In 1894 William S. Patterson took his plans for a rolling mill to the Guelph Board of Trade. The following year, several of Guelph’s astute business entrepreneurs got together to…
The Guelph Carriage Top company was formed in 1879 when Christian Kloepfer and Charles Walker – a former employee of Charles Raymond, went into business together. The company planned…
During the recent pandemic, bicycles became increasingly popular. The demand was higher than the supply and a bicycle shortage emerged. This was not the first time this mode of transportation…
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…
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…
The Rowen family was well known in Guelph for their boot and shoe store on Wyndham Street. Daniel R. Rowen (1847-1927) operated his shop at 16/18 Wyndham during the late…
Joseph Oppenheim (1859-1901), a schoolmaster in Maria Stein, Ohio invented what is referred to as the first modern “widespreading” manure spreader. He undertook the production of this device in October…
When it comes to Guelph industries, the Ward has been home to several well-known ones. People still remember working at IMICO, Woods, the Pickle Factory (Matthews-Wells) and Biltmore Hats. They…
When hats are mentioned in Guelph, everyone thinks about Biltmore Hats. While the position of this company and its products is important, it was not the sole producer of hats…
During the last few years of the 1920s, Guelphites were beginning to feel quite optimistic. After the post-war slump, the economy was turning around. Companies were hiring and workers were…