At last, my first book on the history of Toronto is ready for public consumption!
“Muddy York : A History of Toronto Until 1834” chronicles the early history of Toronto that never seems to make it into most other works. Readers will discover how the land was first settled, thousands of years ago, how the aboriginal communities of today came to be, what the Toronto area was like under the French Crown, and how it came to be an early British outpost.
Of course, a large part of the book is also dedicated to the Town of York itself, which was founded in 1793 by John Graves Simcoe, and incorporated into the city of Toronto four decades later in 1834.
You can brush up on the American Invasion of 1813, and read how the dye was cast for the Upper Canadian Rebellion of 1837. You’ll also read about the dozens of historical landmarks and noteworthy luminaries who once made up the old town. Some of them will be familiar names and places to many readers, while others will be almost unknown.
As I work to have this available both online and on the shelves in some historical locations, I also want to make it available at a few events.
So, on February 27th, 2016, I will be having a book signing at Campbell House Museum, one of the last surviving buildings from the days of the Town of York. I hope you can make it!