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Streetsville (pop. 47,327) is a neighbourhood located in the northwestern corner of the city of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, on the Credit River. Although Streetsville occupies the west and east banks of the river, the majority is located on the west bank of the river. A town prior to the 1974 amalgamations that formed the City of Mississauga, it seeks to keep a "small town" charm by retaining a variety of historical buildings and streetscapes. As part of this attempt to maintain a separate identity from the larger city, the names of two main Mississauga streets, as they pass through Streetsville, retain the names they had when Streetsville was an independent village: Mississauga Road and Bristol Road, which remain as Queen Street and Main Street respectively. Other main thoroughfares that pass through or near Streetsville include Britannia Road, Creditview Road, Eglinton Avenue, and Erin Mills Parkway. [edit] HistoryThe beginnings of Streetsville are interwoven with the history of its founder, Timothy Street. Street was born in 1778 in the American colonies to a British Loyalist family. At the age of 23, he moved with his family from New York to St. David’s, a settlement on the Niagara River in Upper Canada (now known as Ontario). In 1818, the British made a second purchase of 648,000 acres (2,620 km2) of land from the indigenous Mississauga peoples. Before it could be opened for settlement, the land had to be surveyed, and as was usual for the time, surveyors would receive a grant of land from the parcel that they surveyed as compensation for their work. Timothy Street, along with Richard Bristol, a qualified surveyor, applied for a contract to survey parts of the newly available land. As they did their work, Street quickly began to appreciate the immense potential for settlement along the Credit River, and made plans to erect both a saw and grist mill once his work was finished. In April 1819, the surveyed land was opened for settlement, and the first settler in the area, James Glendinning, settled on a parcel of land along Mullet Creek. Timothy Street did build his saw and grist mills, using stones from Glendinning's land. A large quarry of red clay lay on the west side of the village, encouraging the use of brick for construction. In 1821, Streetsville’s first general store, now known as Montreal House, was built, and still stands. Another landmark, Timothy Street’s house, was built in 1825 and is one of the oldest brick houses in Peel Region. In 1855, William Graydon and Peter Douglass built a large brick building, and sold it in 1859 to Bennet Franklin, a partner in Barber Brothers Toronto Woollen Mills. It became known as Franklin House. In 1910, under new ownership, the name was changed to the Queen’s Hotel. Although it ceased to operate as a hotel when its public room was closed with the enforcement of the Canada Temperance Act, it continued to be used for commercial purposes. At present, it has been designated under the terms of the Ontario Heritage Act and protected by a heritage easement, and now houses a restaurant and a variety of small businesses and offices. In 1858, Streetsville was incorporated as a village. Timothy Street's son, John, was the first reeve. For the next century, Streetsville largely existed as a long narrow village with all of its shops, three churches, the cenotaph and the library located on Queen Street, which ran between the Credit River and the railway track. In 1953, two of the first [planned] suburbs in Canada, Vista Heights and Riverview, were built to the southwest and northeast respectively. In January 1962, Streetsville's population reached 5,000, and it was incorporated as a town as a result. In 1968, the creation of the Town of Mississauga amalgamated the villages and hamlets of Cooksville, Dixie, Erindale and Malton. Although Streetsville, Clarkson, Port Credit and Meadowvale were excluded from this amalgamation, it was evident that the high population growth in the area would result in further amalgamation. In 1974 all of these communities were annexed when Mississauga became a city. [edit] Research TipsThe primary source for basic documents (vital statistics, land records, wills) for people who lived in the Province of Ontario is the Archives of Ontario, 134 Ian Macdonald Blvd, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M7A 2C5. [edit] Early RecordsCivil registration did not begin in the province until 1869. Before then there may be church records of baptisms and burials. For the most part these are still held by the denomination who recorded them. Copies of marriage records made pre-1869 had to be sent by individual clergymen to the registrar of the county in which the marriage took place. These marriage records are available through Ontario Archives, on micorfilm through LDS libraries, and on paid and unpaid websites, but because they were copied at the registrars' offices, they cannot be considered a primary source. [edit] Vital Records after 1869Birth, marriage and death registrations are not open to the public until a specific number of years after the event occurred. Births to 1915 are now available [October 2014]; dates for marriages and deaths are later. Birth and death registration was not universally carried out in the early years after its adoption. Deaths were more apt to be reported than births for several years. The more rural the area, the less likely it would be that these happenings were reported to the authorities.
[edit] Land Records and WillsInformation on how to access land records and wills is best sought on the Archives of Ontario website. An ancestor's land holding might be found on Canadian County Atlas Digital Project if he was in occupancy circa 1878. Association for the Preservation of Ontario Land Registry Office Documents (APOLROD). A list of Land Registry Offices for all Counties of Ontario. [edit] CensusesThe original censuses are in the hands of Library and Archives Canada, known to Canadians as "LAC". Copies of original microfilms are online at the LAC website for all censuses up to 1921. Each census database is preceded with an explanation of the geographical area covered, the amount of material retained (some census division material has been lost), the questions on the census form, and whether there is a name index. Census divisions were redrawn as the population increased and more land was inhabited. [edit] Hard-to-Find Places
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