In 1873, Henry Scadding, former rector of Toronto's Church of the Holy Trinity, wrote the definitive history of early Toronto. His detailed portrait of the streets, customs and prominent citizens is a goldmine of sights and insights into a Toronto long-since disappeared.

Toronto of Old was first reprinted in 1966 and has been out of print since 1973. The later version, edited by Frederick H. Armstrong is shorter than the original, with Scadding's references to outside cities and characters shortened or omitted to give the book a sharper focus on Toronto. This second edition is an updated and corected version of the 1966 edition.

The best history of Toronto ever written, "Toronto of Old" by Henry Scadding, has just been edited by Professor F.H. Armstrong of the University of Western Ontario ... Armstrong's editing, with his written reasons for a series of cuts, has made it a tighter and more informative book than the original.
- Gordon Sinclair in Let's Be Personal