City of Toronto residents A History of Toronto and County of York

JOHN G. HOWARD, Esq., the well-known Ranger of High Park, to whose munificent liberality the people of Toronto owe the magnificent stretch of woodland at the western city limits which bears that name, is not only one of the oldest residents in the city, but has also, perhaps, from his own professional point of view, been more closely identified with the city’s growth and improvement than any of his contemporaries. As will be seen further on, Mr. Howard has had a hand in the construction of nearly all the local public institutions and works that are not of recent date, and in the pursuit of his profession he has been brought into contact with the majority of the public men whose names figure prominently in the early history of the city and county. The writer has had an opportunity of examining Mr. Howard’s notes of his impressions and experiences in York; and will, as occasion requires, freely draw in the following sketch upon this fund of old time reminiscences. Mr. Howard was born on the 27th of July, 1803, in a village twenty-one miles north of the old City of London. At the age of nine he was sent to a boarding-school in the town of Hertford, where he remained five years. When fifteen years old he went to sea as a boy before the mast, and served for two years; but was then compelled to give up a sailor’s life owing to an incurable liability to sea-sickness – a complaint to which he has ever since been a martyr when crossing the ocean. The time he had spent at sea had not, however, been lost, as he had devoted considerable time to the study of navigation and practical geometry and marine surveying. These mathematical studies probably determined his future career, for on abandoning a seafaring life he turned his attention to land surveying, engineering and architecture, and entered the office of his uncle, a contractor, living at Kennington Cross. Subsequently he studied under Mr. John Grayson, architect, Banner Street, St. Luke’s, London, and on leaving Mr. Grayson, went on a professional tour through the County of Kent, where, for a short time, he was employed by the architect in charge of the work of rebuilding Leeds Castle, near Maidstone. He then entered the office of the Cutbushes, contracting architects, Maidstone; but in 1824 he returned to London and was employed by Mr. William Ford, architect, Mark Lane, London, England, who the following year married Mr. Howard’s sister. In 1827 Mr. Howard married Miss Jemima Frances Meikle. He remained with Mr. Ford, who entrusted him with several important undertakings, until 1831, when, the times being bad and building operations being at a standstill, he began to look about for a more profitable field of labour. Attracted by the glowing accounts given by Mr. Cattermole, agent of the Canada Company, of the opportunities offered by that country, he resolved to emigrate thither, intending to settle at Goderich, where his wife had relatives. In the spring of 1832 he took passage for Quebec, but missed his vessel, and was compelled to wait until June, when he embarked on the Emperor Alexander, which, bound for the same port, sailed on the 27th. The voyage was an eventful one. At the outset, Mr. and Mrs. Howard, who had gone ashore at Gravesend to see some relatives, found themselves left behind, but their vessel had only a few minutes’ start and they were able to catch her. On the third day out, the Emperor Alexander ran aground on the Spaniard Bank, off Herne Bay, which involved a delay of ten hours. On the same day Mr. Howard was all but knocked overboard by the boom suddenly jibbing, and was only just saved in time by the captain. From this day out his daily record during the voyage was one of sea-sickness and wretchedness. On the 2nd of July, at Ryde, Isle of Wight, he was again left behind by the ship, but as the captain was one of the derelict party the mistake was speedily rectified. Two days later, another party, including Mr. Howard, left the ship in a small boat to shoot, but a breeze springing up they were horrified to find that the ship had outsailed them and was five miles away. The breeze freshened, the boat sprung a leak, and the terrified occupants gave themselves up for lost, for the ship was now fifteen miles off and they were a hundred miles from land. Fortunately, the gale abated, and the ship, observing their signals, put about and took them aboard just at nightfall. Five days in bed was the penalty the sportsmen had to pay for their venturesomeness. But for all this another party underwent an exactly similar experience a few days later, and were only rescued after eighteen hours’ exposure. On the twenty-eighth day out, a mutiny occurred, but was promptly suppressed. On the 10th of August the ship was all but run ashore on the Bird Islands, owing to the drunken incapacity of the captain and first mate, and on the 15th, during the absence of the captain ashore, a mutiny on a small scale occurred among the steerage passengers. Finally Quebec was reached on the 29th of August, after a passage of nine weeks and three days. Cholera was at this time prevalent at Quebec, and while attending the funeral of a child, who had died on board on the day on which the voyage terminated, Mr. Howard contracted the disease in a mild form. His description of the scene in the cholera burying ground is not an attractive one. “We were obliged”, he says, “to wait several hours for a priest. There was no less than seven or eight waggons with rough deal coffins waiting in the hot sun for the