HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-07-16, Page 65A small company was formed in
Goderich inthe. year WA for the purpose of
exploring this district for oil. The site
chosen for these activities was Maitland-
ville, afterwards called Sanford, in Col-
borne Township.
The company drilled some 900 feet
without any sign of oil, andwere ready to
give up the project. In their absence so-
meone poured oil down the drill hole, and
when they found signs of oil it created
quite a flurry of "excitement and they con-.
tinued to drill deeper.
When they " had reached the 1000 -foot
level they struck a solid salt bed. The news
soon spread, and before long more com-
panies were formed and six wells were
drilled in a radius of one-eighth of a mile.
At that time the bed was supposed to be
quite small and each company was afraid
of missing the deposit. '
The .most important one and the one that
continued the longest in operation was
owned by Peter MacEwan.
This was the first salt well in North
America where the fully saturated brine
was pumped out of the salt rock bed.
After the brine was pumped out, there
were several methods of evaporation. The
first method was the natural evaporation
by the sun. This was very slow and better
methods had to be devised: The second
method consisted of huge iron kettles, with
a diameter of 4'/2 feet, set in pairs and ten.
to a row, and set on a flue and fired from
one end. As the salt was deposited it was
ladled out, and put in bins to dry before it
was barrelled -for market.
The process next devised was a huge
double -bottomed open pan about 80 feet
long by 20 feet wide. Boilers were placed.
below and the steam generated went
through the double pan and evaporated the
brine. This was a vastly improved (jesign,
as the steam was condensed and returned
to the boilers without loss.
This last method was again changed and
larger pans 22 feet wide and 100 feet long
were installed, with sloping sides allowing
the operator to use long rakes to rake the
salt up on to dry platforms. This was the
HAPPY 1-5-0
Wishing all the residents
of Colborne Township a
very special time during
your Sesquicentennial.
J. ---,'.e. .�'
uf
From the Management and Staff at
HAYTER Chev-Olds
Kingston St. Goderich
The Bridge to Saltford was constructed in 1883. Photo was taken in 1905.
also was shipped in 50,100, and 200-1b. bags
of cotton or jute.
The lumber produced by this firm sold
as follows: Hemlock No. 1 at $7.00 per
thousand at the mill; basswood, delivered
on freight cars at Goderich, $10.00 per
thousand; white ash No. 1 perfect, 12 feet
long, fit for tongues, $12.00; white ash No. 1
perfect, i4 feet long, fit for binder tongues,
$14.00; rock elm, 16 to 20 feet long for
culverts, $14.00 per thousand.
Saltford was a busy place in those days,
and about eighty persons were engaged in
the plant which is now obsolete. -
type used by Peter MacEwan and was
capable of making about 100 to 125 barrels
per day.
It required four furnaces mounted :at the
front of this pan to produce the required
temperature. It was necessary to operate
this system 24 hours a day, and it took a
cord of four -foot body wood each hour.
At that time salt was delivered into
railway cars at Goderich for as low as 45
cents for a 300-1b. barrel. The retail price
of salt was from 60 cents to 75 cents per
barrel. Even at that price some complain-
ed of the high cost of salt. There was a
standing offer that if a man could roll out a
300-1b. barrel, and put it on his wagon box,
he could have it for nothing. Salt sold at
that time for $1.50 for soiled salt and $2.50
for clean salt, per ton.
There were a number of different grades
of salt. Some was kept for table use, some
for butter and dairy use. Chemicals had to
be added to keep it free -running, as salt
will absorb moisture. This better -grad e
salt was put into cotton bags, in 2, 3, 5, 8,
10 -pound lots. These bags were made in the
plant and filled by girls. They were then
put into barrels for shipment. Some salt
Peg. 41
Congratulations
Colborne Township
On behalf of McDonald's Restaurants World -Wide it is with great honour
that we salute the Sesquicentennial Committee and the people, past and present,
who have worked so hard to make this area a place 'all' can be proud of.
We too are proud to call this area 'home' for the past 12 months and look
forward to serving your needs
.and contributing to the
community for 'many years to
come.
Best Wishes for a
terrific weekend of
Celebrations full of
fun and merriment.
354'" BAYFIELD RD., GODERICH
McDonald's
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