Roots of Urban Toronto

The southwest corner of Front and George Streets is also the southwest corner of the tiny ten-block town laid out by Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe in 1793, an area bounded by today's Front-George-Adelaide-Berkeley. At the time, the site was covered by a thick grove of oak trees. Dense forest and unoccupied space extended from the town site to the fort under construction four kilometres west.

St. Lawrence Hall (illustration from “Ballou's Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion,” 21 July 1855, courtesy City of Toronto Archives/SC268-1724N).

By 1803, there were two red brick Parliament Buildings at Front and Berkeley, 75 wooden houses, and a wooden farmers' market to the east near the current site of St. Lawrence Hall on King Street at Jarvis. Farms stretched far beyond the town, along the major roads north into what was then York Township, west into Etobicoke and east into Scarborough. The sites in this theme will take you to former farms, homes of the founders, and historic landmarks.

Toronto's population of 2.7 million now lives between the borders of Highway 427, the Rouge River, Steeles Avenue and Lake Ontario, an area of 630 square kilometres.

A selection of sites from this theme is laid out in the trail Early Toronto.

The Stories

Anti-Slavery Lecture Opens Hall , 1851
157 King St. E.
Architect Gets Artistic Revenge on Enemies , 1899
Old City Hall
A Snapshot of 19th-Century Town Life in Scarborough , 1858
1007 Brimley Road
Card-Playing Architect Trumps Competition , 1892
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
City of Churches: St. Michael’s Cathedral , 1848
200 Church St.
Even the Dead Have to Move Sometimes , 1850
200 Winchester St.
First Parliament Buildings Torched by Invaders , 1813
Front St. E. and Berkeley St.
Historic House Reopens to Showcase 1920s and 30s , 1920
285 Spadina Rd.
Landmark Bridge Traverses the Don River , 1918
Bloor Viaduct
Living History Museum Opens on Black Creek , 1960
Black Creek Pioneer Village
Osgoode Hall: Rare Treasure in an Urban Rush , 1832
130 Queen St W
Out of the Ashes: University College Rebuilt , 1892
15 King's College Circle
Protesters Shout Down Planners and Save Market , 1971
St. Lawrence Market
Rare Example of Regency Picturesque Preserved , 1837
Colborne Lodge, High Park
Resting Place of Toronto Notables , 1797
Parliament St. and St. James Ave.
Royalty Opens Toronto Union Station , August 06, 1927
65 Front St. W.
Saving Old House Inspires Preservation , April 01, 1972
160 Queen St. W.
Service at St. Andrew's Church , 1849
115 St. Andrews Road
Setting the Standard for Churches in Toronto , 1850
65 Church St.
Stately Manor Becomes First Art Museum , 1910
317 Dundas St. W.
Thomas Montgomery’s Inn - not Tavern , 1837
4709 Dundas St. W.
Toronto’s Oldest House Gets a New Home , 1879
Exhibition Place

Click to enlarge

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- 43.650252 -79.372283
  Anti-Slavery Lecture Opens Hall
  
  Anti-Slavery Lecture Opens Hall 1851 157 King St. E.
- 43.652595 -79.381671
  Architect Gets Artistic Revenge on Enemies
  
  Architect Gets Artistic Revenge on Enemies 1899 Old City Hall
- 43.759084 -79.256941
  A Snapshot of 19th-Century Town Life in Scarborough
  
  A Snapshot of 19th-Century Town Life in Scarborough 1858 1007 Brimley Road
- 43.661525 -79.391182
  Card-Playing Architect Trumps Competition
  
  Card-Playing Architect Trumps Competition 1892 Legislative Assembly of Ontario
- 43.654910 -79.377447
  City of Churches: St. Michael’s Cathedral
  
  City of Churches: St. Michael’s Cathedral 1848 200 Church St.
- 43.667600 -79.361436
  Even the Dead Have to Move Sometimes
  
  Even the Dead Have to Move Sometimes 1850 200 Winchester St.
- 43.650017 -79.363250
  First Parliament Buildings Torched by Invaders
  
  First Parliament Buildings Torched by Invaders 1813 Front St. E. and Berkeley St.
- 43.678829 -79.408643
  Historic House Reopens to Showcase 1920s and 30s
  
  Historic House Reopens to Showcase 1920s and 30s 1920 285 Spadina Rd.
- 43.673839 -79.368507
  Landmark Bridge Traverses the Don River
  
  Landmark Bridge Traverses the Don River 1918 Bloor Viaduct
- 43.774998 -79.517083
  Living History Museum Opens on Black Creek
  
  Living History Museum Opens on Black Creek 1960 Black Creek Pioneer Village
- 43.651704 -79.385383
  Osgoode Hall: Rare Treasure in an Urban Rush
  
  Osgoode Hall: Rare Treasure in an Urban Rush 1832 130 Queen St W
- 43.662222 -79.395833
  Out of the Ashes: University College Rebuilt
  
  Out of the Ashes: University College Rebuilt 1892 15 King's College Circle
- 43.649142 -79.371748
  Protesters Shout Down Planners and Save Market
  
  Protesters Shout Down Planners and Save Market 1971 St. Lawrence Market
- 43.640369 -79.460010
  Rare Example of Regency Picturesque Preserved
  
  Rare Example of Regency Picturesque Preserved 1837 Colborne Lodge, High Park
- 43.669513 -79.369263
  Resting Place of Toronto Notables
  
  Resting Place of Toronto Notables 1797 Parliament St. and St. James Ave.
- 43.645823 -79.379557
  Royalty Opens Toronto Union Station
  
  Royalty Opens Toronto Union Station August 06, 1927 65 Front St. W.
- 43.651050 -79.387067
  Saving Old House Inspires Preservation
  
  Saving Old House Inspires Preservation April 01, 1972 160 Queen St. W.
- 43.759913 -79.247084
  Service at St. Andrew's Church
  
  Service at St. Andrew's Church 1849 115 St. Andrews Road
- 43.650438 -79.374011
  Setting the Standard for Churches in Toronto
  
  Setting the Standard for Churches in Toronto 1850 65 Church St.
- 43.653044 -79.392258
  Stately Manor Becomes First Art Museum
  
  Stately Manor Becomes First Art Museum 1910 317 Dundas St. W.
- 43.651743 -79.525698
  Thomas Montgomery’s Inn - not Tavern
  
  Thomas Montgomery’s Inn - not Tavern 1837 4709 Dundas St. W.
- 43.630709 -79.423996
  Toronto’s Oldest House Gets a New Home
  
  Toronto’s Oldest House Gets a New Home 1879 Exhibition Place
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