History of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

1800 - First European settlement on the site of present-day Ottawa.

en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Timeline_of_Ontario_history

1832 - Rideau Canal from Kingston to Ottawa completed

www.worldatlas.com/ webimage/ countrys/ namerica/ province/ onztimeln.htm

1850 - Bytown (Ottawa), Ontario founded
The site of By's headquarters during the construction of the Rideau Canal is incorporated as Bytown. Plains Indian culture is at its height, sustained by the use of horses and the exploitation of large game.
fccs.ok.ubc.ca/about/links/resources/canadian-history/1800-to-1867.html

1855 - Bytown Renamed
The capital city, Ottawa, was originally named Bytown after Colonel John By, who headquartered there while building the Rideau Canal to connect the Ottawa River with Lake Ontario.
facts.randomhistory.com/
2009/ 01/ 15_canada.html

1855 - Bytown is renamed Ottawa.
www.canadahistory.com/ timeline.asp

1855 - Melancholy Occurrence
On Saturday night last about 9 o'clock, Mrs. Robert Skead was drowned at the slide at the Chaudiere Falls; she left the house as was supposed, for the purpose of taking a short walk about the premises, and not returning, Mr. Skead went out to look for her. After calling repeatedly and receiving no answer, he became alarmed for her safety, and a vigorous search was commenced and continued through Saturday night and Sunday, but without success. On Monday her body was found floating at the base of the cliff opposite Upper Ottawa. The jury returned a verdict of "Found Drowned," there being no clue whatever to the cause of this melancholy event. The deceased was the daughter of William Graham, Esq., one of the earliest settlers in Bytown. Her sudden death is much lamented by a large circle of friends, among whom whe was greatly respected. - Ottawa Citizen
The Argus
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
June 19, 1855

1857 - Queen Victoria chooses Ottawa as the new capital of the United Province of Canada.

www.canadahistory.com/ timeline.asp

1869 - Ottawa
"Ottawa — The Capital of the Dominion of Canada, is situated on the Ottawa River, 87 miles from its confluence with the St. Lawrence, and where the Gatineau and Ridcau Rivers and the Rideau Canal meet. The city, formerly called Bytown, obtained its name from its founder, Colonel By, an officer of the Royal Engineers, commissioned by the Imperial Government, in 1827, to superintend the construction of the Rideau Canal. In 1854 Bytown was created a city, and its present more appropriate name conferred. The canal divides the city into Upper and Lower Town, and enters the Ottawa through height magnificent stone locks. A massive cut-stone bridge, erected by the Royal Sappers and Miners, crosses the canal. The city is well laid out, the streets are generally wide, regular and uniform, and for the most part intersect each other at right angles. The principal quarters are supplied with gas, and active measures are now being taken for the construction of ample water works. The celebrated... Read MORE...

1870 - Fire
OTTAWA, Ont., Aug. 19. - Several wealthy farmers have been burned out recently, losing from $8,000 to $10,000 each. GILMOUR'S piling-ground for lumber has been burned with 6,000,000 feet of lumber. The loss is $40,000. The destruction of property by fire within twenty miles of this city is estimated at above $800,000. The city is in considerable danger from fire.
The New York Times
New York, New York
August 20, 1870

1873
OTTAWA, formerly BYTOWN, a city of Ontario, capital of the Dominion of Canada, and of Carleton co., is beautifully situated on the right bank of the Ottawa River, at the outlet of the Rideau, and on the Canada Central arid St. Lawrence and Ottawa Rail-ways, 54. mils N. of Prescott, 126 miles W.N.W. of Montreal, 95 miles N.N.E of Kingston, and 450 miles from New York. It is one of the most flourishing cities in Ontario, being the entrepot of the great lumber trade of the Ottawa River and its tributaries. It is divided into Upper and Lower Town by the Rideau Canal, which connects it Kingston. The locks here are eight in number and are wry tat

The town was founded in 1827 by Col. By, R.E. It was incorporated a city, and its name changed to Ottawa, in 1854, and selected by Queen Victoria as the capital of Canada in 1858.

The chief attraction in Ottawa is the government buildings, which occupy an elevated piece of ground, about 25 acres in extent and 150 feet above the river, known ... Read MORE...

