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HISTORY
Riverdale was a small rural community until the Grand Trunk Railway began steaming
through here in the 1850's. The railway brought industry and employment opportunities
to Riverdale. It also attracted a pool of labourers who built the first homes
in Riverdale, south of the railway tracks.
North of Queen Street Riverdale remained largely undeveloped until 1884 when it
was annexed by the City of Toronto. At that time Riverdale was called Riverside.
The name was probably changed to Riverdale as a reference to the city park of
the same name, that has long been a landmark in this area.
Riverdale's development was accelerated in 1918 with the building
of Toronto's largest bridge, the Prince Edward Viaduct. The Viaduct provided Riverdale
with an important link to the City of Toronto, west of the Don River, and marked
a coming of age for this popular Toronto neighbourhood.
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