Toronto, Ontario, was known as York in the early 1800s, not becoming Toronto until incorporation in 1834. In those days, the post offices were built and owned by postmasters who had imperial appointments.
Today, Toronto’s first post office is a museum as well as a National Historic Site.
What’s in Toronto’s First Post Office?
Toronto’s First Post Office Museum is in a three-story brick building in the city’s downtown. Just as it did from 1833 – 1839, the front part of the building operates as a post office. You can still mail a letter or post card and have it hand-cancelled with a reproduction of the 1834 cancel in red ink.
The building was built by Postmaster James Scott Howard.
It provided mail service to the 9,000 residents as well as serving as Howard’s residence.
Unfortunately for Howard, he was framed as being a rebel during the Rebellion of 1837.
So, he lost his position and the new postmaster relocated from his building to Toronto’s Front Street in 1839.
This post office even has hand painted numbers on the post boxes that are replicas of the originals!
Toronto’s First Post Office Museum also has two additional rooms open to the public: the Reading Room and Exhibit Room.
High Costs To Staying in Touch!
If you think sending mail is expensive these days, you should have tried to send letters and packages in the early 1800s!
Mail was, of course, very slow. And the British Postal Service put some high tariffs on the mail that did flow.
For example, a letter from Toronto to Niagara, some 45 miles or 72 km away, cost 6 pense for a single sheet of paper. What did 6 pense buy in those years? Two dozen eggs! If you needed two sheets of paper to share your news the cost doubled.
While the British taxation of the postal system caused a lot of disagreements, we never ended up with a postal party like the US’s Boston tea party. By 1840 a government commission revealed that less than 10% of letters actually went through the postal system due to costs.
However, it still took until 1851 for Canada to get control of mail service.
Linda’s Pick of the Displays
My favorite display was the Reading Room and its cut goose feather quills available to try, along with ink. Not that my attempt at writing with a quill turned out to be mailable!
The Reading Room features an exhibit called Royal Mail: Postal Service 1830-1840. It’ll show you how letters were written and how they got to their recipients.
How did people get their mail in the early 1800s?
The hand-painted post boxes were rented by the wealthy in those days. This first post office in Toronto was used by famous folk like William Lyon MacKenzie (Toronto’s first mayor) and Robert Baldwin (first Ontario-born Treasurer of the Law Society).
Initially, the receiver had to pay when they picked up a letter or package. Adhesive stamps were introduced in 1840 in Great Britain, which made it easy to prepay letters.
But what if you didn’t have much cash to rent a box or expect to get any mail?
Well, initially, the Postmaster had to publish quarterly lists in the newspaper providing the names of people who had letters waiting.
Until 1851 the province of Canada (it didn’t become a country until 1867) wasn’t in charge of the mail service. Right after Canada did get control, it passed the Post Office Law of 1851. That law authorized postmasters to hire letter carriers to deliver a letter for no more than a penny and newspapers or pamphlets for no more than a half-penny each.
So where did the reading room get its name? In those early days the average person got few letters — and even more problematic — many couldn’t read, or if they could, then they couldn’t write. Indeed, the post office had half a dozen employees who helped people read and respond to letters, while they relaxed in front of the fireplace.
Linda’s Road Trip Tips
There’s lots to do in downtown Toronto, whatever your reasons for being in the city.
I visited Toronto’s First Post Office Museum right after the Hockey Hall of Fame Museum, which was amazing.
The museum has lots of info for fans of the sport of hockey and various interactive experiences that are great for families.
However, if you’d like to learn more about what life in Toronto was like for the rich at the turn of the 20th century, you may want to make Casa Loma your next stop. This 98 room historic home is considered the largest private residence ever built in Canada!
Who Should Visit Toronto’s Old Post Office Museum?
The museum is small, so you can go through the displays in half-an-hour or so. However, if you’d like to try your hand writing with a goose feather quill, your visit will take a little longer.
It’s a good stop for anyone interested in the history of communication in Canada, or in the political aspects of Canada’s early postal system.
How Do You Visit Toronto’s Old Post Office Museum?
Toronto’s Old Post Office Museum is located at 260 Adelaide Street East in Toronto, Ontario.
Online, you can check days and times open, as well as if there’s an admission fee at: Toronto’s First Post Office.
Visit the post office virtually on YouTube at Get to Know Toronto’s First Post Office.
Check out Toronto’s First Post Office Museum Facebook page to keep up to date on what’s happening.
Plan your visit with Google Maps.
Reference(s)
Griffin, H. & Anderako, M. (2016, May 25). Postal system. The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/postal-system
Rowe, K. & Verge, C.J.G. (2015, March 4). Postage stamps. The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/postage-stamps
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