Name of Toronto
John Graves Simcoe identified the area as a strategic location to base a new capital for Upper Canada, believing Newark to be susceptible to American invasion. A garrison was established at Garrison Creek, on the western entrance to the docks of Toronto Harbour, in 1793; this later became Fort York. The settlement it defended was renamed York on August 26, 1793, as Simcoe favoured English names over those of First Nations languages, in honour of Prince Frederick, Duke of York. Residents petitioned to change the name back to Toronto, and in 1834 the city was incorporated with its original name. The name York lived on through the name of York County (which was later split into Metropolitan Toronto and York Region), and continues to live on through the names of several districts within the city, including Yorkville, East York, and North York, the latter two suburbs that were formally amalgamated into the "megacity" of Toronto on January 1, 1998.
Front Street (Toronto)
The original 1796 York town plan, as approved by Lieutenant Governor Simcoe was a ten-block town site west of Taddle Creek, just west of the Don River. This part of the street which would in future become part of today's Front Street, was first named King Street. In the 1797 plan extending the town to the west, Front Street appeared to the west of Yonge, and extended west to York Street. The streets in the original site were changed and the original King Street was changed to Palace Street, and the original Duke Street, one block to the north, became King Street. In 1798, a further enlargement of the plan extended Front Street to the west to Peter Street, interrupted by the mouth of Russell Creek. Russell Creek was filled in by 1842 and the area of the mouth became the site of the third Upper Canada Parliament Buildings. By 1816, Front Street was extended to the east to connect to Palace Street. A stub of Front Street to the east of the bay is shown on an 1834 plan of York. This would align today with Mill Street in the Distillery District. On an 1894 map of Toronto, Palace Street has become part of Front Street, and the street has been extended to the east to the Don River. The Esplanade is shown connected to Mill Street. And in the west, Front Street is extended to Bathurst Street.