Archaeological site.
Details of Site Location: Located near Reesor Road, north of Finch and the Metro Zoo at the point where Markham, Scarborough and Pickering Townships meet.
PDM: TEA Borden # A1Gt 7
Boundary History: The site is estimated at 5 to 7 acres.
Current Use of Property: The area is under development.
Historical Description: The Little Rouge River flows south through the area north of Finch, and Reesor Road drops south from Steeles along the river’s west side to end at Old Finch Avenue. The Reesor family had many lots in the area. Simon, Peter, Noah, and Benjamin Reesor ownee five lots among them. They were Pennsylvania Mennonites who arrived in 1802 and Peter was first to establish a farm on the south side of Steeles. The Amos Reesor House still stands on the south side of Steeles near Beare Road. The area was intact during the family’s ownership until Senator David Reesor, a descendant, laid out a subdivision on his land, expecting that it would become the capital of Scarborough Township. This did not happen and the area remained slow to grow. The existence of an aboriginal village on the site had been known from at least the 1960s. In 1971, Konrad identified it as Iroquoian and a village which existed from approximately 1420 to 1470 A.D. which almost places it in Historic time. David Boyle had noted the site in 1896.
Relative Importance: Konrad ranked the site as 3/5 in importance and 2/5 threatened. Contemporary archaeologists and historians, in looking at development in the area would raise the level of threats today.
Planning Implications: The area should be flagged for full archaeological investigation as soon as possible. The area should remain protected until investigation can be made. Sites associated with the Rouge River are still possible to learn from, while those in most of the city have been destroyed in whole or in part.
Reference Sources: David Boyle, The Township of Scarborough 1796-1896; Victor A. Konrad, The Archaeological Resources of the Metropolitan Toronto Planning Area, 1973; R.F. Williamson, The Archaeology of the Parsons Sites – A Fifty Year Perspective, 1968.
Acknowledgements: Maps Project; Ontario Archaeological Society, Toronto Branch.