John Brown

The contractor, John Brown, a stonemason from Thorold, Ontario, was nearly forced into bankruptcy in order to complete the towers, but they still stand today as a legacy to his fine work. His work was so fine that it was samples of his plaster and cement won him medals in the Paris exhibition in 1855 and London's World exhibition in 1862.

John Brown was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland. He was apprenticed to a stonemason in Glasgow Scotland. He first emigrated to the United States taking on contracts in New York State. Again emigrating he settled in Canada where he plied his trade. By 1850 his reputation and wealth had grown and he took on partners in related business endeavors such as cement and plaster mills, lime kilns and a steam sawmill. He also became involved in shipbuilding. With this wide talent he became a prime candidate to construct the Imperial Towers on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay.

We trust that no acts of intimidation or coercion will be practiced by the laborers. There have been rumors of some and it will shake the sympathy of the people with Union (illegible), if they should be found out to be true.

John Brown's Death

Friday, June 30, 1876 Thorold, Ontario

Death of Mr. John Brown

On Tuesday afternoon the whole town was thrown into a state of excitement over the fact that Mr. John Brown had been nearly killed by being thrown from his buggy. From the statement of an "eye" witness of the occurrence, we learn that Mr. Brown was proceeding home from section 15 about half past 4 o'clock, when in the act of opening a gate which runs (illegible) to the railway, the horse suddenly started and threw Mr. Brown on his head the buggy wheels passing over his chest and arms. Several parties at work close by at once ran forward and raised the injured man up, but he was insensible. The news was immediately carried to his office and a mattress and bedding were forwarded at once to the scene of the accident, and Mr. Brown was conveyed to the Mansion House. Drs. Rolls, Palmer and Lemon were in close attendance and on examination, it was found Mr. Brown had sustained the following injuries:-- a wound on the top of his head as if he had alighted on that portion of his body: one of his ribs in the region of his heart was broken; several scalp wounds and also flesh wounds on the body. The wound from which the most danger was feared, was the wound on the top of the head as it was supposed that the skull was fractured at its base.

Dr. Mack was summoned on Tuesday night, and a consultation of the four physicians was held, when little hope was held out of Mr. Brown's recovery. He lingered on in semi-conscious state till about half past eleven on Wednesday night, when he passed quietly away from that bourne whence no traveller (sic by today's spelling) returns.

His funeral will take place tomorrow at 10 o'clock precisely, and we trust that every place of business will be closed till noon out of respect to the deceased. The men on Mr. Brown's sections stopped work on Monday morning and do not intend to return until after the funeral. In all likelihood the whole works along the canal will be stopped on Saturday.

John Brown was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland in the year 1809 and he was thus 67 years of age when he died. His parents were in humble circumstances, and John did not receive much schooling. He was "put too his apprenticeship" as a mason. He served his apprenticeship in Glasgow, where at the age of twenty-three emigrated to New York. He did not remain long in New York before he removed to Lockport. In this place he took his first contract, which was the erection of the Niagara Flowering Mills, Niagara Falls was the next scene of Mr. Brown's labors, here he built the celebrated Cataract House and many private residences in the vicinity of the Falls.

It was 1838 that Mr. Brown first came to Canada and we have obtained from various sources the following list of his principal contracts since that date.

The first contract of any magnitude that he had on this side of the lines was the building of the first railroad in this section of Canada, which ran between the the flourishing town of Niagara and Chippawa. About this time he had the contract for furnishing the stones for building Fort Niagara and barracks at Toronto. The heaviest contract which he had undertaken at that time was several Sections of what was then known as the new canal. These contracts were begun in 1844, and finished in 1850. In 1855 he built six Lighthouses on Georgian Bay and Lake Huron. Of railway contracts had quite a number, of which the principal were on the Great Western and Welland railways. The suspension bridge towers at Clifton will stand for centuries as specimens of his work. He also built the jail at St. Catharines. Several of the macadamized roads in this and the adjacent Counties were built by our late townsman. He had extensive contracts in improving Montreal, Quebec Harbors, and deepening various railway channels. Also deepening Saginaw Harbor, Michigan, and Sault Ste. Marie. He also built the Lake St. Clair Canal. The harbors of Kincardine, Goderich, Rondeau, were deepened by him, and piers erected in most of these places. His last and great contracts were on the New Welland Canal, having Sections 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 31 and 32 and the dredging of Port Dalhousie Harbor. He was the largest contractor on the new canal, the estimates of his contracts being close on $(illegible).

