David Baxter’s family first came to the Dundee
area as weavers in 1728. John Baxter was the 1st of
5 generations in the flax and jute industry. David
was the son of William Baxter and had 3 brothers, John,
William and Edward. Unlike his brothers who became
partners in their fathers’ mill, David managed
(unsuccessfully) the Dundee Sugar Refinery.
He joined the family firm in 1830s and when his father
passed away in 1854 he became the chairman. As the
business grew he became the owner of the largest linen
industries in the world employing around 5,000 local
people.
Conditions of employment were rather poor as workers
as young as 10 were working long hours in dusty, noisy
mills. Housing conditions were not any better and as
the health of his employees deteriorated David Baxter
built tenement houses for low rent. The first ones
were on Lyon Street and housed around 648 people.
In 1861, Sir David Baxter and his sisters, Eleanor and Mary Ann Baxter
purchased 36 acres of “pleasure ground.” They commissioned
Sir Joseph Paxton, who was considered to be one of the best designers
of the Victorian era, to design the park.