Fire profoundly shaped the development of Newmarket. In this first of two parts, we shall look at the period from the mid-1800s to 1900. You may wish to read my previous articles on the fire department, the Stickwood Brick Factory, my history of Main Street and the waterworks for additional information. Fire has proven to be a major hazard for…
Month: August 2020
Battle Long Fought For Burgeoning Newmarket To Adapt Ward System
Let’s examine an example of that old adage that old ideas never really die but are merely re-introduced over the years. Ideas tend to find their legs as the years pass, particularly if those ideas have been put forward by governments. When we take the time to examine our history, we quite often find the…
Our Battle With COVID-19 Recalls Deadly Polio Epidemic
I have written about our experience locally with the Spanish Flu and the Great Depression to illustrate how resilient our ancestors were, managing to not only survive but prosper with far fewer resources at their disposal and with a determination that we have inherited. As we experience the COVID-19 pandemic, causing shutdowns, economic strife and general widespread fear, I…
Butchers, Bakers, Barbers All Thrived On Newmarket’s Late 1800s Main Street
This is the second of a two-part series weekend on Newmarket in the late 1800s from an economic or commercial point of view. About 1903 or 1904, Samuel Bondi (Rusto) arrived from Italy and opened a fruit store on the Main Street hill, near the present-day Roadhouse & Rose funeral parlour, eventually moving to the…
Fashion Models Once Strolled Main Street With Hats Of Velvet, Flowers, Feathers
In this first of a two-part series, we’ll look at the period from just after Confederation to the early 1900s from the perspective of local commerce, industry, and the economy. During the last decades of the 19th century, there was a steady growth in the prosperity of our area. The farmer was finally receiving a…
