Edward Lawson Era 1855-1860

In 1855, Edward Lawson purchased the mill and mill properties, including the general store from James Cupper Bolton
That same year, he replaced the store with a 2-storey building at the SE corner of Mill Street complete with 80 feet of windows fronting along Queen Street
The north side of the store housed groceries, the middle was stocked with hardware and the south side contained dry goods. Upstairs, there was dressmaking, millinery and tailoring.¹
The store was open from 6:30am until late evening except Sunday .²
Edward Lawson also built a steam bakery next to the saw mill along Mill Street.³ . Its specialty was biscuits.
Whether it was the settling of a lawsuit over the height of the mill pond, the constant demands of the business or the dramatic success of his ventures, Edward Lawson sold everything in 1860 to John Gardhouse, a young Englishman.⁴