Back in August, I shared some reflections after six months of research and writing about Brockton’s history. A mix of surprises, side quests, and lessons in how to work with archival sources.
Since then, I’ve spent some time in the early colonial period, exploring how land was granted and to who.
I thought today, I would provide a quick roadmap for where things are headed next. The blog will keep unfolding roughly chronologically, tracing how Brockton grew from treaty land and early land grants to taverns, toll roads, estate subdivisions. Alongside that, I’ll keep experimenting with the Brockton Notes for shorter reflections, process posts, and visuals.
Here’s what you can expect over the rest of the year and into 2026. Each topic could have up to three posts, so looking at about 12-18 articles covering:
1. Dundas Road – How a colonial military highway was cut across the west end, upending the early grid and shaping where Brockton began.
2. Arrival of the Country Estate – Explore the estates of the west ends big land owners, who established their country homes in the 1830s.
3. Logging and Taverns – Before there was a village, there were pines to cut and travellers to serve.
4. Lucy Brock’s Subdivision- I’ll pick-up on Lucy Brock’s story and explore how Lucy’s subdivision fit into 1850s city building.
5. The 1850s Village – Dig into the 1850s sketch that got this project started, through the 1852 census and early maps.
6. Naming Brockton – I sense there is another post to explore the quiet battle over the name of the local post office by the Denison Family and how the Brock family name stuck.
I expect this to take me well into 2026, so that’s for following along!
Brockton: A Lost Toronto Village 