Andrew Duncan Davidson (1853-1916)

Businessman.

Born at Glencoe, Ontario on 18 May 1853, son of William and Christian Davidson, brother of Alexander Rae Davidson, he was educated at Glencoe before moving to Wisconsin at the age of 19. After taking a business college course, he took up railway work. He later moved to Minnesota where he engaged in the land business and banking. In 1902 he returned to Canada and began buying, along with associates, some 1,250,000 acres of land.

He served as a director of 44 companies; he was President of Davidson and McRae Company, President of the Canadian Western Lumber Company, and Vice-President of the Columbia River Lumber Company. He also had interests in coal, grain and elevator companies, and the Western Canada Flour Mills. For a time, he was land commissioner of the Canadian Northern Railway, based at Toronto. He was involved in a number of business enterprises with Mackenzie and Mann. He was given the honorary title of “Colonel” in recognition of his service to the state of Minnesota.

He and wife Ella T. McRae had one daughter. In early 1916, he went to the Mayo Clinic at Rochester, Minnesota suffering from “acute stomach trouble”. He died there on 22 April 1916 and was buried at Forest Hill Cemetery in Duluth, Minnesota.

Sources:

Who’s Who in Western Canada: A Biographical Dictionary of Notable Living Men and Women of Western Canada, Volume 1, 1911. C. W. Parker, editor. Canadian Press Association, Vancouver.

“Col. A. D. Davidson dies at Rochester” Manitoba Free Press, 24 April 1916.

“Funeral of Col. Davidson” Manitoba Free Press, 25 April 1916.

Profile revised: 24 May 2009

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