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.LlUlll hilt: WGUCL, gaunt-3 Vvuunu u» Lv AAAvu vv -.-v A-...-.- VN- r----- on the water. These were irregular, according as natural obstacles barred the way. In time the foot paths became widened for horsemen, and later for ve icles. Afterward attention Would be given to straightening the road, level- ling hills, grading the way, and bridging Streams. This was at first accomplished by the settlers working singly or in parties,:Later, public funds were employed to open up new roads'and' for the improvement of existing highways. The fitst settlers found an Indian trail connecting the mouth of the Don River with the mouth of the Humber River. Following these rivers to their sources, Indian paths or portages were found connecting these Rivers with the headwaters of the Holland River which emptied into Lake Simcoe. as the site of Toronto was then called, having in mind the military requirements of the Province. In 1794 the build- ing of Yonge Street was commenced, being first laid out as a portage road between Lakes Ontario and Simcoe, and forming a link in the short route from Lake Ontario to the Ggorgian Bay by way of Lake Simcoe and the Severn River. While opened up primarily as a military measure, and with inilitary labor, its possibilities as a means of colonization were not overlooked, and the county on either side of the road was immediately laid out infarm lots of tWo hundred acres each. Settlement rapidly followed, and Yonge Street soon became, ‘what it has since continued to be, the “back- bone of the County of York”. ‘ The development of Yonge Street as a highway is characteristic. of the development of the other highways of the County, and those who have studied the original location of this road and its various relocations at York Mills, Thornhill, Jefferson and Holland Landing have been able to trace, not only the progress of .highway transport: ation, but in the various changes, the commercial develop- ment of the district.“ Wherfil‘fiée‘ttlerstook up their cabins oh the lots remote from the water, paths would? be formed to the nearest point I Military Roads The Governor of the new Province, Sir John Simcoe, inaugurated a system of roads radiating from Little; Â¥01jk, The development and changes at York Mills are typical and it is therefore enlarged upon. Coming from the south the old road near the top of the hifl turned to the east and skirted the hillside, following what is new known as Don- wood Road, crossed the river on a ford that even after a hundred and twentyâ€"five years can be located and skirted the east‘bank of the valley until it reached the high land on the north side of the stream, following what is still call- ed old Yonge Street, until it .reachedi the original survey some three quarters of a mile north from where it first de- viated. This first location was chosen because of the mini’- mum of grading and the narrow river crossing. A narrow ,rooked roadway with steep onable. Traffic was slow a: COVERING CANADA’S BEST SUBURBAN DISTRICT )Y In 18 inal SI Vol. XLVlX. PIONEER AND PRESENT BY E. A. JAMES 1211] Df ll EARLY 21 I'll; )n lld YORK o Article 13 ROADS OF YORK of the bridg‘ y sixty-six f y was not then object- 011881 highway on the de, diverted the ias locat COOD ooper shops, 31' homes of looked upon “In Essentials, Unity; In Non-assent ials, Liberty; In All Things, Charity.” RICHMOND HILL, ONT., THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1926 It may be that this third river crossing will serve in addition to Yonge Street, Avenue Road from the south and Wilson Avenue from the west; thus giving an east and west crossin as well as a north and South. 1/ Set lement duties of the early pioneers on Yonge Street were severe, and it is little wonder they found difficulty in fulfilling their statut labor obligations. They were re- quired to build a dwe ling house on each lot Within a year of their assignment, and in addition the following condiâ€" tions were imposed on the settlers: “They must lwithin the time of two years, clear, fit for cultivation, and fence, ten acres of the lot obtained, build a house 16 by 20 feet of logs or frame, with a shingle roof; also cut down all the timber in front of, and the whole width of the lot, (20 chains, 135 feet wide,) 35 feet of which must be cleared smooth and left for half 8f the public road. Governor Simcoe’s ambitions was to establishra new cap- ital for the Province of Upper Canada at what is now the City of London, and to link this capital by highway with York, Kingston and Quebec. The section from Kingston easterly had already been opened. The road from York to Kingston was to be constructed in time by the settlers; meanwhile communication with Montreal was to be by water. Old maps show the proposed line of the road, some parts of which are located farther north than the present Kingston Road. It is recorded that in 1799 the road from York to the Bay of Quin'te was let by Government contract to Asa Danforth, to be cut and completed as: far as the Township of