On my latest visit to the Toronto archives I fell in love with the vintage Yonge street of the 1850s up until the 1950s. The buildings and the shops had so much character, the people had such interesting attire and the machines and vehicles throughout the ages make you wonder about how aspects of people’s lives differed from our current generations’.
The 86 kilometre street predates Canada and was used as a major artery to support new settlements throughout Ontario as well as provide military communications between York (Toronto) and the upper lakes.
1856 – Normal School building Gould Street, north-side east of Yonge
Ontario’s first colonial administrator, John Graves Simcoe, built the roads mainly as a strategic play, worried that the United States would enter British North America in support of their French allies. He named the street after his friend Sir George Yonge, a British Secretary at War.
The construction took place in the 1790s and began with the building and connecting of two roads. The first would run north from York (Toronto) to Lake aux Claies (Lake Simcoe). The second would join Lake Simcoe with Georgian Bay. This allowed easy land transport to the upper lakes while bypassing the U.S. strongholds in the area. These streets were named Yonge Street and Penetanguishene Road.
Here are the rest of the vintage Yonge Street images that I collected.
1856 – The Exchange Wellington Street, north-side east of Yonge Street1856 – Wellington Street East north-side between Church and Yonge streets, showing the Wellington Hotel1880 – Front Street East and Yonge Street1885 – Yonge Street north of Queen Street1890 – King Street looking east across Yonge Street1890 – Queen Street West looking west from Yonge Street1890 – Yonge Street Wharf, Toronto1892 – Yonge Street crossing looking south from 25 yards north of the track1900 – 1919 – The New Carlton Hotel, Leslie and Co., proprietors, 155 Yonge Street at Richmond St. E., s.e. corner1900 – Board of Trade building north-east corner of Yonge Street and Front Street1900 – Lollar Building, Queen City Oil Co. north-west corner of Yonge Street and King Street1901 – Boer War, C Company return, King Street east from Yonge Street1901 – Yonge Street opposite Belmont Street1903 – Preparing foundations for new J.J. Foy building, Front Street1903 – Yonge Street looking south1904 – Yonge Street crossing1904 – Yonge Street crossing looking south1904 – Yonge Street looking east first lane south of Front Street1904 – Yonge Street looking west first lane south of Front Street1904 – Yonge Street wharf1906 – Lavatory Cottingham Street and Yonge Street1907 – Flagpole painter with view looking west on Front Street from Yonge Street1907 – Muddy Yonge Street, looking south to Hillsdale Avenue1907 – Road repairs on north Yonge Street at Eglinton Avenue1910 – Car on muddy Yonge Street north1910 – Waterfront at foot of Yonge Street1911 – Man hoeing muddy road smooth, Yonge Street at Davisville Avenue1911 – Oct 18 Yonge Street north from King 130PM1911 – St. Clair Widening, Yonge Street1912 – 301 Yonge Street condition of building1912 – Bloor Street, Yonge to Avenue Road – track1912 – Ferry docks at foot of Yonge Street1913 – 7 Rosedale Lane (south side, first house off Yonge Street)1913 – King St., looking east, from west of Yonge Street1914 – Wagon on St. Clair Avenue West, looking east to Yonge Street1917 -Yonge Street grading north from Woodlawn Avenue1919 – view of Toronto from south of Yonge Street1919 – Yonge Street Beaver Recreation Club1919 – Yonge Street north from Front Street1920 – April 1 – Re Yonge Street Subway1920 – Bay Street or Yonge crossing1920 – Green Bush Inn, Yonge Street, Steele’s Corners, North York Twp1920 – Yonge Street from Alcorn Ave1920 – Re Yonge Street Subway1920 – Yonge Street Northwest corner Yonge and Birch1920 – Yonge Street and Alexander Street1923 – Rear of 309 Yonge Street1925 – Toronto from foot of Yonge Street1926 – Yonge Street slip looking north1930 – Yonge Street and Adelaide Street at night1930 – Yonge Street and Dundas Street West1930 – Yonge Street and Queen Street1930 – Yonge Street and Shuter Street1930 – Yonge Street near Shuter Street1930 – Yonge Street near Shuter Street copy1930 – Yonge Street near Trinity Square1930 – Yonge Street near Wilton Square1930 – Yonge Street near Wilton Square copy1939 – Yonge Street near Adelaide Street1940 – Street lamp, Yonge Street, steel pole1940 – Yonge Street near Glenview Avenue and Glen Grove Avenue West1950 – King Street East and Yonge Street1950 – King Street East near Yonge Street
Visit the Toronto archives for more vintage Yonge street photographs and more from around Toronto.
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