Discover Toronto's history as told through its plaques

2004 - Now in our 15th Year - 2019

To see what's new on this site, you can visit the Home Page

Looking at this page on a smartphone?
For best viewing, hold your phone in Landscape mode (Horizontal)

Davenport Road

Photo by Alan L Brown - Posted September, 2006

This 1995 Toronto Historical Board plaque at the northwest corner of Davenport and Bathurst Street fills us in with some details about this road:

Coordinates: 43.676823 -79.416046

As temperatures warmed toward the end of the last Ice Age (ca. 12,000 years ago) meltwater from retreating glaciers formed Lake Iroquois, covering parts of Ontario and New York State. The ancient shore remains as an escarpment overlooking the plain on which Toronto is built. Native peoples beat a path at the base of this ridge to use as an overland route between the Humber and Don rivers. French explorers and missionaries followed the trail to and from Huronia. After the founding of York in 1793, the trail began to appear on maps of the area. The name commemorates the first house built on top of the ridge in 1797, John McGill's "Davenport". One of several routes developed along an extended aboriginal trail, Davenport Road is considered one of Toronto's oldest roads.

Related webpages
Ice Age
Lake Iroquois
The Humber River
Don River

Related Toronto plaques
Davenport Road - Ancient, Rural and Urban
The Escarpment

More
Transportation

Here are the visitors' comments for this page.

(none yet)

Here's where you can send me a comment for this page.

Note: Your email address will be posted at the end of your comment so others can respond to you unless you request otherwise.

Note: Comments are moderated. Yours will appear on this page within 24 hours (usually much sooner).

Note: As soon as I have posted your comment, a reply to your email will be sent informing you.

To send me your comment, click [email protected].

Thanks
Webmaster

Note: If you wish to send me a personal email, click here.