HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1993-06-23, Page 17Best Wishes to the
Rutabaga Festival
Manning's have
everything you'll
need for your
indoor & outdoor
projects at prices
that are sure to
please.
• lumber • trim
• hardware • tools
• paint • wallpaper
• & much more
Manning's
Building
Supplies Ltd.
120 Hamilton Street
Blyth 523-9305
• \
GRAND VIEW RESTAURANT
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wyeti.,4f,
.,\\\ FAMILY DINING, GREAT COFFEE,
HOMEMADE PIES AND DESSERTS,
Don't miss our Rutabaga
Festiva( Specials
."\
S'stinaMyson7daaym-.S.;tpurdmay, 5 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Blyth 523-447'1
\‘‘,„ "••••a,‘",.4
& GAS BAR
DAILY SPECIALS
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Enjoy our
Rutabaga
Festival
Weekend
Specials
THURSDAY NIGHT
Is Wing Night
(minimum order 10)
A variety of sauces
available
TAKE OUT ORDER
AT REGULAR PRICE
THURSDAY, FRIDAY
& SATURDAY
NIGHTS
PIZZA NIGHT
5 p.m. - midnight
(Eat In or Take Out)
FRIDAY &
SATURDAY NIGHTS
5 p.m. - midnight
Chicken Wings &
Chips
$5.45
(Eat In or Take Out)
SATURDAY
5:30 - 8:00 p.m.
ROAST
BEEF
BUFFET
Doug McNeil Entertains
Friday & Saturday Night 9 p.m. - 1 a.m.
Blyth 523-9381
Come into Carol's for that
extra special gift.
• Sugar & Spice Chocolates
• Collector Plates
• Precious Moments
• Limited Edition Prints
• Cherished Teddies
• Boyd Bears
• Gund Bears
... and much more
110 Queen St. N., Blyth 523-4700
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 1993. PAGE 17.
Rutabaga Festival 1993
Industry gets its start in garage
Blyth's rutabaga industry got its
start in 1939 in a garage.
It was there that Russell
Dougherty first began to wax
rutabagas.
Russell Dougherty was born in
McKillop Township in 1900, the
son of John and Margaret (Fulton)
Dougherty. In 1929, he moved to
Drummond street in Blyth.
With Joe Hamilton as a partner,
he opened a garage on what is now
the municipal parking lot at Queen
and Drummond Sts. The men fixed
cars as well as selling International
Harvester farm equipment.
When the garage burnt down in
1935, the business moved to Queen
St. where Campbell Transport is
now located. This is where the
rutabaga business began.
By 1944, Mr. Dougherty had
built a waxing plant near the CPR
station. In 1951, he invented a pre-
cision seeder which allowed the
seeds to be individually dropped.
The old method required the thin-
ning of plants because too many
seeds were planted in the rows.
This improvement saved consider.
able time for the farmer.The Blytt•
plant was soon processing rutaba-
gas from as far away as Walkertor.
Penny sale
The Legion Ladies Auxiliary will
be holding a penny sale at 10 am on
Saturday June 26.
The ladies have collected a wide
selection of goodies with some-
thing for everyone.
and Exeter.
During the peak season the Blyth
plant employed as many as 150
people. The fifteen people in the
plant trimmed 1500-1800 bushels
per day, in the winter. In the sum-
mer more employees were needed
for the hoeing and thinning in the
fields.
In 1963, George Hubbard bought
the plant from Mr. Dougherty. Mr
Hubbard had been growing and
processing rutabagas in a rented
barn and he wanted to expand the
70 acres he was operating.
Today the plant ships rutabagas
all over North America with the
company's own trucks.
Russell Dougherty died in 1977.
He is survived by his wife Ruth,
sons Sam, Willie, and daughters
Lena Nesbitt and Pat Pfrimmer. A
son, Clifford, predeceased him in
1968.
WELCOME
to the Blyth Rutabaga Festival
from the Blyth Inn and The Inn Shoppes