If trees could talk (*experimental scientific data indicates that they do) our Black Barn Maple, located at the rear of 95 James Street, has witnessed the many trials and tribulations that only a local farm tree could.
When it was a natural sapling in the 1860s, James and Martha Eastwood purchased 200 ha (500 acres) of the Samuel Smith Tract running south of Lake Shore King’s Highway from Etobicoke Creek to about Thirty-First Street.
Included in the sale and just a few hundred meters north of the Black Barn Maple, stood the Colonel Samuel Smith Cabin. The property was vacated when Colonel Sam Smith died in 1826.
Aerial view (Nov., 1949) looking east along Lake Shore Blvd West from near Long Branch Loop, Ontario Archives Acc 16215, ES1-814, Northway Gestalt Collection. The photo shows the Colonel Samuel Smith house at Forty First St. and Lake Shore Blvd. West, originally a log cabin built in 1797, to which extensions and siding were added over the years.
In 1833, the John Skirving Family arrived from Scotland and moved into the empty Colonel Smith Cabin. Only a year later, John Skirving succumbed to malaria. Sadly, the widowed Mrs. Skirving, her six daughters and one son were forced to abandon the cabin in 1834.
The last person to live in the Colonel Samuel Smith Cabin was the Eastwood’s grandson, Robert Christopherson, who was born there in 1880. Christopherson sold it to one of E. P. Taylor’s companies for a Dominion Store site in 1952.
With resources, vision and good ole Canadian pioneer tenacity, James Eastwood resurrected the Colonel Sam Smith Sawmill and forested the rich arboreal land of Oak, Maple and Ash.
The next phase was to seed the newly cleared land and husband an ambitious livestock of horses, chickens, pigs and cattle. The farm was later assumed by James’ son, Robert Eastwood. The Eastwood Park Hotel, was his former farmstead became famous for his Shorthorn Cattle receiving Gold medals at the Royal Winter Fair.
To adequately shelter the Eastwood Farms livestock, three barns were raised. The last and the largest, became a welcoming land mark from the Hamilton Highway. It was the Eastwood Black Barn which stood prominently for decades and well up to the early 1960s.
At that time our beloved Black Barn Silver Maple which was just growing south of the Long Branch Black Barn icon, was already 100 years old!
Photo 2 – View of The Black Barn Maple of Eastwood from 93 James Street. Estimated to be well over 100 years old, this beauty is healthy, vibrant, and full of wildlife. The view of this tree can be enjoyed from James, Forty First, Fortieth and Garden Place.
During the building boom of the 1920s, Eastwood started to sell off his lands for residential development but continued to raise his prized cattle for years later. Luckily, or maybe by fortuitous foresight, our Black Barn Maple was not felled for development but was allowed to mature to be one of Long Branch’s oldest remaining potential Heritage Trees.
With ‘intelligent planning’, the Black Barn Maple can safely remain a beacon of arboreal stewardship for years to come.
Bill Zufelt is a Director of the Long Branch Neighbourhood Association and Chairs the Association’s History and Culture Committee
https://lbna.ca/wp-content/uploads/Black-Barn-Maple.jpg480640Ronald Jamieson/wp-content/uploads/LBNA_Logo_2in.svgRonald Jamieson2020-06-24 17:03:172020-06-25 12:35:06The Black Barn Maple of Eastwood.
Are you feeling a bit lethargic or anxious lately? I may have a remedy for you and the answer is literally at your feet.
But first a bit of ‘healthy-history’.
In the 1850s, acclaimed author and naturalist Henry D. Thoreau’s asserted his classic prescription of ‘Tonic of Wilderness’ for civilization and its discontents.
His essay Walden Pond; Life in the Woods, published in 1854, prompted a worldwide movement of ‘the natural forest benefits’ for good health and wellbeing.
