Highland Creek Mills

Toronto's Historical Plaques

Learn a little of Toronto's history as told through its plaques.

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.

Location Co-ordinates: 43.780196 -79.176278

Photo by Alan L Brown - August 2007

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