George Herbert Dawson, 1866-1940
- From Early Land Surveyors of Britisg Columbia by John A. Whittaker.
- George Herbert Dawson was born the 22nd of November, 1866 in Quebec city. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Dawson of that city. He also obtained his early education in Quebec, and finally graduated with a degree in civil engineering at McGill University. Mr. Dawson first worked as junior engineer on the ships’ channel between Montreal and Quebec, later becoming assistant engineer in the building of the C.P.R. bridge at Ste. Anne de Bellevue.
- He first came to Vancouver in 1890, and after a short period as assistant city engineer he joined the late Sidney Williams and Mr. J.T.C. Williams, with whom, under the firm name of Williams Bros. & Dawson, he carried on an extensive practice in land surveying and civil engineering for some years. In B.C., he was a pioneer in land surveying which is evidenced by hi early P.L.S. # 7.
- During this time he was associated with the location of the Keith Road, across North Vancouver from the North Arm of Burrard Inlet to Howe Sound, the design and survey of the townsite of North Vancouver, preliminary surveys and designs for a reclamation scheme over the area now known as “The Sumas Reclamation”, and with some preliminary work in connection with the dyking of Lulu and Sea Islands, in addition to a very large general practice in the survey of lands, timber, townsites, etc.
- In 1896 he went to the Kootenays and interested himself in mining operations for two or three years; did some exploration, and made some preliminary surveys in connection with placer and hydraulic operations on the Fraser River near Big Bar. Then after some months as assistant on the location of the Kettle Valley Railway, he returned to Vancouver in 1901 and resumed his practice as civil engineer and land surveyor. First as G. H. Dawson and after 1908 as Dawson & Elliott, he supervised the selection and survey of those extensive timber areas which now form the holdings of the Powell River Co. Ltd., made an extensive resurvey of the greater part of Hastings townsite and of that portion of West Vancouver which is now occupied by the developments of the British Pacific Properties; besides carrying out a very large proportion of the subdivisions within the area of the city of Greater Vancouver.
- Was President of the Union Club, Victoria in 1919.
- Loyalist Ancestor: George Gardiner, BIRTH 3 JAN 1739 • Kingston, Washington, Rhode Island; DEATH 1816 • Elizabethtown, Leeds Co, Ontario, Canada. In Loyalist Directory at: https://uelac.ca/loyalist-directory/detail/?wpda_search_column_id=3081
- Find a GRAVE: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/134915610/george-herbert-dawson
- Death on 25 Mar 1940 (aged 73) at Victoria, Capital Regional District, British Columbia, Canada
- Burial at Royal Oak Burial Park Cemetery, Victoria, Capital Regional District, British Columbia, Canada
UEL Canada 