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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1965-03-25, Page 14PAIR. . *IA ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 196ra. Ka ieisch ame t0 In the early summer of the , year 1848, after a rough ocean; voyage from German y, the Kalbfleisch family landed at New York and then settled in Now hamburg, Ontario. Eight years later. after the death of, the father, the mother and sons moved to th,' 14th concession,! Hay Township. The first 42011 - tract undertaken and completed was to build a corduroy road from the then developing v11-1 laee 11- taee. of Zurich. to the lake, This was in the year of 1856. In 18613 henry and J. C. Kalb- fleisch formed a business part- nership and established a saw- mill on the 14th concession of Hay, north of Highway 84. At this time the brother, Henry and J. C. Kalbfleisch, were the chief suppliers of windows, lumber -and shingles to the vil- lage and surrounding country- side. At the sawmill the early settlers had their logs sawn for use in the construction of their new !mines and barns. \Vhen more colonists arrived Henry Kalb£leiseh built a sec- ond sawmill located on the 16th concession Of Hay. at the turn of the century the business partnership of Henry and J. C. Kalbfleisch was dissolve d. Henry took possession of the mill on the 16th concession of Hay, and J. C. Kalbfleisch, the grandfather of the present man- ager of the F. C. Kalbfleisch and son, Ivan Kalbfleisch, con- tinued on the 14th concession. A decade later Fred C. Kalb- fleisch purchased the business from his father, J. C. Kalb - ears In Lumber fleisch, on the 14th concession. Ile immediately saw the possi- bilities of the flax industry. Consequently he built and established a flax mill on •the premises. In 1906 a committee of businessmen from the village urged Fred C. Kalbfleisch to move his growing business to Zurich. This he agreed to do. Land was purchased in the western limits of the village and a two-storey planing mill was erected. A sawmill and flax mill were also built. At the time of World War I, flax fibre was supplied to the Government of Canada. This was used in the manufacture of covers and packing for armored tanks and guns. Original Kalbfleisch Mill Before Fire of 1944 at i}R4 itch airs Trophies and Engraving • DIAMONDS - WATCHES - CHINA Anstett Jewellers LTD. CLINTON — WALKERTON — SEAFORTH Puts the things you want within your reach BANK OF MONTREAL -r milt' finance "MYRAM ' " ra ; mia ON CANAO/ANS Bring all your la MIMMIIMMIrof personal credit needs under one roof LOW-COST LIFE -INSURED LOANS Zurich Branch: Hensall Branch: JOHN BANNISTER, Mgr. VICTOR PYETTE, Mgr In the year 1919 Ivan Kalb- fleisch joined his tither in the business. Quality millwork was supplied throughout Western Ontario, The business expand- ed. In 1936 Fred Kalbfleisch purchased the Buchanan Lum- ber Company in Goderich, For many years George Westbrooke, of Goderieh, managed this oper- ation. During World War II the firm supplied, along with many other contracts, millwork for the ra- dar school at Clinton, for the airports at Port Albert and Cen- tralia as well as the army camp at Ipperwash. They were called upon to supply all the "finish" material for 86 factory build- ings and offices for the Poly- mer Corporation at Sarnia. Polymer was the manufacture synthetic rubber, so vital to the war effort, since the supply of raw rubber from the east was cut off, due to Japan entering the war. As "time was of the essence" the contract was com- pleted in four months. War- time Housing gave to F. C. Kalbfleisch the contract to sup- ply the millwork for 100 houses in Sarnia. On February 9, 1944, when this contract was nearly com- pleted, fire gutted and com- pletely demolished .the planing mill, the sheds and yards and the dry kilns. Cause was not established. Telegrams and let- ters of regret were received from many firms and large con- tractors throughout the prov- ince. Said Tom Cocker, super- intendent of Piggot Construc- tion, Hamilton, "The importance of this plant to the building in- dustry as 'related to the war effort was not fully appreciat- ed.' Tribute was also paid to the capable craftsmen and me- chanics employed at the plant. Volunteers from the village and surroundings