Local History
Historic Sites Walking Tour Accessible Version
The Historic Sites Committee of the London Public Library Board identifies and marks historic buildings, places, and people of local significance. This Walking Guide provides brief histories of the 49 sites marked by the committee, 1970-2000.
Elson Homestead
Elson Homestead
1057 Oxford Street
London
Joseph Elson was born in 1804 in Markham Township, the son of a Hessian soldier who had come to Canada after the American Revolution. His parents died when he was a small boy and he was raised by various relatives.
Toddle Inn
Toddle Inn
640 Richmond Street
London
In 1891, Michael Cullen and Walter Milburn operated a blacksmith shop in the building that now houses the Toddle Inn.
The White Ox Inn
The White Ox Inn
495 Hamilton Road
London
In 1819, Colonel Thomas Talbot located Tilley Hubbard and his family on the future site of the White Ox Inn. Settlement duties required Hubbard to build a dwelling within a year of receiving his property.
The Union School
The Union School
South side of King Street between Waterloo and Colborne Streets
London
The London East Town Hall
The London East Town Hall (Aeolian Hall)
795 Dundas Street
London
The beginnings of London East can be traced to 1856 when Murray Anderson built a foundry at the city limits of London, which stimulated the development of a new industrial community.
Thames River
Thames River
The history of the Thames River can be traced back more than 15,000 years to its origins as a spillway for water melting from retreating glaciers.
Around 7,500 B.C., aboriginal peoples migrated to this area, attracted by abundant fish and game. Centuries later, Neutral tribes lived along this river they called Askunessippi, (antlered river).
