Nicholson, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Nicholson is a ghost town
in the Canadian
province of Ontario
, located northwest of Chapleau
in the Sudbury District
. It is counted as part of Sudbury, Unorganized, North Part
in Canadian census data.
Formerly a lumber mill town with an estimated population of 400 at its peak, the town was established in 1903 by the Austin-Nicholson company. It was populated primarily by Finnish and Franco-Ontarian
workers and their families. A post office, a company store, a Canadian Pacific Railway
station, an Anglican
church and a school were established in the early 1910s.
Although the mill was profitable for many years, and Austin-Nicholson was the largest producer of railroad ties in the British Empire
, the establishment of another mill at nearby Dalton Mills in 1921 limited the town's growth potential. The mill at Nicholson burned down in a fire in 1933 and was not replaced, as the company consolidated its operations at Dalton to reduce costs during the Great Depression
.
A small number of residents continued to live at Nicholson until 1963, when the few remaining businesses were closed down and the remaining residents moved away. In the early 1970s, a proposal was advanced to preserve Nicholson as a historic site, although a fire later destroyed most of the surviving buildings at the townsite.
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
in the Canadian
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...
province of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, located northwest of Chapleau
Chapleau, Ontario
Chapleau is a township in Sudbury District, Ontario, Canada. It is home to one of the world's largest wildlife preserves. Chapleau has a population of 2,354 according to the Canada 2006 Census....
in the Sudbury District
Sudbury District, Ontario
The Sudbury District is a district in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1894 from townships of eastern Algoma District and west Nipissing District....
. It is counted as part of Sudbury, Unorganized, North Part
Sudbury, Unorganized, North Part, Ontario
Sudbury, Unorganized, North Part is an unorganized area in the Canadian province of Ontario, comprising all portions of the Sudbury District which are not organized into incorporated municipalities...
in Canadian census data.
Formerly a lumber mill town with an estimated population of 400 at its peak, the town was established in 1903 by the Austin-Nicholson company. It was populated primarily by Finnish and Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarians are French Canadian or francophone residents of the Canadian province of Ontario. They are sometimes known as "Ontarois"....
workers and their families. A post office, a company store, a Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
station, an Anglican
Anglican Church of Canada
The Anglican Church of Canada is the Province of the Anglican Communion in Canada. The official French name is l'Église Anglicane du Canada. The ACC is the third largest church in Canada after the Roman Catholic Church and the United Church of Canada, consisting of 800,000 registered members...
church and a school were established in the early 1910s.
Although the mill was profitable for many years, and Austin-Nicholson was the largest producer of railroad ties in the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, the establishment of another mill at nearby Dalton Mills in 1921 limited the town's growth potential. The mill at Nicholson burned down in a fire in 1933 and was not replaced, as the company consolidated its operations at Dalton to reduce costs during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
A small number of residents continued to live at Nicholson until 1963, when the few remaining businesses were closed down and the remaining residents moved away. In the early 1970s, a proposal was advanced to preserve Nicholson as a historic site, although a fire later destroyed most of the surviving buildings at the townsite.