Benjamin Sweezey (1833 - 1907)

Born 1833 in New Brunswick

Husband of Sophia (Morrison) Sweezey — married 1852 in Sudbury, Canada West

Descendants

Died 4 Oct 1907 at about age 74 in Portland, Oregon, United States

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Biography

SWEEZEY A FRONTIER KING
Late Officer Of Fur Company In Canada Resembled McLoughlin.
Portland Or., Oct. 20.-- (To The Editor.)-- Benjamin Sweezey, who died at St. Vincent's Hospital October 4, and was buried in Mount Calvary Cemetery last Monday, was for many years a trusted official of the Hudson's Bay Company on the Upper Ottawa River, in Canada. Sweezey was a native of New Brunswick, in which province he was born in the year 1833. His parents were among the United Empire Loyalists, who immigrated from the United States to Canada during the time of the Revolutionary War. His education was classical, and he graduated not only from the New Brunswick educational institutions, but also from the great educational institutions of Pembroke, Ontario.
Soon after he finished his studies the Hudson's Bay Company was in search of an honest, competent and active person to take charge of its business at its post on the shores of Lake Temiscamingue, near the headwaters of the Upper Ottawa River.^[1] Sweezey was the man for the place. By his genial manners and extreme courtesy, Mr. Sweezey had the happy faculty of becoming acquainted with almost every person, and of having every person his friend. He remained many years in the employ of that powerful and aggressive corporation, enjoying the confidence not only of its officials, but also every person who came in the circle of his acquaintance.
Mr. Sweezey was a fine writer, spoke the Indian, French and English languages fluently, and was said to beone of the best judges of fur on the Upper Ottawa. He would frequently leave the post in charge of another, and with his snowshoes and skates travel over the immense expanse of country which is now known as New Ontario.
Mr. Sweezey was a man of great energy, indomitable perseverance, and he inherited a powerful physique. The Indian tribes of that great expanse of country feared him, while they loved him. He was kind and lovable to the savage tribes, but if they happened to do wrong, he chastised them with an iron hand. He was the uncrowned king of the Upper Ottawa. He taught the Indian tribes to be honest, and truthful, and advised them, under all circumstances, to lead pure and decent lives. Sweezey was the McLoughlin^[2] of the Upper Ottawa. If he discovered that any of the members of the Indian tribes were dishonest, or were living in concubinage, it was said that Sweezey would almost cut the guilty parties in two. After many years of faithful service in the Hudson's Bay Company, he left that corporation and went into a general merchandise and fur business on the Upper Ottawa, at the confluence of the Des Moines^[3] and Ottawa Rivers.
Sweezey came to Oregon about two years ago with a view of restoring his shattered health, and settled near Bellwood, where he lived in retirement. The deceased leaves a loving and faithful wife to mourn his loss. W F ^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ See Wikipedia entry for Fort Temiscamingue.
2. ↑ See Wikipedia entry for John McLoughlin.
3. ↑ Actually the Dumoine River.
4. ↑ The Morning Oregonian, Monday, October 21, 1907.

• Red River Ancestry.ca; by Gary Still; Entry for James Morrison.
• 1871 Census of Canada, Bas Dumoine, Pontiac North, Quebec; Roll: C-10025; Page: 1; Family No: 1.