Alexander Niven: The Biography of an Early Haliburton County Surveyor

by Kim Emmerson

Overview

Set in the late 1800s, this well-researched biography takes us into the heart of newly settled Upper Canada, and the rich beginnings of Haliburton County, Ontario. We get a thoughtful and thorough look at the history of the area as we meet Alexander Niven; surveyor, politician, farmer, adventurer, educator, and influential businessman in a blossoming locale. We meet Niven's contemporaries, who alongside this versatile surveyor, formed and shaped this "back woods" settlement into the beautiful area we are familiar with today. This very informative and entertaining biography will immerse you in the exciting and sometimes trying times of the period, and paint a picture of early settlement in Haliburton County.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940151534758
Publisher:	FriesenPress
Publication date:	06/01/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	464
File size:	14 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Kim Emmerson was born in Haliburton in 1957 and graduated from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in Toronto in 1978. He has worked at the family business, Emmerson Lumber Limited, his whole life and is proud of his “third generation” title. Kim and his wife Linda have 5 children. Kim has a number of hobbies, photography being one of them.

When the Lucas and Ritchie family built the first sawmill on the Drag River in 1864, little did they know that 150 years later, the land that was specially set aside as the “Mill Reserve” would still be used for the sale of lumber.

Alexander Niven spent a lot of time at the mill site, during social events, counting logs, or helping refurbish the mill in 1870. In 1946, Kim’s grandfather, W.O. Bailey (1887-1953), built a cement dam at the site of the wooden dam, and operated a veneer mill until 1959. The birthplace of the community has evolved into a retail building supply business known as Emmerson Lumber Limited. An extensive renovation of the dam was carried out by the Emmerson family in 2013. The heritage of the site is therefore still enjoyed today by visitors to the walkway along the river.