Thomas Paxton

Thomas Charles Paxton (November 27, 1820July 3, 1887) was a Canadian politician, businessman and sheriff. As a partner in industrial business ventures, he was one of the founding fathers of Port Perry. He helped establish the first steam-powered sawmill on Lake Scugog in 1846, then later operated a flour mill and was a partner in a foundry which manufactured machinery for agriculture and mills. He turned to politics in 1854, served as the second reeve of Reach and Scugog Townships, and he was the first person to represent the Ontario North electoral district in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. He won four elections to the provincial parliament, where he served in office from 1867 to 1881, and took interest in legislation for railways and the timber industry. He partnered with other local businessmen in 1867 to construct the Port Whitby and Port Perry Railway which was completed in 1872. He resigned from the legislature in 1881 to serve as sheriff of Ontario County until 1887, when succeeded by his son, J. F. Paxton. Port Perry businessman Thomas Charles Paxton was born on November 27, 1820, in Whitby, the eldest son of William Paxton and Elizabeth Dryden, who had emigrated earlier that year to Upper Canada from Walsingham, England. Paxton became one of the founding fathers of Port Perry, where he settled in 1846. He was married to Eliza Huckins of Whitby on November 7, 1847. Paxton embarked on several industrial business ventures in Port Perry. In 1846, he and his brother George Paxton established the first sawmill on Lake Scugog to be operated by a stationary steam engine. Paxton later partnered with local postmaster Joseph Bigelow, with whom he operated a flour mill for 20 years. They also became partners in the Paxton and Tate Foundry, which manufactured agricultural implements and mill machinery. Paxton was elected reeve of Reach and Scugog Townships in 1854; he was the second person to hold the position after the townships were founded in 1853. He was a member of the Municipal Council of Ontario County, and sat on the committees for finance and assessment, and county property.