The Great Fire of Toronto, 1904

Yesterday, April 19, marked the anniversary of the Great Fire of Toronto.

On the windy and cold April evening in 1904, flames were spotted in an industrial building on Wellington Street, just west of Bay. The fire quickly spread in every direction and continued until around 5pm the following day. The fire affected about 13 acres of commercial property downtown, and destroyed over 100 buildings. Five thousand people were left without work.

The aftermath of the Great Fire, 1904

City of  Toronto Archives Fonds 1244, item 2

It affected our community and our city, and yet the Great Fire seems to go unmentioned in any of Archbishop Denis O’Connor’s records. Our bishop’s papers represent the administrative history of the Archdiocese, and thankfully no Archdiocesan property was affected by the fire.

We were excited to find the fire documented in the daily journals of Toronto Catholic Matthew O’Connor. Records of parishioners fall outside of our collection mandate, but somehow O'Connor's journals found their way into our collection. And, in moments like this, we're especially thankful to have them.

The Greatest Fire in Toronto's history began tonight at 8:30 and continued all night... began on Wellington Street opposite Holland House. Destroying both sides of Bay from Melinda down to the Bay...Front Street.. Esplanade ave. all business places in neighborhood. loss about $10 000 000. Cold stormy night for the fire.

Matthew O'Connor Daily Journal, 1904
DC Item #59
ARCAT Desk Calendar Collection

It's interesting to see the fire described by a Torontonian of the day. The scope and estimated damage were unlike anything the city had seen in its history. Some amazing footage of the fire was captured and distributed across Canada by photographer George Scott and his assistant. Scott's film is now available on Youtube. Video Courtesy of Library & Archives Canada, ISN #16107

The rebuilding in the years that followed the Fire helped shape the city as we know it today. Tucked into O'Connor's journal was a clipping showing plans for the new Union Station to be built in the "Burnt District".

undated clipping
DC Item #59
ARCAT Desk Calendar Collection

You can find more information and more photographs of Great Fire of Toronto on the Archives of Ontario website here.

Writing in the New Year

It is hard to believe we are already several days into 2018!

To mark the beginning of a new calendar year, our blog post this week looks back to one man's start to a new year in Toronto 120 years ago.

Matthew O'Connor Daily Journal, 1898
DC Item #53
ARCAT Desk Calendar Collection

ARCAT holds almost 30 years worth of personal diaries of Matthew O'Connor, a prominent Catholic layman in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Ireland in 1825, Matthew O'Conner moved to Toronto in 1840, making a name for himself as a plate glass manufacturer and also an artist. He was a parishioner of Our Lady of Lourdes and was an active member of many church organizations. 

He was also an avid diarist, writing entries every day.

By his accounts, 1898 was off to a bitterly cold start (something we can certainly relate to in January of 2018.)  By Wednesday, the opportunity to sleigh was nearly gone but fine winter days continued all week.

On January 1st O'Connor attended mass at Our Lady of Lourdes and wrote: "Very Very Cold ... Frost Causes Pipes to Burst at 106!!"

Matthew O'Connor Daily Journal, 1898
DC Item #53
ARCAT Desk Calendar Collection

O'Conner notes how John Shaw won the municipal election on January 3rd.

Matthew O'Connor Daily Journal, 1898
DC Item #53
ARCAT Desk Calendar Collection

So there you have it, a look into how one Torontonian started his new year one hundred and twenty years ago. Let's hope we can be as organized as Mr. O'Conner as we plan for the year ahead of us!