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Samuel Jacob Jackson  1848 - 1942
My great-grandfather was born in Stradbally, Co. Laois, Ireland, son
of Samuel Jackson and Elizabeth Sutcliffe. His parents emigrated in 1850
and settled in Brampton, and later in Brantford, in both of which towns
his father opened dry goods stores.
   In 1871 S.J.Jackson joined the first organised party to leave Ontario
for the Red River country. (The other members were John H Bell and his
wife, James, William, and Jack Harrower, John Bryce, Andy Palmer, Harry
Jickling, William McDougal, R. Dent and son, Roger Bell and his wife,
John Hedley, James Penrose, and John Scott and his wife.) The group
travelled by train from Port Huron to Benson, Minnesota, and from there
walked the 400 long miles to Winnipeg.
   Sam Jackson found a job in Higgins' dry goods store and soon became a
partner of what then became Higgins, Young, and Jackson. He served as
alderman of Winnipeg between 1877 and 1880 and was at various times
Chairman of the Board of Works, Director of the Dufferin Park
Association, and President of the Rockwood Agricultural Society. He is
the founder of the town of Stonewall, having bought the townsite in
1873, divided it into 1,000 lots - many of which he gave away to
encourage the town's growth - donated four lots for the churches, and
planted over 800 elm and maple trees.
   In 1878 he married Ida Isabel Clark, daughter of Albert Clark and
Isabella Sifton. As Winnipeg's  population had soared from about 250 to
about 25,000 in ten years, the dry goods business was very profitable.
Mr Jackson retired from business at the age of 33 and in 1881 he and his
wife moved into the house he had built in Stonewall.
   S.J.Jackson represented Rockwood in the Manitoba Legislature from
1883 to 1899, and was twice Speaker of the House. In 1904 he was elected
to the Laurier government as Member of Parliament for the Selkirk
Riding.  He also served as Inspector of Indian Agencies for many years.
 
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