James Henry Ashdown
Encyclopedia
James Henry Ashdown the "Merchant Prince of Winnipeg", arrived in Winnipeg
, Canada
, in 1868 and at that time began his business as a tinsmith
. In 1870 he purchased two lots on the corner of Main Street and Bannatyne Avenue, the location of the Ashdown retail store for over one hundred years. Ashdown’s successful real estate speculation, combined with his business acumen, made him a millionaire by 1910.
By 1875, business had expanded into both retail and wholesale operations until in 1881 his worth was over $150,000. He established branch stores in Portage la Prairie and Emerson, Manitoba and employed over seventy-five people and later opened a store in Calgary
in 1889. He settled in the then affluent part of Winnipeg known as Point Douglas, along with W. G. Fonseca, Robert & Stewart Mulvey and Dr. Schultz.
He was elected to the Winnipeg Board of Trade in 1879 along with president A. G. B. Bannatyne
, W,H. Lyon, vice-pres., and D. H. McMillan.
He was active in a number of projects in the expansion of the city. The construction of the CPR railroad, as the main intercontinent mode of transporting goods across country, prompted Ashdown in 1878 to propose that the city offer a bonus of $300,000 toward the construction of a bridge across the Red River from Saint Boniface
and to build the desired railway to the western boundary of the province. The Manitoba and South Western Railway co. was created to carry out this proposal and to guarantee that the Dominion Government change the route of the Pacific Railway from Winnipeg westward.
In 1897, Winnipeg
wholesalers won a major concession, thanks in part to Ashdown's efforts as chairman of the Freight Rates Committee, to introduce a "Traders Tariff" that ensured that they paid freight charges no greater than those paid by eastern companies.
In 1900, Ashdown sent a whole train through the west loaded with 800 tons of building material and general hardware, with each car labelled, "Hardware from J.H. Ashdown". This spectacular stunt raised the interest of eastern Canadian as well as American companies to the commercial opportunities in Western Canada
.
In 1904, the J.H. Ashdown store in Winnipeg burned down and was immediately replaced with a new one that was considered to be the finest hardware store in Canada. Not to be outdone, the T. Eaton Co.
of Toronto opened its first store in Winnipeg, in July 1905, comprising 5.5 acres (22,257.7 m²) of floor space and employing eight hundred people.
In 1907, Ashdown was elected mayor of Winnipeg and served for two years before being defeated by William Sanford Evans
. Winnipeg was hit by a recession in 1907, as an indirect consequence of the Wall Street panic in that year, with construction hardest hit during that period. Ashdown travelled to Montreal, New York and London with hopes of selling bonds in order to pay off large loans from the banks but was unsuccessful. Various developments within the city such as the Louise Bridge construction, a gas plant and a hydro-electric plant at Pointe de Bois would have to be postponed until better times.
Throughout the years Ashdown’s Warehouse supplied every conceivable kind of merchandise, including its own “Diamond A Brand” goods. The building was the first structure in the Exchange District
to undergo conversion to residential use.
James H. Ashdown died in 1924, but the firm remained a family business until it was sold in 1971.
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, in 1868 and at that time began his business as a tinsmith
Tinsmith
A tinsmith, or tinner or tinker or tinplate worker, is a person who makes and repairs things made of light-coloured metal, particularly tinware...
. In 1870 he purchased two lots on the corner of Main Street and Bannatyne Avenue, the location of the Ashdown retail store for over one hundred years. Ashdown’s successful real estate speculation, combined with his business acumen, made him a millionaire by 1910.
By 1875, business had expanded into both retail and wholesale operations until in 1881 his worth was over $150,000. He established branch stores in Portage la Prairie and Emerson, Manitoba and employed over seventy-five people and later opened a store in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
in 1889. He settled in the then affluent part of Winnipeg known as Point Douglas, along with W. G. Fonseca, Robert & Stewart Mulvey and Dr. Schultz.
He was elected to the Winnipeg Board of Trade in 1879 along with president A. G. B. Bannatyne
Andrew Bannatyne
Andrew Graham Ballenden Bannatyne was a Canadian politician, fur trader and leading citizen of Winnipeg, Manitoba....
, W,H. Lyon, vice-pres., and D. H. McMillan.
He was active in a number of projects in the expansion of the city. The construction of the CPR railroad, as the main intercontinent mode of transporting goods across country, prompted Ashdown in 1878 to propose that the city offer a bonus of $300,000 toward the construction of a bridge across the Red River from Saint Boniface
Saint Boniface, Manitoba
Saint Boniface is a city ward of Winnipeg, home to much of the Franco-Manitoban community. It features such landmarks as the Cathédrale de Saint Boniface , Boulevard Provencher, the Provencher Bridge, Esplanade Riel, St. Boniface Hospital, the Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface and the Royal...
and to build the desired railway to the western boundary of the province. The Manitoba and South Western Railway co. was created to carry out this proposal and to guarantee that the Dominion Government change the route of the Pacific Railway from Winnipeg westward.
In 1897, Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
wholesalers won a major concession, thanks in part to Ashdown's efforts as chairman of the Freight Rates Committee, to introduce a "Traders Tariff" that ensured that they paid freight charges no greater than those paid by eastern companies.
In 1900, Ashdown sent a whole train through the west loaded with 800 tons of building material and general hardware, with each car labelled, "Hardware from J.H. Ashdown". This spectacular stunt raised the interest of eastern Canadian as well as American companies to the commercial opportunities in Western Canada
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
.
In 1904, the J.H. Ashdown store in Winnipeg burned down and was immediately replaced with a new one that was considered to be the finest hardware store in Canada. Not to be outdone, the T. Eaton Co.
Eaton's
The T. Eaton Co. Limited was once Canada's largest department store retailer. It was founded in 1869 in Toronto by Timothy Eaton, an Irish immigrant. Eaton's grew to become a retail and social institution in Canada, with stores across the country, buying offices across the globe, and a catalogue...
of Toronto opened its first store in Winnipeg, in July 1905, comprising 5.5 acres (22,257.7 m²) of floor space and employing eight hundred people.
In 1907, Ashdown was elected mayor of Winnipeg and served for two years before being defeated by William Sanford Evans
William Sanford Evans
William Sanford Evans was a Manitoba politician. Between 1933 and 1936, he was the leader of that province's Conservative Party caucus....
. Winnipeg was hit by a recession in 1907, as an indirect consequence of the Wall Street panic in that year, with construction hardest hit during that period. Ashdown travelled to Montreal, New York and London with hopes of selling bonds in order to pay off large loans from the banks but was unsuccessful. Various developments within the city such as the Louise Bridge construction, a gas plant and a hydro-electric plant at Pointe de Bois would have to be postponed until better times.
Throughout the years Ashdown’s Warehouse supplied every conceivable kind of merchandise, including its own “Diamond A Brand” goods. The building was the first structure in the Exchange District
Exchange District
The Exchange District is a National Historic Site of Canada in the downtown area of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Just one block north of Canada's most famous intersection, Portage and Main, the Exchange District comprises approximately twenty city blocks and nearly 150 buildings.- History :The...
to undergo conversion to residential use.
James H. Ashdown died in 1924, but the firm remained a family business until it was sold in 1971.
External links
- Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
- J.H. Ashdown Warehouse at www.virtual.heritagewinnipeg.com
- TIMELINKS at timelinks.merlin.mb.ca
- Manitoba Culture, Heritage, Tourism and Sport - Historic Resources at www.gov.mb.ca