Short Sketches Of Newmarket History by . Ethel Willson Trewhella To prepare a reply to the interrogation, "Why should Newmar- ket be chosen as the County Town of the re-arranged County of York?" one's thoughts will at once re-travel the pages of its history in the light of that destiny which had shaped its future, roughly- hewn as it sometimes was. A portion of the history of Newmarket is connected with those romantic days of fur trader and voyageur, when the North West Trading barons skilfully directed the government, when Lord Dor- chester bargained with the Indians and Governor Simcoe missed his way while on his trip of exploration to Holland Landing. There he stumbled upon a second trail which made an entire change of plan. Yonge Street was surveyed and named in honor of Sir George Young, British Minister of War but because of certain of these transactions upper Yonge St. was left "uncertain as to legal tenure." Against this past stands that intrepid colonizer, Timothy Rogers, who, in 1800, came on an exploratory survey of the new country and travelled as far north as Lake aux Claies, renamed Lake Simcoe. He decided that this was good land and as he rested that traditional June night on the hill of the ancient trail where now stands the County Registry Office, doubtless his thoughts had been of peace and fulfilment that here was a land to which he could safely lead his Quaker colonists. That Timothy Rogers recognized a good and promising section of land and hurried to record his ownership is implied in his Jour- nal: "It seemed to me I must go to York... and by a great deal of hard travel got to York and then went 30 or 40 miles back and following my concern made way to apply to Lieut. Governor, Peter Hunter. Although the land was viewed by a Company before me I got back and got a grant of 40 farms of 200 acres each." Con- cluding this trip of 2,200 miles exploring for the Friends, he writes: "We had a great move and many trials but got on the ground about the first of the 5th month, 1801." Elisha Beman had arrived at York in 1795 and because he had assisted that town when it needed help, the Executive Council had rewarded him by permission to purchase 1,000 acres of land when- ever and wherever he chose to petition. He was another shrewd business man and closely watched various projects developing in the new colony and his petition, dated 6th of April, 1798, was pre- sented to the Council at York. Page Two Elisha Beman Elisha Beman, in 1802, married Esther, the widow of Chris- topher Robinson and thus he became stepfather to the Robinson brothers who were destined for a prominent place in Canadian politics and Newmarket's economic life. He encouraged his step- son, John Beverly Robinson, to attend school at Cornwall which was conducted by the Rev. John Strachan. By all of this it appears he was well established in the good graces of the Executive Council at York, which circumstance had an important bearing on later events in the northern settlement. The settlement of the town of Newmarket was at the east end of Lots No. 93, 94, 95, and through all three flowed the east branch of the Holland River. In October, 1804, Joseph Hill sold to Elisha Beman the north half of Lot 93. Subsequent events revealed how important had been the transfer of land from Joseph Hill to Elisha Beman whereby Beman became the legal owner of the mill already built by Hill. In days gone by: Moses Bogart, father of the late Edgar Bogart, well know citizen of Newmarket is shown at pump which was on Garbutt Hill where Prospect St. is. : A '. : &, os . A 'Ve tne <*, e i) ~~ & "> &. s* s. _ow . " i hd .