Butchering day was an event in the life of every young boy, starting with the catching of the squealing "porkers" at about 6 a.m. It ended with the feast of fresh frying-sausage, late that evening, when the lad became the hero of the day, particularly if he kept the men, and the ladies, well supplied from the keg in the corner. Butchering was a social event, like barn raising and quilting bees.

Many of our farmers still kill their own pigs or cattle, or have it done by a custom butcher, with a minimum of fuss and bother in the home.

The earliest butcher advertising in the Tavistock Gazette is David Vance in 1895 - THE CITY MEAT MARKET, Woodstock St.N. - with fresh oysters always on hand and the highest prices for hides and skins. A brother, Mr, John Vance, fitted up a slaughterhouse and intended to kill beef, mutton, etc, for the Berlin and other markets, in large quantities.

In the 1905 Canadian Graphic the firm of Bald & Studer is given top billing: "This firm has the principal butcher shop in Tavistock, the business having been established many years ago. Messrs. Bald & Studer purchased it two years ago, both men having a long experience as practical butchers and meat dealers. Their market, opposite the Post Office, is stocked with a full line of choice meats, ham, bacon, bologna sausage, long clear lard etc. They supply the leading hotels in town, besides doing the best class of family trade, extending all over Tavistock and surrounding country. Delivery is made to any address in town on the shortest notice. This firm pays the highest cash price for hides."

Conrad "Butcher" Stock used to conduct a shop on this site. According to his nephew F.W. Stock he kept eight delivery wagons on the road, making trips to Harrington, Embro and Innerkip. Here he sold his meat to shops or individuals for 8cents per pound.

On March 23, 1911 Mrs. Charles Leonard of Bright took a position with Mr. A.S. Miller, who had taken over this stand sometime before, from Mr. H.H. Sippel, brother-in-law to Mr. Stock. In the same year in the November 30th issue, Mr. George Schindler, THE GERMAN SAUSAGE MAKER, Phone No. 25-8 came on the scene. He did his butchering and selling from his small farm at the corner of the 10th Conc, and the Town Line. When he moved into town, Mr. Lloyd Blum carried on at this stand and is still doing so. In March 1911, Mr. Schindler advertised for boy to learn the trade.

On January 15, 1912 Charles Weicker and his son Herbert opened up their shop in the old stand of David Vance, next to Sippel's Garage. Mr. Weicker opened a shop in Hickson every Monday and sent his son into the country with a car and meat box in the back seat. Herbert Weicker later was employed by Wilson Cook, Conrad Krug, and Henry "Finn" Quehl in this same shop. In 1939 he opened his own shop opposite the Post Office when it was vacated by A.S, Miller. In 1947 his sons Earl and George bacame assoiated with him. The two sons now run the former business of H.C. Weicker & sons under the name of Weicker Bros. An up-to-date abattoir is maintained on Highway 59, north of Tavistock.

HAMS AND BACON
Sweet as a nut and
appetizing on a warm morning for breakfast
is a slice of our delicate ham
or bacon, Ham and bacon
are two old reliable
favourites, Our ham
is from the best fed pork
and with flabour that would
tickle the palate
of the most fastidious
epicure. We have many dainty warm-weather
morsels here at all times.

C. WEICKER & SON
Woodstock st. N. Phone 40
Glad to call for orders.
     July 18, 1912

How's that for an ad!

From June, 1910 to February, 1912, Mr. H.J. Dietrich had his shop at Woodstock St. N and must have sold out to Mr. Charles Weicker. Even though business was good enough to take over the Flach & Caplinfg shop in Shakespeare on May 4, 1911 Mr. Dietrich left for Kitchener on February 1, 1911. At theis same time Mr. Henry T. Wuehl operated a FISH & MEAT MARKET in the J.W. Ratz Block, where Mr. Beynon's Jewelry Store now is located.

In 1936, Mr. Albert Miller moved his shop across the street into quarters which had been set up by Mr. Henry Leinweber, the new owner of the Glasgow Warehouse. He had inserted two large windows and a door in what had once been the egg-grading department of the F. Krug emporium. In 1937 Mr. and Mrs. George Schindler took it over. Mr. Stefan Schoeck operated on this spot from 1940 - 1951, the block as a whole having been sold to Mr. Russ Jaggard, who operated a grocery and fruit stand, just to the north in the same building (now Neeb's Shoes). Mr, Gordon Krug took over the block and the butcher business in 1948. His widow continues to let the second story as living quarters and the ground-floor to three business firms. The refrigerator facilities, installed by Mr. Leinweber in the cellar, serve not only the butcher trade but also the farmers and villagers with meat-freezing facilities.