Learn a little of Toronto's history as told through its plaques.
Highland Creek Mills
Photos by Alan L Brown - August 2007
Just north of the parking area in Colonel Danforth Park on the north side of Old Kingston Road stands this 1977 Scarborough Historical Society plaque. Here's what it says:
The early settlers of Scarborough used the waters of Highland Creek to provide power for their many saw and grist mills in this valley. The first mill in the township was built here in 1804 by William Cornell, who hauled his mill stones from Kingston on his sled. In 1847, William Helliwell built the first of his four mills on this site. Downstream, three sawmills were operated by Jordon Post, Stephen Closson and other in the 1830's and 1840's. Upstream for many miles, a succession of mills once flourished; George Stephenson's grist mill, John Wilson's saw mill, Martin Badgerow's woollen mill, Peter Secor's grist mill, John P. Wheler's flour mill, the saw mills of Archibald and David Thomson, and many others.
Related web pages
Highland Creek
saw mill
grist mill
Related Toronto plaque pages
William Cornell
Thomson Settlement
Early Mill Site
Old Mill
Windmill Millstone
Plaque Location Co-ordinates: 43.780196 -79.176278
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Posted August 21, 2009
I have seen the plague. But, who is Colonel Danforth?
Nadine Herbert, nadherbert@rogers.com
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