The first permanent resident in Scarborough Township was David Thomson, a Scot who came to Upper Canada with his brother Andrew in 1796. Each was granted 400 acres, and David built a log cabin on his property that year. He was soon joined by other settlers, including his brothers Andrew and Archibald. The Thomsons, who were stone masons, worked on the first Parliament Buildings at York (Toronto). A road connecting the settlement with York was opened by 1799, and a sawmill was built by each of the brothers. A Presbyterian church, the first in the township, was built in 1819 on David's land and became the centre of the prospering "Thomson Settlement".

Location

Near the Scarborough Historical Museum in Thomson Memorial Park, 1007 Brimley Road, just north of Lawrence Avenue East, Toronto

Themes

• Communities
• Industry and trade
• Religion