The Town of Newmarket

Newmarket, located between Toronto and

Barrie in York Region, is a close-knit, modern

community with small-town charisma.

Newmarket was settled in 1801 by Quakers from

Vermont and Pennsylvania, who as pacifists refused to

partake in the violent rioting of their fellow American

revolutionists. They were attracted to the fertile land

surrounding the Holland River, which was a major fur trading route in those days, and they secured land

grants along Yonge Street in the former townships of

Whitchurch and King.

A mill was constructed that same year on what is

now Fairy Lake, and Newmarket flourished. Its name

was originally written as two words to distinguish it

from Toronto, which was the old market. Over the

next 50 years, the community boomed. Weekly

farmer's markets established it as an agricultural hub

and it also became a commercial and industrial centre.

A defining event in Ontario history was the

Rebellion of 1837 involving the Family Compact, the

governing upper-class clique who were perceived of as

"robbing the country." Newmarket was where the

rebel leader, William Lyon Mackenzie, delivered his

first campaign speech (on the veranda of the North

American Hotel at the corner of Botsford and Main)

and was home to one of the rebellion's fighters,

Samuel Lount, who was later sentenced to hang for

his activities.

By the mid-1800s the fur trade ended and in 1857,

Newmarket-with a railway and a population of

200-was incorporated as a village. By 1880, its

population swelled to 2,000 and Newmarket officially

became a town. By this time it had schools, dry goods

and grocery stores, and new small industries.

The town was not without hardship, though. It

suffered several fires, diseases, and a flood, which

incapacitated the town initially, but eventually led to

improved construction, lighting, water supply, emergency services, and sanitation.

The early 20th century brought increased prosperity up

until the time of the Depression, especially with the

advent of the Industrial Revolution.Notable Newmarket

industries included the Davis Tannery, Office Specialty,

and the Cane Furniture and Pencil Factory.

The 1950s post-war boom saw the flourishing

of new suburbs and from then until 1970 the

population doubled. It currently stands at 73,000

thanks to modern services, facilities, and programs

that attract residents to the area.