Historedia
Person

John Graves Simcoe

Events
2
Episodes
6
Years
1793–1796

Every event in Historedia whose sources name John Graves Simcoe, with the role they cite and all of that event’s episodes. This is not a biography, and mentions are grouped by name, so two people with the same name can share this page.

Events and episodes

  1. John Graves Simcoe founds Toronto

    1793–1796

    Role: Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada; founder of York

    1. 1793 · town of York (present-day Toronto)Simcoe establishes York at Toronto

      Simcoe founded the town of York in 1793 on Toronto Purchase lands, naming it after Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany.

    2. August 1793 – 1796 · Queen's Rangers road route through Upper CanadaQueen's Rangers begin road construction

      Simcoe began building two roads through Upper Canada for defence, settlement, and trade, with the Queen's Rangers starting work in August 1793.

  2. Yonge Street Construction Begins

    1793–1796

    Role: Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada who planned the route and travelled the portage trail

    1. September 25, 1793 · Toronto Carrying-Place Trail, between Lakes Ontario and SimcoeSimcoe's defence planning and route survey

      Fearing American intervention in the War of the First Coalition, Simcoe planned a safer capital and overland routes to the upper lakes.

    2. Summer to end of 1794 · Thornhill and German Mills, northeast of TorontoBerczy's settlers clear the route around Thornhill

      William Berczy led 64 families to German Mills in 1794, and by year's end his settlers had cleared the road around Thornhill.

    3. 1795 · Yonge Street, York, Upper CanadaQueen's Rangers take over roadwork in 1795

      Work on the road started again in 1795 when the Queen's Rangers took over construction of the route that became Yonge Street.

    4. 1796 · Eglinton to Bloor Street, York, Upper CanadaBerczy extends the road south to the lakeshore

      In 1796 Berczy extended the road south from Eglinton to Bloor Street, needing a route to his warehouse on the Toronto lakeshore.

Sources

  1. John Graves Simcoe Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-27
  2. Toronto Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-30
  3. Yonge Street Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-30