Dickson Hill Cemetery, Markham

Dickson Hill Cemetery, Markham

Attractions

By: Chelsea Edgell

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart: lean not unto thine own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).” So reads a sign in the window of the Apostolic Lutheran Church of Toronto, which stands beside one of Markham's oldest cemeteries. The cemetery is a picturesque plot of land that imparts history to a community already well endowed with old world charm.

Dickson Hill is a small community located at the northeast end of Markham. Found roughly at the intersection of Highway 48 and 19th Avenue, the community is centred on the scenic Dickson Hill Road, which is itself worth a look.

 

As the area is mostly undeveloped, Dickson Hill is a place where Markham's agricultural roots are still proudly showing. The homes here are full of character, a striking change from the housing developments of Markham's northwest. In the summer especially, the area is lush and refreshing, its fields alive with the buzz of cicadas.

Yet despite its rustic appeal, Dickson Hill is not behind the times; a MindTech Montessori School also makes its home in the community. Dickson Hill is, essentially, a place where the rural history of Markham has successfully passed into the twenty-first century.

With its earliest grave marker dating to 1803, the Dickson Hill Cemetery is certainly not short on history. Its green lawns, dotted with yellow snapdragons and other wildflowers, serve as the final resting place to men and women who lived in four different centuries.

The older headstones, some broken, many moss-covered, all faded with time, bear the names of some of Markham's most important families. Names such as Raymer, Button, Stouffer, Wideman, Walker, Musselman and Reesor abound. The Dickson Hill Cemetery is fascinating even to those who do not take an active interest in local history, and its peaceful beauty alone certainly makes it worth a visit.

The Dickson Hill Cemetery is located at 70 Dickson Hill Road, off Highway 48 and 19th Avenue in Markham. For more information, contact the Apostolic Lutheran Church of Toronto, at (905) 640-2537.

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