By Sara H., Summer Student
Even though I have lived in Oshawa my entire life, there is still so much I have to learn about the city! Working at Parkwood and the McLaughlin Branch of the Oshawa Public Library has given me a great starting point to learn about some of the significant people and industries that made up our city. The Oshawa Museum has allowed me to continue this research and given me new ways to discover more about Oshawa. For example, Oshawa was once known as the “Manchester of Canada” due to the many industries that set up shop here and helped Oshawa thrive. We all know about General Motors Canada and the legacy of the McLaughlin family, but what about the other industries that made up the “Manchester of Canada?” Well look no further than this blog post as I have rounded up some information on these industries from the museum’s Discover Historic Oshawa site!
Ontario Malleable Iron was established in 1872 by William and John Cowan. Both men previously worked at the Ontario Malleable Iron Co., and had a great deal of skill and experience from previously running a variety of small businesses. John served as the first president of the company until his death in 1915 when William succeeded him. The company was sold to Grinnel Co. of Canada Ltd in 1929, and unfortunately closed in 1977 after a lengthy labour dispute. The site was acquired by Knob Hill Farms, a Canadian grocery chain, which operated a store there from 1981 until they closed in 2000.
Smith Potteries was the largest maker of hand-made pottery in Canada, and operated in Oshawa from 1925 to 1949. They produced a range of hand-painted products such as vases, bowls, and other souvenirs. The company was very successful and the quality of their white ware pottery put them in competition with other countries such as China, Japan, and Germany. Herbert C. Smith owned and operated the business from 1925-1938, and installed a gas station at the front of the store to attract motorists and tourists wanting to purchase souvenirs. Smith Sporting Goods, another business operated by the Smith family, opened on the property and was in business until 1968.
Our curator has previously written about Smith Potteries: ArteFACTS – Oshawa’s Smith Potteries
Cooper-Smith Co. was located at 19 Celina Street and changed ownership quite a bit before the company was created. It was once owned by James Odgers Guy, yes, the same Guy from Guy House at the museum, who ran a “flour and feed” store there. Elgin Cooper bought the property from James Guy in 1905 and turned it into a larger store that sold grain, as well as seeds, oats, and other types of feed. The company was known for a specialized seed for homing pigeons that gave them increased stamina, and their garden seeds. The company was forced into receivership and closed in July 1982, but reopened in August 1982 under new owners who were still a part of the Smith family. Unfortunately, in January 1988 the property was destroyed by a fire.
Pedlar People Limited was opened by Henry Pedlar in 1861 as a kitchenware shop. George Pedlar, his son, inherited the company after his father’s death and established a metal stamping plant. By 1894 the company was the “largest sheet metal factory in the British Empire.” During the Second World War, Pedlar People was contracted to make a variety of military munitions and materials such as autocannon and artillery shells, army huts and munition shelters. The company received high praise from the Canadian government and wartime authorities due to their service and quality of products made. In 1976, the company was bought by a Toronto firm who opened Pedlar Storage Products in the Stevenson Industrial Park. The Simcoe Street plant was demolished in 1981 to make way for a new shopping centre, and Pedlar Storage Products closed in 1982.
Williams Piano Factory was started by Richard Williams in Toronto in 1849. In 1888, the Williams firm purchased the former factory of Joseph Hall Works in Oshawa and began renovations to the building to make it suitable to manufacture pianos. In 1890 the factory began producing pianos and organs, and the company constructed their first church organ that was sent to Brighton and consisted of more than 100 pipes! It took ten weeks to three months to make one piano, but each piano was constructed to the “highest degree of excellence in every detail of workmanship”. The company was globally known as a manufacturer of quality products, but due to the depression and increased mass production of the radio, they closed due to lack of demand. However, the factory building remained and many other businesses occupied the premises, and the building was even a barracks during the war years. The factory was demolished in 1970 to make way for the Durham Region Police Headquarters and the Oshawa Times building.
If you want to find out more information on any of these sites, or find out more information about what used to be in Oshawa, please feel free to visit either of the museum’s websites in the “For More Information” section, or take a look at the Library’s History Pin site!
For More Information:
Discover Historic Oshawa – Oshawa Museum
Industry in Oshawa – Oshawa Museum
History Pin: Oshawa Street Scenes – Oshawa Public Library
Sources Consulted:
Ontario Malleable Iron – http://discoverhistoricoshawa.com/listings/ontario-malleable-iron/
Smith Potteries – http://discoverhistoricoshawa.com/listings/smith-potteries/
Cooper Smith Co. – http://discoverhistoricoshawa.com/listings/cooper-smith-co/
Pedlar People Ltd. – http://discoverhistoricoshawa.com/listings/pedlar-people-limited/
Pedlar People Ltd. From Industry in Oshawa – https://industryinoshawa.wordpress.com/foundries/pedlar-people-ltd/
Williams Piano Company – http://discoverhistoricoshawa.com/listings/williams-piano-company/
Oshawa Museum Blog 
That was very interesting.
Yes very interesting. Thank you.
I am from the Oshawa family that owned the HOTTEL LANCASTER. Kenneth George Lancaster,of you other article was my uncle. I would like to talk to someone about him and his influence on my family.
Thank you so much for reading. We’re so thrilled to hear you’ve liked reading these stories. The story of Kenneth Lancaster was a research passion of one of our summer students who has returned to school, but I’ll let our archivist know you’ve reached out and would like to chat! We appreciate the continued support