Person Record

Metadata

Name

Harrison, John

Othernames

Jno. Harrison

Birthplace

Staffordshire, England

Places of residence

Puslinch Township, Canada West
Owen Sound, Grey County, Canada West (Ontario)

Titles & honors

His family is remembered in the placename of "Harrison Park" (Owen Sound, Ontario).
Circa 2015 there is a display at the Harrison Park Inn restaurant in honour of the Harrison family.

Nationality

English-Canadian

Notes

Mr. Harrison's obituary mentions that he came to Owen Sound in 1849. Another source had said 1848.

The three Harrison brothers walked up to Owen Sound in the 19th-century (in the late 1840s). William Harrison established a grist and woollen mill at the Mill Dam area of the Sydenham River, while John Harrison established a sawmill there. John Harrison relocated his sawmill operation in 186_ to the westside area of town, and also had a planing mill, at what became John Harrison & Sons Ltd. John Harrison passed away in 1902.

In the 1880 Belden Historical Atlas, there is an illustration of the "Sash & Door Factory", a two-storey building that Mr. Harrison had along West Street. It had a tramway for a rolling cart to move lumber. There were also horse-drawn wagons used by the business to move lumber. At that time it was a "Steam Saw Mill".

There is information about John Harrison and his business in the Harrison Park book that was written by Arthur Harrison. The Harrison Park restaurant displays an image of John Harrison.

The John Harrison & Sons sawmill was large enough to be a year-round operation (usually sawmills just operated in the winter-time). The company also had tugs, to help move the large rafts of logs from other places into Owen Sound's harbour area. There are archival images of this sawmill and its tugs in the Grey County archives collection.

There is a John Harrison family group photograph. See 1971.076.015. Their family home is shown in 1971.076.016.

The John Harrison & Sons Mill Yard is pictured in 1971.076.132.

In the marine photos, there are images of the "Tug Harrison" which was used by the J. Harrison & Co. Ltd. in the 20th-century.

Grey Roots has a nail keg with the company name on it: 1971.076.020. There is also an 1898 catalogue from the company (1971.076.009), and a timber stamp tool (1963.001.006).

Occupation

Sawmiller
Sawmill owner (Steam Saw Mill and Sash & Door Factory)
Planing Mill owner
Founder of John Harrison & Sons Co. Ltd.

Publications

Belden, H., ILLUSTRATED HISTORICAL ATLAS OF GREY, 1880, includes an illustration of the J. Harrison sawmill and sash & door factory
Harrison, Arthur, HARRISON PARK [has information about the family]

Relationships

His brothers William and Robert accompanied him in 1848 when they moved to Owen Sound and purchased mill buildings along the Sydenham River. His brother Robert died in 1866. William continued milling along the Sydenham until his death, but John gave up sawmilling there and moved his operation to the Brooke area near the harbour.