said priest. The coffins were nailed together, of unseasoned inch boards, the lids had shrunk and warped, so that you could get your hand in, and the stench from them was dreadful.” On the 4th Mr. Howard started by steamboat for Montreal, where he arrived the next day. The journey from Montreal to York was made by coach as far as Cornwall, and the rest of the way by steamboat – the entire trip taking six days, making eleven weeks and three days from London. On the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Howard at York an incident occurred which completely changed their plans. “Going up Church Street from the landing, I was very much astonished to see in a huckster’s window a very handsome carving-knife and fork for sale of which I had made my brother-in-law a present before they left England. Going into the shop, judge of my surprise to find my wife’s sister, whom I believed to be in Goderich”. Mr. Howard had agreed to take apartments with a fellow-traveller, but as they could not be secured until the spring, he and his wife had to content themselves for the winter with an attic room and kitchen. And a very hard winter they put in. Before taking possession of his new quarters, Mr. Howard went with his brother-in-law to Hamilton, where he met a gentleman who informed him that the Honourable Peter Robinson had requested that the first architect who arrived at Hamilton should be sent to York. From this gentleman Mr. Howard obtained a letter of introduction to Mr. Robinson, but this letter was not delivered until the spring. From Hamilton Mr. Howard started for Goderich, but did not succeed in getting any farther than Paris. At this time there were only two houses in Paris, a tavern and a large farm house, the latter belonging to a Mr. Capon. With this gentleman Mr. Howard agreed to lay out the land for a village, taking a town lot of five acres in part payment for his professional services. But the food and lodging proved to be so bad that he was compelled to throw up the contract and return to Hamilton, and thence to York. On the advice of a friend Mr. Howard delayed presenting his letter of introduction to Mr. Robinson until he should be able to submit some specimen of his abilities as a draughtsman. Accordingly, he set to work in a cheerless attic, without any fire, and with only such light as was afforded by a sky-light, which during the greater part of the time was covered with snow. One can imagine what the sufferings of this heroic couple during the long winter must have been. However, Mr. Howard worked on bravely, and produced a series of designs for log houses, frame buildings, brick buildings, churches, villas, hotels, and rows of stores. With these he waited on Mr. Robinson about the middle of March; but finding his expected patron engaged, he left the drawings and the letter of introduction, and said he would call again in a week. At the time appointed the luckless architect called once more, only to find that the roll of drawings had not been opened. Then a scene occurred, which Mr. Howard shall himself describe: “I told him (Mr. Robinson) that I had been given to understand that a professional emigrant visiting Canada would receive the kindest attention from the Government employees, and that while drawing those plans I had sat in a garret for a month, without any fire, and only lighted from a skylight in the roof, oftentimes covered with snow, and that my wife had read to me; but I suppose he had read the story of the Boy and the Frogs – it was fun to him, but death to us. He turned pale, and said: ‘I am very sorry, Mr. Howard; but if you knew how I have been worried with business, you would not blame me.’ ‘That is quite sufficient, sir, and I am sorry for what I have said’, and we shook hands. He then wrote a letter to Col. Rowen, the Governor’s private secretary, asking him to lay the drawings on the Governor’s drawing-room table, as His Excellency was going to have a party that night.” This was done, and the result of the little stratagem was that next morning Mr. Howard received a summons to the Government House. He was most kindly received by Sir John Colborne, who complimented him upon the drawings, and asked permission to enter them in the competition which was shortly to take place for the position of drawing-master at Upper Canada College, for which there were already six applicants. Mr. Howard consented, although he had not prepared the drawings with the care he would have bestowed upon them had he known they were to be entered for a competition, and result justified his Excellency’s anticipations. Towards the latter end of March, Mr. Howard received a notification that the appointment had been awarded to him, and that he would be required to enter upon his new duties on the first day of April, 1833. The salary attached to the position was one hundred pounds sterling per annum, and the hours of attendance were three hours a day for four days in the week. Mr. Howard was permitted to carry on his professional work at the college in order to give his pupils an opportunity of acquainting themselves with the details of this particular branch of the art. In connection with his position at Upper Canada College, Mr. Howard related an incident which is worth reproducing, as giving an insight into Sir John Colborne’s domestic relations. “I had”, he says, “as pupils, three of his Excellency’s sons. His Excellency was very kind, and used to come to my room to see the boys at work. He said he wished me not to make any difference because they were the Governor’s sons; but