History Thornhill, Ontario

1 history

1.1 history
1.2 20th century
1.3 suburbanization

history

the corner of old yonge street , centre street



mason cogswell wagonyard , weigh scales



old victoria hall


early history

thornhill founded in 1794. first settlers on yonge street in thornhill asa johnson (who settled on vaughan side) , nicholas miller (c.1760–1810; settled on markham side). of particular importance arrival of benjamin thorne (january 4, 1794 – july 2, 1848) in 1820 dorset, england, operating gristmill, sawmill, , tannery in community. settlement came known thorne s mills, , later, thorne s hill, current name derived. (thorne committed suicide in 1848, after serious wheat market crash.)

radial car thornhill on metropolitan line

between 1830 , 1848, thornhill experienced period of continued growth , prosperity. business district of thornhill developed on portion of yonge street, between centre street , john street. stagecoaches travelled between holland landing (lake simcoe) , york (toronto) yonge street s road conditions improved new stonework. during prosperous period, several churches, many of still standing today, constructed.

thornhill s location along yonge street, major transportation route, proved beneficial community s growth throughout of twentieth century. implementation of electric radial metropolitan line along yonge street in 1898 running north sutton , south toronto meant that, first time, people reside in thornhill , work in toronto. 1920s, automobiles facilitated travel along yonge street.

20th century

in 1931, thornhill became police village ; before time, thornhill had no independent status , split between townships of vaughan , markham along yonge street, since creation of municipal government in 1850. before 1931, each township administered half of village. creation of police village gave thornhill own political boundaries. village headed reeve.

in 1971, york region created, part of wave of municipal re-organization converted many townships towns , eliminated many of municipal forms of organization had existed within townships. establishment of regional administration eliminated police village of thornhill. thornhill s administration reverted newly formed towns of markham , vaughan @ time.

however, many political , social institutions remained organized around former municipal entities eliminated in 1971. neighbouring communities such woodbridge, maple, , unionville – typical urbanized former greater toronto area (gta) villages outside of city of toronto – thornhill remained postal designation addresses within former village s boundaries, , community organizations such local newspapers, sports teams, , schools continued operate under thornhill name , designation. example, until mid-1990s residents of thornhill residents wanted play high-level hockey required play thornhill team.

while old village of thornhill revolved around yonge street between centre , john streets, neighbourhood typically thought between dufferin street west, highway 7 north, steeles avenue south, , highway 404 east.

suburbanization

thornhill s growth since 1960s , 1970s has been largely connected location bordering city of toronto.

growth has continued apace. developments have sprung across various areas of thornhill in each of municipal districts encompass thornhill, following development patterns of greater toronto area.