HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1975-07-24, Page 52• • .
PAGE11-4141MNMWS-RECOROMMIMAY, MY 24, 1975
45 C
45 -sauthalcle Of Mary Street,
°WO Oral4eStreet
• 'The Weerwell „
KiOtting FaCtorY
(c) Copyright 1875
in 1881, T. Corbett, having
successfully OPerated a woollen
mill at the north end of William
Street (see 69) took .7, poles as
partner and built a Ile*, woollen
mill On the south. side of Mary
Streetetist of Orange. The boiler
and engitte4roonr,20 black con-
strimtion, was on, the west Of the
site. Adjoinins to the east was the
miWbtfflthIg10O bY36feet, three
storeys high, and of frame
construction. The mill 1,4„WaS
designed for a capacity of 50,000
yards of cloth a year. It was a
fulling millL, thus is, it processed
raw woollen cloth to bring up the
nap and 'close up the spaces in the
weave.
The mill was purchased in 1882
by W.D. Grahama cloth
manufacturer from Riverdale,
who retained Mr. Corbett as
manager. It would appear that by
1887 the company was en-
countering. financial difficulties
for in that year Mr. Graham
requested a 87000 loan from the
Town. giving an undertaking to
employ 30persons. The loan ,was
.turned down.
Probably because of slack
" business. the company had ex-
cess boiler capacity, and in 1888
entered into an agreement with
the Reliance Electric , Light
Company to use the excess for
generating electricity. With a
source of power established. the
Reliance company began to
obtails commercial custoniers for
electric arc lighting. Lighting
heretofore' in the town was by oil ....
lampand to a much lesserdegree
by acetylene gas generated on
the consumer's premises. The
Reliance company's interest was
apparently in the Sale and _in-
stallation of equipment rather
then in the operation of the
system. The Town became a
customer for street lighting by
are lamp in August 1888, and the
lights game on in December.
The woollen mill apparently
ceased to be viable, andpwas
closed -in 1889, theluilding being
leased to tha. Oakes Organ
Company. Mr. Graham,
however, retained a fifty percent
interest in the steam plant which,
with the production of electricity
and .provision of mechanical
power to the Oakes company, had
presumably become a paying
proposition.
"Met:lakes Organ Company had
been founded by G.F. Oakes,
probably in 1889 or a little before,
It seems to have been beset with
organizational probleins, for in
1890 Mr. Oakes separated frbm it.
and set up on his own at the
corner of Princess and Albert
Streets (see 52). It is thought that
the plant on. Mary Street then
became the Clinton Organ.
Company. Under this name it
burned to the ground in August
1893. The steam plant was not
serieusfy damaged in the fire and
continued as a generating
station.
The burnt -over site remained ,
vacant until 1905 when NILE.'
Spalding's knitting factory,
prospering in Little England (see
19) required larger quarters. At
this point the knitting company
was reorganized as the Clinton
Knitting Company wbose trade
name in hosiery was •Wearwell.
The officers of the new company
were: Samuel Owen. president;
John 'Jenkins, vice-president;
W.P. Spalding, managing
dire .Ctor; H.S. Combe, secretary
treasurer; H.T. Rance and KM.
or fine knitted good
Combe, directors. Wlth capital
stock of $25.000 and a 88000 loan
from the Town the company built
a new hosiery mill on the burnt -
over siteotthe old woollen mill.
The advantages of the site were
the provisionof electricitY, steam
and water from the adjoining
power plant, the availability of
the Mary Street drain for emp-
tying the dye vats, and a central
location in the town for a
pedestrian labour forcer. The
Main bu was on concrete
construction, 90 by 45 feet, three
storeys higb. and fiat topped. To
the rear was a dye house about
half the size of the main building.,
When electricity was supplied to
the tow l)y the Hydro Electric
Power Commission to 1914, using
Niagara power, and the local
steam generating station was
closed, the knitting factory
erected its own steam plant.
The old woollen m• ill power
plant is thought tohave been torn,
down Shortly after it • ceas
operations in 1914. The WearWelt
factory Prottoered for Many
year*. After the $ecood. World
War there were several chews
in ownership; and about 190 It
was closed and was torn down -
about 1970. The site has since
been levelled and seeded to
grass, giving no visible indication
of its past.
The year is probably 1929. That's Tom Morgan on the left and Tom Churchill ddrd 'from the left.
The car looks like one Tom Morgan had at that time. • ,
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The W. G. Thompson Company is headed by Wes. -end
John Thompson who -joined their father's firm in 1950.
Mr. W. G. Thompson, their fattier, was raised ons farm
near Palmerston and founded the company in 1924 In
Blenheim with Jack and -Dave McKillop from whom he Jater
purchased their combined interest.
Branches were opened at Kent Bridge, Rodney and in
1931 Henson. In 1970 the Mitchell operation was purcha$ed
from Schonderwoered Bros. Further expansion of the
company was the Wanton plant In 1914.
Sitice-1970 the Company has built 1,000,000 bu. storage a
Mitchell and Hensel! Branches and have a
combined intake Capacity of .150,900 bu. of beans or grain
per day. • .
Thompsoris has always maintained Its keen interest In
reisiving, prOcessing and merchandising white beans. As
this industry has grown the latest facilities and processing
• equipment has been added. As tirn* went on the firm
**ended Its iiitereet in corn, soyabeans, seed grains,
ferthizeri and other farm pestkkles.
In this the 51st Anniversary Year Managers Tony Bouw,
Mitchell and Doug. Mann, Hensall and Staff of W. G.
ThomPon &ions are proud to join our community In Its -
Centennial Colebratkin.
We Congratulate Clinton on 00 Years!
6. THOM
PSON & SONS LTD.
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Mitchell 00..Phoie-348.8433: Henson Ow. Phu. 262-2527
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