William Henry Cushing
| William Henry Cushing | |
|---|---|
Cushing in 1905
|
|
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta | |
|
In office November 9, 1905 – April 17, 1913 Serving with R. B. Bennett (1909–1913) |
|
| Preceded by | New district |
| Succeeded by | District abolished |
| Constituency | Calgary |
| Alberta Minister of Public Works | |
|
In office September 9, 1905 – February 16, 1910 |
|
| First Minister | Alexander Cameron Rutherford |
| Preceded by | New position |
| Succeeded by | Arthur Sifton |
| 11th Mayor of Calgary | |
|
In office January 2, 1900 – January 7, 1901 |
|
| Preceded by | James Reilly |
| Succeeded by | James Stuart Mackie |
| Calgary Alderman | |
|
In office January 6, 1902 – January 2, 1905 |
|
|
In office May 1899 – January 2, 1900 |
|
|
In office January 7, 1895 – January 4, 1897 |
|
| Calgary Town Councillor | |
|
In office January 20, 1890 – January 16, 1893 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 21, 1852 Kenilworth, Ontario |
| Died | January 25, 1934 (aged 81) Calgary, Alberta |
| Resting place | Union Cemetery, Calgary |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Residence | Calgary |
| Occupation | Lumberman |
| Religion | Methodist |
| Signature |  |
William Henry Cushing (August 21, 1852 – January 25, 1934) was a Canadian politician. Born in Ontario, he migrated west as a young adult where he started a successful lumber company and later became Alberta's first Minister of Public Works and the 11th mayor of Calgary. As Minister of Public Works in the government of Alexander Cameron Rutherford, he oversaw the creation of Alberta Government Telephones.
Cushing's resignation in 1910 precipitated the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway scandal, which forced Rutherford's resignation. Though Cushing had hopes of being asked to replace Rutherford, that role fell instead to Arthur Sifton, the province's chief judge. Left out of Sifton's cabinet, Cushing did not seek re-election in the 1913 election, and did not re-enter politics thereafter. He was the chairman of Mount Royal College's board of governors for sixteen years. He died in 1934.
Cushing was born August 21, 1852 in Kenilworth, Ontario to William Cusing and Sarah Thomson. His father was a farmer who had immigrated from Norwich, England in 1840. In 1879, Cushing indentured as a carpenter. He moved to Calgary in 1883, where in partnership with Stephen Jarett, he engaged in carpentry, building houses and stores. In 1877 Cushing married Elizabeth Rinn, who died three years later. In 1883 he married Mary Jane Waters, with whom he had two children. In 1885 he opened a sash and door factory, which made him wealthy. His business flourished and expanded; by 1900, it occupied 42 city lots and employed more than one hundred workers; by 1911, this number had reached two hundred. He was also active in the local Methodist church and the Bowness golf club, and served eight years as a school trustee with the Calgary Board of Education. He was a supporter of the Temperance Movement.
...
Wikipedia