Guelph has been home to many textile companies over the years. Several were short-lived affairs; others remained in the city for decades. While many may remember or have heard of Canadian Textiles, Tolton Manufacturing Co., Royal Knitting (Carter’s Knitting Mill), Zephyr Looms and Guelph Elastic Hosiery, others remain obscure. In this latter group are the Landers Brothers (silk hosiery), Weldrest Hosiery, Westminster Hosiery and the Dominion Fibre Company. These are companies that were in Guelph from the 1910s to the 1930s.

Dominion Fibre Manufacturing Company

The company was initially owned and operated in Doon as J. T. Huber & Co. In 1916, it changed its name to Dominion Fibre. For that year, the Management team consisted of:

• H. McNally, president
• Maurice J. Huber, vice-president
• Homer V. Huber, secretary
• James T. Huber, manager, buyer and supervisor

The line-up changed with the move to Guelph in 1917. McNally, J. T. Huber’s son-in-law, was no longer with the company. James T. Huber was now president and manager. His son, Homer V. Huber was vice-president and secretary-treasurer.

Dominion Fibre set up business in the former Grundy Stove Foundry properties. At that time, Wellington Street made a curve towards Gow’s Bridge and ended at Water Street. The old foundry provided sufficient space for this operation. At that time, it had

• Six cards
• 4 pickers

Electricity powered the small factory.

The product was listed in textile directories of the times as wool stocks, spinning stocks, carbonizing, battings and flocks. They prepared and dyed the wool.

Unfortunately, things did not get off to a great start. In November 1917, James T. Huber died in Guelph. He was buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Kitchener. His son, Homer V. Huber remained with the company as VP and secretary-treasurer. It was James T Huber’s older son, Maurice J. Huber who became president and manager. He had been a soldier while his father and brother ran the company. The two brothers struggled along until 1920 when Dominion Fibre went into receivership.

This was not the end of the company; it was bought by Louis Brown. He renamed it the Guelph Fibre Manufacturing Company. By 1922, he had 7 employees. One of them was Homer Huber. He was the foreman at the plant. The factory still had 6 woollen cards but had reduced the pickers by one. A boiler and a 70HP motor are now listed as equipment. From 1923 to 1925, the owners and equipment remained constant. The only change was the addition of cotton to the wool that was used as raw material.

The End of the Company

Guelph Fibre was gone by 1927. However, Louis Brown continued to operate businesses in  Guelph. He still owned Wellington Metal and Waste Company – which was located next to Guelph Fibre on Wellington Street. and had started a new venture Brown’s Excelsior Manufacturing Company.

A 1922 List of Guelph Textile Companies

CANADIAN TEXTILE & WEAVING CO. (S LTD.; $21 200; A. R. Burroughs, Sr.. pres.; A. R. Burrows, Jr., sec. and treas.; Bindings, Gimps, Webbings, etc.; 33 broad and 12 narrow looms: dye (yarn, piece) and finish; 2 boilers (150 H. P.); electric; sell direct; buy cotton and jute, 2/6s and 2/808.

DOMINION FIBRE CO. LTD. (Taken over by Guelph Fibre Mfg Co.).

DOMINION LINENS. LIMITED; (L&C $550,000; David M. Sanson, pres.; Wm. Berry, vice-pres.; H. A. Hignell sec. and treas.; Wm Berry, supt.; Linen and Cotton Goods; 12 cards; 80 broad and 91 narrow looms; 3.268 spindles; electric; bleach and finish; buy 12 to 24 yarns. (Branch at Tillsonburg.)

FLAX SPINNERS, LIMITED; $500,000; (L David M. Sanson, pres.; Wm. Berry, vice-pres. and supt.; H. A. Highnell, sec. and treas.; Spin Linen Yarns; 12s to 60s leas; electric; 3,000 spindles; Wm. Berry, buyer. (See also Dominion Linens, Ltd.)

GUELPH CARPET & WORSTED SPINNING MILL; 8625,000; H. Quarmby, pres. and gen mgr.; W. H. Towle, sec. and treas.; W. Laidlaw, supt.; Wiltons, Brussels, Tapestry Carpets and Woolen and Worsted Yarns, up to 40s: 2 combs; 3 worsted cards: 13,724 worsted spindles; 3 sets woolen cards; 4 broad tapestry, 37 Brussels and Wilton and 12 narrow tapestry looms; electric; dye (raw stock and yarn); Thos. McMaster, 616 Drummond Bldg., Montreal, Que., s. agt.

GUELPH FIBRE MFG. CO.; L. Brown, (W prop.; Wellington St.; Custom Carding and Mattress Stock; 6 woolen cards; 3 pickers; 1 boiler; 70 H. P. motor; sell direct.  (Successors to Dominion Fibre Co.)

McCartney, W. R.; 29 Paisley St.; (K Sweater Coats; 2 knitting machines; 2 finishing machines.

REGAL HOSIERY CO.; Seamless Half (K Hose, Anklets, and Wristlets, Knit Tubing, Woolen and Worsted; 3 knitters; 4 sewing machines; sell jobbers; J. A. Paul, buyer; buy wool yarn and worsted, 75 grains, 2/10, 2/12 and 3/18.

REGENT TEXTILES, LIMITED; Geo. H. (C Wilson, mgr.; Carpet Yarns, Twines and Hosiery Yarns, 6s to 12s; 1,500 ring and SpO twisting spindles; electric buy; Geo. H. Wilson, buyer.

ROYAL KNITTING CO.; Samuel Carter, (K prop.; Men’s and Women’s Seamless Hosiery, Children’s and Infants’ Hosiery, Mittens, Gloves, Toques, Scarfs, etc.; 110 latch needle knitting machines; 90 ribbers; 6 sewing machines; electric; dye (yarn); G. R. Copping, Toronto, s. agt.; S. Carter, buyer; buy yarns, mostly from Guelph Worsted Spinning Co.; buy 8 and 12s cotton, 26s to 10 in twist, 2 and 3-ply 46s stock to 60.

Official American Textile Directory… Comp. annually by the Textile World Journal