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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1975-07-24, Page 43. CONTONIVVIS*RECOO#i THVRSPAIrt '701, 197 POMO ' t- came' into. kbepossessionOtheiOWn. Porta Otthe plant were rented to various' businesses. In 1909 Rarold 8I4cH manUfactOred a number Of boilers on the premisesz a contractor building .St01 fridget- leased part of the plant; and the Canadian Fla* Millsrented a part for threshing and,breaking of flax, and moved in Machinery from Wallaceburg. By ' 1940 Councillor Thomas Jackson Jr. had been appointed by Council to searc.h for an in, dustry that would take Over the premises. In 1910 an offer was reported fronrDetroit capitalists associated with the Swift Automobile Company which did net Materialize, but by October 1911 the Clinton Motor Car * Company with capital of $100,000 had been formed primarily by persons in Toronto. The officers of the company as named in March 1911 were: John Craig, president; Thomas Jackson Jr., vice president; John McLaughlin. secretary; William Jackson, treasurer; and S.B. Cieghorn, superintendent. Mr. - Craig had . Preview -sly been superintendent of the Canada ,Foundry -Coinpany of Toronto, and. Mr. Cleghorn is believed to have beep associated with the same company. Thomas and William ,Jackson were the principals of the Jackson Clothing Company ?f Clinton. In 1910 Mr. 'McLaughlin's intefests in .the Clinton enterprise were taken over by C.W. Whitmore of Orillia - a part owner of the Toronto Auto Tqp 'and Body Company. The company proposed manufacturing one. two, three and five ton trucks and a line of automobiles. First production. was in January 1812 - two trucks • and a car. It is understood, however. that the operation that produced these vehicles. was assembly only, of major com- ponents shipped in.. By March or 1912 there were 20 employees. . There was course great' enthusiasm in the..tinin for the • new industry. Expressing this 11 ernOngaitin't waa a load Of Clinton dignitaries seated, ett chars an One Of the new truci.s Unit toured the Settfoxlb Fair In len .Oreating heaven knows what fellinga Of inferiority In that town. Seated were: the Rev. C.A. JeakIna.' GO. Mangan, Wier 'Rance, Mayor Gibbing, Fred Jackson, Dr, Shaw. 011ver"JohnsOri, Dive Cantelon, President J.W. SoPerintendent Cleghorn. and Treasurer Jackson with °Herrbie Guy as driver. Reports ot- an elderly gentleman following behind, on. Tom Pierce's grey mare have not been confirmed. Little research has been done on, the subsequent history of, the cOmpany. It is thought to have gone bankrupt in 1913 or 1914. One report says that eight cars and eight trucks were the total production. - Insufficient research has been done on the subsequent historY of the buildings to give a consistent account. Between the wars, the part of ,the plant at the Post Office site was operated by George Jenkins as a planing mill and building supply company. The premises immediately to the south of the Post Office were converted into a garage by Jack Nediger who 6d one of the early taxi services •in town. 'George Jenkins' premises were taken over by V. Falconer as a fuel company, and coal sheds were built along Wellington Street. The area bounded by Joseph- and Isaac Streets was used ps a large yard for. firewood_ The premises now Occupied by the sport store end the shed to the rear were the depot for Epps Transport before the sport store was Set up. The building at the corner of Joseph and King Streets originally the engine roonr-in the 1905 recon- struction, and now the Huron Pines Realty Ltd. was converted to a creamery by W.C. Medd sometime after the First World War. ft was bought by Gunn- l..anglois in 1927 and subsequently was taken over by Canada Packers. The northend of the building along King Street was demolished in 1966 to Make way for the present post office. 29—West side of King Street south of Joseph C copyright 1975 Peter Straith came to Clinton in 1858 and set up a soap and candle factory which became known as the "Ashery".. It is . believed to have been on the third lot south of Joseph Street on the west side of King Street. By, 1875 it was operated by Thomas Potts who advertised that he would "give the highest value for soap for ashes-. This signifies that wood ashes were -collected from households and leached for the making of lye which. with ren- derectanimal fat, was a main ingredient in the making of soap. Although no specific record of it has been round. the Ashery probably burned down in 1876 or 1877. for in May of the latter year . there was a, petition to have the Ashery. rebuilt.' This suggests that it was regarded as providing a useful service in taking, away ashes. However. it was not rebuilt. A note in 1880 strengthens the supposition that the building was destroyed by fire. -"What remains of the Clinton Ashery - the chimney - looks as if it would tumble aver with the first strong wind". The picture is of a chimney standing up in the nem of a frame building. , Altheugh-the Ashery was gone. there was still a market for ashes. -As late as 1896 a cartoad was shipped from Clinton to North Carolina. and the late Thomas Leppington -used to -tell how when he wa,szt boy about 1902 he had a job cranking a large ash sifter at the yailway tracks. The business probably belonged to Frank Heywood who left Clinton in 1908 for' Hensall.. Evidently by 1889. Mr. Straith had a warkshop an or near The site of the Ashery. This he moved in that year and built a frame house on the site. He died in 1904 ancl the property passed to R.J. Miller who. hiring Hiram Hill. shifted the,house somewhat, put a stone foundatii$n _under it and veneered it witb cement bricks with pressed bricks for the corners. The cement bricks were the first of the kind used in Clinton. The house that fits this description still stands. Mr. Straith also owned the property immediately to the south. In 1877 he moved a part of the Old Clinton Hotel from the site of Vanderburgh's tavern where the Bank of Montreal new stands (see 1) to the King Street property and converted it to a broom factory.. The broom fac- tory as such is thought to have survived until at least 1881 after which no specific reference to it has been found. It is almost certain. however. that the> building was incorporated into a house that still stands. Referring to the Clinton Hotel, a 1903 newspaper article states "Part of the same building stands today as part .of the house , occupied by C.E. Dowding, it having been veneered after removal to the present site": The home then occupied by C.E. Dowding is at • 122 King Street. In addition to the Ashery and the broom factory. there may have been another building on or near Mr. Straith's King Street property. This refers to the Fisher and Downs "sawmill dogs" factory (see 3) which in 1875 was "Near Mr. Straith's-, and in- 1861 was moved by W.B. Crich to Victoria Street ;a little north of Cutter (se 13), It is undertain. however. whether "near Mr. Straith's" refers to King Street, since Mr. Stiailti owned property elsewhere to town. One location was at - the. fiord; end'of William Street where in 1875 he was in partnership in a . cheese factory (see 1664, Men who are now in their riineties,or would be if living. remember picking strawberries and raspberries in the 1890's for Mr. Straith on the, William Street property. heavily laden Clinton Truck, probably in January 191. The top of, the Conunercial Hotel on Huron Street is seen in the left background. We'ye been providing quality automotive, and industrial sup- plies (Wholesale and Retail) in Clinton for 15 years and look forward to continuing our association as Clinton enters its second century.