1879 - Basilique-Cathédrale Notre-Dame-d’Ottawa established at Ottawa

www.gcatholic.org

1882 - The Electric Cooking Range (or Stove) Invented in 1882 in Ottawa, Ontario by Thomas Ahearn and first showcased at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893,
it had by the 1930s replaced most gas stoves in kitchens around North America and Europe.
canadaalive.wordpress.com/ 2010/ 08/ 11/ invented-in-canada/

1888 - When he speaks at Birmingham in November an attempt will be made to take Mr. Gladstone's speech in one of Mr. Edison's phonographs.
OTTAWA, Oct. 10 - If successful the phonograph will be carried around the country and the speech repeated in town halls and clubs as delivered by Mr Gladston in identically his own tone and voice. The phonograph will, in fact, be some sort of mechanical Gladstone, multiplying his persuasive influece, and is likely to become a great educator because of the novelty of the idea.
The Brandon Mail
Brandon, Manitoba, Canada
October 18, 1888

1888 - There is every probability that the first ship railway of the world will be built in Canada.
OTTAWA, Oct. 12 - T.C. Keefer, president of the American Society of Civil Engineers, has received a cable from London announcing that the contract for the construction of a ship railway from the Bay of Fundy to Baie Verte, Gulf of the St. Lawrence, was finally settled yesterday,, and that Ketchum, promoter of the scheme, sailed for Canada in the Eturia to-day. Keefer is one of the provisional directors named in the act of parliament incorporating the Chignecto Marine Railway company. The work will probably cost $5,000,000.
The Brandon Mail
Brandon, Manitoba, Canada
October 18, 1888

1892 - Wreck of the Quadra.
OTTAWA, Ontario, May 28. - The Minister of Marine and Fisheries has received a dispatch from the agent of his department at Victoria, stating that the Government steamer Quadra had been washed off Queen Charlotte Island.

The Quadra left Vancouver ten days ago with Mr. Macown of the Geological Survey on board, bound for the American seal breeding grounds off the Pribilof Islands. Mr. Macown's object being to compare seal life on the islands this year with the season of 1891.

The Quadra is a new steel vessel, built at Paisley, Scotland, last year at a cost of $80,000, and reached Victoria only four or five months ago. The vessel has been beached on Queen Charlotte Island. It is thought that she can be saved.
The New York Times
New York, New York
May 29, 1892

1895 - Ottawa
"Ot'tawa, a city of Ontario, capital of the Dominion of Canada and of Carleton co., is beautifully situated on the right bank of the Ottawa River, at the convergence of several railways, 120 miles W.N.W. of Montreal, 425 miles from Boston, and 469 miles from New York. It is one of the most flourishing cities of Ontario, being the entrepôt of the great lumber-trade of the Ottawa River, which here forms the splendid Chaudière Falls (200 yards wide and 40 feet high), and, with its tributary, the Gatineau, supplies the motive-power for the numerous lumber-mills, flour-mills, factories, &c. The Rideau Canal, which was made in 1827, passes through the city, extending hence through the Rideau Lakes to Kingston, on Lake Ontario. Lumbering is the principal industry of Ottawa and its vicinity, thousands of men, in the winter season, being engaged in cutting timber and drawing it to the streams in readiness for the spring freshets to carry to the Ottawa mills. The cut of timber in some seasons... Read MORE...

1906 - FOUR KILLED IN TRAIN WRECK - Timber-Laden Train Broke in Two Ascending a Steep Incline.
Special to The New York Times.

OTTAWA, Ontario, July 8. - A railroad wreck in which four persons were killed occurred on the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway yesterday. Few details are available. While a train was ascending a steep incline a coupling broke.

The dead are C. L. Potter of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia; F. Mills, probably of Detroit, Mich.; Percy W. Jordan of Carleton Place, Ontario, and George S. Stearns of New Liskeard.

An engine was used in front and another in the rear while ascending the incline. When the coupling gave way, two of the rear cars struck the hind engine with little damage, but the front one failed to gain the curve at the top and there was a second fatal crash. The heavy train, which was loaded with timber, came crashing backward into the cars at the bottom.
The New York Times
New York, New York
July 9, 1906

1906 - CYCLONE STRIKES OTTAWA.
Churches Partially Unroofed and Windows Broken.

