William H. Hurdman was a Canadian

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...

 entrepreneur and community leader.

He was born in Hull Township, Quebec in 1818. His family came from Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 and his father had worked with Philemon Wright

Philemon Wright

Philemon Wright was a farmer and entrepreneur who founded Wrightstown, the first permanent settlement in the National Capital Region of Canada...

. In 1841, William Hurdman and his brothers started a lumber business under the name Hurdman Brothers. In 1873, he and his brother Robert moved to Gloucester Township, Ontario

Gloucester Township, Ontario

Gloucester Township is a historical township in Eastern Ontario, Canada.Originally known as Township B, it was established in 1792. In 1800, it was part of Russell County, but became part of Carleton County in 1838 and was incorporated as a township in 1850. The first settler in the township was...

. He was reeve there from 1877 to 1879. The brothers built their own bridge, Hurdman's Bridge, across the Rideau River

Rideau River

thumb|Rapids on the Rideau River opposite [[Carleton University]].The Rideau River is a Southern Ontario river which flows north from Upper Rideau Lake and empties into the Ottawa River at Rideau Falls in Ottawa, Ontario. Its length is 146 km...

. The Hurdmans also established large farms in Gloucester, known for their livestock.

The family name is preserved in the Hurdman Bridge and Hurdman Transitway Station.