Remembering Mississauga’s Emerson Taylor

Emerson Taylor from the 1877 Historical Atlas of Peel County

Writing some years ago, local author Evelyn Crickmore wrote a series of articles in the local newspaper on the history of Erindale Village in Mississauga. One of her articles focused on Emerson Taylor, proprietor and innkeeper of the famed Royal Exchange Hotel in Erindale. According to Mrs. Crickmore, “one cannot delve very far into the history [of Erindale] without learning something of one of its most outstanding characters and a friend to all, Emerson Taylor, Hotel Keeper, Magistrate, and owner of much property in the village.”

Emerson was a well-known and much-respected member of the community during his lifetime. Stories shared on the history of Erindale Village in the 1960s fondly recalled Emerson, more than 70 years after his passing. Although Emerson is not remembered with a street name, as many early prominent citizens were, he can certainly be considered as one of the driving forces behind the early growth and success of Erindale Village – even though he never knew the village as Erindale in his lifetime. During Emerson’s time here, the village was called Springfield or Springfield-on-the-Credit.

Royal Exchange Hotel, Erindale, c1905, courtesy of the Region of Peel Archives

Emerson was born on August 1, 1814 in Bradford, Pennsylvania, the eldest son of Israel Taylor and Thirza Plum. Emerson’s parents had come from New York and Connecticut, respectively. Israel and Thirza had 10 children: Emerson (1814-1893), Emily (1816-1894), Hiram (1818-1893), Oliver (1820-1888), Marjorie (1822-1887), Huldah (1823-1830), Butler (1825-1916), Alman (1829-1897), Pamela (1833-1890) and Sidney (1833-1865). Emerson immigrated to Canada in 1834, first settling in Markham when he was in his early twenties. Three years later, in 1837, he relocated to historic Mississauga. Two of his sisters and his mother later followed Emerson to Canada, with Emily and Pamela settling with their families in Collingwood, while his mother Thirza (also known as Theresa) came to live with Emerson in Springfield (Erindale) following the death of Emerson’s father in 1863. Emerson was also a cousin of Phineus Taylor Barnum (1810-1891), of Barnum and Bailey Circus fame.

One fascinating side note, before the Barnum and Bailey Circus, P.T. Barnum established his “Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan & Hippodrome” in 1870. This evolved into P.T. Barnum’s “New and Greatest Show on Earth”, which came to Toronto in 1873, 1875, 1877 and 1879. In 1881, Barnum merged his circus with James Bailey, forming the Barnum and Bailey Circus, which also came to Toronto in 1883, 1887 and 1889. P.T. Barnum and Emerson Taylor, cousins of similar ages, reportedly corresponded, and Emerson, ever the businessman himself, reportedly played a role in convincing Barnum to bring his travelling circus north.

Taylor-Froebel House, Erindale

Back at home in Erindale, Emerson had a reputation for being a much-respected and community-minded individual. He developed great friendships within the community, including with some of the most influential early families in Erindale area, such as the Adamsons, Hammonds, and Magraths, who came to greatly rely upon Emerson. He was also well acquainted with Doctor Beaumont Dixie (after whom Dixie Road is named), Jacob Cook (after whom Cooksville is named) and Oliver Hammond (after whom Hammond Road is named). In the 1840s Emerson purchased a sawmill along the Credit River, and later he established a knitting mill and hosiery factory, which employed several women from the village as seamstresses. This mill was located along the old mill race, on the river flats below Nanticoke Road today. Further along this same mill race, towards the Credit River, Emerson also built a Fanning & Turning Mill, where he oversaw the production of wooden furniture and cases for grandfather clocks.

Bolina Plum Taylor

In 1838, Emerson married Bolina Bull in Pennsylvania. The couple had one known child, Eleanor Elmina “Ella” Taylor (1846-1924). Eleanor married John Marr Statten, and their eldest son, Emerson Taylor Statten (1882-1956), went on to some fame with the establishment of youth camps in Algonquin Park: Camp Ahmek for boys, established in 1921, and Camp Wapomeo for girls, which was founded in 1924. The Taylor Statten camps in Algonquin Park continue to operate today.

But back to Emerson: in 1859, Emerson purchased the “Halfway House” hotel from James Magrath, and promptly renamed the establishment “The Royal Exchange Hotel”. The hotel became widely and popularly known to supply both good beds for the weary traveler and excellent meals.

The hotel was a significant stagecoach stop, and under Emerson’s guidance became regarded as the model hotel in Peel County. In 1861, Emerson was appointed as a Magistrate and Justice-of-the-Peace for Toronto Township. He used the room over the drive shed attached to the hotel as his courtroom. From 1864 until his death in 1893, Emerson also served as the village postmaster. It was under his watch, in 1889, that the Post Office, and by extension, Erindale Village, officially changed its name from Springfield to Springfield-on-the-Credit. (The name of Erindale was officially adopted in 1900).

Emerson Taylor memorial announcement

Emerson was also a motivating force in establishing a permanent home for the Methodist religion in Erindale. A strong supporter of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, Emerson allowed church services to be held over the drive shed in his hotel. This location was not agreeable to all members of the small congregation, since alcohol was served in the adjoining hotel. Emerson then donated land for the building of a new church, which opened in 1877. This church, now the Erindale Presbyterian Church, remains one of Erindale’s landmarks today prominently located on the corner of Robinson Street and Dundas Street. He was also instrumental in acquiring land for a cemetery for the Methodist congregation, located directly behind the Anglican cemetery at St. Peter’s Anglican Church and known as the Erindale Cosmopolitan Cemetery.

In his later years, Emerson gradually retired and sold off his business interests and land holdings. In 1884, after running the Royal Exchange Hotel for 26 years, Emerson sold the hotel to Frank Morley. Sadly, the grand old hotel was lost in the great Erindale fire of 1919.

Emerson remained in the village in his later years, living in what we now refer to as the Taylor-Froebel House (1584 Dundas Street West), which Emerson had built around 1878. After a brief illness, Emerson Taylor passed away on October 7, 1893. He is believed to have been buried in the Erindale Cosmopolitan Cemetery behind St. Peter’s Anglican Church and Cemetery along with his wife and mother. There is no visible gravestone noting his resting place. Although he has no permanent cemetery stone or road named after him, Emerson Taylor was one of the early, prominent citizens and businessmen who helped to put Erindale Village (and Mississauga) on the map.