Along with Blacksmiths, carriage and wagon makers and repairers played a significant role in the development of Ontario, physically and economically. Until the arrival of first the railway and then…

Carriages were the main form of transport for individuals and businesses alike in Guelph during the 1800s. Blacksmiths were responsible for the horses that pulled them. They also made repairs…

Early Guelph offered something many companies could use – water power. It was particularly conducive for the operation of mills – not simply grist mills but woollen and carpet mills…

Early Owners/ManagersThe original owners and managers were Andrew and John Armstrong. They had both come from Scotland, with John arriving first and setting up a bakery on Macdonnell Street. In…

Sold: Not Once but ThriceWhen Kloepfer had died in 1913, he left the now elderly Dodds with the company to manage, although Kloepfer’s estate was involved. However, in 1918, the…

The making of carpets has only been a small cottage industry in Europe since around the 1300s. Before then, the true masters of the craft were found in China, India…

Guelph has many companies that remain a footnote in its history. While Raymond Sewing Machine Company, and Bell Organ and Piano Company are names people recognize, V.H. Canham & Company…

In 1908, Robert William Gladstone (1879-1951), Henry Burton Sharman (1865-1953) and John N. Lyon of Manitoba, combined forces to form the Ontario Metal Culvert Company. The letters of patent issued for…