NewmarketToday.ca brings you this weekly feature about our town’s history in partnership with Richard MacLeod, the History Hound, a local historian for more than 40 years. He conducts heritage lectures and walking tours of local interest, as well as leads local oral history interviews. You can contact the History Hound on Facebook or by email at thehistoryhound@rogers.com. ************************* Armistice…
Author: HistoryHound
Little Known Details About Newmarket’s Role In WWI
Armistice Day, Nov. 11, has arrived, and I wanted to do something related to the occasion for this weekend’s article. The two world wars changed everything locally and it deserves to be embedded in our history, deep within our hearts long after the sounding of the last post. When war was declared by England on…
Davis Tannery Once Largest Leather Producer In The British Empire
This is the second part of our series on the Davis Tannery, examining the tannery itself and its place in our economic and social history. Newmarket’s progress seems to quite often be related to either floods or fire. The Canes came here because of fires at their initial location in East Gwillimbury, as we learned…
Most Of Newmarket’s Ghosts Are Friendly
Just a few days removed from our celebration of All Hallows’ Eve, I am sharing with you some of the ghost stories from my annual heritage walk for charity in downtown Newmarket. To my way of thinking, most ghost stories have a firm footing in history, whether it be an event, a historic structure or…
Theatre Productions Once Highlight Of Newmarket’s Entertainment Scene
This topic is one that I have wanted to cover for awhile now: the History of Theatre in Newmarket. Let me begin by apologizing if I have forgotten an organization or a builder while writing this history, though I am trying to cover nearly 110 years of entertainment within our town. In this part, I’ll review…
Who’s Who Of Newmarket Attended Trinity United Church
One of the big white churches on Main Street is the Methodist Church, which became Trinity United Church in 1925. While the United Church was the result of a merger of three churches in 1925, the Methodist Church was founded in 1824. The roots of the Methodist Church in Newmarket date back to 1824, when…
Retracing The Steps Of Yonge Street’s Original Settlers
I want to take you on a little walking tour of Yonge Street, albeit only in your mind, stretching from St. John’s Sideroad, north to Green Lane, to retrace the steps of Yonge Street’s original settlers. Reading through the names of the settlers who came from the United States, post American Revolution, along with Timothy…
Pickering College’s Roots Intertwined With Local Quakers
Pickering College has been part of the landscape in Newmarket since 1909, located on an approximately a 17-hectare (42-acre) property on Bayview Avenue, but it has been serving the educational needs of Ontario’s youth since 1842. Let us take a brief look at its illustrious history and hopefully gain a new appreciation for its Quaker…
Heritage Plaques Yours To Discover Throughout Newmarket
You may have noticed some of these heritage plaques around Newmarket, and some you may have never noticed but really should check out. There will be a little assignment for you at the end. ***** Eagle Street Pioneer Burying Ground plaque unveiled June 17, 1979. Erected by Newmarket Historical Committee under chairman Elman Campbell. PIONEER BURYING…
County Once Manned Toll Gates For Travel Along Yonge
Rather than focus on one topic this week, I am sharing several interesting “did you know” items that I have found during my research — facts many of you likely didn’t know about Newmarket. Previously, I have written about the rise of the subdivision on the fertile farms that surrounded Newmarket. At the end of the Second…
