History
Danforth Road was named for contractor Asa Danforth Jr., who built portions of what would become Queen Street and Kingston Road. He started work in 1799 on Danforth's Road as (originally) a hundred-mile route from Scarborough to the Trent River. That road was completed 1801 but soon fell into disrepair and was largely replaced by the 1817 Kingston Road stagecoach route.
Danforth Avenue, named because it was created to connect Toronto to Danforth Road, was officially built by The Don and Danforth Plank Road Company in 1851 to Broadview Avenue, as well as connecting to Kingston Road.
In Scarborough, Danforth Road is a separated route that connects Danforth Avenue with McCowan Road. It is possible, therefore, to stand at the intersection of "Danforth and Danforth", i.e. Danforth Avenue and Danforth Road. Local references, therefore, are careful to note whether it is the Avenue or the Road being referred to -- although the term "The Danforth" always refers to Danforth Avenue, and never to Danforth Road.
Warden Avenue and Birchmount Road in Scarborough are two of the four routes to intersect with both Danforth Avenue and Danforth Road (the others being residential Scotia and Medford avenues). With other routes, the distinction is unnecessary; for example, "Victoria Park and Danforth" means Danforth Avenue, while "Kennedy and Danforth" means Danforth Road.
Previously, Danforth Road continued around the Highland Creek along roadways now known as Painted Post Drive, Military Trail, Colonel Danforth Trail, and Highland Creek Drive.
Read more about this topic: Danforth Avenue
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