Businessman.
Born at Kilmarnock, Scotland in 1834, he ran a dry good business in Chatham, Ontario for 30 years before coming to Winnipeg and participating in the real estate boom of 1881 and 1882. He acquired considerable property in the city and built Victoria Hall on Notre Dame Avenue in 1883. It was later converted into the Winnipeg Theatre, which burned down on 23 December 1926. McCrossan also started a business manufacturing washing machines in the city.
Around 1864, he was married at Chatham and had six children: George E. McCrossan, Rev. T. J. McCrossan, C. W. McCrossan, Mrs. Alexander Monro, Ellen Jane “Jennie” McCrossan (1866-1942, wife of William Edward Emmons), and Mrs. Huerter. He served on the Winnipeg city council in 1883.
He moved to Vancouver, British Columbia in 1900, where he died on 11 January 1927.
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Victoria Hall / Bijou Opera House / Winnipeg Opera House / Winnipeg Theatre (323-333 Notre Dame Avenue / 38 Adelaide Street, Winnipeg)
Events in Manitoba History: Winnipeg Theatre Fire (23 December 1926)
“Thos. M’Crossan, early citizen, dies at coast,” Manitoba Free Press, 11 January 1926 [Manitoba Legislative Library, Biographical Scrapbook B8]
Obituary [Ellen Jane Emmons], Vancouver Sun, 30 November 1942, page 17.
We thank Darryl Toews for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 1 December 2024
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