In 1842, the inhabitants of the area applied to the Government for the establishment of a post office in the settlement. The application was granted but a name had to be chosen for the post office. After several meetings, the consensus was that the name Sydenham, by which the wharf was known, would be acceptable. Two visiting Indians were asked for their opinion of this name. They suggested the Indian name "Oshawa", the literal translation of which is "that point at the crossing of the stream where the canoe was exchanged for the trail". This suggestion was immediately accepted. In 1850, Oshawa was incorporated as a village with a population of approximately 2,000. In January of 1879, Oshawa's status was changed from a village to a town; at this time, Oshawa's population was 3,992.
The area that would become Oshawa began as a transfer point for the fur trade. Beaver and other animal pelts were trapped by local natives and traded with the Coureur des bois (voyagers). Furs were loaded onto canoes by the Mississauga Indians at the Oshawa harbour and transported to the trading posts located to the west at the mouth of the Credit River. Around 1760, the French constructed a trading post near the harbour location; this was abandoned after a few years, but its ruins provided shelter for the first residents of what later became Oshawa. Most notably, one of the fur traders was Moody Farewell, an early resident of the community who was to some extent reponsible for its name change.
The Oshawa Historical Society was established to maintain and preserve the history of Oshawa. In accordance with this objective, the Society encourages the study and research of the history of Oshawa. It keeps an accurate account of the historical, architectural and archaeological heritage of Oshawa; promotes public interest in the history of Oshawa, and maintains a community museum and archives that house artifacts and written records of historical importance.
In 1822, a "colonization road" (a north-south road to facilitate settlement) known as Simcoe Street was constructed. It more or less followed the path of an old native trail known as the Nonquon Road, and ran from the harbour to the area of Lake Scugog. This intersected the "Kingston Road" at what would become Oshawa's "Four Corners." In 1836, Edward Skae relocated his general store approximately 800 m east to the southeast corner of this intersection; as his store became a popular meeting place (probably because it also served as the Post Office), the corner and the growing settlement that surrounded it, were known as Skae's Corners. In 1842, Skae, the postmaster, applied for official post office status, but was informed the community needed a better name. Moody Farewell was requested to ask his native acquaintances what they called the area; their reply was "Oshawa," which translates to "where we must leave our canoes." Thus, the name of Oshawa, one of the primary "motor cities" of Canada, has a name meaning "where we have to get out and walk!" The name "Oshawa" was adopted and the post office named accordingly. In 1849, the requirements for incorporation were eased, and Oshawa was incorporated as a village in 1850.n the early 18th century Indians of the Mississauga Tribe began trading furs with the French and later the English. At the spot where the Oshawa Harbour is now located, they loaded their furs into canoes and paddled along the shore of Lake Ontario to the trading post at the mouth of the Credit River. This fur trade became so important that the French established a trading post near the mouth of the Oshawa Creek around the year 1750. Thus began the economic history of exporting products from the region now known as the City of Oshawa.
The Oshawa Historical Society was established on December 9, 1957 and is an affiliate of the Ontario Historical Society. The Society is a non-profit organization that is administered by the City of Oshawa. Membership fees, donations and assistance obtain financial support from the Ontario Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Recreation.
enter into competition? Here’s how to submit your entry and all the details you need to know about getting your entry to the Markham Fair, in 3 easy steps.