A History of Scarborough
Edited by Robert R. Bonis
Published by the Scarborough Public Library, 1965, 1968
Scarborough, Then and Now (1796 – 1996)
By Richard Schofield, Meredyth Schofield, and Karen Whynot
Published by the Scarborough Board of Education and The Scarborough Historical Society, 1996
Fact & Folklore, 2nd Edition
Highland Creek – Hillside – Port Union – West Hill – West Rouge
John R. Spilsbury
Published by John R. Spilsbury, 1973, 1998
In honour of the 75th Anniversary of the Centennial Community and Recreation Association (CCRA), I’ve looked at the few books that focus specifically on the history of Scarborough. They were all published decades ago but are considered to be an accurate account of the area up until the time of publication.
The first Scarborough land patents were granted in 1796, which makes Scarborough just over 225 years old, and the years are packed with an intriguing history.
It’s difficult for present-day residents to imagine that during the 19th century, our lakeside community was once a bustling center for shipbuilding and transportation. The Scarborough, Markham and Pickering Wharf Company oversaw the shipping of local produce and lumber from a 350-foot wharf built at the foot of what is now Port Union Road. Hotels, stores and taverns were built along Port Union Road, which started our community.
Scarborough’s most comprehensive historical account can be found in A History of Scarborough, published in 1965. The editor, Robert R. Bonis, collated a massive collection of material into a 389-page book with 290 photos, maps and drawings. It’s easy to spend hours examining the captivating historical pictures.
You can find this book at the Toronto Public Library or purchase a copy through the Scarborough Historical Society.
Scarborough, Then and Now (1796 – 1996) was written by Richard Schofield, who is still an active member of the Scarborough Historical Society. Published in 1996 as part of Scarborough’s Bicentennial celebration, the 118-page book contains detailed information about the area and more riveting photographs.
Fact & Folklore by John R. Spilsbury was published in 1998 and is a 124-page history of Port Union, Highland Creek, West Rouge and West Hill. The information is more detailed since it focuses on a more specific area of Scarborough.
Copies of this book can be found only at the Toronto Reference Library or the Scarborough Historical Society, but second-hand copies are available for purchase at several online bookstores.
For more information about the history of Scarborough, visit the Scarborough Historical Society website at: scarboroughhistorical.ca. On this site, you can find booklets containing updated historical notes. You can also follow the Scarborough Historical Society on Facebook (Scarborough, Looking Back), where new historical pictures and articles are posted regularly.