Edward Lawson Era 1855-1860

Edward Lawson Era  1855-1860

• In 1855, Edward Lawson purchased the mill and mill properties from James Cupper Bolton ¹
  
• That same year, he built a 2-storey frame store 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 ²
• The store was open every day from 6:30am until late evening except on Sunday ³
• Edward Lawson also built a steam bakery next to the saw mill along Mill Street ⁴ .  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 ⁵

 

And the buildings?

• Edward Lawson’s 1855 frame store was replaced in the late 1880s by the Bonnar Block, built in brick.  The Bonnar Block, in turn, was replaced by a new building, designed for cold storage lockers.  It was built in 1941 by Otto Hardwick.  This building was altered in the mid-1950s becoming the IGA.  It still stands