worked long hours in the cold to assist Mr. Kalbfleisch in clearing up the debris after the fire. Construc- tion of a new mill was com- menced on the former site in March, 1944. The strain of the fire and the building of a new factory shortened the life of Fred C. Kalbfleisch, and he died July 1, 1944 Shortly after this, the company of Fred C. Kalb- fleisch & Son was organized with Ivan Kalbfleisch as presi- dent and manager. The busi- ness prospered •ancl expanded, and employed 85 persons. The detailed millwork for Huron College at the Univer- sity of Western. Ontario, Lon- don, was entrusted to the firm of F. C. Kalbfleisch & Son. The Architectural Association o f Canada nominated it es the out- standing building of the year. Other buildings that were sup- plied with millwork during this period were th.e. high schools at Exeter, Clinton, Go d e r i c h, Wingham, Forest, Clarke's Side Road, Sarnia and Strathroy collegiate institutes, as well as Alma College addition in St. Thomas. The trim, cupboards, window sash, etc,, was also manufactured in Zurich for hospitals in Ingersoll, Wood - stock, St. Joseph's, London, Chatham and London Victoria. The millwork for the Business Administration School, Brescia Hall and Thames Hall, all on the campus of the University of Western Ontario at London, was made by the firm in Zurich. Ili the spring of 1958 ten car- loads of clear maple strips and selected white basswood for piano key stock was exported to a firm in London, England, Clear maple squares for bed- room furniture was exported for a time to Jamestown, New York, Ivan Kalbfleisch, of the firm, planned and built several local churches, namely the Goshen and Varna United churches, and the Free Metho- dist Church in Grand Bend, and remodelled the interior of the church of his faith, St. Peter's Lutheran, Zurich. In a busy life, the manager, Ivan L. Kalbfleisch, found time to serve in the community, in an able and varied capacity. He was president of the Zurich Centennial Committee in 1956. He was president of the Lions Club as well as president of the Huron Liberal Association. He is past master of the A.F. & A.M. lodge at Hensall and is presently a member of the South Huron Hospital board at Exeter. Mr. Kalbfleisch also took an interest in organized sports. He was president and sponsor of the Zurich Lumber Kings baseball club and of the Zurich Flyers hockey team. Both these teams went on to win Ontario championships. In recognition of his services in guiding and helping in the erection of the Zurich Commun- ity Centre building, sponsored by the Lions Club in 1944, Mr. Kalbfleisch was honored by the building committee with the presentation of an engraved sil• • ver plaque at the opening cere- monies, Many young men in the com- munity began their early train- ing in cabinet work, machine work and all phases of wood- working in the plant at Zurich. A .number are now working as foremen in plants and factories, as carpenters and superinten. dents in the building trades throughout Ontario and Mich- igan. The Kalbfleisch mill was established • almost a century ago, It has served the com- munity for three generations. Now it has been sold to a re- liable firm from Chatham. The new owners will obtain full possession on April 1. The business will be carried on by three young, hardworking, aiu- bitious, capable men, thorough- ly .familiar with all aspects of the lumber and building trades. They are William Patterson, James Dalton and R. Hill. The firm will be known as the Fox Milling and Lumber Company. NK Y Having sold our planing mill in Zurich to Fox Milling & Lumber Company, we wish to take this opportunity to thank our many friends and customers for their loyal patronage over the years we have been in business. It has been our pleasure serving you. 1 1 At this time we wish to welcome Fox Milling & Lumber Company to . Zurich. We wish them the best of success in the years ahead, and hope their stay here will be as pleasant as ours has been! F. C. KALBFLEISCH & SON LTD. Ivan L. Kalbfleisch, President ;fAu. !t%+,, ..34401-4,4 . , y.., , .. .,. P• .:'fin i�^drv.,. See how CMC's Engineering Leadership makes HANDI -VAN the ideal combination of carrying capacity, loadspace and power. 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