This week’s look back in time is to our neighbourhood in 1876 as sketched by P.A. Gross (oldtorontomaps.blogspot.ca). In a remarkable feat of stamina over 3 years, Mr. Gross walked every street and laneway in Toronto while drawing 14,000 private and public buildings. His illustrations were then combined to create a “birds eye view” map that is 5 ft x 3 ft in size showing the city as it was at that time.

This section of the map shows the Toronto General Hospital on Gerrard St. E. between Sumach and Pine St. (now Sackville St.), and a much sparser housing landscape than we have today.

See the entire map at Historical Maps of Toronto (oldtorontomaps.blogspot.ca).

Note: If you look at the lower right side of the full map in the section showing individual buildings, you will also see an image of the Nasmith Bakery which we have written about in a past feature.