James Ross (Canadian businessman)
Encyclopedia
James L. Ross was a Scottish
-born Canadian civil engineer and businessman, who developed his fortune in railway construction.
in 1848, he was the son of a Scottish merchant sea captain and his Newcastle-upon-Tyne born wife.
Educated at Inverness Royal Academy
, after training as a civil engineer
in England
, he immigrated to the United States
in 1870. Appointed engineer of the Ulster and Delaware Railway, he then assumed a similar position with the Wisconsin Central Railway
.
. This brought him into contact with George Laidlaw
, who persuaded him to immigrate to Canada
. Subsequently appointed chief engineer to Laidlaw's Victoria Railway
, in 1879 he built the Credit Valley Railway
, and then became acting consulting engineer for the Ontario and Quebec Railway
. During this period he came into contact with three ambitious young men, namely William Mackenzie
, Donald Mann
and Herbert S. Holt.
After slow progress was made in connecting the Canadian Pacific Railway
west of Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1883 under new CEO William Cornelius Van Horne
, the company formed the wholly owned North American Railway Contracting Company (NARCC). With the brief to meet up with the team driving east from the Pacific Ocean
under Andrew Onderdonk
, Ross was appointed General Manager and Chief Engineer of NARCC, and immediately employed the services of Mackenzie, Mann and Holt. Starting at Swift Current, they built 623 miles (1,002.6 km) of railway to Craigellachie, British Columbia
by November 7, 1885, over the Rocky Mountains
, the Selkirks and the Gold Range
. Completing the project a year ahead of time, Van Horne commented at the opening of the line that Ross's record meant millions to the Canadian Pacific Railway. In achieving this, Ross stuck up a life long friendship with Donald Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal
, who drove "The Last Spike"
.
In 1886 Ross was appointed manager of construction for the Ontario and Quebec Railway
, filling in gaps to allow full access into the CPR's Montreal to Windsor, Ontario
line, and onwards to the Michigan Central Railroad
. Ross then negotiated the entry of the CPR into the USA state of Maine
, building the International Railway of Maine east from Montreal into an Atlantic Ocean
terminal in Bangor
, with an extension to Saint John. Ross then completed extensions of the CPR west of the Rockies, to enable full access to the Pacific. At the time of his death, still a member of the board of the CPR, he was said to be its largest stock holder.
, netting USD$20Million alone for consulting works in Argentina
and Chile
. He also form a railway consulting and contracting company with Mackenzie, Mann and Holt, with:
Advising and constructing on feeder lines north from the CPR mainline, the company completed early works on the Winnipeg and Hudson Bay Railway, and constructed both the Regina and Long Lake Railway and the Calgary and Edmonton Railway
. The partners also negotiated the incorporation of several land development companies, including the Calgary and Edmonton Land Company and the Canada Land and Investment Company. In a later 1887 partnership with George Stephen, 1st Baron Mount Stephen
and Van Horne, they established the Lake of the Woods Milling Company
, which bought and processed grain, and in 1889 Ross became first president of the Columbia River Lumber Company, which provided timber for railways and housing projects.
in 1888, in partership with William Mackenzie, he oversaw the electrification of street railways in Montreal, St. John, the Toronto Street Railway and Winnipeg Transit
. They later took over the City of Birmingham Tramways Company Ltd
in England, reorganising and electrifying that.
Mackenzie then looked for other opportunities in South America, resulting in similar projects in Mexico City
and the highly profitable São Paulo
Tramway, Light and Power Company, whose holding company later acted as a holding company for all of the teams Canadian and global street car investments.
As the partners recognised the need for clean electricty, they each became involved in local hydro electric projects. Ross through investment became first president of the Mexican Power Company, which developed a hydro electric dam at Necaxa
to provide electricty for Mexico City.
as president of Dominion Bridge Company
, a major contractor to the CPR for replacing wooden bridges with stronger and lower maintenance steel replacements. Although credited to the drive of Ross, vice-president James Pawley Dawes lead the developed via joint-venture the St Lawrence Bridge Company to construct the Quebec Bridge
.
