Polson Iron Works

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.
	TIMELINE
The Company & People		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 Article by Bruce Rudolph 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. 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 Vigilant launched the first Canadian-built armed vessel. Engines built for: Simla, Zara
April 19 •The Great Toronto Fire Wikipedia, Toronto archives		1904	Ships Built: Vigilant, 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, 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 #2 Ontario 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
	Copyright © 2010 References

The Company & People

What it made