Alexander Gibson

Who was Alexander Gibson?

Alexander "Boss" Gibson was an industrialist in New Brunswick, Canada.

He was born near Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, the son of John Gibson and Jane Neilson. In 1862, Gibson bought a sawmill and forest land in the Fredericton area. He was then instrumental in building two railway lines, the New Brunswick Railway and the Canada Eastern Railway in order to ship goods from his mills to other markets. In 1883, a cotton mill was constructed at Marysville, a town which he founded and named after his wife, Mary Ann Robinson.

Gibson's mill lost a price war with mills in other parts of Canada, and he was forced to sell the cotton mill in 1908. He lived out his days on a $5000.00 a year pension and eventually died in his home on Canada Street in 1913.

His son Alexander, Jr. served in the Canadian House of Commons.