Ross saw the great need for steel
, and formed a syndicate to buy the Dominion Coal Company. Investing in further shares independently, Ross built up such a huge stake in Dominion Coal that he was invited to join the board of the Dominion Iron and Steel Company. However, his influence could not resolve a long contract dispute between the two for the supply of high-grade coal at a disadvantageous price, which resulted in a case review at the High Court of Justice
in London
, England. Although fault was found on both sides, the contract was found to be legal. Ross resigned from both boards, thus allowing a later merger between the two companies.
and the Royal Trust Company.
.
, bought in 1912 from the estate of deceased newspaper magante Joseph Pulitzer
, in which he sailed around the world to try and restore his health.
An honorary commodore of the Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club
, Ross was a member of the New York Yacht Club
, and the first Canadian member of the Royal Yacht Squadron
and the Royal Thames Yacht Club
in England.
Ross was a benefactor and board member of McGill University
.
and the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers, he was an honorary lieutenant-colonel of the 17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars.
, the couple had one son, J. K. L. Ross
.
Ross hired architect Bruce Price
to design him a French
Chateau
-style mansion in the Golden Square Mile
, at 3644 Peel Street. After the death of the couple, it was bought by John W. McConnell
and donated to McGill University
, which renamed it Chancellor Day Hall.
Ross died of heart complications at his home in Montreal on September 20, 1913.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
-born Canadian civil engineer and businessman, who developed his fortune in railway construction.
Early life
Born in CromartyCromarty
The Royal Burgh of Cromarty is a burgh in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland.-History:It was previously the county town of the former county of Cromartyshire...
in 1848, he was the son of a Scottish merchant sea captain and his Newcastle-upon-Tyne born wife.
Educated at Inverness Royal Academy
Inverness Royal Academy
Inverness Royal Academy is a secondary school located in the Culduthel area of Inverness, Highland, Scotland.- Catchment area :...
, after training as a civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, he immigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1870. Appointed engineer of the Ulster and Delaware Railway, he then assumed a similar position with the Wisconsin Central Railway
Wisconsin Central Railway
The original Wisconsin Central Railroad Company was established by an act of the Wisconsin State Legislature and incorporated in February 1871. It built track throughout Wisconsin, connecting to neighboring states, before being leased to Northern Pacific Railway between 1889–1893...
.
Railway engineer
After marriage, he was appointed Chief Engineer to the Lake Ontario Shore RailroadLake Ontario Shore Railroad
The Lake Ontario Shore Railroad was a short-lived common carrier railroad in New York that was absorbed by the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad.- Construction :...
. This brought him into contact with George Laidlaw
George Laidlaw
George Laidlaw was a businessman who promoted the development of narrow gauge railways and was invaluable in the chartering of the Toronto & Nipissing and the Toronto Grey & Bruce Railways in 1868...
, who persuaded him to immigrate to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Subsequently appointed chief engineer to Laidlaw's Victoria Railway
Victoria Railway
The Victoria Railway is an historic long Canadian railway that operated in Central Ontario. Construction under Chief Engineer James Ross began in 1874 from Lindsay, Ontario with authority to build through Victoria County to Haliburton, Ontario, to which it opened on...
, in 1879 he built the Credit Valley Railway
Credit Valley Railway
The Credit Valley Railway was a shortline railway that operated in Southern Ontario, Canada from 1871 to 1883. Engineered by James Ross, its mainline went from Toronto to Orangeville with branchlines from Cataract to Elora and Streetsville to St. Thomas. It was acquired by the Ontario and Quebec...
, and then became acting consulting engineer for the Ontario and Quebec Railway
Ontario and Quebec Railway
The Ontario and Quebec Railway is a historic Canadian railway located in eastern Ontario.The railway had received a charter in 1881 and the Canadian Pacific Railway gained control, building the O&Q line between Perth and Toronto...
. During this period he came into contact with three ambitious young men, namely William Mackenzie
William Mackenzie (railway entrepreneur)
Sir William Mackenzie was a Canadian railway contractor and entrepreneur.Born near Peterborough, Ontario, Mackenzie became a teacher and politician before entering business as the owner of a sawmill and gristmill in Kirkfield, Ontario...
, Donald Mann
Donald Mann
Sir Donald Mann was a Canadian railway contractor and entrepreneur.Born at Acton, Ontario, Mann studied as a Methodist minister but worked in lumber camps in Ontario and Michigan before moving to Winnipeg, Manitoba...
and Herbert S. Holt.
