James Henry Ashdown

Who was James Henry Ashdown?

James Henry Ashdown, the "Merchant Prince of Winnipeg", arrived in Winnipeg, Canada, in 1868 and at that time began his business as a tinsmith. In 1870 he purchased two lots on the corner of Main Street and Bannatyne Avenue, the location of the Ashdown retail store for over one hundred years. Ashdown’s successful real estate speculation, combined with his business acumen, made him a millionaire by 1910.

By 1875, business had expanded into both retail and wholesale operations until in 1881 his worth was over $150,000. He established branch stores in Portage la Prairie and Emerson, Manitoba and employed over seventy-five people and later opened a store in Calgary in 1889. He settled in the then affluent part of Winnipeg known as Point Douglas, along with W. G. Fonseca, Robert & Stewart Mulvey and Dr. Schultz.

He was elected to the Winnipeg Board of Trade in 1879 along with president A. G. B. Bannatyne, W,H. Lyon, vice-pres., and D. H. McMillan.

He was active in a number of projects in the expansion of the city.