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One Hundredth Year No dim ACTON ONTARIO WEDNESDAY 1974 SECOND SECTION Haiton sketches Beardmore founded major industry THE ACTON harness strap bag and belting leather tannery at Acton is In its heyday Upper and chrome sole leathers were also FOR VOLVO DIDNT ENGINEER A BETTER NAME VOLVO ENGINEERED A BETTER the 140 pro jrcsscl Tlmycrs improvements fuel injection steel betted rick pinion steering new from suspension more comfort bucket se its Solhissc irlhc becomes the scries Its progression GEORGETOWN BRITISH CARS tanned here The building on the left is now the Acton Industrial building housing various industries Not all these structures remain MERCHANT liii Aril I 1 I cash- imctrtm- CARD identified the staff of Beardmore many years ago Maybe 1976 Mayor Tom Hill a rcstdenl of Glen Williams told council there was need of a crossing guard or crosswalk at Glen Williams school The kids don t even cross at the school ho remarked Councillor Mike sold Glen Williams is still under the jurisdiction of We arc given to understand il will be I nil on Regional Police territory after January 1975 Or maybe commented Councillor v Soundesiqn STEREO SYSTEM with 8 TRACK Sloioo Ih I wo i me bat BatteryElectric CASSETTE RECORDER ffi We make it easy at one stores MOORE PARK PLAZA and Co which has always been Acton major Industry was founded In 1B44 at Hamilton by George I and his younger brother Joseph Both men learned tanning business In I In plant near I In partnership they built the first stone tannery in Canada at Hamilton In IA44 A few years later Joseph died and after a serious fire In the tannery in IBM in which all stock was elder brother George moved to Toronto where lie engaged in business as a leather merchant He did not undertake production only on small scale in a liltle plant on the Grand River until he acquired a plant In He continued production operations In until when ho purchased tannery In Acton In The first tannery on ihe site of the present facilities was built In 1B42 by Abraham Nellcs who was succeeded by and Henry Smith who increased the capacity of the tannery Addition This concern was bought In 11152 by Coleman and i of Dun da who built a largo stone addition to the old building and confined their operations exclusively to the manufacture of sole leather from Spanish hides During their ownership the building was burned down and re twill It afterwards became the property of and who carried on bus mess for several years then sold it to Sessions Toby and Co After lying idle a con length of time entire properly was pur chased by George Beard more In June Mr placed the buildings in a thorough state of repair and equipped them with the most modern tanning machinery of the time In tfic buildings were rated fay lire through Boa more a determination were rebuilt and business was as usual within one year The insurance of covered only a small portion of the loss This time the buildings were of stone An expansion to the firm wis made in bark that we today we unheard of Many Mrit This was the period when farmers were the land and virtually every hemlock tree down in the area tarnished for the Acton tannery iirmcrs came from and Nassngawcya then and I ramosn until finally bark was carted to from as far away as town ship Just below Owen Sound ll was not uncommon sight during the winter In Aelon to see or sled of hemlock bark into town in Innm III course of time the growing mid used up all the hemlock available In ihe rounding townships Bringing hark In by train was found double the price being paid to farmers So about s null a tannery Brnccbrldgi In the midst of Ihe hemlock region After a few yiars operation the bark In the surrounding urea was all used up and Ihe tannery was under the same as Aelon About i WO the Braccbrldgp was closed and many t ts tame to Acton IKnrdmort interests time three suhsldhrlcs of Beardmore and Co Aelon Tanning ltd the Co I Id and the and Co Ihe Tunning I Id the lculher Co I and Helling Co The plant operating under the name and Co was devoted to production of sole leather Ihe at manufactured sole leather ex while In the plant of the Acton Tanning Company harness and belling leathers were tanned In audition to chrome sole upper case bag strap and other light The Helling Company in Toronto manufactured bells from product supplied by the Acton Tanning Company The main tanneries at Acton have a combined floor space of nearly a million squnn Tret The Company farm and employees nouses an area of over acres Due to the depression and he need to end any duplication of cosily services In Toronto offices of Heard mi re and Company consolidated he office In ORIGINAL tannery at Hamilton was built by the late George L Beardmore This which was the first stone tannery in Canada still stands although no longer used for lining purposes George Heard more A 0 when iall cordovan leather purpose of this addition was to I urn it over to the facture of harness leather In the nineties Beard more and Compiny saw an opening for further development and branched out into the production of belting leather in the same Carried on In George Beard