Toronto's Historical Plaques
at torontoplaques.com
Learn a little of Toronto's history as told through its plaques
The Withrow Archaeological Site Centennial of Discovery 1886-1986
Photo by Alan L Brown - Posted September, 2006
Photo by Alan L Brown - Posted September, 2006
Photo by contributor Wayne Adam - Posted June, 2009
Fascinating stuff! The grounds of Withrow Avenue Public School on Bain Avenue used to be an aboriginal encampment. A 1988 Toronto Historical Board plaque giving the details is attached to the school. As well, inside the school is a display of some artifacts found on the site. Here's what the plaque tells us:
Plaque coordinates: 43.670642 -79.352177 |
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As long as 4,000 years ago, this sandy knoll was the location of campsites for generations of native people. It provided an excellent lookout over the Don River Valley for observing game. Here small family groups probably lived in skin tents during hunting seasons. Lost for many years, the site was uncovered by workers digging a roadbed in 1886. The discovery aroused great public interest and Ontario's first professional archaeologist, David Boyle, conducted excavations. Only a small number of artifacts exist from the now destroyed encampments. Of the many native sites in the city, Withrow is one of the few for which we have archaeological evidence.
Related web pages
Don River Valley
David Boyle
Related Toronto plaque
Withrow Avenue Public School - Junior
More
First Nations
Here are the visitors' comments for this page.
Posted August 20, 2008
Regarding Withrow School's display of artifacts of the type found at the site. When I last saw the display (c. 2006) it was in sad shape. The students/staff didn't even know that their school occupied a former archaeological site. Such a wasted opportunity for first hand education about Ontario's prehistory and its aboriginal inhabitants. C. Caroppo
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