After slow progress was made in connecting the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
west of Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1883 under new CEO William Cornelius Van Horne
William Cornelius Van Horne
Sir William Cornelius Van Horne, KCMG was a pioneering Canadian railway executive.-Life and career:Born in 1843 in rural Illinois, he moved with his family to Joliet, Illinois when he was eight years old...
, the company formed the wholly owned North American Railway Contracting Company (NARCC). With the brief to meet up with the team driving east from the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
under Andrew Onderdonk
Andrew Onderdonk
Andrew Onderdonk was a construction contractor who worked on several major projects including the San Francisco seawall in California and the Canadian Pacific Railway in British Columbia. He was born on August 30, 1848 in New York to an established Dutch family. He received his education at the...
, Ross was appointed General Manager and Chief Engineer of NARCC, and immediately employed the services of Mackenzie, Mann and Holt. Starting at Swift Current, they built 623 miles (1,002.6 km) of railway to Craigellachie, British Columbia
Craigellachie, British Columbia
Craigellachie is a locality in British Columbia, located several kilometres to the west of the Eagle Pass summit between Sicamous and Revelstoke...
by November 7, 1885, over the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
, the Selkirks and the Gold Range
Gold Range
The Gold Range is a subrange of the Monashee Mountains in the southern British Columbia Interior. Originally a term used to describe all of the Monashees between the Arrow Lakes and the Okanagan, the term today only applies to a narrow stretch of the Monashee Mountains' eastern flank adjoining...
. Completing the project a year ahead of time, Van Horne commented at the opening of the line that Ross's record meant millions to the Canadian Pacific Railway. In achieving this, Ross stuck up a life long friendship with Donald Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal
Donald Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal
Sir Donald Alexander Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal, GCMG, GCVO, PC, DL was a Scottish-born Canadian fur trader, financier, railroad baron and politician.-Early life:...
, who drove "The Last Spike"
Last Spike (Canadian Pacific Railway)
The Last Spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was the final spike driven into the Canadian Pacific Railway at Craigellachie, British Columbia at 9:22 am on November 7, 1885...
.
In 1886 Ross was appointed manager of construction for the Ontario and Quebec Railway
Ontario and Quebec Railway
The Ontario and Quebec Railway is a historic Canadian railway located in eastern Ontario.The railway had received a charter in 1881 and the Canadian Pacific Railway gained control, building the O&Q line between Perth and Toronto...
, filling in gaps to allow full access into the CPR's Montreal to Windsor, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
line, and onwards to the Michigan Central Railroad
Michigan Central Railroad
The Michigan Central Railroad was originally incorporated in 1846 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in the United States, and the province of Ontario in Canada...
. Ross then negotiated the entry of the CPR into the USA state of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, building the International Railway of Maine east from Montreal into an Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
terminal in Bangor
Bangor, Maine
Bangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...
, with an extension to Saint John. Ross then completed extensions of the CPR west of the Rockies, to enable full access to the Pacific. At the time of his death, still a member of the board of the CPR, he was said to be its largest stock holder.
Railway investor
Having completed his works at the CPR, he advised both Lord Strathcona and William Mackenzie on railway contracts in South AmericaSouth America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, netting USD$20Million alone for consulting works in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. He also form a railway consulting and contracting company with Mackenzie, Mann and Holt, with:
- Ross as General Manager
- Mann preparing and grading roadbeds
- Mackenzie cut the ties and organised timber work for trestles and bridges
- Holt laid track, general finishing, and clean-up work
Advising and constructing on feeder lines north from the CPR mainline, the company completed early works on the Winnipeg and Hudson Bay Railway, and constructed both the Regina and Long Lake Railway and the Calgary and Edmonton Railway
Calgary and Edmonton Railway
The Calgary and Edmonton Railway was an early pioneer railway in what was then the Northwest Territories, now Alberta, Canada. It connected the towns of Calgary and Strathcona and opened in 1891...
