J. R. Booth

John Rudolphus Booth (1827–1925) had a significant influence on Algonquin Provincial Park, the Ottawa Valley, and the City of Ottawa. He was a businessman of note, who built an empire based on timber, lumber, grain, pulp and paper, and much more. At one time, he owned the largest lumber mills in the world, and he employed thousands of men in his bush camps. Booth was behind the construction of a railway from Georgian Bay to Ottawa, with parts of the roadbed now converted to Algonquin Park’s Old Railway Bike Trail. Continued interest in knowing more about this great Canadian has prompted this book on his life and accomplishments.

Roderick (Rory) MacKay has previously written Algonquin, a general history of Algonquin Park featuring landscape photography by William Reynolds, Spirits of the Little Bonnechere: a History of Exploration, Logging and Settlement, 1800 to 1920, of Algonquin’s Bonnechere River. He is also author of A Chronology of Algonquin Park History, and More About… the Algonquin Logging Museum Blacksmith shop,all available from The Friends of Algonquin Park.
Rory and fellow historian Gaye Clemson have combined efforts in developing a series of short books providing “MORE ABOUT” specific topics related to the history of Algonquin Park. Other titles include:
MORE ABOUT…The Ghosts of Canoe Lake by Gaye Clemson,
MORE ABOUT…Algonquin Park’s Portage Store by Gaye Clemson,
MORE ABOUT … Nominigan and Other Smoke Lake Jewels.

Other publications from www.algonquinparkheritage.com include:
Canoe Tripping in Algonquin Park: Then and Now
Gertrude Baskerville: The Lady of Algonquin Park
Algonquin Voices: Selected Stories of canoe Lake Women
Rock Lake Station: Settlement Stories Since 1896
Treasuring Algonquin: Sharing Stories from 100 years of Leaseholding