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Map of King Township
1878
King Township, Ontario

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Laskay, Ontario is located within King Township, approximately 40 kilometers north of Toronto.
Strange, a settlement located a few kilometers north of that was busy during the late 19th century.
Kinghorn was located 4 kilometers east of Laskay at King Rd. and Jane St. This settlement was incorporated into the village of King City.
King City is 2 kilometers east of the area formerly known as Kinghorn.

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The town of Laskay from the north east
1909
Laskay, Ontario

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The hamlet of Laskay is found on the 6th concession - less than a kilometer from busy Highway 400.
A branch of the Humber River flows through the valley which to this day is green and hilly - the site, with its trees, running water and climate was suitable to early European settlers.

Joseph Baldwin and David Reesor were both instrumental in the early development and building of Laskay. Baldwin arrived in Laskay c. 1832, having immigrated to Canada 2 years earlier. The construction of a dam and sawmill on the Humber River was already under way when Baldwin took over; he completed the earlier building and erected a grist mill in 1849. As one of the few mills in the area, this mill handled much of the wheat from local farms. It was reported the first wheat exported to England from Canada came from this mill.

These early businesses provided jobs for labourers; skilled and unskilled workers who came and settled the area much as the landowners did.

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Laskay Emporium
1908
Laskay, Ontario

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The Old Forge (Blacksmith's Shop)
1914
Laskay, Ontario

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Laskay Methodist Church
1910
Laskay, Ontario

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Looking north from Laskay to Strange
1910
Laskay, Ontario

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Strange looking north from Laskay.

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Laskay School
1912
King Township, Ontario

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Strange
Situated 2 kms north of Laskay, Strange was the location of the elementary school attended by Walter Rolling and his siblings.
The earliest records for this area state Richard Machell received a land grant in 1839, selling the land in 1840 to William Wells whose ambition it was to "start a town". He opened a general store in 1841, doing well selling goods required by early settlers.

Dr. Strange, the Conservative representative for North York, (as the area was then known),
was instrumental in getting the first Post Office to Strange in 1880. The town was named in his honour.

The first school was a log building built c. 1831 and was replaced in 1851 by a 2-storey frame structure.
This school in turn was replaced by a brick building in 1871 - and this building was demolished in 1941.

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Kinghorn, in relation to King City
1878
King Township, Ontario

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The first Tannery
1888
Kinghorn, Ontario

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Kinghorn had a thriving industry in the form of a Tannery, on land bought by Elihu Pease for his son Edward in 1847. A branch of the Humber River provided power and a large stand of Hemlock trees ensured the success of the operation; the plant was later purchased by Andrew Davis in 1856 and operated under the name "Lowell Tannery".