to chastise them the same as the other boys, if necessary. The eldest son began to show his temper; but his father said he need not show his temper, for he meant what he said. I told his Excellency that I felt sure there would be no necessity for anything of the kind, as they were young gentlemen, and would always be treated as such by me.” But the drawing-mastership at Upper Canada College was not the only benefit that accrued to the disheartened architect from the exhibition of his designs at the Government House reception. Several gentlemen who had seen them, among the Dr. Widmer, Mr. James G. Chewett, and the Lord Bishop Stewart of Quebec, visited Mr. Howard and gave him orders for designs for church buildings. The story of the visit of the Bishop of Quebec is amusing: “His lordship called to pay his respects to Mrs. Howard, who was busy washing in one corner of a large kitchen. She took her hands out of the wash-tub, and the bishop shook hands with her, remarking that her small hands had never been used to that kind of work, and that if the ladies when they came to Canada would unbend as she had done, and, when necessary, perform such work, Canada would have a better name than she has now got.” The tide had now turned, and the despairing emigrant found himself on the high road to prosperity. Orders came in rapidly, and during the remainder of this year Mr. Howard had his hands full. He built Dr. Widmer’s cottage on Front Street, Thomas Mercer Jones’ villa on York and Front Streets, Chewett’s Buildings, and the British Coffee House – the latter on the part of the site now occupied by the Rossin House. He also erected the two lodges at the Queen Street entrance to the College Avenue, one of which was demolished in 1882. During the second year of Mr. Howard’s residence in Canada, 1834, the year of the incorporation of the City of Toronto, he was appointed by the Mayor, William Lyon Mackenzie, to the position of City Surveyor, and in this capacity he laid down the first side-walks in the city, consisting of two twelve-inch planks placed side by side longitudinally. He also gained the premium of 30 pounds for laying out the Market Block. Having practised as a land surveyor in England, Mr. Howard was desirous of adding that business to his practice as an architect, but found to his disgust that he could not do so without a license, and such a license was only obtainable after serving six months with a provincial land surveyor. Accordingly he made an arrangement with Mr. James G. Chewett, head draughtsman in the Crown Lands Department, under whom he was employed to make a survey of the harbour and peninsula. Subsequently he passed his examination, gave 500 pounds security to the Government, and on the 26th of January, 1836, received his license as a provincial land surveyor. In 1835 and 1836 Mr. Howard’s business had increased rapidly, for he drew plans and specifications, and let the contracts for twelve private dwelling houses and a number of stores, besides the fire hall and bell tower on Church Street. The following year he was in a position to build a private residence for himself – Colborne Lodge, High Park – and this only four years after he had despairingly worked in his fireless garret at the designs which were to bring him name and fame. During this year, too, in addition to work for private parties, he gained the premium of 45 pounds for the approved plan of the court-house and jail. This was the year of the Rebellion, and on the celebrated Thursday, the 7th of December, we find Mr. Howard leading the right wing of the scouting party sent up Yonge Street to reconnoitre the rebels congregated at Montgomery’s tavern. With the close of the year Mr. Howard retired upon his laurels, and removed, on the 23rd December, from Chewett’s Buildings to his new residence at High Park. He records the fact that on the morning of Christmas Day he shot a deer and some quail in the rear portion of the Park, near Bloor Street. During 1838 Mr. Howard was engaged, as City Engineer, in superintending the construction of various municipal works, and was also employed by the Lieutenant-Governor, Sir George Arthur, to make alterations in and additions to the Government House and to build a new ball-room. He also received from Sir George his commission as Lieutenant in the Fourth Regiment of West York Militia, in recognition of his services on the occasion of the Montgomery’s tavern affair. After the fire of the following year (1839), by which the church of St. James was destroyed, Mr. Howard was called upon to report upon the condition of the ruins. But the crowning triumph of his career was obtained in 1840, when he was awarded the premium of 30 pounds for the approved plan of the Provincial Lunatic Asylum. This success doubtless had the effect of spreading his reputation throughout the country, for during the next few years we find him superintending the erection of the court-house and jail at Peterborough and a new church at Chippewa; designing the alterations in Niagara church; building a new court-house and jail at Brockville; preparing plans for a jail and couthouse for the Johnston district; erecting a new bridge – his own patent – at Bronte; drawing plans, etc., for a new jail and court-house at Perth; building a stone church for the Indians at Tyendinaga; drawing plans for houses for the Indians at Owen Sound; receiving the first premium of 50 pounds for the approved plan for Queen’s College, Kingston; preparing the designs for Lennoxville College, for a large school-house at Quebec, and for churches at