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Making Cigars In Guelph Making Cigars In Guelph

Making Cigars In Guelph

Bonnie Durtnall 0 903 Article rating: No rating
Cigar manufacturing was never a large industrial concern in Guelph in its early years. Imperial Tobacco with its extensive plant and large workforce did not arrive until 1959. The small shops that operated in the city until the end of World War II, rarely employed more 50. In general, they hired between 20 and 50 workers, some part time.  The staff usually consisted of women and youths. They were hired them because of their so-called “nimble fingers,” and, of course, the lower wages employers could pay them. This was common among many industries.
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Caleb Chase: Reeve, Mayor And Carriage Maker Caleb Chase: Reeve, Mayor And Carriage Maker

Caleb Chase: Reeve, Mayor And Carriage Maker

Bonnie Durtnall 0 904 Article rating: No rating
Caleb Chase (1838-1903) is recognized by Guelph political historians as one of the city’s mayors. In fact, he was elected to serve the 1863-1864 term replacing George Sleeman. However, Chase was also a tradesman and entrepreneur. He became involved in several enterprises but his best-known venture was his wagon/carriage shop on Woolwich Street.
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From Coffin To Casket: Early Burial Box Makers And Casket Manufacturers From Coffin To Casket: Early Burial Box Makers And Casket Manufacturers

From Coffin To Casket: Early Burial Box Makers And Casket Manufacturers

Bonnie Durtnall 0 1004 Article rating: No rating
When it comes to burial, the choices have always varied. This is also true with the type of vessels chosen to hold the remains of the deceased. Cultural norms and personal preferences play a significant role in selecting the right container. In North America, two common types used for ground burials are coffins and caskets. Although sometimes used interchangeably, they differ in shape and perception.

In Guelph, coffin makers tended to be cabinet makers or carpenters during the early to late 19th century. Later, as funeral directors emerged, caskets became the popular term for burial boxes. Mechanization also came into play together. The result was casket making companies such as the (New) Dominion Casket Company and the Guelph Casket Works.

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The Cartledge Knitting Mill: Training Ground for Joseph S. Cartledge, Founder of Guelph Elastic Hosiery The Cartledge Knitting Mill: Training Ground for Joseph S. Cartledge, Founder of Guelph Elastic Hosiery

The Cartledge Knitting Mill: Training Ground for Joseph S. Cartledge, Founder of Guelph Elastic Hosiery

Bonnie Durtnall 0 909 Article rating: 4.0
Guelph has been home to various textile factories. Carter’s Royal Knitting Company, Zephyr Looms and Cartledge’s Knitting Company are a few examples. The Cartledge Knitting Company appeared at about the same time as Carter’s. It, too, was a cottage industry, located in the back of what was one of the oldest houses when it was torn down in 1956. The actual shop behind 27 Quebec Street was, unlike Carter’s a family-operated industry. John (Joseph) Cartledge was to provide the basic training and introduce the skills to his son, Joseph S. Cartledge that was to give him what he needed to take the next step - founding his own business:  the specialized and unique Guelph Elastic Hosiery
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Samuel Carter And The Royal Knitting Company Samuel Carter And The Royal Knitting Company

Samuel Carter And The Royal Knitting Company

Bonnie Durtnall 0 974 Article rating: No rating
Samuel Carter (1860 – 1944) arrived in Guelph in 1882 after spending about a year-and-a-half in Philadelphia. He had been born in Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, England, a village where the main industry was hosiery. After a brief time boarding in a hotel, he settled on a cottage on 60 Manitoba Street in St. Patrick’s Ward joining forces with a partner whose name may have been Greenside or Grenside. This stone building was to act as a small-scale hosiery knitting mill from 1883 until around 1894/95. This was the start of what was to become known as the Royal Knitting Company.
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Libby, McNeill and Libby: Guelph's Other Pickle Factory

When people in Guelph talk about the “Pickle Factory,” they are referring to the Matthews-Wells factory - once located at Victoria and York. It opened in 1938 and closed in 1968. This was where many young men and women had their first job – often as summer employment.

However, Matthews-Wells was not Guelph’s first “pickle factory. Over two decades before, in 1914, Libby, McNeill and Libby founded in Chicago by Archibald McNeill, Arthur Libby and his brother Charles in 1868 made Guelph its Canadian headquarters.

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The Pipe Mill in the Ward: The Page-Hersey Tube Company

In 1889, an American, Randolph Hersey (1829-1918) founded Page & Hersey Company in Montreal in partnership with E. N. and G. H. Page. It operated out of a then idle tube mill owned by J. C. Hodgson. Located along the Lachine Canal, under Hersey, the tube mill began to prosper. Then Hodgson threw a wrench into the system. When the lease ended, he sold the property to the Montreal Rolling Mills. Hersey and his partners responded by deciding to move the plant halfway across the country to Guelph, Ontario. It was to remain in operation there for close to 50 years.

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