The following was received from Bob Hulley, writer of The Building Historian -- residents of Brampton prior to 1950 will be able to associate with the following:- Some of the mysteries of Brampton's past lie buried beneath its streets. From earliest times the Etobicoke River (Creek) has flowed through what is now downtown Brampton. An 1800s writer described the Etobicoke as meandering through Brampton's streets, "its banks green with leeks, and spotted with early spring flowers." Half a century later it was almost entirely planked over. Buildings were either cantilevered or bridged over its watercourse. Some of these buildings still exist today. In 1952, because of the constant spring flooding, the river was diverted from the downtown area, and the old riverbed was backfilled. The very thought of the bountiful treasure trove of artifacts and historical debris vuried in its former silt laden river-bottom is enough to excite even the most prosaic archeologist and historian. Workmen who recently dug up a part of the old riverbed tell of finding all sorts of items. Pottery, shards, old light bulbs and even a coal burning stove with the coals still intact. Perhaps if they had dug deeper they might have found ancient arrowheads, tools and old firearms. Recently, there has been a renewed interest in probing our past, partly born of curiosity but also of a need for historical identity. The treasures hidden in this corridor of our history might be every bit as intriguing as any mystery novel. ========= I have been told every store had a basement which flooded so could not be used. The main areas of problem seemed to have been the level land which dipped downward at Church and Main Sts., through the business section to the rise below Wellington & Main Sts., a distance of more than four blocks. Other areas might have been affected. Muriel M. Davidson muriel_davidson@sympatico.ca List Admin -- CAN-ONT-PEEL & CAN-ONT-SIMCOE lists Brampton, Ontario