The Village of Lambton Mills was a settlement at the crossing of Dundas Street and the Humber River . The settlement was on both sides of the Humber River, in both the former Etobicoke Township and York Township, within today's City of Toronto , Ontario , Canada. It extended as far west as Royal York Road at Dundas, as far north as the still-existing CPR rail line north of Dundas, as far east as Scarlett Road and as far south as today's Queen Anne Road. The area on the east side of the river is still known as Lambton , although the current neighbourhood encompasses very little of the original Lambton Mills village.
12-640: The crossing at the Humber dates to pre-European times. It was the crossing of the 'Davenport Trail' and the 'Toronto Carrying Place' trail used by local First Nations. The name was linked to the mills (grist, saw mills, woolen mills) that operated along the Humber River from 1850 to 1915. Originally called Cooper's Mills (c. 1806) after William Cooper 's Grist and Saw Mill, it was renamed in 1838 in honour of John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham (High Commissioner and Governor General of British North America , who visited to
24-587: A hotel and tavern named the Lambton Mills Inn. The Lambton House Inn was spared; it was the only brick building in the area. Only the Lambton House inn and the Berry House exist from the days of Lambton Mills. The Berry House is located at the present address of 125 Kingsway Cres. and is a listed historic property built in 1892 and owned by the then treasurer of Lambton Mills, John Berry. The immediate vicinity
36-585: A variety of milling operations, taverns, and hotels. Within ten years the population had declined to 250 people as steam-powered mills replaced the water-powered mill, although Lambton Mills continued well into the next century, becoming part of the Borough of York. The railway crossing the Humber to the north of Dundas was completed in November 1874 as part of the Credit Valley Railway . The bridge as constructed
48-465: Is a residential area, primarily single-family dwellings. Most homes are post-World War II although some cottages date to the 19th century. The name Lambton lives on in "Lambton Arena", "Lambton Park", "Lambton Woods Park" and "Lambton Golf and Country Club." To the west, on Royal York Road , is the Lambton Mills Cemetery. Lambton-Kingsway Junior Middle School at Prince Edward and Government,
60-632: Is described as the "first milling empire on the Humber." His mills provided basic services for the growing community: grinding its grains, processing lumber for building, and processing woolen cloth. Cooper founded more businesses in the area: a distillery, cooperage, tannery, blacksmith's shop, store, and tavern. Through his complex of businesses, he owned a total of hundreds of acres on the Humber waterfront, including workers' housing for those who labored in his mills. He got involved in port operations in York, applying for land in 1815 and completing his wharf in 1817,
72-505: Is the third school built on the site. The original school was named Lambton Mills School, dating from approximately 1875. 43°39′54″N 79°30′29″W / 43.6650°N 79.5081°W / 43.6650; -79.5081 William Cooper (businessman) William Cooper (c. 1761–1840) was an English teacher, businessman and entrepreneur, and political officeholder in Upper Canada; he developed mills and other industries along
84-660: The Humber River in present-day Ontario and a wharf in York. Prior to 1838, the former name of the Village of Lambton Mills (now within Toronto ) was Cooper's Mill, named in his honour in 1806. Cooper was born in Bath , England. He started work as a teacher and immigrated at the age of 22 with his wife Ann to Upper Canada in 1793. In this early period after the American War of Independence, it
96-585: The coroner of the Home District , serving in the latter position until 1834. In 1801 he gave up teaching and opened Cooper's Toronto Coffee House, an inn that became a social centre. Cooper and his family moved to the Lambton area in 1806, where he established mills (grist-mill, sawmill, fulling-mill). To encourage development, the government provided machinery for his first mill, on condition that he pay for it or replace it after 18 months. From this Cooper built what
108-501: The area. By 1857, the Village of Lambton Mills contained about 500 people and began to identify the community on both banks of the Humber River at Dundas Street. Earlier, the community on the west bank was frequently referred to as Milton Mills, although Milton Mill (owned by Thomas Fisher) was further downstream in what is now Home Smith Park. Lambton Mills was served by a church, school, and post office which received mail daily. It became an important commercial centre that included stores,
120-448: The year the first steamboat operated on Lake Ontario. Cooper sold his mills in 1827 to his son Thomas, and sold much of his waterfront property a year later. Cooper continued his other business at York as forwarder, commission merchant, and wharfinger until 1830, being closely involved with shipping and the port activities. That year he sold his wharf to Alexander Murray and James Newbigging. After his wife Ann died, in 1829 Cooper married
132-499: Was 568 feet (173 m) long and 95 feet (29 m) high. The Credit Valley Railway had a station in Lambton although this no longer exists. Today, the CPR operates the rail line and the Lambton Yard, located east of Scarlett Road. In 1915, most of the buildings on the east side of the Humber were destroyed by fire, including the original Lambton Flour Mills, by then already converted into
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#1732856115968144-467: Was still largely frontier. They had one son and three daughters. Cooper started what was probably the first school in Toronto in 1798. He petitioned the government for more land to support this occupation and began to buy land on speculation. He moved with his family to Yonge Street north of the then Town of York, Upper Canada in 1800. There he was appointed by the provincial government as an auctioneer and
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