From the Archives
The City of Vaughan’s archives house more than 600 collections dating from the early 1700s to the present day. Within these files are the stories of how Vaughan evolved from the traditional territories of the First Peoples of Turtle Island to the bustling city it has become.
Let’s look back at our history and share the stories of the people, places and moments that helped shape the city we know today. This month’s feature is on the Cober family.
The German-Pennsylvanian Cober family was one of the first families to immigrate to Vaughan in the 19th century.
Their journey began around 1750 when Peter Cober and 19 other families left Germany and settled in Somerset, Pennsylvania. Peter’s son Nicholas and Nicholas’s wife, Eve Fisher, moved to Upper Canada in 1796, travelling by horseback and making the trip in two weeks. They made a temporary stop near Niagara Falls, before proceeding to the City of Vaughan (formerly Vaughan Township).
An inscription in the Cober Burying Ground, a pioneer cemetery in Vaughan, notes that “of the first settlers on Yonge Street, they were the fifth family.”
Shortly after moving to Vaughan, Nicholas and Eve were granted Lot 34, Concession 1 (near the present-day intersection of Yonge Street and Highway 7) in 1798, farming a mixture of crops and livestock. When immigrants came to the area they had to clear and fence 10 acres for cultivation, construct a building with a shingle roof and clear timber for a road within two years of arriving to be granted a property. The Cobers succeeded, becoming one of the first immigrant families to live in what would become known as Thornhill.
Nicholas and Eve had 11 children, with many descendants still living in Vaughan today. Their son, Nicholas Junior, was the primary carpenter for the church that later bore their name, the Cober Dunkard Church. Built with help from the Keffer, Reaman, Baker and Winger families, it was constructed on Lot 12, Concession 2 (present day Dufferin Street north of Highway 7).
The Cober Family Collection at the City of Vaughan Archives contains several records relating to the history of the family. The oldest item in this collection is the original deed for the farm at Lot 34, Concession 1, while the largest is a scrapbook with approximately 80 letters, written by members of the Cober family, and their envelopes. Many of the letters are addressed to Peter, George Cober, another son of Nicholas and Eve, and Peter A. Cober, a grandson. Other unique items of note are a poster for an auction sale of the farm of Jacob B. Cober, and a Tax Notice from 1931 for Peter.
VIEW VAUGHAN'S ARCHIVES ONLINE!
Looking for more information about the history of Vaughan? The City's Archival Collection is on digital display for all to explore! The below galleries are available in the City's online gallery on Flickr:
- From Township to City: The Evolution of Vaughan
- Historical Families of Vaughan
- Historical Photography
- Past Mayors of Vaughan
- Prohibition in Vaughan
- Recollections of Rural Vaughan
- The Great Depression in Vaughan
- The Mary Wood Collection
- The Way We Were: Representations of Vaughan's Past
- Vaughan’s Forgotten Heroes
- Vaughan Lodge Fonds
- Vaughan Working Environments
- Vaughan Through the Ages: Medicine, Music and Sports and Recreation
- And more!
A personal Flickr account is not required to access the City's online gallery, which contains only a small selection of the full archives collection. If you are looking for a particular image, original file, primary source record or more, please visit the Archival Database or contact the City by calling 905-832-2281 or emailing archives@vaughan.ca.
By managing and preserving both City and community records, the City’s Enterprise Information Management Services team ensures that Vaughan's rich and varied history will continue to be available for future generations. Learn more at vaughan.ca/archives.
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