The Scarborough Historical Society’s Archives Committee in partnership with the
Scarborough Community Preservation Committee and the Scarborough Historical
Museum set up a display at the Agincourt Mall on Saturday, May 6th, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 pm.
This display was similar to our previous annual Heritage Week Displays previously
held in February. Thanks to all who made it a success. We were pleased to see many who had visited us in the past, as well as new visitors.
The guest speaker at our February 28th program was Kelly Mathews, author of the book “Eaton Hall: Pride of King Township” and it was the topic of her interesting presentation. Eaton Hall is located on the grounds of Seneca College in King Township at the north end of Lake Seneca and Kelly is the manager of community recreation, camps and the Outdoor Education Centre at the King campus location. Kelly has written a fascinating and accurate account of the Eaton property, dispelling myths and laying to rest all the urban legends.
The impressive 72 room mansion is just a part of the story as she spoke about the purchase of the 700 acres of land between 1920-1922 by Sir John Craig Eaton and Lady Eaton. During her research she came across the original blueprints for the house and the ledger books that contained all the original construction costs. There were many buildings on the estate that is now occupied by Seneca College, King Campus, but was owned by the Eaton family from 1920 to 1970. Lady Eaton lived in a farmhouse on the grounds known as “Villa Fiori” for many years prior to the completion of Eaton Hall in 1938.
Eaton Hall was converted into a convalescent hospital during WWII for the Royal Canadian Navy.
It also served as a refuge for British War children sent to Canada to escape the London bombing.
Many members of the British Royal family have visited King Campus including Princess Alice, Princess Anne and Princess Margaret.
Lady Eaton died in July 1970, aged 91. A year later Seneca College purchased the 700 acres that made up the Eaton Hall Estate.
Eaton Hall is now a corporate event centre and special event venue.
The Scarborough Historical Society hosts programmes on the 4th Tuesday of each month from January to April and from September to November. All programmes begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Bendale Public Library and are free and open to the public.
The guest speaker at our January 24th programme was Jerry Amernic. He is an author of historical fiction and non-fiction and is a Scarborough citizen. His new book, “Medicine Man”, will be available soon and is a historical thriller that tells the tragic story of the destruction of the Seneca nation through the eyes of a young Seneca man and his family.
The Seneca village at the mouth of the Rouge River was known as Ganestiquiagon (also spelled Ganatsekwyagon) and is shown on the map circled in red. It was home to about 3300 people. The Seneca were one of the Six Nations of the Iroquois and at one time the north and south shores of Lake Ontario were ringed with Seneca villages.
Carte de l_Amérique Septentrionale, by J.B.L. Franquelin, 1688.
Archives of Ontario, F 1080 _ MU 2431.
He let us know that the Iroquois Confederacy was the first democracy in North America. In addition, the Seneca developed one of the most basic and healthy cuisines using natural foods that are still popular today, as are many of the natural medicines they used to treat illnesses.
This location was abandoned around 1687 as the Seneca relocated to south of Lake Ontario. Then in 1779, George Washington, before he became President, had his troops destroy 40 Seneca communities in the Finger Lakes area of New York State during the American Revolutionary War. Today, New York State operates the Ganondagan State Historic Site just southeast of Rochester. It stands at the location of what was one of the 17th century`s largest and most vital Seneca towns.
Centennial Plaza mural depicts a symbolic departure of Iroquoians
from the Rouge in the late 1600s. Mural by Blinc Studios
Jerry also spoke about his book “The Last Witness”. It takes place in the year 2039, and is the story of the last living survivor of the Holocaust. Jerry interviewed a Holocaust historian and met with real-life survivors who were just children when they were liberated in 1945. He also showed a video of voluntary interviews he did with university students in Toronto about their knowledge of the Holocaust and World War II. Their answers were alarming.
The Scarborough Historical Society hosts programmes on the 4th Tuesday of each month from January to April and from September to November. All programmes begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Bendale Public Library and are free and open to the public.
The guest speaker at the Society programme on October 25th, 2016 was Dr. Robert Galway (Orthopedic Surgeon, Geologist and Author) of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society.
He spoke about 16 early airfields in Toronto and showed many photographs that related to the fascinating history of early aviation in the GTA. He mentioned that when Charles Willard took off from Scarboro Beach Park on September 7th, 1909 that it was the 1st public flight in Canadian history. In 1915 Curtiss Aeroplanes and Motors Ltd. established Canada’s first aerodrome and flying school at Long Branch and it was managed by John M.D. McCurdy, Canada’s first aviator. He related an interesting story about Canada’s first airmail delivery that took place at the Leaside aerodrome in 1918. Even Scarborough’s ill-fated airfield that was run by the Imperial Flying Club and operated for only 2 days in May 1928 was mentioned.
The Scarborough Historical Society hosts programmes on the 4th Tuesday of each month from January to April and from September to November. All programmes begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Bendale Public Library and are free and open to the public.
-Toronto’s 1st airplane crash-1911-Donlands Farm, Todmorden Mills