. The partners also negotiated the incorporation of several land development companies, including the Calgary and Edmonton Land Company and the Canada Land and Investment Company. In a later 1887 partnership with George Stephen, 1st Baron Mount Stephen
George Stephen, 1st Baron Mount Stephen
George Stephen, 1st Baron of Mount Stephen , known as Sir Stephen, between 1778 and 1891.-Canadian Pacific Railway syndicate:...
and Van Horne, they established the Lake of the Woods Milling Company
Lake of the Woods Milling Company
The Lake of the Woods Milling Company Limited was started May 21, 1887 to take advantage of the new railway and western grain production.Formed by a team from the board of Canadian Pacific Railway, including George Stephen, 1st Baron Mount Stephen, William Cornelius Van Horne and James Ross, the...
, which bought and processed grain, and in 1889 Ross became first president of the Columbia River Lumber Company, which provided timber for railways and housing projects.
Street cars and electricty
After moving to MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
in 1888, in partership with William Mackenzie, he oversaw the electrification of street railways in Montreal, St. John, the Toronto Street Railway and Winnipeg Transit
Winnipeg Transit
Winnipeg Transit is the public transit agency in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is a bus-only operator.The Winnipeg Street Railway operated a horse car operation from 1882 to 1894...
. They later took over the City of Birmingham Tramways Company Ltd
City of Birmingham Tramways Company Ltd
The City of Birmingham Tramways Company Ltd operated trams in Birmingham from 1896 until 1911.The company was formed on 29 September 1896 by James Ross The City of Birmingham Tramways Company Ltd operated trams in Birmingham from 1896 until 1911.The company was formed on 29 September 1896 by...
in England, reorganising and electrifying that.
Mackenzie then looked for other opportunities in South America, resulting in similar projects in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
and the highly profitable São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
Tramway, Light and Power Company, whose holding company later acted as a holding company for all of the teams Canadian and global street car investments.
As the partners recognised the need for clean electricty, they each became involved in local hydro electric projects. Ross through investment became first president of the Mexican Power Company, which developed a hydro electric dam at Necaxa
Necaxa
Necaxa is a Mexican football club and is based in the city of Aguascalientes. it plays in the Estadio Victoria. Necaxa is ranked seventh overall and 1st in ranking in Mexican football within the IFFHS Central and North America's Clubs of the Century in the CONCACAF behind CD Saprissa San Juan de...
to provide electricty for Mexico City.
Dominion Bridge, Coal and Steel
In 1890 Ross replaced Job AbbottJob Abbott
Job Abbott was an American-born Canadian civil engineer who helped pioneer the construction of steel bridges in Canada, including many for the Canadian Pacific Railway, such as the 3,400 ft Lachine Bridge in Montreal, Quebec.- References :* * Discovering heritage bridges on Ontario’s roads -...
as president of Dominion Bridge Company
Dominion Bridge Company
Dominion Bridge Company Limited was a Canadian steel bridge constructor originally based in Lachine, Quebec. From the core business of steel bridge component fabrication, the company diversified into related areas such as the fabrication of holding tanks for pulp mills and skyscraper framing.Other...
, a major contractor to the CPR for replacing wooden bridges with stronger and lower maintenance steel replacements. Although credited to the drive of Ross, vice-president James Pawley Dawes lead the developed via joint-venture the St Lawrence Bridge Company to construct the Quebec Bridge
Quebec Bridge
right|thumb|Lifting the centre span in place was considered to be a major engineering achievement. Photo caption from [[Popular Mechanics]] Magazine, December 1917...
.
Ross saw the great need for steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
, and formed a syndicate to buy the Dominion Coal Company. Investing in further shares independently, Ross built up such a huge stake in Dominion Coal that he was invited to join the board of the Dominion Iron and Steel Company. However, his influence could not resolve a long contract dispute between the two for the supply of high-grade coal at a disadvantageous price, which resulted in a case review at the High Court of Justice
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England. Although fault was found on both sides, the contract was found to be legal. Ross resigned from both boards, thus allowing a later merger between the two companies.
Other business interests
Retiring from engineering and active investment, he became a board director of many companies, including the Bank of MontrealBank of Montreal
The Bank of Montreal , , or BMO Financial Group, is the fourth largest bank in Canada by deposits. The Bank of Montreal was founded on June 23, 1817 by John Richardson and eight merchants in a rented house in Montreal, Quebec. On May 19, 1817 the Articles of Association were adopted, making it...
and the Royal Trust Company.