Founding of the Long Branch Resort
Thirty years later, in 1883, Thomas John Wilkie, secretary of the Toronto Y.M.C.A., purchased the lush, densely forested acreage adjacent to Lake Ontario from James Eastwood for the Long Branch Resort and YMCA Boys camp in southern Etobicoke.
I am not sure if Wilkie was familiar with Thoreau’s writings but the paralleled logic destined Long Branch Park to become a mini mecca of promoting healthy ‘body, mind and spirit’.
Photo 1 – Lithographic Print of the Long Branch Hotel complete with stunning forest views.
Architecturally modeled on structures in Long Branch, New Jersey, there was the stunning Japanese Pagoda Hotel, fountain square, private Queen Anne and Jacobean villa rentals, a gymnasium, squash and tennis courts, a dancing and picnic Pavilion, lawn bowling and cricket, swimming, strolling in the woods, and even a Coney Island carousel and a water flume for the children.
‘Toronto’s Favourite Resort’ as it was advertised had all the amenities to encourage physical activity, proper diet (no alcohol) social engagement and relaxation.
But there was more.
The most abundant natural and free health asset that Long Branch Park boasted was the surrounding eco-therapeutic forest of majestic Oaks, Ash, Black Walnut, Maple, Pine and Spruce trees.
Early Development of Long Branch
In the 1910’s, Colonel Fredrick Burton Robins, a real-estate developer, embraced too, the tree rich lands of Long Branch and capitalized on it to promote the health benefits of ‘Pine Beach’ and ‘The Pines’ residential 50-foot lots.
“A Healthy Home is a Happy Home” – Colonel F.B. Robins.
The Health Benefits of Long Branch
Today there is a plethora of scientific evidence that ‘forest bathing’ as the Japanese have coined it, is proven to lower heart rate and blood pressure, reduce stress hormone production, boost the immune system, and improve overall feelings of wellbeing.
In the last eight years Japanese officials spent about $4 million dollars studying the physiological and psychological effects of forests and trees. Based on 48 therapy forest trails the Nippon Medical School in Tokyo measured the activity of human natural killer (NK) cells in the immune system before and after exposure to the woods. These cells provide rapid response to viral-infected cells and respond to tumor formation and are associated with improving the immune system and cancer prevention.
At the end of the study the trial participants had significant increases in NK cell activity and production.
Trees emit various essential oils in aerosol form. Generally called ‘phytoncide’, these oils protect the trees from germs and insects.
Not surprisingly, when visitors to the Long Branch Park strolled about or went exploring in the adjacent woods their inhaling of the phytoncide just didn’t make them feel fresher and better —it improved their overall immune system too.
Specific trees give off different types of eco-therapeutic aerosols and with corresponding health benefits. The familiar fragrance of Long Branch Park in the 1890s was bathed with the essence of pine and spruce. (like a Christmas Tree)
In Diana Beresford-Kroeger’s (internationally celebrated Ontario Botanist) book The Global Forest she high-lights about the Pinus species scent properties.
“The worldwide use of Pine scents, oils and extracts in Health Spas is fortified with scientific healthy benefits. For instance, on a sweltering summer day the pine tree will emit an odour that is detected at ground level. This scent is a medicinal mixture of various esters of pinosylvin. In other words, the pinosylvin acts as a natural antibiotic, helps the process of breathing (hence the feeling of fresh air) and is a mild narcotic. These natural pine aerosols have an anesthetic effect on the body, bringing on relaxation and peace of mind.”, wrote Beresford- Kroeger.
In another study conducted by Japan’s Chiba University, 280 subjects were measured for blood pressure heart rate and salivary cortisol (which increases with stress) before and after a 30-minute forest visit.
Photo 2- In the Woods – A lithographic print from the pages of “Long Branch Toronto’s Favourite Summer Resort”
“Forest environments promote lower concentrations of cortisol, lower pulse rate, lower blood pressure, greater parasympathetic nerve activity, and lower sympathetic nerve activity than tree barren city environments” the study concluded.
