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Heritage Week

Background

Since 1974, the Heritage Canada Foundation has designated the third Monday every February as Heritage Day in Canada. In 1985, the Ontario government designated the third week in February as Ontario Heritage Week. Heritage Day and Ontario Heritage Week allow us to discover the many heritage resources available to us, as well as to learn about important heritage-related issues that we face within our rapidly growing communities.

The Thornhill Village branch of Markham Public Library system is located in a building that was built in 1851 and is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act as a unique example of a modest domestic building of the Classical Reival style.

In celebration of Ontario Heritage week MPL invites you to visit the blog Markham Village - Postcard Views. These fascinating images of postcards of Markham Village around the turn of the century have been preserved through Lunauweb, the Libraries' database of local heritage documents.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, collected pictures postcards was a popular hobby. Postcards showing views of towns and cities were a a way for travelers to share their experiences with friends and family back home, and huge numbers of poscards were produced for this market. A hundred years later, postcards provide us with a glimpse of the way the world used to be.

Your posts and comments to the blog are welcome!

Markham Village - A Brief History 1800-1919

Pioneer Days:

The first settlers of the Markham Village area were Pennsylvania German Mennonites who arrived in c. 1804, about a decade later than the Berczy Settlers (who had settled in the western part of Markham Township, from Yonge to about the 6th Concession). The settlers from Pennsylvania took up land along the 8th Concession of Markham Township, and the nucleus of the village formed in the Rouge Valley, where the 8th crossed the Rouge River. Water-powered mills were the first industries in the area and attracted other businesses - blacksmiths, general stores, tanneries and hotels - to the vicinity of the 8th and 15th Avenue (Highway 7).

Where did the name "Markham" come from?

In its early years, the crossroads hamlet that would become Markham Village was known as Reesorville, named for Joseph Reesor who by 1814 was settled on Lot 11, Con. 8 in a log cabin. However, by 1825 the village was known as Markham - taking the name of its township. Markham Township was named afte William Markham, the Archbishop of York in England, a friend of John Graves Simcoe, the First Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada.

19th – Century Prosperity:

The mills continued to drive much of Markham Village's prosperity during the 19th century. The Milne family mills were prominent. In 1824, the Milnes took over a sawmill and grist mill on Lot 9, Con. 7, and later added a woolen mill to the mill complex. The Village's location on the well-used 8th Concession road also drew business to the local economy, with wood, grain and hay being transported by horse and wagon south toward Toronto by way of the Kingston Road.

Agriculture & the Markham Fair

For much of its early history, Markham Township was known as one of Canada's best agricultural areas. In the 1840s the Markham Agricultural Society was formed to promote agricultural improvement, and it began sponsoring an annual Fair. Every fall, the Markham Fair brought thousands of people into the Village to take part in exhibits of agricultural products and livestock competitions. By the late 19th century, Markham Fair had become one of the largest fall fairs in the country. Until 1976, the Fairgrounds were located at the southeast corner of Highway 48 (Main Street) and Highway 7.

The Railway Comes Through:

In 1871, the Toronto & Nipissing Railway came to Markham, connecting the Village directly to Toronto and its markets, and bringing in a new wave of prosperity. The business section of Markham Village gradually grew northward toward the Railway Station. To the north of the tracks, new houses were built along the 8th (Main Street) up through Mount Joy. There were many manufacturing startups, such as the Speight Wagon Factory, one of the largest wagon manufacturers in Ontario, and the Maple Leaf Woollen Mills. Manufacturers used the railway to ship their products.

Postcard Markham 1901-1920:

Markham Village – Postcard Views captures a brief moment in the Village's history. The hardships of pioneer times were far in the past, and as the 20th century began, Markham Village was thriving, with sunlit scenery and a bustling Main Street. But this period of prosperity was about to change. Following World War I, Markham Village entered a period of decline. Its industries began shutting down due to competition from larger manufacturing centres, and its young people left to find jobs in bigger towns and cities. Retail business suffered as widespread automobile ownership enabled residents to go to Toronto or Stouffville to shop. The 1930s Depression deepened the Village's economic slide. Growth and prosperity would not return until after World War II.