In the period leading up to World War I, Brandon, due to its excellent railway connections, was also home to branch offices of a number of large manufacturing companies during this period. Among those manufacturing outfits were William Gray & Sons Co. Ltd., and Mason Campbell Company. Based in Chatham, ON, these companies were leading manufacturers of carriages, sleighs and light wagons and fanning mills respectively. Constructed in 1907, by Giddings and Wyman for approximately $15,000, the four-storey structure was located at 801 Pacific Avenue and was shared by the two companies.
In response to the new technology of the gasoline engine, Wm. Gray & Sons entered into a partnership with the Dort Motor Company, of Flint, MI in 1915, and began designing and producing the Gray-Dort automobile; Mason Campbell’s Chatham plant became the assembly plant for the Gray-Dort. Production of the car spanned nearly ten years with over 20,000 Gray Dorts made. The company had over 300 dealers across the country, including one in Brandon.
In 1924, the Dort Motor Company decided to cease production, sending the Gray Company into significant debt. They were forced to close their doors in 1925, when Gray was unable to find a suitable partner to manufacture the car.
Following the closure of Gray-Campbell Ltd., portions of the warehouse were used by a number of businesses between 1925 - 1948, including farm and agricultural implement concerns Canadian Stover Co., Cameron & Rathwell, and Case (J.I.) Co. Ltd., the McKay Fruit Co. Ltd., Brazzell Motors, AC Bateman (electrician), Samuel Coxe (veterinarian) and Burns & Co. Ltd (packing house and egg grading station).
In 1949, the warehouse was taken over by Canada Grocers Ltd., who remained until 1973, when the building became Kullberg’s Big Warehouse. When Kullberg’s moved their warehouse to the old International Harvester building in 2004, the Wm. Gray & Sons Co. Ltd. building was torn down.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of the Alf Fowler collection for custodial history.
Scope and Content
Photo shows the front of William Gray & Sons Co. Ltd. Wording and signs on the bulding include: "High Grade Carriages, Chatham, Ont."; "Scales"; "Incubators"; "The Manson Campbell Co. Ltd."; "Kitchen Cabinets"; "Chatham Fanning Mills"; "Emerson (New Standard) Mowers"; "Tudhope Carriages"; "Agency for Sylvester Drills"; "Stover Coy Gasoline Engines"; "Gray-Campbell, High Grade Carriages"; and "Phone 771."
Storage Range
RG 5 Western Manitoba Manuscript collection - photograph storage drawer
Maples (Virden) Co-operative Elevator Association Limited Organizational papers: 1928 - 1978 First General meeting, 16 August Memorandum of Association, 15 April 1929 Certificate of Incorporation, 16 April 1929 Meeting re: By-laws 1-7, 24 April 1929 Lease, 1 August 1929 Approval of By-laws no. 1 to 10, no date By-laws 12 and 13, 24 July 1931 Shareholders meeting, 24 July 1931 Directors meeting, 24 July 1931 Agreement between MCE and MPE, 1 August 1931 By-law no. 14, 12 November 1931 Agreement between MCE and MPE, 1 February 1933 Meeting re: By-law no. 15, 7 February 1933 Agreement between MCE and MPE, 15 October 1936 Resolution re: Supplementary agreement, 15 October 1936 By-law no. 16, 25 October 1939 By-law to authorize cancellation, 1 November 1940 By-law nos. 18, 19, 20, and General By-laws, 2 July 1941 By-laws 18, 19, 20, no date By-law no. 21, 28 October 1947 By-law no. 22, 19 September 1949 Agreement between MCE and MPE, 1 August 1951 By-law no. 23, 2 November 1951 Approval of financial statement, no date Agreement between MCE and MPE, 15 December 1966 Letter re: Closure, 13 March 1978 Minutes of Executive Board meetings, volume 1, 1 May 1929 - volume 6, 1 August 1968 Minutes of Shareholders Annual meetings, 1930 - 1968 (24 reports) Financial records and statistics Statement of surplus, 1938 - 1955 (14 reports) Final statements, 1930 - 1948 (16 reports) Auditors' reports, 1930 - 1967 (29 reports) Analysis of Operating Results, 1956 - 1963 (3 reports) Detail of Grain earnings, 1964 - 1965 (1 report) Review of Operating result, 1963 - 1964 Working capital requirement, 17 April 1952 Tenders for purchase of buildings, screenings, etc., 1955 - 1964 Donations, 1963 - 1966 Correspondence, 1928 - 1978 Membership list, 1929 - 1966, 1978 Miscellaneous Directors' attendance lists, 1973 Records of crop improvement club, 1980 Directors' attendance lists, 1943 - 1967 (10 reports) Officers and Directors, 1947 - 1948 Moving permit, 6 June 1966 Hospital map showing location of district and cottage hospitals, no date Manitoba Free Press item - ``Pool delegates accept Bracken plan," 4 July 1931 The Manitoba co-operator, 14 February 1963 Sale notice - co-operator, 27 June 1964 Maples Pool Elevator moved into Virden co-operator, 23 July 1964 Corporate Name: Rural Municipality of Wallace
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