Memorable Manitobans: James Higham (1863-1909)

Hotelier.

Born at Manchester, England on 13 March 1863, son of William Higham and Mary Jane Baxendale, he emigrated to Canada with his parents at an early age, settling first in Ontario and in 1879 on a farm near Dominion City. As a young adult, he worked for twelve years for the Great Northern Railway and Manitoba and North Western Railway. In the summer of 1897, he moved to Stonewall where he purchased the Canadian Pacific Hotel. Around 1905, he also purchased the Stonewall Flour Mill and Elevator and operated it as a partner in the firm of Higham & Ramsay. On 7 January 1886, he married Eliza Johnston (1862-1902) of Roscommon County, Ireland. They had four children, none of whom lived to adulthood. He died at Selkirk on 21 January 1909 and was buried in the Dominion City Cemetery with his wife and children.

Sources:

A History of Manitoba: Its Resources and People by Prof. George Bryce, Toronto: The Canadian History Company, 1906.

1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.

Marriage and death registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

“James Higham dies suddenly,” Stonewall Argus, 27 January 1909, page 4.

We thank Rob McInnes for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 24 May 2020

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.

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