Art
An avid art collector, Ross at the time of his death had one of the largest and finsest collection of old masters in the entire North American continent. Ross was made a presdient of the Montreal Art Association, after giving generous donations of $25,000 during his lifetime, and latterly $100,000 in his will. He also supported the erection of a new building in 1912, now the Montreal Museum of Fine ArtsMontreal Museum of Fine Arts
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is a major museum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1860, making it Canada's oldest art institution, it moved to its current location in 1912 thanks to a large donation from businessman James Ross....
.
Yachting
A keen sailor, Ross owned of several yachts, including the TMY GlencairnHMNS Liberty
HMNS Liberty was a private steam yacht and later Royal Navy hospital ship, which was one of the largest private yachts of its day.Built in 1908 for Joseph Pulitzer as TMY Liberty, she was sold on his death in 1912 to Scottish-Canadian businessman James Ross, and renamed TMY Glencairn. Having sailed...
, bought in 1912 from the estate of deceased newspaper magante Joseph Pulitzer
Joseph Pulitzer
Joseph Pulitzer April 10, 1847 – October 29, 1911), born Politzer József, was a Hungarian-American newspaper publisher of the St. Louis Post Dispatch and the New York World. Pulitzer introduced the techniques of "new journalism" to the newspapers he acquired in the 1880s and became a leading...
, in which he sailed around the world to try and restore his health.
An honorary commodore of the Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club
Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club
The Royal Saint Lawrence Yacht Club is a historic yacht club located in Dorval, Quebec on the shore of Lake St. Louis.Created in 1888 by a group of men from the Amateur Athletic Association, the club quickly grew, and in 1894 Her Majesty Queen Victoria granted it the title "Royal"...
, Ross was a member of the New York Yacht Club
New York Yacht Club
The New York Yacht Club is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. The organization has over 3,000 members as of 2011. ...
, and the first Canadian member of the Royal Yacht Squadron
Royal Yacht Squadron
The Royal Yacht Squadron is the most prestigious yacht club in the United Kingdom and arguably the world. Its clubhouse is located in Cowes Castle on the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom...
and the Royal Thames Yacht Club
Royal Thames Yacht Club
The Royal Thames Yacht Club is the oldest sailing club in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are located at 60 Knightsbridge, London, England, overlooking Hyde Park....
in England.
Philanthropy
A director of the Royal Victoria and Montreal’s Alexandra Hospital, he contributed to the construction of:- The Ross Memorial Hospital and Nursing Home in Lindsay, OntarioLindsay, OntarioLindsay is a community of 19,361 people on the Scugog River in the Kawartha Lakes region of south-eastern Ontario, Canada. It is approximately west of Peterborough...
, named in honour of his parents - The Ross wing at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal
- Protestant Hospital for the Insane in Verdun, Quebec
Ross was a benefactor and board member of McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
.
Awards
A member of both the AmericanAmerican Society of Civil Engineers
The American Society of Civil Engineers is a professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward...
and the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers, he was an honorary lieutenant-colonel of the 17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars.
Personal life
Married in 1872 to Annie Kerr, daughter of John Kerr, of Kingston, New YorkKingston, New York
Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, USA. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. It became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British Oct. 16, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga...
, the couple had one son, J. K. L. Ross
J. K. L. Ross
John Kenneth Leveson Ross CBE was a Canadian businessman, sportsman, Thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder, and philanthropist. He is best remembered for winning the first United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in 1919 with his Hall of Fame colt, Sir Barton.- Early life :J.K.L...
.
Ross hired architect Bruce Price
Bruce Price
Bruce Price was the American architect of many of the Canadian Pacific Railway's Château-type stations and hotels...
to design him a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Chateau
Château
A château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...
-style mansion in the Golden Square Mile
Golden Square Mile
The Golden Square Mile was the name of a luxurious neighbourhood at the foot of Mount Royal in the west-central section of downtown Montreal, Canada...
, at 3644 Peel Street. After the death of the couple, it was bought by John W. McConnell
John Wilson McConnell
John Wilson McConnell was a Canadian businessman, newspaper publisher, humanitarian, and the most significant philanthropist in the history of the province of Quebec, Canada.-Early life:...
and donated to McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
, which renamed it Chancellor Day Hall.
Ross died of heart complications at his home in Montreal on September 20, 1913.