Fire and the threat of fire was the scourge of life in our town since its beginnings in 1801. One of the first things we did as an incorporated village was to form our own bucket brigade. Consisting of a small hand pump with which we could draw water from the various wells or from…
Tag: History
Radial Railway From Toronto To Jackson’s Point Flourished Until The 1930s
Reminders of the once flourishing all-electric Toronto and York Radial Railway Co. Metropolitan Division that connected Newmarket with Toronto and Georgina are scattered about town The old adage “location, location, location” is most certainly true when we consider the growth and prosperity of any urban centre in history. This is most certainly true of the…
Legacy Of Stickwood Brickyard Visible In Town’s Yellow Brick Buildings
During the early days of Newmarket, fire was a constant threat as nearly every structure was made of wood. There were at least four major fires on Main Street alone before the 1890s and businesses were repeatedly forced to rebuild. This was the case with many a home in the village, as well. The answer…
Radial Railway From Toronto To Jackson’s Point Flourished Until 1930s
The old adage “location, location, location” is most certainly true when we consider the growth and prosperity of any urban centre in history. This is most certainly true of the village, soon to be the Town of Newmarket. Newmarket has been blessed with a perfect location within the developing transportation structure of the province and…
Henry S. Cane One Of Town’s Most Progressive Mayors
Last weekend, we took a look at William Cane, our first mayor and an early community leader. Today, in the second part of our series on our town’s prominent family dynasties and leaders, we will take a look at Henry S. Cane, William’s son and also a mayor and perhaps more of a community leader…
Cane Family One Of Newmarket’s First Dynasties
Newmarket has had its share of family dynasties over the years, the Cane, Davis, Widdifield, Playter and Denne families being but a few. Over the next few months, I shall examine many of these historic families with an eye to their civic and political contributions to Newmarket. The first family I shall attempt to do…
Moving Town Hall To Tannery, Mulock Caused Controversy, Angst
We’re continuing our trip back in time to look at the various locations that served as our Town Offices. As the town grew, so did the need for bigger and better facilities to house our council and town departments. This is part two of a two-part series that will provide you with short descriptions of all…
Take A Historic Tour Of The Town Offices
With a municipal election pending Oct. 22, let’s take a trip back in time to look at the various locations that served as our Town Offices. As the town grew, so did the need for bigger and better facilities to house our council and various town departments. This is part one of a two-part series…
Newmarket Renowned As Home Of Sir William And His Mulock Estate
Sir William Mulock, a lawyer, businessman, educator, farmer, politician, judge, and philanthropist, invited many of the century’s leading figures to his Mulock Estate home and model farm. Given that the historical property commonly known as the Mulock Estate is currently in the news, I thought it would interesting to look at the history of the…
Newmarket Boasted A Cacophony Of Whistles Until The 1940s
The town whistle blew daily except Sundays and holidays at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., as well as sent out the alert when a fire occurred, using a system of long and short blasts that indicated the location During the early years of the 19th century, Newmarket generated its own electricity in the power plant at…
