James Dougall
Encyclopedia
James Dougall was a politician, a merchant and a horticulturalist.
, and later moving the business to Montreal
and York
, now known as Toronto
. They were later joined by their father in 1828.
, and began to make connections in the area, aiding his business. He married Suzanne Baby, daughter of François Baby
, in 1832. With his wife Suzanne, he had five sons and two daughters. The marriage to Suzanne gave him a quite a strong connection to the local area, and it aided him to successfully open his first general store, “Dougall’s Emporium”, in Windsor, near the Ferry dock. Dougall helped in subsidizing the land of his father in law, and opened his store near the Ferry dock of the area. In 1837, he became a magistrate for the area. With the title given to him, he was responsible for naming the city. Thus, Dougall is responsible for the naming of the current city of Windsor, Ontario. Canada was under British reign at the time, and due to this a name with ties to Britain had to be chosen, and so came the name of Windsor. By 1837, his business was flourishing, and by 1840, he had two ferries operating across the Detroit River
.
In 1837-1838, he aided in the defense of Windsor against a rebellion from a group of individuals from Detroit. He purchased guns, and provided financial aid to the area. This is known as the Patriot War
, or the Battle of Windsor.
Following 1840, Dougall began funding nurseries
in Windsor and the surrounding areas. His passion for horticulture grew from simple fruit trees, to small fruits and the plantation of flowers and plants in colder areas. Dougall funded several nurseries over the years.
status in 1854, and through this occurrence, Dougall became a member of the first council established in 1858. Dougall the first "elected" mayor of Windsor in 1859 and served until 1861. Six years later, in 1867, he was elected to a second term, and served until 1869. While living in Windsor and the surrounding area, he was active in many of the events of the community.
In 1864, Dougall remarried to Elizabeth Marcon, and had two daughters. The same year, Dougall was elected as the head of the school board, and held that position for the rest of his days.
. He was an active member of the community throughout his life. Dougall Avenue
and Dougall Parkway in the city of Windsor are currently named after him, while Victoria Street is named after his daughter.
Early life
He was born in Paisley, Scotland in 1810. In 1826, at the age of 16, due to the economic conditions of Scotland at the time, James was sent to Canada by his father John. He and his brother John Dougall began by the selling of dry goods, first in QuebecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, and later moving the business to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and York
York, Upper Canada
York was the name of Old Toronto between 1793 and 1834. It was the second capital of Upper Canada.- History :The town was established in 1793 by Governor John Graves Simcoe, with a new 'Fort York' on the site of the last French 'Fort Toronto'...
, now known as Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. They were later joined by their father in 1828.
Ontario
In 1830, he moved to Windsor, OntarioWindsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
, and began to make connections in the area, aiding his business. He married Suzanne Baby, daughter of François Baby
François Baby (politician)
François Baby was a soldier, political figure and businessman in Upper Canada.He was born in Detroit in 1768, the son of Jacques Baby and nephew of François Baby. Although Roman Catholic and French Canadian, he belonged to one of the richest and most powerful families in the Western District of...
, in 1832. With his wife Suzanne, he had five sons and two daughters. The marriage to Suzanne gave him a quite a strong connection to the local area, and it aided him to successfully open his first general store, “Dougall’s Emporium”, in Windsor, near the Ferry dock. Dougall helped in subsidizing the land of his father in law, and opened his store near the Ferry dock of the area. In 1837, he became a magistrate for the area. With the title given to him, he was responsible for naming the city. Thus, Dougall is responsible for the naming of the current city of Windsor, Ontario. Canada was under British reign at the time, and due to this a name with ties to Britain had to be chosen, and so came the name of Windsor. By 1837, his business was flourishing, and by 1840, he had two ferries operating across the Detroit River
Detroit River
The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
.
In 1837-1838, he aided in the defense of Windsor against a rebellion from a group of individuals from Detroit. He purchased guns, and provided financial aid to the area. This is known as the Patriot War
Patriot War
The Battle of Windsor was a short-lived campaign in the eastern Michigan area of the United States and the Windsor area of Upper Canada. A group of men on both sides of the border, calling themselves "Patriots", formed small militias in 1837 with the intention of seizing the Southern Ontario...
, or the Battle of Windsor.
Following 1840, Dougall began funding nurseries
Nursery (horticulture)
A nursery is a place where plants are propagated and grown to usable size. They include retail nurseries which sell to the general public, wholesale nurseries which sell only to businesses such as other nurseries and to commercial gardeners, and private nurseries which supply the needs of...
in Windsor and the surrounding areas. His passion for horticulture grew from simple fruit trees, to small fruits and the plantation of flowers and plants in colder areas. Dougall funded several nurseries over the years.
Political career
Dougall’s life in Windsor had a political aspect as well. Windsor attained VillageVillage
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
status in 1854, and through this occurrence, Dougall became a member of the first council established in 1858. Dougall the first "elected" mayor of Windsor in 1859 and served until 1861. Six years later, in 1867, he was elected to a second term, and served until 1869. While living in Windsor and the surrounding area, he was active in many of the events of the community.
In 1864, Dougall remarried to Elizabeth Marcon, and had two daughters. The same year, Dougall was elected as the head of the school board, and held that position for the rest of his days.
Legacy
In 1888, James Dougall died in Windsor, Ontario. He spent the bulk of his life in Windsor and in Anderdon County, near Amherstburg, OntarioAmherstburg, Ontario
Amherstburg is a Canadian town near the mouth of the Detroit River in Essex County, Ontario. It is approximately south of the U.S...
. He was an active member of the community throughout his life. Dougall Avenue
Dougall Avenue (Windsor, Ontario)
Dougall Avenue is a very busy four-lane urban arterial road, linking Downtown Windsor, with South Windsor and Highway 401. The road is a minimum of four lanes for its entire length, and is among Windsor's busiest, with an Average Annual Daily Traffic amount of 35,000 vehicles per day from Eugenie...
and Dougall Parkway in the city of Windsor are currently named after him, while Victoria Street is named after his daughter.