Subjects were less ‘hyped’, their rest-and –digestive systems were more efficient, sympathetic nerve systems calmed, and they felt more rested and less inclined to stress after a walk in the woods.
It is no wonder that Thomas J. Wilkie, Colonel F.B. Robins made significant real estate investments in a Southern Etobicoke utopia.
To their credit, all the health-seeking patrons that visited Long Branch Park by the steamer-ship loads and later bought land is how Long Branch Village was established.
Compared to the coal soot, sanitary-compromised streets of Toronto, the pine tree air sweep, cleansing, natural eco-aromatherapy of the air canopy was simply irresistible.
No guess now, as to what my recommendation is. Treat yourself to a 30-minute walk (forest bath) in the greenest tree rich area you can find.
Happy Forest Bathing!
Bill Zufelt is a Director of the Long Branch Neighbourhood Association and Chairs the Association’s History and Culture Committee
P.S. Even in winter the trees still do their magic but at a slower rate and besides the 30-minute walk is time well invested in your health and wellbeing.
Jane’s Walks are citizen-led walking discussions that encourage people to build stronger neighbourhoods through conversation. Named for Jane Jacobs, an urban activist who was extremely vocal in protecting the needs of city-dwellers, Jane’s Walks provide a closer look into communities from the vantage point of the people who live there.
This year, the walk will actually be a ride led by David Juliusson from the Etobicoke South Cycling Committee and Long Branch Neighbourhood Association. David will be in a blue bike jacket.
In 2018, City Council adopted special guidelines to preserve the unique character of Long Branch. We will look at some of the historic sites and events. Long Branch has a rich heritage, ranging from Colonel Sam Smith building his home in 1797 to Hurricane Hazel to the first Heritage tree being declared. We will stop at those sites. In addition, the ride will go through Marie Curtis Park, pass historic cottages, and go to the border of Mississauga. We will pass murals, visit a cenotaph and enjoy the beauty that is Long Branch.
NOTE: This is a cycling tour.
Ride begins and ends at Colonel Samuel Smith Skating Trail on May 5 at 11 AM (65 Colonel Samuel Smith Park Dr, Etobicoke).
Here is the itinerary.
Colonel Sam Smith Park.
Long Branch Park. The site of the old Long Branch Hotel, with historic cottages nearby.
Marie Curtis Park at the cannon. Hurricane Hazel
Mississauga border.
Across from TTC station to look at the murals painted at the Long Branch loop.
Sid Cole Park
The Long Branch Cenotaph.
Return to Colonel Samuel Smith Skating Trail
It’s all free. Just be sure to wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather.
Henri and Natalie added this magnificent Red Oak to our Tree Inventory on Friday. Who knew we had such a gargantuan tree in our neighbourhood? Stay tuned for more information about this amazing Long Branch “Titan Red Oak”!
/wp-content/uploads/LBNA_Logo_2in.svg00LBNA Admin/wp-content/uploads/LBNA_Logo_2in.svgLBNA Admin2018-06-17 18:16:352019-03-28 14:18:43Look what has been discovered in Long Branch!
In 2018, City Council adopted special guidelines to preserve the unique character of Long Branch. We will look at some of the historic sites and events. Long Branch has a rich heritage, ranging from Colonel Sam Smith building his home in 1797 to Hurricane Hazel to the first Heritage tree being declared in April. We will stop at those sites. In addition, the ride will stop at the site of the Long Branch hotel, pass historic cottages, and go to the border of Mississauga. We will pass murals, visit a cenotaph and enjoy the beauty that is Long Branch. The ride will end in the same place as it began.
/wp-content/uploads/LBNA_Logo_2in.svg00LBNA Admin/wp-content/uploads/LBNA_Logo_2in.svgLBNA Admin2018-04-30 16:58:072019-06-15 18:06:19Long Branch: A Jane’s Walk Bike Tour