Lloydtown and Streetsville; building a church for the Indians on Manitoulin Island; making designs and estimates for and building churches and school-houses on Snake and Walpole Islands; building a branch of the Commercial Bank of Toronto at Hamilton; drawing plans and specifications for a new church at Newmarket; preparing several designs for Brock’s Monument, to be erected on Queenston Heights; taking the first prize and receiving instructions for the construction of a new market-house at Kingston; building St. John’s Church at York Mills; drawing plans and specifications for a new court-house at Belleville; for houses for the Indians at Saugeen; designing and erecting a branch bank at Hamilton and numerous private residences in various provincial towns. The vast extent of the business carried on at this time by Mr. Howard may be judged from the fact that the above operations were merely those undertaken by him outside the city during a period of six years; and that, compared with his undertakings at Toronto, all this was little or nothing. Yet, with this immense mass of business on his hands, he was in 1841 enabled to extend his sphere of operations, having received a license to practise as notary public. He was also engaged to some extent in arbitrations. Thus, in the year last named, he went to Kingston to settle the Duffil-McLeod building contracts, and the following year acted as arbitrator in settling the dispute between the Farmers’ Bank and John Ritchey, builder. Among the public works undertaken by Mr. Howard in Toronto at this period, and carried to a successful completion, were the following: Erection of the spire of St. Paul’s Church, Yorkville, 1841; swing bridge at the Humber; plans and specifications for the waterworks, Toronto; laying out St. James’ Cemetery; plans for a theatre in rear of 103 and 105 King Street, 1842; building a post-office on Wellington Street; constructing a main sewer and macadamising York Street form King to Wellington Street; laying out the grounds in front of Osgoode Hall; preparing designs for the Commercial Bank building, 1843; designing a Masonic hall and arcade from Wellington to Front Streets, 1844; designing and building the Bank of British North America, on the corner of Yonge and Wellington Streets; drawing plans and specifications of main sewers on King and Church Streets, 1845. And all this, it should be borne in mind, was in addition to Mr. Howard’s every-day duties as City Engineer – repairing streets, constructing new drains and culverts, levelling for side paths, laying out building lots, giving the levels for city buildings and settling accounts. Truly the man was indefatigable. It may be noted here, before passing on any further, that it was about this time, namely in 1842, that the first white brick building in the city was erected, Mr. Howard being the builder. The entry in his journal, date April the 1st, 1842, is as follows: “Built two stores on King Street, Nos. 103 and 105, with German silver sashes and plate glass. No. 103 was built with the first white brick that was used in the city. I gave the brick-maker 60 pounds for twenty thousand. They were made from the clay on Yonge Street, off Mr. Sheriff Jarvis’s lot at Rosedale, by a man named Craig, who had some trouble in keeping the clay separate.” In 1846 Mr. Howard was engaged in extensive surveys of the peninsula – the Island we call it now – and the Harbour. It seems strange to hear of the Island being laid out in streets, yet this was what was done. Mr. Howard laid out two hundred and eighty-three acres in fifty-seven two-acre lots “on Trafalgar Street, Marine Parade, on Fitzroy Street, going north from the lighthouse, Vernon Street, at right angles to it, and Rodney and Duncan Streets.” It will be noticed that the names of all these streets, with the exception of the first two, are those of celebrated British admirals. Later on in the year, Mr. Howard made an accurate survey of the sand ridges bounding Toronto Harbour and Ashbridge’s Bay. But a more important work in this connection was that which he undertook in consequence of a communication from the Hon. F. Bonthillier, of the Crown Lands Department, requesting him to make a survey and plan of Toronto Harbour, showing the best method of constructing an esplanade and docking on the north side thereof, and taking several lines of soundings running out from the water’s edge at the ends of the different streets and wharves for a distance of ten chains into the bay, and from such other points which might be deemed necessary to perfect the undertaking. The work was commenced on the 2nd of May and was completed on the 23rd of the same month, one thousand six hundred and thirty-eight soundings in all having been taken. In this year Mr. Howard, in addition to his usual amount of private work within the city, prepared plans and specifications for a large house, to cost 3,000 pounds, to be erected in Quebec, and for the Toronto House of Industry, no charge being made in the latter case for the work done. He also built for himself, on York Street, a white brick front dwelling house, which he subsequently sold to the Rossin, which became part of the Rossin House. During the following year Mr. Howard made further surveys in connection with the harbour, viz.: of Ashbridge’s Bay, and built two bridges; also of the eastern strip of land (now the marsh) which divides it from Toronto Harbour; of the northern side of the peninsula to the western point opposite the Queen’s Wharf; and another survey of the same from Knott’s House to the