Hope, aboutssixty miles, “so that sleighs, wagons, etc. may travel it with safety”. A part of the ori- ginal road still; bears the name of the builder. Two explan- ations have been made of the very crooked line followed by this road; one is that the builder, being paid by the mile, wished to make it as long as possible; the other, probably the more correct one, is that the road followed an old trail, located by the Indians with a View to high ground, short river crossings and minimum grades. .. . . .1 ‘ 1 n Traffic continued to increase. The motor car and motor truck crowded the highway and in 1922 a further improve- ment of the river crossing was commenced when Yonge Boulevard was located by the Department of Highways for Ontario. This new highway, eighty-six feet wide, turns to the west at the top of the south hill and follows the table land north westerly and it is proposed that it cross the Don River on a high level bridge 800 feet long, meeting the ori- ginal survey of Yonge Street on the west, slightly north of where the original detour road intersected Yonge Street on the east. With the. completion of Yonge Boulevard and the high level bridge, there will be opened to the north a mo- dern motor roadway which will provide not only for the north and south traffic on Yonge Street but also the east and west traffic on York Road and Wilson Avenue. - A. v V- ‘1- v...~---oN In the samgyefi the 1'an from York to the head of Lake Ontario (near Dundas), known ever since as the Dun- das Road, was opened. 9 ' Traffic “Alas now increasing. Yonge Street instead of being a pioneer trail was a freight road and a daily mail route. A straighter road and easier grades were required. To the east of the Don River a road was opened in 1799 northward to the mills Of Parshall Terry, called the “Mill Road". These mills became known as thef‘Don Mills” and the road, since known as the “Don Mills Road”, became an important thorofare, especially between 1821 and 1849/11: led to the numerous flour mills, saw mills, fulling mills, carding mills, paper mills and breweries which were at that time operating on the Don River. The upper section of 'this road was known locally as the Independent Roadâ€"a road independent of the original survey roadstâ€"and was opened at different periods. The.se'ction to the north limits of Lot When one views the cuts and fills made at that time without the aid of modern machinery, one appreciates the courageous spirit of the early settlers. traffic from the detour road to the present travelled Yonge Street. Clem. Dawes, eighty years ago, kept an hotel on the north west corner of Danforth Ave. and Dawes Road and perhaps the origin of the road name came from the phrase “the road to Dawes.” N.B.â€"The writer welcomes comments, criticisms or cor- rections and he also hopés readers will forward descriptions of’ incidents connected with the County of York, of which they have particular knowledge. 5 was bougHt in 1820. The section from this point to the Mill Road at Dunlaps was given in 1831, and the remainâ€" der bought in 1868. . 7 W '_ Dawes Road was opened north from the Danforth Road in 1828 in lieu of the town line between Scarboro and York. The section of the town line between Danforth Avenue and St. Clair Avenue being very difficult of construction. u Eloquent White Spams is the ADVERTISING space enter} use in The Liberal to tell the good trict about their stores and their 2 Good ADVERTISING is movin; lulu-lam“ MQLAE Fall and Winter Term Opens Friday September 10, 19: â€" Studioâ€"â€"Mrs. A. L. Phipps, Richmond Street. â€" Phone 13W. Information Regafding Terms ‘and Appointments May Obtained At The Above Address. BYWATER CHESTERFIELD Stop 5 quze Street LANSING, Ont. .VCHINA, CUT; GLASS, GROCERIES AND FRUITS Centre andeonge Streets Richmond Hill Phone 8 Eompletely cushioned engine mu BETTE 3 AUTO}! legislch Trade Mark Don’t worry about your grocery needs; don’t hesitate; bring your grocery requirements direct to us and we promise you the choicest of lines, very reasonable prices and prompt service: “GROCERIES Fresh and Pure at Very Attractive Prices ‘ fir #36 73‘!“ fzbm F‘rederivk mmmâ€"l-nmx_-Il‘ DA VID H1142 M. STEIN trio];f TNT.- 1’011ett I) [A1311 5561‘ ‘muâ€"yâ€"mâ€"mnmmmnwm The McLaughlin-Buick Valve-in- Head engine now has “rubber heels.” Here is an engine completely insu- lated and isolated from all metallic contact‘ with its chassis. Thick rub- ber cushions, fore and aft, absorb noise, and save the engine from road shocks and strains. Never, in all its successful years of motor car manufacture, has McLaugh- lin-Buick ever produced a car so far ahead of its field in performance and value as the 1927 McLaughlin-Buick. F I Money can buy no nner performance, no matter how much you are prepared to spend. MFJIG ,ICI-IMC Made to order Makers of - “BYWATER” CHESTERFIELD BED ‘Ve do Cash CHESTERFIELDS WHEN BEITER AUTOMOBILE ARE BUILT McLAUGHLIN-BUICK WILL BUILD Tam SINGLE COPY, 3c $1.50 PER YEAR IN ADVANCE AND FURNITURE CO. RE-UPHOLSTERING- Reasonable Prices Telephone Willowdale 74 R. 4 No 12 ‘, 1926 Terms