TORONTO STREET NAMES: AN ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO THEIR ORIGINS.

Willowdale, Ontario: Firefly, 2000. 244 pp, 10" H. Map endpapers, profusely illustrated in b&w with photoraphs, reproductions. Arranged alphabetically. "Some street names commemorate faraway places where Canadians died fighting. Others commemorate the lives of brewers, politicians, architects, royalty, explorers and farmers. Still others echo the names of villages, towns and grand homes sadly left behind, as well as the impressive estates built by Toronto's early elite. Murder, rebellion, unrequited love, bankruptcy, generosity, religious fervour and social idealism are revealed behind the familiar names of streets we pass every day. Montgomery Avenue recalls an honest innkeeper sentenced to death in the aftermath of the Rebellion of 1837, who cursed his accusers and lived to see them all in their graves. Davenport was used as a trail for centuries before it became a road and Glen Edyth marks the spot where a gracious and luxurious mansion was built by a piano-maker for his beloved wife. In all, the stories behind the naming of more than 350 streets are presented here. Entries are cross-referenced so the reader can follow up on stories that interconnect, tracing the intricate patterns of history that have made Toronto the city it is today." Interior - clean and tight with no previous ownership marks. Exterior - very minor edge wear otherwise clean and bright.. Not Signed. First Edition. Soft Cover. Very Good+.