Polson Iron Works

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The purpose of this web site is to provide information about Polson Iron Works, a thriving ship-building and engine-building company active in the late 1800s and early 1900s in Toronto, Canada.
The Company & People	Timeline	What it made

William Polson born, son of Angus Polson and Sarah Penicott	1834

Franklin Bates Polson born, Port Hope, February 10.	1858
	1878	Engines built for: Fairy
Franklin Bates Polson married Emma A. Wood, December 31	1880
	1881	Engines built for: Annie Senisa
William Polson and Company created Engineering, machining, steam yachts, boilers and engines	1883
June, 1885, Emma M. (née Wood), wife of Franklin Bates Polson, dies at the age of 25 leaving 2 daughters Emma's Obituary	1885	Engines built for: Ripple, Dortha (Ramona), Mermaid, D. Foster, Ivey Alderson
Polson Iron Works Company of Toronto Limited incorporated Boiler and engine works	1886	Ships Built: Mockingbird, Conqueror,Vivid, Rescue Engines built for: Maid of the Mill, Adrelexa, Kingfisher

Franklin Bates Polson joined the Toronto Board of Trade	1887	Ships Built: Electric (1891, 1893, 1899) Gypsy Engines built for: Lenore, Ivey Alderson.
Owen Sound Dry Dock opened	1888	Ships Built: City of Chatham Engines built for: Alberta, Dawn, Verbena May, Ranger, Herbert M.

Seguin, barge commissioned by the Parry Sound Lumber Company. Owen Sound Article by Bruce Rudolph	1889	Ships Built: Siesta, Undine, Mizpah, Manitoba - the first steel ship built in Canada May 4 • Manitoba launched, Owen Sound the first Canadian all-steel passenger vessel. Engines built for: Maggie May, Sweet Mary, Maud S., Vixen, Daisy, Roy

John Bellamy Miller became a director of the company	1890	Ships Built: Ontario, car ferry built for the CPR, Naiad, Seguin (launched July 6) Seguin's Story, Engines built for: Erastus Wiman, Emulator, Camilla
	1891	Ships Built: (Electric), Constance Engines built for: Comfort
	1892	Ships Built: Siesta, Undine, Mizpah, Curlew, Petrel Engines built for: A.J. Flyman, Ojibway
Owen Sound shipyard and production moved back to Toronto. Owen Sound Article by Bruce Rudolph	1893	Ships Built: (Electric)
	1895	Engines built for: Dortha
	1897	Ships Built: Knapp Roller Boat launched at the Toronto yards, near the foot of Sherbourne Street. Knapp Roller Boat's Story Engines built for: Charlie M.
	1898	Ships Built: Annie C. Hill, Wanda Engines built for: Brockville, Notos, Mizpah, Nellie T.
	1899	Ships Built: Majestic, (Electric) Engines built for: Ishkoodah, Mink
Senator W.E. Sanford's yacht the Naiad built Naiad Article by Bruce Rudolph	1900	Ships Built: Bobs, Llaus, Islander, Llano Llano's Story Engines built for: Laura MC
William Polson dies William Polson's Obituary Franklin Bates marries Bessie Stephen Thomson, March 20	1901	Ships Built: Algoma, Ina Ina's Story , Engines built for: Frontenac, Caroline, Lady Franklin, City of Bala Sept 2, J. Israel Tarte launched a hydraulic dredge.
	1902	Ships Built: Kate, Espanola, Inenew, Sir Wilfrid (P.W.D. 117, see 1909) Sir Wilfrid/P.W.D. 117's Story Engines built for: Hiawatha, Ophir, Dawn, S.W. Marchment
	1903	Ships Built: Linnea, Mildred, Rambler, Lurcher Lurcher's Story Rambler Simla, Zara
April 19 •The Great Toronto Fire Wikipedia, Toronto archives	1904	Ships Built: Vigilant , the first Canadian-built armed vessel. Engines built for: Wawinet Wawinet Story Anticosti
	1905	Ships Built: Temagami, Wanda II
	1906	Ships Built: Bluebell, Hercules, Navarch, Pikouagami Hercules' Story Engines built for: Amanda, Sea Gull, Armour, Rosena
Oct 28 • Franklin B. Polson dies leaving 4 children and a widow. Franklin Bates' Obituary	1907	Ships Built: Morning Star Morning Star's Story, Roberval, Bessie Butler Engines built for: King Edward, Highland Belle, Lena May, Mary L., Nymph
	1908	Ships Built: Charles Lyon, (illegible), Loretta Engines built for: Jasmine, Herbert M.
	1909	Ships Built: Keego, P.W.D. No. 117 (Sir Wilfrid, see 1902) P.W.D. 117's Story Engines built for: Ramona, Island Lassie, Brockville, Shanly, B.C.L. Tug 4, Queen of Temagami
	1910	Ships Built: Shuniah, Trillium, Bigwin, Ella Mary Bigwin/Ella Mary Story Trillium launched June 18, Trillium Web Site Engines built for: Ressel Roque
	1912	Ships Built: G.R. Geary G.R.Geary's Story , Kwasind, MNCO No 6 Drill Scow, Batchawanna Batchawana Story Engines built for: Joe Goodwin
	1913	Ships Built: Port Nelson Engines built for: Zara
	1914	Ships Built: City Dredge No 2, Cyclone, Grenville Hudson Bay No. 1, Hudson Bay No. 2, Hudson Bay No. 3, Keego, Kuskanook, Q.H.C. No 51, Q.H.C. No 52, Q.H.C. No 53, Q.H.C. No 54, Q.H.C. No 55, Grenville's Story Engines built for: T.J. Jarmin
	1915	Ships Built: Ontario #2Ontario 2's Story , Seventy Five, Tornado, Wanda III Engines built for: Kawigamog
	1916	Built: The M.F.P Tractor Biplane
	1917	Ships Built: Messines, St. Eloi, St. Julien, Vimy, Ypres
	1919	Ships Built:
Knapp Roller Boat buried by land reclamation, somewhere between Sherbourne and Parliament Sts, under the railway viaduct.	1930
	1937	Engines built for: Klondike II
Toronto's waterfront redevelopment threatens Canadian maritime history.	2008

The Company & People

What it made