Wood Brothers: Flourishing in Brantford's Milling Legacy

William and David Wood, known as the Wood Brothers, were successful in preserving Brantford’s industrial past. From their beginning by milling in St George, Ontario, in 1870, they quickly took off by setting up a mill at Colborne St. and Bain Street in Brantford. It was also known colloquially as the Wood Brothers Flour Mills and the Brant Milling Company, gaining famous names for quality flour products such as Royal Gold and Northwest Gem. This company spread their reach to consumers not only in Canada but also in Britain, South Africa and the West Indies.

While the mill experienced both ups and downs, In May 1899, an old building called the White Mill burned to the ground. This mill, which had been built in 1859 by Alexander Bunnell, had been owned by a series of different people before the Wood Brothers took it over in the 1890s. Despite this major setback, through their strong will’s, the two Wood brothers stayed the course out of pure drive and their commitment to quality.

One of their mementos, an envelope dated 3 August 1898 marked "Important," shows the size of their enterprise. It is addressed to Peter Ranit Sr. in Port Haldimand, with Wood Brothers and their Golden Crown label, which marks quality milling. The envelope is a small, yet telling symbol of the Wood Brothes’s use of open lettering to improve client relations and brand trust.

In 1911, the two brothers took it one step further and set up Dominion Flour Mills in Montreal. William took over in Montreal as president and general manager, while David stayed back to run their Brantford mills. David was a former mayor and local hero, who did as much for Brantford as he did for business. Although he died in 1921, his legacy was one of public service and industrial progress for the city of Brantford.

The business’s growth meant buying up factories such as Hamilton’s City Mills and building up the business in Ontario. The Wood Brothers still made popular flour brands like Golden Crown, Laurel and Silver Star, with goods sold across Canada and farther. They had Brant Roller Mills that were running 24 hours a day and had hired local workers, making sure they gave a reliable product to farmers from the surrounding region. Later, the Wood Brother’s milling company was bought out by the Lake of the Woods Milling Company in the early 1960s, after the Wood brother’s deaths.

In the end, the Wood Brother’s envelope is physical proof and only one example of the Wood Brother’s dream and contribution to Brantford’s trade. The Wood Brothers didn’t just make flour, they created a name that became the backbone of Brantford’s industrial past: one of quality, endurance and local dedication. Their memory lives on not only in the books and memories of the archival but also in everyday objects such as this envelope, carrying their name and a thread of Brantford’s history across Ontario.

References 

https://history-api.brantfordlibrary.ca/Document/View/c35a2046-4306-441e-ab2f-3fade46ce2f3

Industrial Recorder of Canada. (1901). Industrial Recorder of Canada. Brantford, Ontario. Public Domain.

Brantford Expositor. (1909, October). Greater Brantford Number. Brantford, Ontario. Public Domain.

Wood Bros., Grain, Flour and Produce Merchants. (1898). Wood Bros., Grain, Flour and Produce Merchants, Envelope. [Image]. Brantford, Ontario. Public Domain. Courtesy of Gary Muir.