It was while Richard MacLeod was helping his uncle research local history that his grandmother told him he was a real “history hound.” The moniker stuck. The Newmarket man, known for his depth of knowledge of all things Newmarket and member of the Newmarket Historical Society and local genealogy enthusiast, used that title for the many years…
Author: HistoryHound
ROOTED: History Hound Digs Up Tales Of Newmarket’s Past
Richard MacLeod came by his passion for local history naturally, with roots in the area stretching back to 1801, and generations of amateur historians in the family. It was while Richard MacLeod was helping his uncle research local history that his grandmother told him he was a real “history hound.” The moniker stuck. The Newmarket man,…
Saying Farewell To A Dear Friend, Mentor Jack West
While I am no longer doing a weekly column for NewmarketToday, I will be popping up when an important topic arises. The passing of Jack West is such a moment, and this short tribute will hopefully convey how much the community and I will miss his presence. It is funny how we tend to categorize life into…
Were We Really Better Off In The ‘Good Old Days’?
Were the “good old days” really better, or are we just programmed to look back fondly at the past, thinking life was so much better back then? I grew up in the 1950s, and I know I tend to look back nostalgically at that decade, and at times find comfort in that. While the past may seem to…
Were We Really Better Off In The ‘Good Old Days’?
Were the “good old days” really better, or are we just programmed to look back fondly at the past, thinking life was so much better back then? I grew up in the 1950s, and I know I tend to look back nostalgically at that decade, and at times find comfort in that. While the past may seem to…
Davis Drive Had A Vital Role in Newmarket History
Quakers Came To Play Central Role In Anti-Slavery Movement
This column is Part 2 of my two-part series on slavery and the Quaker movement. You can read Part 1 here. An ever-increasing number of free Black Christians prompted the slaveholders to create the concept of white supremacy. We begin to see lawmakers write new laws, redefining citizenship to include the word “white” and “Christian.” This was…
Were The Quakers Actually The First Abolitionists?
My next two articles on NewmarketToday will centre on a topic that has intrigued me going back to my early days as a budding historian. I tend not to take what I am told about our history as gospel and frequently have questions. As a child I was intrigued by the Quaker faith and its place within our local…
Oliver Edgar Trench
In this column, I continue documenting the extraordinary lives of Newmarket pioneers of the early 1900s In previous columns, the name Oliver Edgar Tench has surfaced regarding the designing of local schools, buildings and houses, so I felt he was an excellent historical character to examine as part of this series. Oliver Edgar Tench (1859-1941)…
Few Could Afford TVs In Its Early Days
This is part two of a series on the history of Canadian television. You can read part one about the most popular and long-running shows here. I must confess, in the past, I have been prone to watching too much television, more than was likely good for me. Today, I tend to watch primarily sporting events…
