Located off of 14th Ave between Warden Ave and Kennedy Rd, north
of Steeles Ave, entrance on south side of 14th Avenue at Montessori
School. Pioneers home field is Diamond #3 in the back corner of the Community Park.
The modern history of the Town of Markham began
in 1791 when John Graves Simcoe was appointed the first Lieutenant-Governor
of Upper Canada. During his term as Lieutenant Governor, Simcoe's
actions impacted directly on Markham. His concern for improving
the military security of the new territory led to the clearing
of Yonge Street and a system of free land grants, both of which
greatly influenced the establishment and growth of what became
the Township of Markham. Simcoe was also responsible for giving
the Township its name, after his friend, William Markham, the
Archbishop of York at the time.
Markham's early years (1794-1830) were characterised
by the rigors of homesteading and the development of agricultural
industries. The township's many rivers and streams soon supported
water-powered saw, grist and woollen mills. Small hamlets such
as German Mills, Almira, Buttonville, Cedar Grove and Unionville
began to spring up at the mill sites.
The opening of Highway 404 in the mid-1970s further
accelerated the urban development of the town. Amidst all this
former Markham Township rapid change and growth, however, many
reminders of Markham's rural roots have managed to endure.
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