Lumber Town To The Capital

In its early years, Bytown as it was still called was a restless place, with stark contrasts between Uppertown and Lowertown.

And being a lumber town, it was a rough place to live. Not a lot of law and order, too much in the way of fights which could break out into dozens of people, and outright riots. Murder was common. Bytown was the most violent place in British North America.

What law and order there was, they had their work cut out for them. Artifacts of the time are here.

There was no shortage of taverns, inns, and brothels to serve the needs of the lumberjacks.

But in time, things started to change. Bytown would see its name changed to Ottawa in 1854.

This staircase from the second to third floor is decorated in a way that looks First Nations in influence, with animals and constellations.

The transition to city would be a hectic one, with mayors serving while doing other jobs.

The crest of the city.

An early mayor's chair.

Ottawa became the compromise choice for a capital of Canada among five contenders. In retrospect, it made sense- a place on the border of Ontario and Quebec, and far from the American border.

It was Queen Victoria who made the decision. This bust of her is found here.