The territories of Tosno district were part of Vodskaya pyatina (domain) of the Novgorodian State. Tosno as a tiny settlement (of just two households) is first mentioned in levy books of the 15th-early 16th centuries. Rapid development of the area started in the 18th century. A road between St.Peterburg and Moscow passed across the area providing work and support for local peasants. New villages sprang up. By that time the center of Tosno (between the Smolin stream and Tosno River) took its shape with dwelling houses, shops, inns and the earliest wooden church. During Great Patriotic War the town was occupied by the Germans. After Tosno was liberated, its industries grew fast. It is in 1944 already that a car-repair enterprise and a plant of construction components were founded. In 1963 Tosno, earlier an industrial community, got the status of a town. The Tosno Museum of Local History and Tradition occupies the two-story house of the Smolins family of typical for the outskirts design. The house collection is deposited here since 1998. Visitors can explore the history of the local area and learn its nature and geology