Inventors, Industries & Marketing Pop-Up Exhibit

ON DISPLAY NOW AT THE PARIS MUSEUM & HISTORICAL SOCIETY                                                                                   51 William St, Paris, ON N3L 1L2

 

If someone came up to you and asked you to name as many industries from Brantford, Brant, and Norfolk County as you can, what would you come up with? Perhaps you would name Massey-Harris, Cockshutt, Brantford Cordage; Goold, Shapley & Muir; Penman’s, Waterous Engine Works…

But what about the many other industries that helped shape the area? Aside from distilleries, breweries, foundries, and the shoe making industry that had formed in the early years of, what was then called Brant’s Ford, the first recorded industry was Philip Cady (P.C.) Van Brocklin’s foundry of 1844. The foundry was small, and quoted as, quite literally, a “one-horse show” by the Brantford Expositor, with a single horse operating gears in a cellar.

How many industries can you name now? THINK ABOUT IT: What remnants of the area’s industrial history can you think of? Are there any streets or parks that come to mind? What about any physical landmarks? DID YOU KNOW: Pritcher’s Brant Motor Company also procured ambulances for city use?

If you are from the area, or if you consider yourself to be a Canadian industrial heritage connoisseur, you may be familiar with the name Cockshutt.

Perhaps you recognize the name from the infamous Cockshutt Plow Company, but did you know the company began under the name Brantford Plow Works? In 1877, James G. Cockshutt, son of prominent philanthropist and industrialist Ignatius Cockshutt, conjured the idea of Brantford Plow Works out of the belief that he would be able to develop a more efficient plow. James had the ability to see his dreams through due to the funding his father could provide. In the early years, Brantford Plow Works operated out of a small building on Market Street, where they crafted stoves, scufflers, and walking plows – plows which were developed specifically with prairie soil in mind. Cockshutt Plow Company became an incredibly successful farm implement manufacturer, shipping products across the country and overseas. By 1958 the company was purchased by a British bank and the name changed to Cockshutt Farm Equipment Limited; the White Motor Company then purchased the company in 1962, later changing the name to White Farm Equipment in 1969. The company ceased operations in Brantford in 1985.

Over in Newcastle, Daniel Massey and his son Hart had developed a machine manufacturing facility, operating out of a small shed. In 1870 they incorporated their company under the name Massey Manufacturing Company and moved to Toronto to expand operations. By 1891, the Massey men and the Harris Men merged, creating the Massey-Harris Company Ltd. The company continued to grow and expand by adding Harry Ferguson to the roster in 1953 and the company name changed to Massey-Harris-Ferguson. By 1958 the company became Massey Ferguson Ltd. 

 

BUTTER Up... Creameries of the Counties Villa Nova of Villa Nova, Norfolk County, began as a cheese factory in 1872 and transitioned to a creamery by 1912 under new leadership. The creamery was later turned into a co-operative by a group of local farmers after the owner died in 1944. The company produced several successful products which they supplied to numerous household name brands such as Dad’s Cookies and Nestle. In 1949 and 1950, the Villa Nova Milk Products Co-operative won the Roland Johnson Memorial trophy at the Ontario Creamery Association’s butter competition - the grand prize.

Mohawk Creamery of Brantford, Ontario, was an award-winning manufacturer of butter many times over during its years of operation, securing first place prizes in and outside of Ontario, including from the annual Canadian National Exhibition and the Royal Winter Fair. Over the years, despite growing concerns surrounding cholesterol and changes within the dairy industry, Mohawk Creamery remained in the hands of family and continued to surpass other local creameries in terms of success and popularity. Owners of Mohawk Creamery, Harold E. Dunsdon and his partner Wilbur Deans opened the creamery in 1932. Some of the other products they crafted included whey butter, margarine, cheese slices, processed cheese, butter reddies*, salad dressings, and preserves such as pickles and relish. By 1986, Mohawk Creamery was one of twenty creameries left in Ontario after several closed due to changes within the industry and patterns in consumer consumption of butter products. 

CAN You Believe it? The Canning Industry of Brant & Norfolk County The history of the canning industry spans many companies such as, the Waterford canning factory run by the Bowlby Brothers beginning in 1881, the Brantford Canning Company beginning around 1907, and The Wadell Preserving Company from 1916. When The Bowlby Brothers canning factory opened in the early 1880s it was only the second of its kind built in Canada, and as such was the largest in Ontario. One major commonality among canning factories was their preference to hire female workers. In 1932, the Brantford Expositor wrote “… the white-robed, happy healthy girls who pack the cans of pork and beans, at Brantford’s National Canned Foods Factory are also residents of Brant.” The Expositor also referenced the quality control that went into ensuring each bean that went into their cans was of top quality, the beans were “… open to the quick eyes and ready fingers of girls seated in long rows.” DID YOU KNOW: The men training at Camp Borden during World War I went through one ton of jam per week? The Waddell Preserving Company had secured this contract to provide preserves to the men who were training for the Canadian Expeditionary Forces.

The SOLE of Paris… Penman’s Knitted Products Penman’s, a company that began in Paris, Ontario, evolved, adapted, and changed in various ways since its creation in 1868, the incorporation in 1882, and its current standing as a house brand in Walmart superstores across Canada. Penman’s was established by John Penman and his father, Daniel Penman when he opened his first knitted goods factory in 1868. Penman’s became the largest knitting firm in Canada and eventually had mills across Canada in Port Dover, Paris, and in towns across Quebec. By the 1890s, Penman’s had become one of the country’s largest suppliers of knitted goods, known specifically for their woolen hosiery and underwear. Penman’s conducted day-to-day business with both men and women on staff. Men were hired for the supervisory positions and as carders*. Women were sought after for their “nimble fingers” and dexterity for certain jobs in a knitting factory, and were preferably hired on for the positions that were responsible for spinning, knitting, and sewing. Penman’s was very successful, even when faced with a economic hardship in the 1890s. By 1906, however, Penman’s entered a receivership and faced making tough choices, including reorganization. The company entered an agreement with the American Plow Company. To help this venture, Penman suggested investing in 50 families, specifically men, anticipating that they would move with their families and their wives could be hired to work in the mills, which would allow the company to increase production. The plow company failed to be an asset and instead became a drain for what remained of Penman’s funds. Penman’s was eventually acquired by a bank that focused on paying out the shareholders. In the years following, Penman’s traded hands a few more times, and today their articles can be purchased at Wal-Mart Canada under the “Penman’s since 1868” slogan.

Don’t MINE if we do… Gypsum mining in Paris Gypsum was first discovered in Paris, Ontario by a surveyor named Augustus Jones in 1793. Over twenty years later, William Holme would develop one of the first gypsum mines in the area. Gypsum was used to help build up the community in a literal sense, providing raw materials to construct buildings, but was also used by farmers as a type of fertilizer. Gypsum produced in Ontario comes from mines in the areas surrounding the Grand River, namely in Paris, Cayuga, and in the Brant and Haldimand counties. Gypsum is most notably used as building material; however, it has also been used in dentistry to create casts for dental work, and in medicine to create casts to help heal broken bones. It is also used by artisans who produce ceramics. Today, Gypsum is primarily used in drywall.

DID YOU KNOW: Paris, Ontario owes its name to gypsum? Gypsum is the main ingredient in the creation of Plaster of Paris. Plaster of Paris is a fine white powder that hardens when it comes into contact with water and is left to dry. Unlike clay, Plaster of Paris does not crack or break apart when dry. This makes it a great medium to create casts for important medical and dental procedures.