no conveniences except golf greens. $35 dollars a foot frontage was expensive in those days. Craven Road sold for $5 and free lumber.Toronto Star, June 19, 1912 The Toronto Golf Club was stilling playing on its grounds while Frederick B. Robins and his sales people where taking buyers out to select lots. The property was already subdivided.Detail, Toronto Star, October 25, 1912Toronto World, December 26, 1912Toronto World, December 26, 1912The new course in Etobicoke and “The daddy of them all”.W. Perkins Bull, From rattlesnake hunt to hockey, 1934, p. 189George Cummings, Toronto Golf Club’s Professional for 50 yearsKingston Gleaner, December 9, 1916, Kingston, Jamaica. Canadian golf professionals spent their winters in the Caribbean working at courses there.
Afterword: After the Toronto Golf Club moved to Etobicoke
Toronto Star, October 15, 1926Globe, January 27, 1927Toronto Star, April 2, 1947Goad’s Atlas, 1924, the southern part of the Toronto Golf Course Grounds is all built up as is the original few acres of 1876’s course at Queen Street East and Kingston Road.Globe, April 14, 1922 This house still remains at the s.w. corner of Gainsborough and Upper Gerrard. Kelvin Park was marketed as “The Beach Annex”.The Electric House today.Aerial shot, 1947. Dominon of Canada photo.
TIMELINE
DATE
Time line to 1912 Toronto Golf Club (Toronto Golf Club)
1801
July 18 Paul Wilcott sold 200 acre property to John Small
1859
Scotland hosts the first Open Golf Championship
1869
James Lamond Smith introduced golf to Toronto
1873
Royal Montreal is the first golf club formed in Canada, and in the present is the oldest continuously operating golf club in North America.
1876 – 1879
James Lamond Smith, Captain (President) & founder
1876
Toronto Golf Club established
1876-1889
Toronto Golf Club played just north of the Woodbine racetrack on leased land
1880
Toronto Golf Club had 30 members
1880 – 1888
R. H. Bethune, Captain (President)
1881
Organization incorporated as “The Toronto Golf Club”
1886
Aug. 7 Woodbine fire destroys Toronto Golf Club clubs and other equipment
1889
Charles Hunter, Captain (President)
1889
Toronto Golf Club evicted & Course near Queen north of Woodbine subdivided for housing.
1889
Toronto Golf Club had 6 hole short course at Woodbine
1890 – 1891
Col. G. A. Sweny, Captain (President)
1892 – 1893
Sir E. B. Osler, Captain (President)
1894 – 1908
Judge W. Cassels, Captain (President)
1894
Women admitted
1894
Incorporated as the “Toronto Golf Club Association”
1894
Fernhill Land Company incorporated to manage the Fernhill property
1894
Fernhill Land Company purchased 30 acres Fernhill & Opened Club House
1894
Osler Cup presented to the Toronto Golf Club
1895 – 1910
William Troughton, Steward Toronto Golf Club
1895
Archie Smith, Toronto Golf Club Professional
1895
April Toronto Golf Club leased fields to the east, bringing course up to full 18 holes
1895
June Five Toronto Golf Club members charged with violating “The Lord’s Day Act”
1895
First Royal Canadian Golf Association annual tournament
1896
150 members (plus 125 lady associates)
1896
A. W. (Andy) Smith returned to Scotland
1899
Dec. 12 Five caddies charged under “Lord’s Day Act”
1899
May Clubhouse remodeled with an extension on the back known as “the new clubhouse”.
1900
George Cummings Toronto Golf Club Professional March 20 arrives from Scotland.
1900
George Cummings redesigned the course
1901
In and Out Gun Club
1905
George Cumming wins Canada Open
1909
Charles Cockshutt, Captain (President)
1909
A new charter and name is again officially “The Toronto Golf Club”
1909
City of Toronto annexed Midway
1910 – 1912
Col. G. A. Sweny, Captain (President)
1910 – 1912
J. Williams, Steward
1911
Jan. Toronto Golf Club purchased land Etobicoke Creek
1912
Oct. 12 Farewell dinner Club House
1912
Dec. 16 Civic Car line opened
1912
Jan. F. B. Robbins & Henry Pellatt buy Toronto Golf Club land for Kelvin Park Subdivision
An excellent history and an enjoyable read.The graceful evergreen Wood fern grew on the sand soil under the pines of Fernhill. Other species of ferns grew in the wet rich soil of Small’s Creek ravine. Many species have “gone missing” due to the heavy use of this small ravine park.
Adelaide Street courthouse, Toronto Star, March 6, 1930\
Toronto Star, March 6, 1930
Northern Congregational Church Church and Woods (no longer exists) Toronto Star, March 7, 1930
City Bank of Montreal Building Bay and Wellington, March 8, 1930 (no longer exists)
Baptist Church Adelaide Street, Toronto Star, March 10, 1930 (No longer exists)
City Bank of Montreal Building Bay and Wellington, March 8, 1930 (no longer exists)
Baptist Church Adelaide Street, Toronto Star, March 10, 1930 (No longer exists)
Zion Congregational Church Adelaide and Bay, Toronto Star, March 11, 1930 (No longer exists)
Masonic Hall, Toronto Street, Toronto Star, March 12, 1930 (no longer exists)
College Avenue, Toronto Star, March 13, 1930
Unitarian Church, Jarvis Street, March 14, 1930 (No longer exists)
Globe and Canadian Farmer Building King Street, March 15, 1930
Bond Street Congregational Church, Toronto Star, March 16, 1930 (no longer exists)
St. Peter’s Church Seaton Street, Toronto Star, March 18, 1930 (still standing, with additions)
Sisters of Loretto (Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary), Convent, Bond Street, March 19, 1930 (no longer exists though this Roman Catholic order of sister still does)
Royal Insurance Compnay, Yonge and Wellington, Toronto Star, March 19, 1930 (no longer exists)
Mechanics Institute, Church Street, Toronto Star, March 21, 1930 (No longer exists, forerunner of the Toronto Public Library)
This map shows the larger land owners, property lines, roads, railroads, rivers and creeks. Built up areas are indicated by solid dark blocks like the one on the west side (left) of the map showing Riverside. Another is the solid block on Kingston Road in Norway Village.Charles Coxwell Small owned all the land from the lake to Danforth Avenue from Coxwell to Woodbine Avenue. Coxwell Avenue is named after him.Don and Danforth Road is now Danforth Avenue. Riverside and Leslieville, 1860.The Beaches or “The Beach” had not yet become a resort.South of the Don and Danforth Road (Danforth Avenue) large lots, running from north to south in long, linear strips were, granted to the first settlers. Roads were horrible and every landowner or tenant wanted access to a waterway to ship produce out and goods in. North of the Danforth the lots ran west to east so that farmers had frontage on the Don River.The road running north from Norway was an indigenous trail, later called Dawes Road. It connected with Kingston Road until 1884 when the Grand Trunk Railway built a rail yard and roundhouse complex at Main Street. The road cutting north east off the Kingston Road at Jame Beatty’s property was the original route of the Kingston Road and was known as “The Old Kingston Road”. It is now Clonmore Drive.