John Classon Miller (December 16, 1836 – April 2, 1884) was an

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

lumber merchant and political figure. He represented Muskoka and Parry Sound in the

Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA; ) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly are given royal as ...

from 1875 to 1882 as a Liberal member. He was born in Yonge Township,

Leeds County Leeds County is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario. The county was first surveyed in 1792 as one of the nineteen counties created by Sir John Graves Simcoe in preparation for the United Empire Loyalists to settle here. The count ...

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in 1836 and entered business as a merchant at Seeleys Bay. Miller served as deputy sheriff for the

United Counties of Leeds and Grenville The United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, commonly known as Leeds and Grenville, is a county and census division in Ontario, Canada, in the Eastern Ontario subregion of Southern Ontario. It fronts on the St. Lawrence River and the internation ...

. In 1859, he married Adelaide Augusta Chamberlain. He moved to

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

and was employed by the Ontario Crown Lands Department from 1868 to 1871, acting as superintendent of woods and forests. He then, with others, purchased timber rights and a

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...

Parry Sound Parry Sound is a Sound (geography), sound or bay of Georgian Bay on Lake Huron, in Ontario, Canada. It is highly irregularly shaped with many deep bays and islands. Killbear Provincial Park is located on the large peninsula that separates the sou ...

, forming the Parry Sound Lumber Company. In 1877, he became the owner and general manager for the company, which soon grew to become one of the most important businesses in the region. Miller's election to the legislative assembly in 1875 was declared invalid on appeal; this decision was then overturned by the Court of Error and Appeal in 1876. He was reelected in 1879 but resigned in 1882 to contest the federal seat, losing to William Edward O'Brien by three votes. He died of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

Colton, California Colton is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. Nicknamed "Hub City", Colton is located in the Inland Empire region of the state and is a suburb of San Bernardino, approximately south of the city's downtown. The populatio ...

in 1884 and was buried at Parry Sound. His son John Bellamy took over the operation of the lumber company which continued to operate until 1931.

Electoral history

References

External links

Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, John Classon 1836 births 1884 deaths Ontario Liberal Party MPPs 19th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario