Everything about Philemon Wright totally explained
Philemon Wright (
September 3,
1760 –
June 3,
1839) was a farmer and entrepreneur who founded
Wrightville, the first settlement in the
National Capital Region of
Canada. Wrightville later became
Hull, Quebec.
He was born in
Woburn, Massachusetts, but in
1799, searching for a less crowded place to settle, he came upon the intersection of the
Gatineau and
Ottawa rivers and found good soil there.
Wright used his natural leadership abilities to convince a group of Massachusetts settlers to come north with him. The first community of a few dozen settled on the north side of the Ottawa River in
1800, on the site of what would become the city of
Gatineau (Hull), Quebec. The group began to clear land, but the process was long and difficult and by
1806 they'd nearly exhausted their capital. In an effort to earn money, Wright attempted what was then thought impossible, to build a raft of
timber and float it to
Quebec City to be sold for export to
Britain. Despite taking two months and encountering many hurdles he reached Quebec and sold his 700 logs and 6000 barrel staves. He founded
Philemon Wright & Sons and made a great deal of money exporting timber, especially during the
Napoleonic Wars when Britain was cut off from its traditional
Baltic region suppliers. Wright was elected to the
legislature of Lower Canada to represent
Ottawa County in 1830 and he and his settlement both saw great success.
Wright died on
June 3,
1839 and is buried in St.James Anglican Cemetery, Gatineau (Hull Sector). He was survived by a large family, including his son
Ruggles Wright who would go on to invent the
timber slide.
Wright is regarded as the founder of the cities of Ottawa and of Gatineau and
Philemon Wright High School in Gatineau is named after him.
Students in 9th grade Geography are often asked to write a little 300 word blurb about Philemon Wright and his contribution to the development of the city of Ottawa.
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