# Absalom Shade

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{{short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name             = Absalom Shade
| birth_date       = {{circa|1793}}
| birth_place      = [Wyoming County, Pennsylvania](/source/Wyoming_County%2C_Pennsylvania), [United States](/source/United_States)
| death_date       = {{Death date|1862|3|15|df=yes}}
| death_place      = [Galt](/source/Galt%2C_Ontario), [Canada West](/source/Canada_West)
| occupation       = Businessman
| burial_place     = Trinity Anglican Cemetery, Cambridge, Ontario
| spouse           = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Catherine Kimball|1823|1833|reason=died}}
* {{marriage|Isabella Jemima Davidson|1837}}
}} 
| father           = Johann Sebastian Shade
| known_for        = Founder of Shade's Mills, early pioneer in Dumfries Township
}}

'''Absalom Shade''' ({{c.|1793}} – March 15, 1862) was a businessman and political figure in [Upper Canada](/source/Upper_Canada).

He was born in [Wyoming County, Pennsylvania](/source/Wyoming_County%2C_Pennsylvania) around 1793 and worked as a [carpenter](/source/carpentry) in [Buffalo, New York](/source/Buffalo%2C_New_York). In 1816, he was hired by [William Dickson](/source/William_Dickson_(Upper_Canada)) to manage his lands in [Dumfries Township](/source/Dumfries_Township%2C_Ontario) in Upper [Canada](/source/Canada). Shade operated a general store, a mill and a [distillery](/source/distillery) in the area. The settlement that developed on the [Grand River](/source/Grand_River_(Ontario)), originally known as Shade's Mills and later became [Galt](/source/Galt%2C_Ontario) (now part of [Cambridge, Ontario](/source/Cambridge%2C_Ontario)). In 1819, he built a small bridge over the Grand River to serve customers on the other side; it lasted until 1932.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.therecord.com/living-story/6130017-flash-from-the-past-galt-bridge-dates-back-to-absalom-shade/|title = Flash from the Past: Galt bridge dates back to Absalom Shade|date = 22 November 2015}}</ref> Shade also secured a number of contracts to supply food and build roads for the [Canada Company](/source/Canada_Company). He helped establish the [Grand River Navigation Company](/source/Grand_River_Navigation_Company) to help transport goods along the river. He helped establish the Gore Bank in [Hamilton](/source/Hamilton%2C_Ontario) and also helped develop railroads in the area.  He also helped to build Galt's [Trinity Anglican Church](/source/Trinity_Anglican_Church_(Cambridge%2C_Ontario)) in 1844 which still stands, and is in use, today.

He helped establish the Grand River Navigation Company to help transport goods along the river and the Gore Bank in Hamilton. Shade also helped develop railroads in the area and was among those who funded the building of Trinity House Rectory in Galt as a major donor; he and William Dickson were also major donors toward the building of Trinity Anglican Church in 1844.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.electriccanadian.com/history/ontario/galt/chapter02.htm|title=Reminiscences of the Early History of Galt and the Settlement of Dumfries in the Province of Ontario}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.waterlooregionmuseum.com/collections-and-research/place-names-in-waterloo-region/north-dumfries-township/|title = Homepage|date = 19 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kitchenerpost.ca/living-story/6224443-trinity-anglican-church-dates-back-to-galt-s-founding/|title = Trinity Anglican Church dates back to Galt's founding|date = 9 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.trinityanglican.on.ca/about.html |title=About Trinity Anglican Church |access-date=2017-04-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412142933/http://www.trinityanglican.on.ca/about.html |archive-date=2017-04-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1831, he was elected to the [Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada](/source/Legislative_Assembly_of_Upper_Canada) representing [Halton](/source/Halton_County%2C_Ontario); he served until 1841.

Shade died at Galt in 1862.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=4700 Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online'']

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shade, Absalom}}
Category:1790s births
Category:1862 deaths
Category:People from Wyoming County, Pennsylvania
Category:Members of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada
Category:Year of birth uncertain
Category:American emigrants to pre-Confederation Ontario
Category:Immigrants to Upper Canada
Category:History of Cambridge, Ontario

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Absalom Shade](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absalom_Shade) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absalom_Shade?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.