more died and the business was carried on by his four sons The eldest son entered business with his father at the early age of years and worked way up until in he was admitted into partnership still a young man In May 1915 he died and brother George Beard more became the senior partner Hemlock bark which was an essential ingredient in the tanning business was becoming to secure each year in the Acton area Substitutes for ihe hemlock Landowner protection promised by Hydro About and area ere assured Wednesday they would receive ill le protection when Ontario Hydro ex propriites or for their for a kV hydro line The Ontario an its choice for a final route several months ago The route subject to minor changes is determined the land It will cross Milton on the north side of Highway culling south and on is side of he built up section of Appmsal Bob ind Director of Properties for Ontario Hydro Neil outlined whit process would tie followed to mike sure lindowners got fairdti at i meeting in the I ions Hall imphellullc points of by Hydro will piy for lh whole Owners will be entitled to the protections under the ixpropl ition Jet It will lake until 1 J77 before deils arc iccordmg to tentative schedule landowners will able to have their own Inwver and their own user for ihcm ind Ontario Hydro will pick up he is long as costs ire considered rcisi Hydro will share in costs miintiinmg fences land farms Hydro wil discourage under the line and will pas replacement for on land hardships During the meeting of funis said will 1 lunch three phase program designed to he land They said three pluses were designated as information enquiries to determine necessity and liny claimed would be no settlements until the third phase wis rciched unless some cases where he situation was working hardship on an individual II was explained that those who were settled later ten feel that their were predicated on the first few noted that all settlements would based on m it ihe time of taking One mm said he wis settle He said he w unable to fix or repair buildings or plin for future He said he intereslcd in waiting until 1977 ind going through the long arduous process He to settle now said Nothing major were asked about host of circumstances and what sort of com pensalion individuals would be entitled to Million hast Jim Snow attended the meeting along with Milton Mayor MocArthur a number of Milton councillors Snow issisled Ontario Hydro officials in fielding questions from floor November A small salts of ice remained in city conic lout and Co have always been very community conscious and made provision for the welfare of heir employers This relationship Has always been a tradition but I cannot help that a strike I MX is held Tor wo week after wages were reduced from per duy to 10 due poor economic conditions At one period Acton could certainly have been con a Beardmore Company lown As one scheme reduce employees living expenses and Co built homes for their workers and them for to to per month Sixty houses were built and rcnled by during he early 1900 The Beardmore private residence known as Beverly House was located at the corner of Church Maria Streets and Is now site of Diplomat apartments Recreation Itecrcitlon facilities have ilways been provided not only lo em but to ihe com munlty courts a large skating rink and a club home were recreational contributions to Ihe own The skating club house which was on the property of I Co at the foot of Frederick Street was lease free to branch of the Royal legion as their first meeting house in 1931 This was representative of the kindness of Col A who served on Council for a period of time In 1945 Ihe Legion pur chased its former building on Main Street directly from the Dominion Hotel In 1944 Co cell its centennial year with several functions held throughout that year A large picnic Acton Park for all employees resullcd in a pleasant prise when each worker was provided a fine new leather coat compliments of Beard more Co The highlight of the cen tennial year was a large dinner the Royal Hotel with many Acton in attendance It is ironic that on the last day of its one hundredth year Beardmore Co was pur chased by a large meat pack company On December Canada Packer bought of Beard more Co During 1959 and ihe use of new sy nthetic materials as i substitute for hemlock bark another Canada Packer holding firm since to close its operations in Ipwards of employees and their famtl from Anglo Canadian ere relocated to each department Tanners as closed 8775119 THE gHsFAMILY CLEANERS will NOW PICKUP and DELIVER Monday Wednesday Friday STORE HOURS Saturday 12 noo FAMILY CLEANERS 8532310 20 Mill St E Acton The head office at Co is front St Toronto and was sold in 1972 and has transformed Into the famous Hayloft Restaurant next to the Si Lawrence Centre The budding bears the name The tannery which has operated Acton for almost 110 years under the Beard more name has brought a high recognition to the town Co is not only one of the largest tanneries In Canada but is reputed to hav been the tannery in Ihe British Empire Plowing Town workmen have been sanding and plowing litis week working early and late