Mr. John Brown was known all over Canada, and his fame spread to the United States, and even to the old country, and he, no doubt will be missed by many in these places. It is in our midst, however, that his loss will be most keenly felt. Every since he came to Thorold in the year 1843, his name has been associated with the town, and he has been mainly instrumental in making Thorold what it is now. He employed a large number of men on his contracts, and besides these his quarries, limekilns, cement and plaster mills, plaster beds give occupation to many more. It is said that were 500 men employed at the time of his death on the canal works alone. As an employer, he was highly respected and loved by his men. One feature in Mr. Brown's position as an employer was that he had in his employ men who had been with him for 30 and 40 years steadily. He made a rule, if he found a good man to endeavor always to keep him.

Like many other great men, Mr. Brown was adverse to having his will made. Though urged repeatedly by his most intimate friends to do this most important duty, he always put it off. It is said that his estate is worth over $500,000. This cannot well be administered in the usual form, as the parties administrating estates are required to furnish security to double the amount of the estate. In all probability the estate will be thrown into Chancery. In the meantime the sureties and assignees can carry on the contracts on the canal, if the government chose to let it be done.

On Saturday morning there took place the largest funeral in Thorold. Early in the morning large numbers of men came pouring into the town from the public works to pay their last act of respect to their deceased employer, Mr. John Brown. The body was placed in the verandah of Mansion House and for nearly two hours there was a continuous stream of parties anxious to get a glimpse of the mortal remains of him whose face they were wont to see day after day. One fact worth while noticing here is that Mr. John Brown was boarder at the Mansion House for over twenty-seven years which fact speaks well for both the deceased and his landlady -- Mrs. McCarthy. Shortly after ten o'clock the Rev. Mr. Fraser from the verandah made a few remarks on the character of the diseased and offered up prayer. By this time the rain began to pour down in torrents and this thinned the ranks of the mourners considerably. The funeral procession moved slowly on about half past ten o'clock. (not legible for a short period ... mike sterling)

The procession was nearly two miles in length and contained about 150 vehicles. The procession would have been much more inspiring, if the weather had been favorable, as it was the intention of the stonecutters and all the men employed by Mr. Brown, to have walked in procession to St. Catherine's.

The Stonecutters held a meeting in their hall on the morning of the funeral about eight o'clock. There was a large attendance of the Society. The president of the Society, Mr Kearney delivered an address touching on the death of Mr. Brown of which the following is the substance.

We are gathered here today to join in paying the last duty to the man whose enterprise and ability has mainly been the cause of bringing and keeping together the company of men of all nations, all creeds. The man, who by his forethought and industry, has succeeded in using for the benefit of the country, the benefit of those employed and his own advantage, the army of men who today regret his sudden loss, as keenly as would an army of soldiers deprived of a general who had led them to victory, and in whose power to do so again they were confident.

In meeting here today, in discharge of this duty, all selfish regret must be looked upon excluded. The feeling shown, and the respect which we deserve to manifest, must be looked upon only as another monument tendered to him who is gone given in recognition of the power to control to advantage the many different elements of which we are composed, and the power and willingness be possessed to reward and push forward those whom he deemed merituous, or who were willing to advance themselves. Now that the power is gone and he who exercised it is gone too, gone to render an account of his stewardship to the Mighty General of the universe, we, who have for so long a time been familiar with him desire to show our appreciation of the many good qualities he possessed, and our sympathy with the relations and friends of deceased, who must feel deeply the loss which all who know him mourns. But, while mourning him one consolation remains, his was no wasted life, the record which he leaves behind him is one of which they may well feel proud, his career was honorable and useful one and no single instance of failure, no whisper of dishonorable dealing, nothing but hard work, self denial, and close attention to whatever business in which he was engaged has ever brought the name of the Scotch Stonecutter to the proud position it holds before men and that the same life of labor and self denial coupled with his many acts of charity, may plead for him at the Throne of Grace is I am sure the earnest wish of every man assembled here today.

In conclusion, gentlemen, I wish you would name some man amongst the capable of marshalling our union into proper order. We are invited by the friends of the diseased to form into rank and march to the house from which the burial is to take place, view the remains, and then accompany them to their last resting place. In what ever way we have severally made arrangements, please name some one who has had sound, experience in such matters.