lighthouse, and from thence to the lake on the west side of the lighthouse. He also made a survey of the River Don from the bridge on King Street to the rear of the first concession of the Township of York. Another triumph of his constructive art was achieved this year in the erection, on Front Street, of a large brewery and malthouse, the principal walls of which were built of stone in caissons sunk in six feet of water. About this time Mr. Howard became interested in Lake Huron copper mines, becoming president of a company formed for the purpose of working a mine on Serpent River. He made a survey of the Island of St. Joseph in this district, and located the town of Hilton. Thorough business man as he was, Mr. Howard yet found leisure to cultivate the fine arts. In the “Catalogue of the First Exhibition of the Society of Artists and Amateurs of Toronto, 1834”, we find him mentioned as a member of the committee; and on glancing through the pages of the brochure, we came across his name again and again as the exhibitor of no less than eighteen paintings and designs. Mrs. Howard, too, appears to have shared her husband’s artistic tastes, for appended to the catalogue is a copy of a letter to that lady from the Honorary Secretary of the association, expressing a hope that she might be induced to exhibit a few of her paintings or drawings. In 1847 Mr. Howard was elected Vice-President and Treasurer of the newly formed Toronto Society – the successor of the Society of Artists and Amateurs – at whose first exhibition, in that year, he made over a score of exhibits. During 1848 and the two following years Mr. Howard designed a temporary Lunatic Asylum for use pending the completion of the structure which exists at the present day, and the corner-stone of which had been laid by Chief Justice Robinson on the 22nd of August, 1846. He also designed St. George’s Church, John Street, and constructed the spire of the old St. Andrew’s Church, on the corner of Church and Adelaide Streets. He received the contract for measuring the locks of the Welland Canal and estimating the extra cost, above contract price, of the stone work in the new locks. He surveyed and laid down an extra line of pipes for the waterworks, extending from the engine-house up Peter Street to the Reservoir, and surveyed and drew a plan of part of the city, showing the position of the mains, hydrants and service pipes, for A. Furnes – all this, as before, in addition to work for private parties and to his duties as City Engineer. In 1851 and 1852 our indefatigable architect and surveyor was, among his other multifarious duties, engaged in surveying the Garrison Common for the Ordinance Department, the latter having agreed to grant the city two hundred and seventy-eight acres to be converted into a park, provided the City Corporation would agree to clear and fence it. As City Engineer Mr. Howard made a plan of the proposed park and drew up the estimate of cost, 450 pounds; but owing to the unwillingness of the eastern members of the Council to agree to this outlay, the scheme fell through. With the exception of the survey of the Government Creek, this was the last public work Mr. Howard was destined to undertake for some time. For twenty years he had laboured incessantly with a success such as it has been given to few men to achieve. But now the wearied brain cried out for rest, and Mr. Howard’s medical advisor ordered him off to Europe. On the first of May, 1853, Mr. Howard, accompanied by his wife and a son of Mr. Rowsell, the printer, sailed from New York on the Cunard steamship Arabia for Liverpool. No sooner had the steamer got to sea than he was attacked by his old enemy, sea-sickness. There was a touch of humour in the sufferer’s description of the manner in which he struggled with his foe. He says: “Dr. Widmer had advised me to take gruel in case of sea-sickness; but a gentleman on board recommended champagne. The wine was the easiest to get on board, and we all took it. It turned like pyroligneous acid on my stomach and made me much worse. A Scotch gentleman – Mr. Mackenzie – a passenger, recommended a glass of water with a teaspoonful of raw oatmeal in it three times a day. This I took for eight days until we arrived at Liverpool.” The party arrived in London just seventeen days after leaving Toronto; rather a contrast to the eleven weeks and three days from London to Little York twenty-one years before. While in the English metropolis Mr. Howard was generally feted by the profession, dining with Sir Charles Barry, the architect of the Parliament Houses at Westminster, and with the Skinners’ Company. However, his physician soon ordered him away from the gaieties of London, and after a brief stay in the Isle of Wight, he visited Paris, and subsequently made a tour of some of the English counties. On the 7th of September he sailed for New York, and reached Toronto on the 26th of the same month, his health having been greatly improved by his holiday. Soon after his return, in October, Mr. Howard received instructions from the City Council to survey and locate, in conjunction with the Honourable Mr. Seymour, Engineer for the Northern Railway, the line of that road along the Esplanade, and to take it up the Government Creek, following the curves of the creek until the summit level should be gained. It will be remembered that the manner in which this Esplanade contract was subsequently let caused a great deal of dissatisfaction among the citizens. In January, 1853, Mr. Howard was appointed Associate Judge, as will be seen by the following letter: