Huron-Perth Boomers Winter 2023-24

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HISTORY the industries of huron county BY KEVIN DEN DUNNEN What do a king, a flax harvester, and an apple evaporator have in common? They were all part of major industries in Huron County that are now all but forgotten. Did you know that Huron County was once home to a king? The Egg King, that is. Operating from 1867 to 1905, David Douglas Wilson’s Egg Emporium of Seaforth was, by his own claim in 1881, the largest shipper of eggs in Canada. The largest recipient of eggs from the Egg Emporium was New York, while it also shipped to the United Kingdom, and across Canada. In 1882, the company purchased, processed, and shipped over 7.5 million eggs from its Seaforth location. During May 1892, Wilson received and processed 300,000 eggs per week. It is during this time that reports of Wilson’s fleet, as recalled in The Story of Seaforth, reached 20 wagons and the Egg Emporium employed over 50 people. Wilson’s wagons travelled the counties of Huron, Perth, Bruce, and Wellington, purchasing eggs from stores to bring to the Emporium. 18 • HURONPERTHBOOMERS.COM
y Kevin Den Dunnen HISTORY The Egg King of Seaforth, David Douglas Wilson, circa 1891. (2006.0040.018) Wooden egg crate (M976.0084.007a) Wilson’s Egg Emporium was more than an egg redistributor. Much of the need for egg emporiums was prolonging the edible life of eggs. Wilson mentioned in an 1881 report to the Agricultural Commission of Ontario that the most important factor for shelf life was keeping them in a stable, cool, and dark environment. He would also apply preservatives to the eggs so they could last longer in storage and transit. Wilson was quite protective of the exact solution, though he did disclose that “the main ingredient is lime.” The Huron Egg Emporium, as Wilson first named it, opened in 1869 after he purchased a general store owned by John Hickson. The two years prior, Wilson collected eggs for his business at a wooden stand. His business would feature prominently on Seaforth’s Main Street at the corner with Goderich Street. In 1878, Wilson constructed a larger white brick building. This facility featured a large basement with storage tubs for the eggs. Various expansions added to the size of this already prominent Seaforth business, and he further expanded his business in 1887 with the purchase of J.D. Wilson’s egg emporium in Fergus. By 1892, this site processed 25,000 eggs per week during the busiest month of May. Wilson sold this location in 1893. D.D. Wilson was a renowned person in Canada’s poultry industry. The Ontario Agricultural Commission interviewed him in 1881 for his opinion on various topics related to poultry such as the New York market, which he claimed had “practically unlimited” demand for eggs, different species of chicken, and various other aspects involving his business. Wilson also featured in the first of four volumes of an 1891 book titled The Canadian Album: Men of Canada: or, Success by example in religion, patriotism, business, law, medicine, education, and agriculture. Wilson’s Egg Emporium closed by 1907. British and American tariffs on eggs around this period closed off most of the Egg Emporium’s export markets. Building ships and harvesting flax The National Shipbuilding Company Limited started its Goderich operations with WINTER 2023/24 • 19
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