Have you ever wondered what Toronto looked like without the attractions, buildings, traffic, and the CN Tower? It is hard to visualize. However, an image of Toronto before its urban makeover is preserved for future generations in The Champlain Society’s archive, “The town of York, 1793 – 1815: a collection of documents of early Toronto,” by Edith Firth
The two volume series begins with the arrival of Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe in 1793 and concludes in April 1815 at the end of the War of 1812. Also included are documents relating to York’s role in the war as well as illustrations of York in the early 1800s before it became Toronto.
Take a look at the progression of the Harbourfront and King St.E!
To access The Champlain Society’s Digital Archive Click Here
