John Cameron | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Alderman on the Edmonton Town Council | |
| In office February 10, 1892 – January 13, 1893 | |
| In office January 14, 1895 – January 13, 1896 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 28, 1846 East Hawkesbury, Canada West |
| Died | October 6, 1919 (aged 73) Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Ann McCann |
| Profession | Merchant |
| Signature |  |
John Cameron (May 28, 1846 – October 6, 1919) was a merchant and politician in Alberta, Canada and a municipal councillor in Edmonton. He is regarded as one of the city's pioneer citizens.
Born in Canada West, Cameron worked a merchant in his birth province and Manitoba before coming to Edmonton in 1881. In Edmonton he continued as a merchant, owning and operating a store for 15 years. In Edmonton he quickly established himself as a prominent citizen, serving on the inaugural Edmonton Board of Trade as president, which he would remain for 5 years. Cameron also was involved in the development of the Edmonton Public School Board, serving on the board in the 1890s. He also get involved in the town's politics, winning election to Edmonton's first town council in 1892, and serving an additional term when elected in 1895. After this retirement from politics, he worked in the coal and real estate business until his death in 1919, at the age of 74. Upon his death, he was lauded as one of the pioneer citizens of Edmonton; a neighbourhood and ravine would be among the things later be named after him.
Early life and career edit
John Cameron was born at East Hawkesbury, Canada West in 1846, the son of Colin and Anna (née McLaurin) Cameron.[1] His brother was Sir Douglas Cameron,[2] who would also go into politics, serving in the Ontario Legislature and as Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba.[3] John attended school in Hawkesbury and Renfrew and in 1871 became a merchant at Vankleek Hill, with a partner in the firm Cameron & Mode General Merchants. In 1876, he would go west and relocate to Winnipeg, Manitoba and establish Cameron & Company general merchants, where he would remain until 1881.[1]
Career in Edmonton edit
Cameron moved from Winnipeg to Edmonton in 1881 by ox-cart, bringing with him 96,000 pounds (44,000 kg) of freight on a journey that took three months. Once in Edmonton, he used this freight as the initial inventory of a store, the A. McDonald Company, where he entered into a partnership.[2] In 1891, he would purchase the store which he would operate until 1896. After the sale of the store, he entered into the real estate and coal business.[1]
He was the elected the first president of the Edmonton Board of Trade upon its founding in 1889. He served until 1894.[4][5] He also played a vital role in the development of the school system in Edmonton, serving on the public school board until 1897, and in 1881, providing funds for the first school teacher in the city.[1] In 1886, with the school board, Cameron was responsible for introducing a fee for the parents of students attending schools in the Edmonton Public School District that did not live within the district, as district residents were taxed for the school's services.[6]
Civic politics edit
He was elected to Edmonton's first town council in 1892, finishing fifth of fourteen candidates (the top six were elected).[7] He was defeated in his 1893 re-election bid, in which he finished seventh of nine candidates. He briefly returned to the council after being elected again in 1895, but did not seek re-election the following year and remained out of politics thereafter.[7] During his first term on council, he was involved in an altercation in which the dominion government had made a decision to Dominion Land Office from Edmonton to Strathcona, at the time a separate town, south of the North Saskatchewan River. When news of the decision and crews to execute it arrived in Edmonton, Angry citizens descended on the office and tore to pieces the wagon that the officer was packing with records for transportation. Led by mayor Matthew McCauley, Cameron was a part of a group of prominent citizens that headed the resistance, eventually leading to the dominion to reverse its decision.[8]
Personal life edit
At Vankleek Hill in 1872, he married Jane Vogan.[9] She would die some time after, and John Cameron would remarry Elizabeth Ann McCann on November 8, 1875.[1] He was a member of the Edmonton Old Timers' Association as well as the Edmonton Agricultural Society.[2] He was an avid outdoorsmen who enjoyed utilizing the Edmonton North Saskatchewan River Valley with activities like canoeing and hiking.[10] Along with his wife Elizabeth, he was an early member of the Presbyterian church in Edmonton.[11][12]
Death and legacy edit
He died on October 6, 1919[13] after a brief illness at his Edmonton home. He left his wife Elizabeth and two sons, John Hilliard and Howard, and four daughters Mabel, Florence, Alice and Jessie. After his funeral at his home on Cameron Avenue, he was buried at the Edmonton Cemetery. At the time of his death, the Edmonton Bulletin praised Cameron for his efforts in establishing the foundations of the city Edmonton, and remarked that "the city owes much to him because of his strenuous efforts with others in maintaining this as the permanent site for the city".[2] Elizabeth Cameron died in Edmonton in 1933 at the age of 79.[12]
Cameron Street, the neighbourhood of Cameron Heights, and the Cameron Ravine (in the vicinity of Cameron Heights) in Edmonton are named in honour.[14]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e Parker, Charles Whately; Greene, Barnet M. (1912), Who's who in Canada: An Illustrated Biographical Record of Men and Women of the Time, Volume 14, International Press Limited, retrieved February 10, 2014
- ^ a b c d "Pioneer Citizens Gather at Graveside to Pay Last Tribute to the Late John Cameron". Edmonton Bulletin. Edmonton, Alberta. October 9, 1919. p. 3. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
- ^ http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/people/cameron_dc.shtml
- ^ Woods, S.B. (June 25, 1921). "Edmonton's Earliest Pioneers Founded the Board of Trade; John Cameron First President". Edmonton Bulletin. Edmonton, Alberta. p. 13. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
- ^ "Hermis - Paa". Hermis.alberta.ca. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
- ^ Bolwer 1968, p. 15
- ^ a b City of Edmonton, Election Results 1892–1944, Edmonton, Alberta, retrieved February 5, 2014
- ^ Bolwer 1968, p. 16
- ^ "Person Details for Colin Cameron in entry for John Cameron and Jane Vogan, "Ontario Marriages, 1869-1927" —". Familysearch.org. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
- ^ Cameron Ravine - City of Edmonton
- ^ Munro 2007, p. 6
- ^ a b Munro 2007, p. 7
- ^ "Funeral on Wednesday". Edmonton Bulletin. Edmonton, Alberta. October 8, 1919. p. 3. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
- ^ Aubrey 2004, p. 47
Bibliography edit
- Aubrey, Merrily K. (2004), Naming Edmonton: From Ada to Zoie, Edmonton, Alberta: University of Alberta, ISBN 978-0-88864-423-7, retrieved February 10, 2014
- Bolwer, Jim (1968), "Matthew McCauley", Alberta Historical Review, vol. 20, pp. 11–17
{{citation}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - Munro, Kenneth (2007), First Presbyterian Church, Edmonton: A History, Victoria, British Columbia: Trafford Publishing, retrieved February 10, 2014