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…
Tag: Oral History
King George School Opened In 1913 In Booming Newmarket!
In our continuing series on the history of Newmarket schools, I’m featuring another of the schools that I attended, King George School on Park Avenue at Church Street. As rapid growth continued to occur in Newmarket, King George was built to alleviate a severe shortage of educational resources on the west side of town. The Newmarket newspaper of the time…
‘Impressive’ Addition To Early Newmarket School Included 200-lb Roof-Top Bell
In my continuing series on local schools, I am stepping back to look at the history of education in Newmarket. The records are sketchy in regards to the early schools of Newmarket. The first class in the little trading post of the New Market was said to have been held in the basement of William Roe’s house,…
Stuart Scott Now Newmarket’s Oldest Standing School
This article highlights a brief history of my alma mater, Stuart Scott Public School, which will be celebrating its centenary next year. I am starting my series on the schools of Newmarket with Stuart Scott, since the demise of Alexander Muir and King George schools, it is now the oldest school in town. We can gather…
Newmarket: Ice Cutter, Soda Jerk, Candy Girl, Milkman Among Long Gone Jobs
Whether you are a history hound or simply researching your family tree, you have probably come across occupations that are now extinct or most certainly rare. Ever wonder what those jobs entailed or where they went? Let’s have a look at what some of our ancestors did for a living. Some occupations on our list disappeared thanks…
Old Movies Offer More Than Nostalgia About Our History
Why do we so love watching old movies? I draw equally upon my own experience as a lover of film and as someone who loves history and all the different ways we can re-capture our past. Movies often reflect what life used to be like, prompting memories and emotions to reappear, nurturing something deep inside us….
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…
Exploring The What, How and Why Of Area Headstones
This weekend on NewmarketToday, we begin a two-article examination of tombstones or monuments. I have been conducting walking tours of cemeteries for years and a major focus of these tours has been the history behind burial markers and the hidden language that the engravings on monuments represent. I have also conducted presentations on the topic…
The Story of Gamble’s Inn
This weekend on Newmarket Today we examine the first hotel in the Newmarket area, located in what once was the first white permanent settlement in King Township, established at the beginning of the nineteenth century at Armitage, located on the West Side of Yonge Street, just southwest of the town of Newmarket and bordering on…
Charles Thompson’s Little Known History
Charles Thompson, while he is perhaps little-known today, was once one of the most important entrepreneurs in Ontario during the first part of the 19th century. Most of the traffic, whether it be of the human or merchandise variety, which travelled from York (Toronto) north to Simcoe County, was carried on one of his stagecoaches…
