A treasure trove of incredible lives lived.
— RICK MERCER, comedian and author
Muir sets out to restore the faces of women who worked and struggled in nineteenth-century Toronto. A fascinating read.
— WARREN CLEMENTS, author and publisher
Emphasizes the enormously influential role women had in laying the groundwork for life in the city today.
— DR. ROSE A. DYSON, author of Mind Abuse: Media Violence and Its Threat to Democracy
Women in nineteenth-century Toronto were integral to the life of the growing city. They contributed to the city’s commerce and were owners of stores, factories, brickyards, market gardens, hotels, and taverns; as musicians, painters, and writers, they were a large part of the city’s cultural life; and as nurses, doctors, religious workers, and activists, they strengthened the city’s safety net for those who were most in need.
Their stories are told in this wide-ranging collection of biographies, the result of Muir’s research on early street directories and city histories, personal diaries, and other historical works. Muir references over four hundred women, many of whom are discussed in detail, and describes the work they undertook during a period of great change for Toronto.
Authors
- Pages
- 272
- Published in
- Toronto, CA
Table of Contents
- Cover 1
- Half Title 3
- Title 5
- Copyright 6
- Dedication 7
- Contents 9
- Preface 11
- 1 Toronto: A "New World" City 13
- 2 Women in Nineteenth-Century Toronto: Their Work and Station 19
- 3 Early Settlers 37
- 4 Adventurers 63
- 5 The De Grassi Girls and Other Spies 75
- 6 Women and Religion 83
- 7 Proprietors of Boarding Houses, Taverns, and Hotels 117
- 8 Visual, Literary, and Performing Artists 127
- 9 Professionals 163
- 10 Reforming Philanthropists 189
- 11 Epilogue 201
- Acknowledgements 205
- Appendix A: Selected Toronto and Area Streets Commemorating or Connected to Nineteenth-Century Women 209
- Appendix B: Historical Plaques in Toronto and Area Commemorating or Connected to Nineteenth-Century Women 215
- Notes 221
- Bibliography 235
- Image Credits 247
- Index 249
- About the Author 267