ECKARDT PIONEERS

The following letter was found in a box of books left at an antique store several decades ago and recently passed along to share here.

 

THE ECKARDT PIONEERS OF MARKHAM TOWNSHIP
as told by
A.J.H. ECKARDT

I was born in Unionville, Ontario, 70 years ago last November 4 th, where also was born my father, the late William Eckardt, on March 11 th, 1824, and his father in 1798. My great-grandfather, Philip Eckhardt was born in what is now Norristown, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, July 23, 1759. His wife was of Danish origin. At that time Pennsylvania was a British Colony. My great-grandfather was a millwright and carpenter by trade and was engaged by the British government for ten years – 1792 to 1802, under the Berczy settlement. He was engaged to look after the building of the mills. These mills, which were located on the north wing of the Don River about three miles east of Thornhill, were known as the German Mills and included a Sawmill, Gristmill, Tannery, Brewery, Distillery and Store. Eckardt’s father-in-law was a Tanner and looked after the Tannery and store for the British Government.

Philip Eckardt built a trail road from the mills to York – now Toronto – via Thornhill following in general the course of what is now Yonge Street. One can still see the old rail road at York Mills. At Mount Pleasant Cemetery it climbed up and down the sides of the hills. It cannot be seen there now but I remember it as a boy. But at York Mills one can still drive over it up on the east side of the hill, which I often do just in memory of my great-grandfather. (Sentiment) This was called the Eckardt Road and was simply surface road quickly built. From Thornhill to German Mills it was not straight but curved around the knolls. Of this part there is nothing left but some foundations underground sticking out here and there. Yonge St. was named after an engineer who, about 1820, straightened it out from the surface trail and built it through to Lake Simcoe.

The old Log Home which Philip Eckardt built in the years 1792 to 1794 is still standing about one mile north of Unionville on Lot 17, where the Lutheran Cemetery now is. The Lutheran Church, at one time, stood on this lot but was moved down into the village. It is stated that the old home has never vacant since it was built. In the early day, Governor Simcoe and other prominent men would make this their stopping-place for days at a time when it was necessary for Simcoe to go out to straighten out grievances of the new settlers. The room in which Governor Simcoe slept is intact to this day.

In the days when the country was a wilderness, the Don River was quite a large river compared to the Don of today. Flat-bottomed scows carried light freight back and forth from the German Mills to Toronto.

Berczy absconded, which left Philip in full charge. He looked after the building of the house for Governor Simcoe and other officials who came out from England – also all the buildings in connection with the Capitol York. His work included the building of the Wharf and three log houses where Queen St. now crosses the Don. These houses were for the purpose of receiving freight coming across the Lake – also for the receiving the emigrant. One of these old log-houses now belongs to the York Pioneers and is located in the Toronto Exhibition Grounds.

When Berczy abandoned, Simcoe sent three men after but they could not get him as he got in among the French at Montreal who protected him. The French and English were not very friendly at this time. Simcoe’s aim was to set an example so nothing of this sort would happen again in the new settlement.

Philip Eckardt surveyed Markham Township by degrees as it was required for settlement and completed the survey in 1794. It is stated that Markham was the first township in Ontario to be surveyed. He then started the Scarboro Township survey in 1796 and Vaughn in 1800. His last work during his contract with the British Government was building the old forts. One of the helpers, Matthias Sanders, was of one of the 60 families who came from Pennsylvania. Everyone had to have a trade and understand American British Colony Pioneering. Sanders was a ship carpenter and took up land at German Mills, farm lots 1 and 2 on the 3 rd concession and 4 th line of Markham Township. He was killed at the Battle of York in 1812. There is a head-stone erected to his memory in Thornhill Cemetery.

The pioneers received regular wages and a bonus of 60 pounds a year. For ten years Eckhardt received 200 pounds a year with a 60 pound bonus. Land was allotted by the Government. After they built and settled on their homesteads they had to show the new-comers, emigrants from England, Ireland and Scotland, how to “pioneer a forest” – i.e. clear the land.

After Philip’s ten year contract with the British Government was ended he built a sawmill and gristmill at Unionville. The gristmill was burnt down about 1840 but the sawmill was operated until about 1855 when it was abandoned. I well remember the sawmill after its abandonment in the old 1860’s and 1870’s. Philip Eckardt had seventeen children all born in the old log house above Unionville. The first storekeeper at Unionville was Andrew Eckardt, who was also first postmaster in the Arthur Davidson store and house.

My Grandmother Eckardt was born at Unionville in 1803. Her maiden name was Catherine Helmke and her mother and father were among the 60 families who came from Pennsylvania under Berczy. My grandmother, on my mother’s side, Sarah Mitchell Hastings, was born on the old Hastings’ Homestead near Ringwood and Almira, in 1812. My mother, Sarah Hastings Harrington, was born in Markham Township at Milnsville, two and one-half miles north of Markham Village, on October 9, 1836. My mother’s father was Captain John Harrington from Mory County, Tyrone, Ireland and was Scotch-Irish descent. His parents were Jackson Harrington, a prominent merchant in Londonderry and Mory, Ireland, and Mary Cheery. Cap. John Harrington settled in Markham township, Milnsville in 1809 and was one of the prominent merchants of the county of York. He had several branchstores – one at Lemonville and three or four in Uxbridge Township.

My great-grandfather Cap. Thos. Hastings was born in Tyrone County Ireland on the Homestead “Greystone”. His wife was Sarah Mitchell who was of Scotch-Irish descent, born on the Homestead “Black Hill”, a few miles from Londonderry, Ireland. Cap. Thos. Hastings came to Markham in 1811. My great, great-grandfather Col. Hastings was born in Essex England. He went to Dublin where he became a Colonel of the Dublin Fuellesters.

The following were among the organizers and reorganizers of the Queen’s Rangers and York Rangers:

Cap. Thos. Hastings – my great-grandfather
Cap. James Hastings – my great-uncle
Cap. John Harrington – my grandfather, whose sword and some military clothes we still have in the family
Cap. Andrew Eckardt – my great-uncle
Cap. Tobias Eckardt – my cousin who taught me at Unionville school
Cap. Wm. Braithwite – cousin who also taught me at Unionville school
Cap. Salem Eckardt – my great-uncle who was a great friend of Col. Britton, and Col. Cruickshank, whom I remember well, when I was a little boy.

Such men as Captain Archie Barker of Markham Village, who was best man at Grandfather Harrington’s wedding, and Captain Milliken were great friends of our people.

The Eckardts came to Pennsylvania to the British Colony in 1703, where three generations were born. Three unmarried brothers, Abraham, Philip and Gottlieb – German names – left Ostromanda, Prussia and sailed from Brugges, Belgium, in the Spring of 1703 for Philadelphia, Pa. Dr. Kaiser, Ex-M.P. of Oshawa, Ont., who takes a great interest in the early days of Canada and especially Ont., states that as far back as he can trace I am the oldest man, by generations, in Ont. I gave him some names of men just as old as I, whose families came with the 60 under contract with Berczy. There are not many – only about four. In the early days many went back to Pennsylvania when it was a new state. This was especially true of those in the western part of the province because there was no market for their produce.

Well I am the sixth generation who has lived in the Markham township and for these many mentioned reasons, it is no wonder that I love to go back to Markham and to Unionville in particular.