Finding Mississauga Abroad

Whenever I travel, I find myself drawn to making connections back to Mississauga. This past summer we had the opportunity to travel to the United States and spend some time in Washington D.C. and in New York City. I must admit that I started this article several months ago, but always seemed to get pulled in other directions and never managing to finish it. Regardless, our vacation gave us an opportunity to explore places we had never been to before, and, at least for me, to marvel at some of the links we found that connected back to Mississauga along the way.

Our drive down to Washington took us through large swaths of rural Pennsylvania – and I must admit that I am becoming quite enamoured with Pennsylvania in recent years – and the countless ties between “here and there” that connect to the early settlement years of Mississauga and many families coming here from Pennsylvania. While this trip did not allow us the time to visit historic Gettysburg and explore the history of the American Civil War (it is on my bucket list, though!), I did read up on some Canadian links, and specifically ties to historic Mississauga. Meadowvale-area residents Luther Cheyne (1831-1914), James McKinney (1835-1911) and Andrew Allison (1802-1866) are said to have travelled to Washington for the inauguration of President Abraham Lincoln in 1861 – something that I reflected upon when thinking both of the Civil War and when visiting the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. Another local connection to the Civil War comes from Dr. Charles Mitchell Jr. (1839-1864). Born near Erindale (in modern Mississauga), he enlisted with the 110th New York Volunteers as a surgeon for the Union Army in 1863, prior to the Battle of Gettysburg in 1864. He died of illness while serving at Fort Jefferson in Florida. Many other Canadians also served in the Civil War.

Library of Congress, Washington DC

Exploring Washington itself also brought some connections to home, including a visit to the Library of Congress. Jeremy Adamson served as the Chief of Prints and Photographs Division and as the Director of Collections and Services for the Library of Congress – he was born in 1943, the youngest son of Anthony and Augusta Adamson of the beloved Adamson Estate in the Lakeview area of Mississauga.

Amidst visits to countless other sites around Washington (highly recommend the Supreme Court and the fascinating Planet Word), I marvelled at the randomness of hailing a taxi, only to find ourselves in fast conversation with our driver who had lived, for a short time, in Mississauga, and was asking us questions about his former home!

Fraunces Tavern

After bidding adieu to Washington, our driving trip took us through New Jersey. On the way, while stopped in traffic, I spied the road sign for Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Immediately I was drawn to the story of Joseph Silverthorn (1785-1879), an early Loyalist settler who was born in New Jersey, and arrived in historic Mississauga in 1807. Together with his wife Jane, they established a home they called Cherry Hill, which is amongst our oldest surviving heritage buildings in Mississauga today.

During our visit to New York City, it was very apparent (and very, very hot) that we did not leave ourselves enough time to explore the sites – just so much to see and do! After visits to Central Park, the Empire State Building, World Trade Centre memorial and New York Central Library (which was truly marvelous!), we ended up at Samuel Fraunces’ Tavern – built in 1719 and the site of General George Washington’s farewell to his officers following the American Revolution in 1783 – and a place to still have dinner today! Located nearby Fraunces’ Tavern is historic Stone Street – itself a pedestrian marvel within the metropolis of New York. Located many years ago in this area was a hotel operated by Edward Couenhoven (later spelt Covenhoven). It is recorded that George Washington was a frequent guest at Couenhoven’s establishment, and the hotel played host to many revolutionary meetings. However, things may not have always been as they seemed, as published histories on the American Revolution indicate that Edward Couenhoven kept tabs on the conversations and plans of General Washington by means of a large flume that connected the General’s meeting room and the basement kitchen, and suspicion suggests that Edward conveyed what he learned to others. Edward’s sons, Peter and James, came to Canada in the 1790s, settling in historic Mississauga after 1807, where the family’s surname was anglicized to Conover.

Our return trip brought us near the Corning Glass Museum in Corning, New York. Corningware, and later Pyrex products, became household staples. The history of the company traces back to Amory Houghton of Massachusetts in 1851. With the company’s relocation to New York in 1868, the products gained in fame, and local potters and ceramic makers started to adopt Houghton’s processes and market Corning ware glass materials. Amongst them was Streetsville’s John Scruton (1825-1896), who was listed as a “Corning Maker” in the 1881 census.

I always find it a fascinating exploration to make connections to home while travelling abroad.