Ottawa, Aug. 6. - A cyclone struck Ottawa at 6 o'clock last night and left thousands of dollars of damage in its wake.

The day was very hot and towards 6 o'clock a funnel shaped cloud swooped over the city with awful force accompanied by a torrential rain. Awnings were twisted into every shape and driven through plate glass windows, many hurled dollars worth of glass being broken into fragments and much damage being done to goods in windows.

Part of the roof of St. Jean Baptiste church was picked up and blown across the road a considerable distance while part of the tower of St. Andrew's church went tumbling to the ground. Trees were uplifted and branches broken off and thrown through the air like shavings.

During the height of the storm lightning struck the house of Mr. John Davis, Clarence st., and before the fire was subdued three families were burned out, the loss being $6,000, covered by insurance.

Barnum & Bailey's... Read MORE...

1906 - FIRE IMPERILS A HUNDRED IN HOTEL.
WERE FORCED TO JUMP FROM WINDOWS AND FIRE ESCAPES.
MANY INJURED, 2 WILL DIE.

Ottawa, Ont., Sept. 15 - A hundred guests were trapped in the flames which destroyed the Gilmour hotel this morning.
Scores were seriously burned and injured by leaping from the windows and fire escapes. It is expected that several will die.
The fire started in an explosion of dynamite and spread rapidly through the building. The guests had no chance to escape by the stairways.
Indiana Evening Gazette
Indiana, Pennsylvania
September 15, 1906

1908 - A branch of the Royal Mint is established in Ottawa, making for the first time coins in Canada.

www.canadahistory.com/ timeline.asp

1913 - EIGHT DEAD IN WRECK
Spreading Rails Sends Two Immigrant Cars Into Ottawa River

OTTAWA, June 25, - Eight persons were killed and more than twenty injured this aternoon in a wreck of the westound Winnipeg Express on the Canadian Pacific Railway. Two colonist cars, crowded with Scotch immigrants newly arrived from Glasgow and en route for the West, skidded down the embankment and plunged into the Ottawa River. In these the eight known victims - four men, three women, and a child - met their death. Their bodies were recovered and search was continued for others. Of the injured, the condition of several is critical.

The accident, due to spreading rails occurred only three miles east of this city, and physicians, nurses, ambulances and police patrol wagons were at once rushed to the scene. Four cars and the locomotive remained on the track, but in addition to the cards which fell into the river, two cars were thrown on the land side of the embankment and another, first class, was whipped across the track ... Read MORE...

1916 - CANADIAN PARLIAMENT FIRE AN ACCIDENT.
FIVE LIVES LOST WHEN $6,000,000 HISTORIC AND BEAUITFUL STRUCTURE BURNS.

Ottawa, Ont., Feb. 4. - Two women and three men are known to have perished in a fire which swept the central portion of Canada's magnificent parliament building last night, destroying the chambers of commons and senate. Several others are reported missing and it is feared today they are buried in the ruins.

All night long firemen, police and soldiers fought to save the $6,000,000 structure, which is considered one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture on this continent. They were successful in saving the library building and the east and west wings of the main edifice.

Immediately after the fire started a report was spread that it was caused by the explosion of an incendiary bomb. The fire started in the reading room of the house of commons and several persons who were present at the time, including Mayor MARTIN of Montreal, asserted that it was preceded by an explosion which knocked down several... Read MORE...

Here's a list of places to go and things to do in Ottawa:
1. Parliament Hill: Start your visit with a trip to Parliament Hill, the iconic political and cultural heart of Canada. You can take a guided tour of the Parliament Buildings, explore the stunning Peace Tower, and watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony during the summer months.

2. National Gallery of Canada: Art enthusiasts will appreciate a visit to this world-class gallery. It houses an extensive collection of Canadian and international art, including works by the Group of Seven and the famous Maman sculpture by Louise Bourgeois.

3. Canadian Museum of History: Located just across the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Quebec, this museum is a must-visit. Explore Canada's rich history, indigenous cultures, and enjoy the spectacular Grand Hall, which features a dramatic view of Parliament Hill.

4. Rideau Canal: During the summer months, you can rent a paddleboat, kayak, or take a leisurely stroll along the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the winter, it transforms into ... Read MORE...