"262 CANADIAN LOCAL HISTORY : 



occasional roads, and in being enabled to apjjly the same to the improvement of the streets. 

 and the nearer and more direct approaches to the Town." The irregular track branching off' 

 ■eastward at Yorkville was an example of these "circuitous byepaths and occasional roads." 

 Editorials were rare at the period. Had tliere been more of them, subsequent investigators 

 would liave been better able than they are, to reproduce pictures of the olden time. Chief- 

 Justice Elmsley was possibly the inspirer of the Gazette in the present instance The meagre- 

 ness and incompleteness of the record of local affairs in the official paper are often tantalizing. 



The work appears to have been duly proceeded witli. In the following June, we have an 

 advertisement calling a meeting of the committee enti-u.sted with its superintendence. In the 

 Oazeite of June 12, 1802, we read : "The committee for inspecting tlie repair of Yonge Street 

 requests that the subscribers will meet on the repaired part of said street at 5 o'clock on Mon- 

 day evening, to take into consideration how far the moneys subscribed by them have been 

 beneficially expended. 8. McNabb, Secretary to Committee. York, 10th June, IS02." 



These early efforts of our predecessors to render practicable the great northern approach to 

 the town, are deserving of respectful remembrance. 



The nature of the soil at many points between Lot Street and the modern Yorkville was such a.^ 

 to render the construction of a road that should be comfortably jiraoti cable at all seasons of the 

 year no easy task. Down to the time wlien macadam was at length apxdied, some twenty-eight 

 years after Mr. Hale's operations, this approach to the town was notorious for its badness every 

 spring and autumn. At one period an experiment was tried of a wooden tramway for a sliort 

 distance at the worst part, on which the loaded waggons were exjiected to keep and so be 

 saved from sinking hopelessly in the direful sloughs. Mr. Siieritf Jarvis was the chief promoter 

 of tills improvement, wliich answered its purpose for a time, and I\Ir. Rowland Burr Avas its 

 .suggester. But we must not forestall ourselves. 



We return to the point v/hevc Lot Street, or Queen Street, intersects tlie thoroughfare which 

 we are about to traverse. 



After jjassing Jlr. Jesse Keti buiii's property, wliich had been divided into two parts by tlie 

 pushing of Yonge Street suuthwaid to its natural termination, wo arrived at another striking 

 rectangular meeting of thoroughfares. Lot Street having hapiiily escaped extinction westward 

 and eastward, there was crcatf^.d at this spot a four-oross-way jjosse.sKod of an especial historic 

 interest, being the conspicuous intersection of the two great militii.ry i-ouds of Upper Canada, 

 projected and explored in persou by its first organiser. Four extensive reaches, two of Dundas 

 Street (identical, nf course, with Lot or Queen Street), and two of Yimge Street, can here be 

 contsmjjlated from one and tlie same standxjoint. In the course of time the views up and down 

 the four long vistiis li(>re crimma.nded will probably rival those to be sevn at the })reKent moment 

 where King Street crosses Yonge Street. When lined along all its siiics witii handsome build- 

 ings, the superior elevation above the level of the Lake of the more nortiierly quadriviuni will 

 be in its favour. 



I'erhaps it will here not be out of order to state that "i'onge Street v/;is so named ill honour of 

 Sir George Yongo-, Secretary of War in 1791. The first exploration whii;li led to tlie establish- 

 ment of this coinmuuication with the north, was made in 179;";. Ou the early MS. map men- 

 tioned before in those papers, the route taken by Governor Siuicoc on tiie memorable occasion, 

 in going and returning, is shewn. Kxplauatcji-y of the red dotted lines which indicate it, the 

 following note is appended. It reveals the (lOvernor's clear perceptionof the commercial and 

 military importance of the pinjected roail : " Lieut.-Gov. Simcoe's route on foot and in canoes 

 to explore a v/ay •vvhii'h miglit afford connuuiucation for the Pur-traders to the Grand Portage, 

 without jKisshig Detroit in case that place were given ui> to tiie United States. The march was 

 attended with some difficulties, liut was quite satis fa^ 'to ry : an ixcellent harbour at Pene- 

 tanguisliene : returned to York 1793." 



(Ou the same map, the tracks are given of four other similar ex'Miisi(.)iis, with the following 

 accounts ajipeuded respectively : 1. Lieut.-(TOv. Simcoe's route on iont from Niagara to Detroit 

 and back again in five weeks : returned to Niagara Marcii StJi, 1793. 2. Lieut.-Gov. Simcoe's 

 route from York to the Tiiaines ; down that river in canoes to Detroit ; from tlience to the 

 Miamis to build the fort Lord Dorchester ordered to be built: left York March 17th, 1794; 

 retirned by Lalce Erie and Niagara to Yorlc .'vfay 5th, 1794. 3. I>ieiit.-Ciov. Simcoe's track from 

 York to Kingston in an open boat, Dec. otii, 1794. 4. Lieut.-Gov. Simcoe's route from Niagara 



