The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California

Fences

Here we see the Dundas Street Toll House, as it was known, in all its simple wooden dignity. On its wall for all travellers to see hung the sign, like the one printed below, outlining the tolls to be collected. "Vehicle drawn by two horses or other cattle —6 pence." And dated New Year's Day, 1851. All have gone long since. Now it is motor cars and aeroplanes.

TWO more Ontario toll gates of interest. The upper one seems of a more advanced and well-planned type with its sheltering roof for the wayfarer as he got out his purse and paid the shot. Note the small receiving window to the right of the doorway. Doubtless it was used at night, thus saving dressing and going outside. The lower toll gate was at Brockton (Parkdale, Toronto) and shows a typical winter scene of the times, three creaking sleigh loads of wood.

THE upper drawing shows the old post office at Brockton, which became a suburb of Toronto known as Parkdale, and later became part of the city itself. The earliest known date of the post office was 1855. It is an interesting period piece, with the sunflowers showing over the top of the horizontal board fence and the long dress of the woman depicted trailing the mud and dirt from the path, as was then the unhealthy custom.

Below is St. James Church, Caledon East, Peel County, illustrating three types of fencing, and the gate. The carriage sheds to the left were almost a church necessity in those days, and a few may still be seen about the Canadian countryside.