In this article, we are going examine the history of one of the main streets in Newmarket, now know as Prospect Street but once called Garbutt Hill. During my research for articles in this series on subjects ranging from York County Hospital, the Srigley Brick Works, the Cane family and first Methodist Church to the provenance of Newmarket’s…
Tag: Interview
Newmarket’s Bill Thoms Considered One Of ‘Cleanest And Most Talented Players’ In 1930s’ NHL
Here is a promised continuation of my earlier article on Newmarket’s hockey legacy, specifically two of Newmarket’s least known but equally talented hockey products, William (Bill) David Thoms and Larry Molyneaux. Thoms was born in Newmarket on March 5, 1910. He was one of Newmarket’s first professional players, the first to reach the NHL. Thoms was…
Stately Farmhouse In Newmarket Has Links To Empire State Building In New York
Let’s visit Maple Gables, that stately Yonge Street farmhouse on the northwest corner of Yonge Street and Millard Avenue. This home has quite a local history, enhanced by the people who have called it home. While it is currently the home of the Sociable Pub, buildings like this quite often have an uncertain future, so it…
Former Newmarket Students Keep Alive Memories Of First Poplar Banks Schoolhouse
Let’s visit the one-room schoolhouse that once sat on the southwest corner of Yonge Street and Polar Bank Sideroad, which is now Green Lane. Doreen Needler, the mother on one of my childhood friends, was involved both in the anniversary festivities and the placing of the cairn to commemorate the school, and in tribute to…
‘These Are Stirring Times’: Newmarket Men Could Be Counted On To Answer The Call To War
This second in a three-part series on Queen’s York Rangers looks at the various historic events tied to the unit and how the early Roger’s Rangers evolved into our modern-day militia. In part one, I outlined the lineage of the Queens York Rangers (QYR) and now we will focus on the various perpetuations of the unit,…
Newmarket’s 12th York Battalion Fought In Fenian Raids, North-West Rebellion
This is the first of a series of articles on the history of our very own Queen’s York Rangers. This first article will focus on the origins and early history of the organization. In subsequent articles, we shall narrow our focus to more of a local perspective, military service, cadet program, and provenance of its…
Distant Relative Of Buffalo Bill, NHL Player Among Those Honored On Newmarket Streets
In our continuing series on Newmarket street names, we move on to Ward 5. However, let us first look at a couple of the streets left over from Ward 4. Brooks Howard Court is named after a farmer with strong historical roots in the community. He was the son of a prominent Quaker family who…
Notable Main Street Merchants Abound In Newmarket’s Ward 4 Street Names
Let’s continue our look at the provenance of Ward 3 street names. There are a few streets omitted as I need to do further research, but I’ll tackle them before the end of this series. If you would like to participate by offering some insight into the specific origins of any streets I haven’t mentioned, I…
Many Ward 3 Street Names Honor Original Landowners, Merchants In Newmarket
Let’s return to our series on Newmarket’s street names and the celebration of residents who have been so honoured. We still have a few street names to look at from Ward 2 before we begin looking at Ward 3. Bert Budd Avenue carries the name of the man who for years was “the photographer” in…
Once Mighty Holland River Played A Key Role In Newmarket’s Growth, Prosperity!
While the Holland River has changed considerably over these many hundreds of years, it remains embedded in our historical psyche of the area to this day. The Holland River was originally known as Micicaquean Creek, its Indigenous name. It was renamed by Lieut.-Gov. Simcoe after Capt. Samuel (Johannes) Holland, (1729–1801), the Dutch-born, first surveyor general of British North America….
