Farming

As the first settler in the area, Braddish faced the inevitable hardships involved in transforming the wilderness into cultivated land, but he also had the advantage of harnessing some of the Ottawa Valley’s natural resources before other people could.

1783-1825 Logging and Lumber

 

CA-011906 Timber slide on the Ottawa River, n.d. Etching of a timber slide. The Ottawa River was used a route to transport timber from upper Quebec to the St. Lawrence.

TITLE Timber slide on the Ottawa River
DATE 18--
ITEM NUMBER CA-011906
DESCRIPTION Etching of a timber slide. The Ottawa River was used a route to transport timber from upper Quebec to the St. Lawrence.

The birth of the lumber industry in Canada can be linked directly to the Napoleonic Wars and the resulting Continental Blockade: Britain needed ships and timber to build with, and relied on her colonies for supplies. While men such as Philemon Wright of Hull were able to make a living off of timber sales and log driving, pioneers in general were lumbermen, through the simple need to clear their land. Actually converting raw trees into lumber was a more complex task—a major undertaking that farmers did not typically carry out. Braddish Billings succeeded as both a farmer and a lumberman, until he left the timber trade around 1827.

 

CA-001146 Agreement and contract between Braddish Billings and Philemon Wright, 1809. Braddish Billings agreed and undertook to furnish, supply, and deliver timber (pine and oak) to Philemon Wright.

TITLE Agreement and contract between Braddish Billings and Philemon Wright
DATE 1809
ITEM NUMBER CA-001146
DESCRIPTION Braddish Billings agreed and undertook to furnish, supply, and deliver timber (pine and oak) to Philemon Wright.

For Braddish Billings, combining farming with lumbering proved successful. He built a sawmill in 1823 to sell and produce lumber for his own use. Selling lumber was profitable, which allowed him to increase farm production, hire labourers, and buy necessary equipment. He could also use the lumber directly to add buildings on his land. As the farm grew, so did its crops and livestock. After providing enough food for his family, Braddish was able to sell the surplus produce and some of his livestock to the lumber camps. This system was reciprocal: Logging camps saved on their budget by purchasing local supplies, and men like Braddish profited from the sales. Such interactions marked the beginning of Ottawa’s local markets, which the Billings family became heavily involved in.

Next… 1783-1828 Pioneering

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