Oshawa, Ontario

History

The city of Oshawa started out as a transfer point for the fur trade. Furs were loaded onto canoes by the Mississauga Indians at the Oshawa harbour and transported to the trading posts located to the west at the mouth of the Credit River.

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In the late 1700s an Oshawa resident, Roger Conant, started an export business shipping salmon to the United States. His success attracted further migration into the region. A large number of the founding immigrants were United Empire Loyalists, who left the United States to live under British rule.

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In 1876, Colonel Robert Samuel McLaughlin moved his carriage works to Oshawa from Enniskillen to take advantage of a thriving harbour and rail links. In 1907 the McLaughlin Carriage Company began to manufacture automobiles, and in 1915 the firm acquired the manufacturing rights to the Chevrolet brand. Within 3 years his firm and the Chevrolet Motor Car Company of Canada merged, creating General Motors of Canada.

Related Topics:
Samuel McLaughlin - Chevrolet

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With the weath gained in this business venture, Robert McLaughlin built one of the most stately homes in Canada, "Parkwood". The 55-room residence was built largely with depression-era labour, and designed by Toronto architect John M. Lyle. McLaughlin lived in the house for 55 years with his wife and 5 children.

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