A Cyclopædia of Canadian Biography: Brief biographies of persons distinguished in the professional, military and political life, and the commerce and industry of Canada, in the twentieth century
History
A Cyclopædia of Canadian Biography: Brief biographies of persons distinguished in the professional, military and political life, and the commerce and industry of Canada, in the twentieth century
Canada -- Biography
satisfied that here was an excellent place to begin lumber operations;
for the timber seemed inexhaustible, and the water power magnificent. He
returned home, but in 1852 he persuaded Mr. Harris to accompany him to
the Ottawa Valley. When they reached again the region of kingly pines
and booming waterfalls, they were everywhere met with testimony from
river experts, saying that the Ottawa was not suitable for the safe
driving of saw logs, but Mr. Bronson recommended to his partner the
purchase of hydraulic lots at the Chaudiere Falls, then held by the
Crown. At the sale of the lots, made by Mr. Horace Merrill, general
superintendent of the Ottawa River works, a purchase was made, and here,
under the personal supervision of Mr. Bronson, their mills were built
within sound of the thunder of the falls. The mills having been erected,
Mr. Bronson removed his family to Ottawa, and there they were
established permanently. The relation of Mr. Bronson to the sawn lumber
trade of the Dominion of Canada will be better understood when it is
learned that his was the first movement in the Ottawa District for the
manufacture of sawn lumber for the United States market. The original
mill embodied all the modern improvements of the times, including iron
gates of novel model, a contrivance planned by Mr. Bronson himself, and
afterwards used in most of the gang saw mills on the Ottawa River.
Several other gentlemen, stimulated by the enterprise and success of Mr.
Bronson and his partner, likewise set out for Ottawa; and, after a time,
chiefly owing to the persistency of Mr. Bronson, a series of costly
river improvements were constructed, which made the driving of logs upon
the Ottawa a matter of greater convenience than upon many a smaller
stream, which has no large lakes to act as a reservoir for checking the
fury of the spring freshets. In 1864, Mr. Harris retired from the
business, Mr. Bronson still continuing the extensive manufacture of sawn
lumber, and owing to his splendid abilities as a manager, his operations
not alone maintained their ground, but gradually increased. The present
firm at Ottawa is known as The Bronson Company. Mr. Bronson married, on
November 5, 1840, Editha E. Pierce, of Bolton, N.Y., and had four
children. Gertrude, the only daughter, is the wife of Levi Crannell. The
sons are Erskine Henry, Frank P., and Walter G. The family are members
of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Bronson, like another great prince of
business men, Sir Hugh Allan, did not care for political life, and held
himself aloof from parties, but he was connected with several benevolent
institutions and business enterprises. In 1889, death called this
pioneer Canadian lumberman and high-principled citizen. His private and
social relations had won for him everywhere good will and highest
regard. Men had learned to esteem the man because of his tested and
sterling worth. In the commerce of Canada Mr. Bronson’s name will go
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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