The Citizen, 1994-09-21, Page 15THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1994. PAGE 15.
years •
Allan Bert Bainton, one of the founders of Baintons, is seen with
his son Franklin in the door of Bainton's Old Mill in 1911 (at right).
Above, cars changed the way business was done. Here. Allan
Bert Bainton poses with his first car, a 1911 Overland.
£
SINCE 1894
Bainton family marks 100th anniversary
in wool and leather business in Blyth
It all began in 1894 when three members of the Bainton
family moved from Wingham to Blyth.
Allan Bert Bainton, Frank Bainton and Jayne Bainton
were the children of Mrs. Charles Bainton who had lost her
husband some years before. Her older children had moved
away from home.
Allan Bert was working in a tannery and glove factory in
Wingham before coming to Blyth. Frank had been working
at a woollen mill in Teeswater. In Blyth they were to bring
their experience together, and with their sister, would form
a company that would last 100 years and become one of
the most famous businesses in Ontario.
When they moved to Blyth the family rented an old
tannery building on the north side of Blyth Creek, just east
of where the water reservoir is located today. They started
I
Allan Bert Bainton
1871-1930
Frank Bainton Sr.
1870-1934
Jayne Bainton
1868 - 1925
a wool pulling and
tannery operation,
calling it Bain ton
Brothers. The two
brothers worked in
the plant while their
sister ran the office.
Sheepskins, hides
and furs were bought
from butchers within
a 100-mile radius
including Owen
Sound, Kincardine,
Goderich, Exeter and
Mitchell. Furs were
also purchased from
trappers.
Hides and
sheepskins
were picked up
monthly with a horse
and light wagon in the
summer and a sleigh
in the winter. These
hides and furs were
sold to dealers in
Toronto and London.
Some of the furs were
custom tanned in Blyth and all the sheepskins were
processed in the village. The wool was taken off the skins,
processed and sold to the woollen mills in the area. The
skins were tanned and made into mitts, work gloves and
leggings and sold through their factory outlet which was
destroyed by fire in 1898.
After their outlet was destroyed the Bainton Brothers
bought the property on the south side of the creek
and built on the present Bainton Old Mill site.
In 1925 they added to the north side of the building
where they installed machinery to manufacture blankets
and yams from their 100 per cent virgin wool. Basket
weave blankets, regular brushed wool blankets, auto
robes, horse blankets and hand knitting yams were all
sold through a factory outlet and to the farmers in
exchange for their wool.
In 1930 Allan Bert Bainton died at age 59. His son
Franklin, just 20
years of age, now ran
the business along
with his uncle Frank
Sr. They began a wool
pulling business
again and
manufactured
knitting yams.
n 1934 Franklin
Bainton Sr. died at
age 64 and
Franklin Jr. was left,
at just 24 years of
age, to guide the for
tunes of this family's
business by himself.
He would lead for
almost 60 years.0
Franklin Bainton
1910-1992