Markham Township was originally surveyed in 1793. John Graves Simcoe, the Lieutenant-governor of Upper Canada chose the name Markham in tribute to William Markham the Archbishop of York, England. It was Simcoe who granted the first parcels of land in Markham to William Berczy an industrious gentleman farmer who led a contingent of 64 families of German origin across the border from New York state into Ontario. One of the most prominent of these settlers was Joseph Reesor who established a mill along the Rouge River. For a short time, early in its history this area became known as Reesorville. However; the name was officially changed to Markham when the first post office opened in 1828.

Markham flourished as a thriving industrial centre with saw, grist and woolen mills operating on the banks of the Rouge River. Supporting businesses, taverns and hotels sprung up around the mills. In 1872 the prosperous Village of Markham was incorporated. Markham would enjoy a renewed prosperity after the first world war with the rise in popularity of the automobile and the emergence of the trucking industry. In 1920 Ontario began building highways to meet this demand. One of these provincial highways was Highway 7 which fortuitously ran through Markham connecting its businesses with other major trade centres across Ontario. In 2005 Highway 7 would once again prove pivotal in the growth of Markham Village when it became a main artery for York Region’s VIVA rapid transit service.