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Gov. S'imeoe brought the roads to early Whitby By EUGENE HENRY John Grave Simcoe, an aristocratic soldier from England, dominated the days of first settiement in Canada (1800) and he was the key figure in the growth and development of Whitby Ontario. After a tour of duty with theBritish army in the American colonies he asked to be assigned to Canada and the Colonial office obliged. He came to his post at York with defense concepts for Upper Canada that proved to be highly beneficial for the develop- ment of the country. He had other ideas, however, that were in conflict with the basic concepts of his settlers and they contributed to years of dissent and even- tually to the short-tived MacKenzie Rebellion of 1837. Simcoe felt that the republican Americans of those days were an ever- present and real threat to Upper Canada. He, therefore, decided to build military roads between the main population centres-- between Windsor and York, Kingston and York, Younge St. north to Lake Simcoe etc. Army engineers carried out the survey work and cîvilian contractors did the road and bridge building. One,Asa Danforth, was his prime contractor. They did a fine job. The Gîmcoe surveyors flot only laid out the main roads but supervised the con- cession and lot lines as well within the township boun- daries. The work began in 1792 and it was completed before the l9th century came to a close. It was John Graves Sim- coe who laid that main line, between York and Kingston and it was who authorized the interesecting Centre Road too that is now High- way 12 and Brock Street. It was on this intersection that our Peter Perry founded the little settiement called Perry's Corners in 1836. It eventually became the Town of Whitby. Simcoe's philosophical concept were typical of the times in England but in serious conflict with free men organizing a new life in British North America. He wanted to create in Upper Canada a world that was governed by the elite of aristocratic, land owning of- CONT DON PC. 19 WHITBY FREE PRESS, "OUR HISTORICAL FIERITAGE', WEDNESDAY, J UNE 11,1 9 80, PAGE 17 Creigahton House ' Pictured here is the Brooklin home of Professor N. Donald Creighton. The homie is located on Princess Street and was built around 1875. Creighton, who passed away earlier this year, was one of Canada's finest historians and his books on Sir John A MacDonald and the St.Lawrence Seaway have lead historical thought in this country for many years. The professor's widow still lives here, and she is in her own right, another of- Canada's best historians. -Photo courtesy of the Henry Heritage Collection St. John 's Church This is St.John's Anglican Church on Victoria Street. It is probably Whitbys oldest place of worship, construc- ted in 1M4. Captian James Rowe helped to build the church and was its fil-st warden. -Photo courtesy of the Henry Heritage Collection