📓BN004 || Some reflections after six months

In July, I passed the six-month mark for brockton-history.ca. Back in February, I published Uncovering Brockton Village: A forgotten sketch of a Toronto village and the stories it holds, which kicked-off this project. In early May, I also led a Jane’s Walk through the neighbourhood, which was a great chance to share some of this history in person. After a bit of a summer break, I though I’d take a moment to look back on how things have gone. Next I’ll share a note a bit more on where things are heading.

Reflections so far

I had a rough outline in my head when I started, but there have been a few unexpected side quests. One that stands out, I didn’t expect to jump into the neighbourhoods Black History so early or so deeply. I hadn’t yet explored that part of Brockton’s past, and finding the Garnets’ story (Denied a Ride – Black History in 1850s Brockton ) hit hard this past February, especially as uncomfortable histories were being erased down south.

I also enjoyed combing through the 1861 census to map Black households in the west end. Historical mapping is definitely going to remain a major focus, and the map page is already starting to fill out.

In April, I got back to the original plan, tracing the neighbourhood’s history chronologically, starting with the land-taking and granting process. If you’d told me in January, when I was first sketching this out, that that I’d be five posts deep into that arc and still not done, I would have been surprised.

I’ve learned a lot about land grants and turned up some fascinating primary sources. The Toronto Park Lot Project has a great list of sources, references and research tools for this time period.

But it took me a while to figure out to present them in a way that felt both readable and true to my goal of putting primary documents front and centre. Transcribing and publishing the entire documents felt too dense.; pulling just one or two felt too thin.

It finally clicked while scrolling through The Economist: Archive 1945. I was inspired by their excerpted, torn-paper style. The format gave me a way to feature archival sources directly. You’ll be seeing a lot of this.

Some Inspiration from the Economists (Left) and an excerpt from Alexander McDonell 1797 land petition (right)

Looking for a balance

While I’m drawn to these deep dives, I’ve also felt the blog is leaning a bit too academic, too formal for a neighbourhood blog. I don’t want to give up on the core research, but I also want to make space for something more personal. So I’ll be experimenting with the Brockton Notes format.

Those post won’t get the same attention as the main features, but I hope they open the door to more sharing and conversation as the bigger picture takes shape.

Lastly, I’ve really appreciated the comments and feedback along the way. It’s been nice to hear from you!

Eric