Oakville’s Strawberry Fields: find urban lot

A demonstration of using the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources ‘Topographic Map’ utility to plot an historical Lot on a modern map.

Canada’s first strawberry plantings occurred in the 1860’s along a road that would later become the Queen Elizabeth Way highway. We are specifically looking for the farm of John Cross Jun. in Trafalgar South Township, HALTON Co.

The 1877 Walker & Miles Atlas of HALTON Co. indicates Concession 2S, Lot 12. Being unsure of the meaning of ‘2S’, we can look at a list of historical Concession names and plot the lot using the TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS. [See Maps Showing Land Parcels Tutorial].

THE STRAWBERRY STORY

The ‘Concession 2S’ location turns out to be the 2nd Concession South of Dundas Street.

SOURCES

Oakville Strawberry Pickers 29 Jul 1876
Sketch by William Cruickshank
Canadian Illustrated News Vol. XIV, No. 5, pg. 69
http://eco.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.8_06230_352/6?r=0&s=1