Toronto, was born in the County of Ross,
Scotland, in A.D. 1824. His parents were Captain James MacKenzie and Grace
Innes, daughter of the late Dr. Alex Innes, of Loggie, County of Ross,
Scotland. Captain James Mackenzie, of Ard-Chronie (name of farm) County
Ross, Scotland was a captain and adjutant of the 78th Royal Highlanders,
and retired to his farm from the army on half pay, where he resided till
his death, leaving a family of six boys and six girls. Our subject was the
fourth son. He was educated in the Royal Academy, in the town on Tain,
Scotland, and received a thorough education. After leaving school he
entered under an indenture of apprenticeship in the North of Scotland
Bank, and served his full term of three years in this institution, and
through his closeness and persevering attention to business, raised
himself from position to position until he was appointed accountant, and
was stationed at the town of Elgin, Scotland, where he remained until
1848. In the year he left Scotland and came to Canada to which country the
majority of the family had already gone and settled in Hamilton. After
arriving in Hamilton he entered into the employ of the famous A. & T.
Kerr, wholesale dry goods, as head book-keeper. He remained with this firm
for two years then left and bought out the retail dry goods business of A.
& G. McKeand, in partnership with Thomas Balmer. After remaining for a
short time in business, he dissolved the partnership and went to New York,
United States of America. After spending some time in New York, he was
appointed to a branch of the business of Messrs. Daniel, Elgin & Co.,
Mobile, Alabama. In 1853 he came back to Canada having entered the
wholesale firm of Kerr, Mackenzie & Co., of London and Hamilton, and
assisted his brother, John I. Mackenzie, in winding up the retail business
in Ingersoll, of which John I. Mackenzie was proprietor. After closing up
this business, in 1857, he entered the employ as financial manager of the
great contractor, Samuel C. Ridley, of Hamilton, and assisted in the
building of the St. Catharines viaduct, the ballasting of the Great
Western Railway, the finishing of the Sarnia branch and the western,
forty-eight miles of the Detroit and Milwaukee Railway, with the wharves
and elevators at Detroit and Grand Haven. The eventful non-payment of the
money advanced to the Great Western Railway by the Commercial Bank was the
cause of the downfall of the latter institution. In the meantime Mr.
Mackenzie went to England and joined Mr. Ridley, who had previously gone
there and secured contracts in Hampshire, and also the main drainage in
the city of London, Mr. Mackenzie being manager of the partnership of
Messrs. Ridley & Webster. He remained there until 1871, when he
returned to Canada; but before his return he also managed the construction
of the celebrated Thames embankment, one of the most wonderful works in
the world. The first division of this work cost £530,000 sterling. He
also travelled through the principal parts of the Continent, and was in
England at the time of the Franco-Prussian war. After his return he
entered into partnership with the late John Shedden (proprietor of the
Shedden Transfer & Carting Co.), and was engaged in the building of
the Northern Division of the Toronto Grey & Bruce R. R. to Owen Sound,
and again the division from Mount Forest to Larriston. In 1873, during the
building of this road, Mr. Sheddon was killed on the ?ipissing R. R.
However, the partnership still existed under the original name of
Mackenzie & Co. In 1874 the Toronto, Grey & Bruce Company failed
to pay the advances made by Mackenzie & Co., and they became
insolvent. By the insolvency Mr. Mackenzie lost his entire fortune. He
surrendered everything he owned to his late partner (Mr. Shedden's)
executors, on condition that he would be released from further liability.
Instead of being discouraged by the great loss, Mr. Mackenzie at once
began to accumulate another fortune, and after different ventures was
appointed manager of the Toronto House Building Association, afterwards
changed to the name of the Land Security Co., which position he now holds,
and as a proof of his push and energy, we can look upon one instance, viz.
:- Mr. Mackenzie was the main mover in the purchase of the Gwynne estate
and the O'Hara estate on which the town of Parkdale now stands, and his
(Mr. Mackenzie's) company were the builders of the principal part of the
place, and through his exertions the town has risen from a mere hamlet to
one of the finest suburbs of the city of Toronto. Mr. Mackenzie, both
outside and in public meetings, has been called and addressed as the
Father of Parkdale. With regard to the company, Mr. Mackenzie has, through
his indomitable and persistent pluck and push, raised it to the position
of being the foremost in Toronto, and their suite of offices are really a
credit to this city. The building in which they are belongs to the
company, and is known as the Victoria Chambers, situated on Victoria St.
In 1885 the residents of St. Mark's Ward, Toronto, elected him alderman to
represent them in the City Council. He was married in 1855 to Euphemia
Grieve, daughter of the late Geo. Grieve, coal owner, of Aberdour,
Fifeshire, Scotland, and at her present age she is a tall, stately
dignified lady, and of a kindly disposition, besides very affectionate and
motherly. By this marriage there are seven children - three boys and four
girls. Mr. George G. Mackenzie, the eldest son, being head book-keeper in
the Land Security Co. He is a shrewd business man. The second son, Mr.
Samuel R. Mackenzie, studied the drug business, and is now the manager of
the largest drug establishment in Montreal, and one of the handsomest
places in Canada, know as the Medical Hall, Windsor Hotel, Montreal. A
brother of the subject of the sketch, Mr. Campbell Mackenzie, is now the
managing partner of the Sheddon Co., Toronto. Mr. Mackenzie has a shrewd,
keen look, and is held in high esteem by all with whom he comes in
contact, and outside business he is sociable and kindly, as all those who
visit his fine residence, known as Ardchronie, on Delaware ave., can
testify. He belongs to the Freemasons; in religion is a Presbyterian, and
in politics a Liberal. |