Toronto in the 1850s

This page lists the 12 events that the site's timeline dates to the 1850s, from 1850 to 1859. Each entry states one fact that the linked article also states, so the article is the place to find the sources and any disagreement between them.

Dated events

• 1850
  The Toronto Necropolis was established as the city's second non-sectarian burial ground. Toronto Necropolis and Toronto’s Historic CemeteriesBuildings and places
• 1850
  St. Lawrence Hall, designed by William Thomas, replaced the market building destroyed in the fire of 1849. St. Lawrence Market: From the 1803 Market Block to 2025Buildings and places
• 1850
  King's College became the nondenominational University of Toronto. University of Toronto History: King’s College to FederationBusiness and institutions
• 1851
  The Anti-Slavery Society of Canada was formed in Toronto in response to the American Fugitive Slave Act. Black Torontonians and the Underground Railroad, 1826 to 1860Communities
• 1851
  The cornerstone of Trinity College, the church university founded by John Strachan, was laid. University of Toronto History: King’s College to FederationBusiness and institutions
• 1853
  The first passenger train in Upper Canada left from a wooden shed opposite the Queen's Hotel on Front Street. Union Station, Toronto: History, Architecture, and RoleTransport and infrastructure
• 1854
  Mary Ann Shadd's newspaper, the Provincial Freeman, resumed publication in Toronto. Mary Ann Shadd: Editor of the Provincial FreemanPeople
• 1855
  The Grand Trunk Railway opened a station at Front and Bay streets, which became the first Union Station when the Great Western Railway arrived in December. Union Station, Toronto: History, Architecture, and RoleTransport and infrastructure
• 1855
  The Bank of Toronto was incorporated. Toronto-Dominion Bank and the Toronto Stock Exchange: HistoryBusiness and institutions
• 1856
  The Toronto Hebrew Congregation, today Holy Blossom Temple, was founded. Jewish Toronto: History of the CommunityCommunities
• 1858
  A severe storm cut a permanent channel through the sandy peninsula, turning it into the Toronto Islands. Toronto Harbour and Waterfront: How the Shore Was RebuiltNature and environment
• 1859
  Construction of the main Gooderham and Worts distillery complex began. The Distillery District: Gooderham and Worts, 1832 to TodayBuildings and places

Further reading on the 1850s

• Toronto Necropolis and Toronto’s Historic Cemeteries
• St. Lawrence Market: From the 1803 Market Block to 2025
• University of Toronto History: King’s College to Federation
• Black Torontonians and the Underground Railroad, 1826 to 1860
• Union Station, Toronto: History, Architecture, and Role
• Mary Ann Shadd: Editor of the Provincial Freeman
• Toronto-Dominion Bank and the Toronto Stock Exchange: History
• Jewish Toronto: History of the Community
• Toronto Harbour and Waterfront: How the Shore Was Rebuilt
• The Distillery District: Gooderham and Worts, 1832 to Today
• Railways in 19th-Century Toronto: Great Western and Grand Trunk
• Trinity College, Toronto: History from 1852 to Federation

Other decades

The 1840s · Full timeline · Lost and rebuilt Toronto