John Egan (Canadian politician)
Encyclopedia
John Egan was an Irish-Canadian businessman and political figure in the Ottawa region.
He was born near Aughrim
, Ireland
, in 1811. He came to Aylmer
, Lower Canada
, Canada, in 1830. After working with a lumber company on the upper Ottawa River
, he entered the business himself near Bytown
. He founded the town of Eganville
in Ottawa Valley on the Bonnechere River
, later expanding his operation to the Quyon, Petawawa
and Madawaska River
s. Egan was one of four men to finance the construction of the first flour and sawmill in Aylmer
in 1839, and in partnership with Joseph Aumond, he founded the Union Forwarding Company in 1845. In the late 1840s, he began building a number of sawmill
s. Together with Ruggles Wright
, he also operated a steamship transporting goods on the Ottawa River
. Egan also played an important role in the development of railways service to the area, including the Bytown and Prescott Railway
.
By 1850, he was the dominant force in the timber trade along the Ottawa River. He had been elected mayor of Aylmer
in 1847. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
in the riding of Ottawa County
in 1848 and was reelected there in 1851. In 1854, he became the first elected representative for the newly formed riding of Pontiac
.
A decline in the red pine
market forced him into bankruptcy
in 1854.
He died in 1857 at Quebec City
of cholera
while still representing Pontiac.
In 1864, the Egan Township in Quebec was named in his honour (see: Egan-Sud, Quebec
).
He was born near Aughrim
Aughrim, County Galway
Aughrim is a small village in County Galway, Ireland. It is located in the west of Ireland, between the towns of Loughrea and Ballinasloe, along the N6 national primary road that connects Galway and Dublin....
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, in 1811. He came to Aylmer
Aylmer, Quebec
Aylmer is a former city in Quebec, Canada. It became a sector of the City of Gatineau on January 1, 2002. Located on the Ottawa River and Route 148 it is a part of the National Capital Region. The population in 2006 was 41 882 — approx. 16% of Gatineau...
, Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
, Canada, in 1830. After working with a lumber company on the upper Ottawa River
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...
, he entered the business himself near Bytown
Bytown
Bytown is the former name of Ottawa, Canada's capital city. It was founded on on September 26, 1826, incorporated as a town on January 1, 1850, and superseded by the incorporation of the City of Ottawa on January 1, 1855. The founding was marked by a sod turning, and a letter from Governor General...
. He founded the town of Eganville
Eganville, Ontario
Eganville is a small community occupying a deep limestone valley carved at the Fifth Chute of the Bonnechere River in Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada. It is in the township of Bonnechere Valley. This village also has two of the most popular restaurants in the upper Ottawa Valley: The Granary and...
in Ottawa Valley on the Bonnechere River
Bonnechere River
The Bonnechere River is a river in the Saint Lawrence River drainage basin in Nipissing District and Renfrew County in eastern and northeastern Ontario, Canada. The river flows from Algonquin Provincial Park to the Ottawa River east and north of the town of Renfrew...
, later expanding his operation to the Quyon, Petawawa
Petawawa River
The Petawawa River is a river in the Saint Lawrence River drainage basin in Nipissing District and Renfrew County in eastern and northeastern Ontario, Canada. The river flows from Algonquin Provincial Park to the Ottawa River at the town of Petawawa...
and Madawaska River
Madawaska River (Ontario)
The Madawaska River is a river in Ontario, Canada. The river is long and drains an area of . It originates at Source Lake in the highlands of Algonquin Park at an elevation of and flows east, dropping before emptying into the Ottawa River at Arnprior....
s. Egan was one of four men to finance the construction of the first flour and sawmill in Aylmer
Aylmer, Quebec
Aylmer is a former city in Quebec, Canada. It became a sector of the City of Gatineau on January 1, 2002. Located on the Ottawa River and Route 148 it is a part of the National Capital Region. The population in 2006 was 41 882 — approx. 16% of Gatineau...
in 1839, and in partnership with Joseph Aumond, he founded the Union Forwarding Company in 1845. In the late 1840s, he began building a number of sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s. Together with Ruggles Wright
Ruggles Wright
Ruggles Wright was a Canadian lumber merchant, the youngest son of Philemon Wright.He was born in Woburn, Massachusetts but moved to Canada with his parents while still young. He later joined the family business in the timber trade. In 1829, he built the first timber slide on the Ottawa River to...
, he also operated a steamship transporting goods on the Ottawa River
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...
. Egan also played an important role in the development of railways service to the area, including the Bytown and Prescott Railway
Bytown and Prescott Railway
The Bytown and Prescott Railway, Ottawa's first railway to outside markets, was a railway joining Ottawa, Ontario with Prescott, Ontario on the Saint Lawrence River. The 52 mile railway facilitated shipments of principally lumber via the Saint Lawrence River to markets in the United States and...
.
By 1850, he was the dominant force in the timber trade along the Ottawa River. He had been elected mayor of Aylmer
Aylmer, Quebec
Aylmer is a former city in Quebec, Canada. It became a sector of the City of Gatineau on January 1, 2002. Located on the Ottawa River and Route 148 it is a part of the National Capital Region. The population in 2006 was 41 882 — approx. 16% of Gatineau...
in 1847. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
in the riding of Ottawa County
Ottawa (County of)
Ottawa was a federal and provincial electoral district in Quebec, Canada, which was represented in the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada from 1830 to 1867, in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1892, and in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec from 1867 to at least 1919.The...
in 1848 and was reelected there in 1851. In 1854, he became the first elected representative for the newly formed riding of Pontiac
Pontiac (electoral district)
Pontiac is a federal electoral district in south-western Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1949 and since 1968....
.
A decline in the red pine
Red Pine
Pinus resinosa, commonly known as the red pine or Norway pine, is pine native to North America. The Red Pine occurs from Newfoundland west to Manitoba, and south to Pennsylvania, with several smaller, disjunct populations occurring in the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia and West Virginia, as well...
market forced him into bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
in 1854.
He died in 1857 at Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
of cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
while still representing Pontiac.
In 1864, the Egan Township in Quebec was named in his honour (see: Egan-Sud, Quebec
Egan-Sud, Quebec
Egan-Sud is a municipality in the La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada, directly north of Maniwaki.Egan-South has a residential, agricultural, and commercial character, the latter mainly concentrated along Highway 105....
).