Since many of us have “a wee drop” in celebration of New Year’s Eve, here’s a short history of breweries and the brewing industry as it relates to our area. There has been an ongoing struggle to determine the place that alcohol should play in our community. You can read my article on Newmarket’s prohibition for background. Brewing in…
Tag: Main Street
Irish Immigrants Settled In Newmarket’s Paddytown
A tiny Irish settlement along the river on Main Street north of Davis Drive (formerly Huron Street) remains a vital part of our Newmarket history. It took many years for Newmarket to spread north over the hill on Main Street north and this is the story of a tiny community that was indeed ahead of its…
1930’s Mark Heyday Of Hockey, Theatre In Newmarket
We return to our series on Newmarket’s history timeline, beginning with the status of the town as the year 1930 opens. The total population sits at approximately 3,700. The town register lists 186 persons as being owners of their own businesses, with 98 business and trades located on the east side of town and 88 businesses…
1920’s Brought Newmarket A Hospital, Saw Trading Tree Saved
Welcome back to our timeline of Newmarket’s history, where we pick up the story in 1921, following the roller coaster war years. The year 1921 finds the local butchers presenting a petition to amend a bylaw that prohibited them from selling smaller cuts of meat as this was reserved for the farmers market. They were limited to the…
Newmarket Through The 1910s
This weekend on Newmarket Today I continue my timeline series, starting with the year 1910. The second decade of the twentieth century found Newmarket in the midst of rapid industrialization and a period of steady growth. We were blessed with an abundance of natural resources including a clean and safe water supply on both the…
New Century Brought Cars, Davis Tannery, Great Canal Project To Newmarket
We continue our journey through highlights of Newmarket’s history from 1800 up to the dawning of a new century, 1900. During this time, our Main Street has evolved from an Indigenous trail to a thriving business throughfare. Our town administrators and politicians were drawn from the principal businesses and entrepreneurs that blessed this verging community….
1880s Mark Arrival Of Telephone, Water Works, Poor House, Temperance Movement
In this third instalment of my series on our local historical timeline, we pick up the narrative in the year 1881 and we will proceed up to 1900 and the turn of the century. The year 1881 opens with a huge celebration of our Newmarket’s incorporation. William Cane is our newly minted mayor, a position…
Fire Brigade, Plank Sidewalks, Fairgrounds Arrive When Newmarket Became A Village
In part two of my timeline series, I pick up the story in 1858 when Newmarket was incorporated as a village and will proceed through to 1881 when we were incorporated as a town. You can read part one here. In 1858, our first election took place Jan. 4 to choose a council for the new village. The Act of…
Cawthra Family Has Equal Historical Impact In Newmarket, Toronto
The Cawthra family was equally famous in both Newmarket and Toronto history. I am often drawn to the commonality of prominent names in the histories of Newmarket and Toronto. The Toronto Cawthras and Newmarket Cawthras share a common lineage through Joseph Cawthra, their patriarch. Many of his descendants played significant roles in the establishment of Newmarket and Toronto. The Cawthra family of Toronto was famous for its business, social and cultural contributions to the city. This was also true…
Symbols On Memorial Markers Tell Stories Of Lives Passed
This is the second in a two-part series on tombstones and monuments, including the secret meanings behind the symbols and language used on memorial markers. We will begin with an examination of the decorations frequently found on monuments, along with the inscriptions, exploring some of the motifs and commonly held interpretations of their symbolism. It is important to…
