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KILLAM BROTHERS
The Killam family business started in 1788 when John Killam and Josiah Porter had the 28 ton schooner named Janet built. They were among the first ship builders in Yarmouth.
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This building you see here is on Water St. in Yarmouth. It is considered to be the oldest shipping office in Canada. It was built in about 1835. Their main business was ships' chandler, which means selling supplies like sails and rope to sailing ships, and tramping, which means their ships went from port to port carrying whatever cargo they could take. Many of these vessels never returned to Yarmouth.
In the hundred year period of sailing ships, the Killam family had an interest in two hundred vessels.
John's son, Thomas Killam, was a member of Canada's first Parliament in 1867. He also built the ship Research.
Thomas Killam, MP
George Killam gave most of the money to build the Yarmouth Seminary, which was the original Central School.
George Killam
The sailing ship industry ended around 1900 because steamships became more popular. The Killam family got into coal, gas, oil and insurance.
The Killam business closed in 1991 after 203 years. The final owner was Robert Killam. Robert Killam has his own office in the back of his house. In his office he has artifacts from the two hundred years of the Killam Brothers, even safety deposit boxes inside the vault that he moved from the company. The picture you see below is the vault door that used to be in the old YMCA building. This building was Wm. Law & Co. which dealt in insurance, coal and groceries.
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The Killam Bothers closed in 1991 after 203 years when Robert Killam, great great grandson of John Killam, retired.
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Robert Killam |
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Below are two pictures of Killam Bros. office on Water St. It is now operated as a seasonal museum by the Yarmouth County Museum and Archives.
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1910 |
1991 |
By: Logan Jamieson
