| Fact & Fantasy: A History of Tavistock & District | Zimmerman-Bleay Ltd. - Page 168-170 |
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ZIMMERMAN-BLEAY LIMITED - 111 Woodstock St. - L. Howard Zimmerman John Zimmerman Sr., born in Niederrhein, Germany, September 13, 1831, came to Canada with his step-father, when he was about eighteen years of age. On their arrival they settled in the New Hamburg Plattsville area, where John must have worked with or for a Henry Gaspari, who owned a stave-factory near Plattsville. Items from Gaspari's ledger (1856-1868) point to a partnership, which must have terminated near the end of 1867. In 1868 John Zimmerman established his own Stave and Heading plant on Woodstock St. N., employing seven hands. The site began at the northern limits of the present Francis Funeral Home property and extended up to and including the present Howard Zimmerman residence. Within the next four years, John Zimmerman became acquainted with Gertrude Schmidt, born in Sachsenhausen, Germany, on May 4, 1845, who came to Canada when she was nineteen. They were married by Rev. C.A. Spies on March 15, l872. It is interesting to note that the marriage took place in the original frame church, established by Rev. Spies in 1870. This church was torn down in 1904 and was replaced on the same site by the present Evangelical United Brethren Church. John and Gertrude Zimmerman's family consisted of four boys, William, John Jr., Harry and George, and two girls, Mary and Catherine (Mrs. Sam Barber). At an early age William decided to enter the Evangelical ministry , graduated from Napierville College, U.S.A . in 1900 and was ordained in 1901. John Jr., Harry and George remained in Tavistock and were actively engaged in all of the Zimmerman enterprises. The father's business had grown rapidly and soon comprised the Stave and Heading Factory, plus Dry Kilns, Cooperage Shop and a Saw-Mill. Heading was shipped to Montreal, Chatham and many other Ontario centres. In the early 70's wages varied from 62-1/2¢ to $ 1.00 per ten-hour day. Transient coopers on piece work got 6- 1/2 to 7 cents per barrel. These sold for 25 cents. Some of these men had a weekly cheque of $75, but since they were real drinkers, Monday morning often produced hang-overs and total depletion of wages, even with whisky at 35¢ per gallon. In 1900 John Zimmerman Sr. retired and turned the business over to the three sons under the name Zimmerman Brothers. After three short years of retirement he died on February 20, 1903. Zimmerman Brothers operated the Palace Shoe Store in the Wildfang Block (later the Baechler Block, now the site of Les & Hap's) along with both the stave and barrel business and a lumbering business at Nottawa, near Collingwood, Ontario. Six years later, in 1906, Zimmerman Brothers purchased the planing mill and box factory of John Kalbfleisch. This was the beginning of the box and shook business and the manufacture of cove, sash and doors, together with house-building. In 1914 World War I produced radical changes in containers. The demand for wooden boxes and boxes in knock-down form (shooks) increased greatly. By 19 19 boxes and shooks represented 75% of the business turn-over. At this point the name of the company was changed by Letters Patent (1919) to Zimmerman Brothers Ltd. with John Zimmerman Jr. as president, Harry as vice-president and George as secretary-treasurer. The box and shook business flourished from 1919 through 1930 with large contracts for powdered milk, canned goods, butter, and soft drink containers and boxes. The employees numbered 90; 10,000 boxes daily were made, requiring in the neighbourhood of 40000 feet of pine or spruce lumber. 
Zimmerman BrothersJohn Zimmerman, George Zimmerman, Miss Meta Scholz (perhaps), Harry Zimmerman The period 1930-38 had a slow recovery following the "29" Depression. During this period John died and George succeeded to the Presidency of the Company. Early in 1931, Zimmerman Brothers started manufacturing shell boxes for Dominion Bridge at Toronto, and from then on until the end of World War II were considered a WAR INDUSTRY. In 1941 Howard Zimmerman, son of the Rev. William Zimmerman was elected Secretary-treasurer. and in 1942 on the death of Harry, the vice-president. Harry, the son of George, succeeded to that office. During the war years the staff reached a high of 130 employees, 25 or more being women, working 55-60 hours per week, cutting two carloads of lumber daily and turning out anti-aircraft shell boxes, howitzer boxes, boxes for TNT, powdered eggs and beer along with a small amount of domestic production. In 1949 Mr. Percy Bleay or Alliston, one or the outstanding Fox Breeders in Canada came to Zimmerman Brothers Ltd. as general manager of the Fox Farm operation and the new fur field of mink. Starting with a small number o r mink, Mr. Bleay with his background of experience had little difficulty in increasing the herd and producing excellent pelts. In 1954 President George died and was succeeded by his on Harry Jr. On December 11, 1956, while they were in the process of modernizing the plant, fire broke out and completely levelled the factory. The plant was never rebuilt, but the mink ranch developed into the major industry, the foxes having been discontinued ow ing to a drop in popularity for long fur some years before. In 1961 Mr. Harry Zimmerman resigned as president with Percy Bleay and Howard Zimmerman purchasing his shares. In December of 1961, the vacant plant site with the original John Zimmerman, Jr. red brick home (now the Bonnie Brae) were sold to Yantzi Feed & Seed Ltd. Zimmerman Brothers Ltd., with Howard Zimmerman, President and Secy-treasurer and Percy Bleay, Vice-president, changed the name by Letters Patent August 19, 1965, to Zimmerman-Bleay Limited. At the present time this firm produces about 8000 pelts annually. It is one of the larger ranches in Canada raising five colour phases: Violets, Pearls, Sapphires, Pastels, Standard Darks and Jets. The mink crop is a once-a-year operation. Pelting starts about Nov. 23 of each year. Killing by needle (strychnine ), actual pelting, then fleshing and tailoring is completed on a production line. On completion the pelt, having been dried on board, are shipped in cartons by express to the auction companies in Montreal, the Hudson Bay Company, The Canadian Fur Auction Sale Co. (Que.) Ltd. On arrival the pelt are graded for size and quality. They are lotted into bundles with Z-B. Ltd. tags on them or part-lotted with other rancher. All pelts are then catalogued and the buyers from U.S.A., Canada and Europe have several days to mark catalogues before the sale actually opens. December and January sales are the heaviest with as many as 300,000 being sold by auction during the three-day period. The Zimmerman brothers were always active in the municipal and church and social life of the community. They were likewise noted for the fine horses they used to train and display at the Fall Fairs. These teams of Grey and Clydes were used to haul lumber into the factory and to the piles in the yards, but they were always kept in such fine shape that even though they earned their keep, they won many prizes and brought many ribbons back to Tavistock. Tribute must be paid to Mr. Joseph Schwantz, Mr. Dan Otto and later Ralph Otto, under whose special care these teams were exhibited. As a paper-boy who was permitted each Saturday morning to wander about the factory and sell the "funnies," the Buffalo Courier, I well remember a single huge black horse they used to move the loaded cars on the railway spur. His right hind leg was swollen three times normal size, owing to elephantiasis, but in spite of this handicap he could lean into the traces and by sheer determination pull those heavy loads to the desired spot. No tractor can excite such admiration today! |
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