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William Taylor & Son Limited |
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In 1884, William Taylor (b. 1861-d.1925) purchased the American Steam Bottling Works in Owen Sound, which were located near a spring on the hillside (south of what became Ryerson School) and started a bottling company in Owen Sound. Deciding to expand, he then selected another location. He lived in Owen Sound for 40 years. In the 1891 census, he was listed as a "Gingerale Manufacturer". Mr. Taylor had a partnership with Mr. John Corbet Pringle, starting in 1886. The firm then became known as "Taylor & Pringle." As Owen Sound did not have a bottle-making glass company of its own, Mr. Taylor had to order a supply of bottles from a glass factory elsewhere and have them shipped to town so that he could fill them. The Taylor & Pringle products were transported mostly by horse and wagon, or by schooner up to the Manitoulin Island lumber camps. In the 1892 Rutherford's Directory of Owen Sound, Taylor & Pringle manufactured "Belfast Ginger Ale" at their Belfast Ginger Ale Works at 156 Boyd St. William Taylor and his family resided at 158 Boyd St., and John C. Pringle's family resided at 141 Boyd St., so they were close to the works. J. C. Pringle died in 1911. In 1909, Taylor & Pringle of Owen Sound, Ontario were the sole agents for selling Coca-Cola (Croft, Melba, GROWTH OF A COUNTY TOWN p. 117). In the 1913 Malone's Directory, William Taylor resided at 844 4th Ave. East. He carried on the bottling business by creating Wm. Taylor & Son Ltd. on April 19, 1917 beginning in a house. The two-storey brick factory was located at 957 4th Ave. East. and opened in 19__. One product that they made was ROL-YAT Raspberry Vinegar. The tradename is "Taylor" spelt backwards. This bottled product was introduced in 19__. The 1926 Owen Sound telephone book listed Wm. Taylor & Son Ltd. Ginger Ale Works at 956 4th Ave. East, Phone 21. The 1937 telephone book had it at 957 4th Ave. East. The 1946 telephone book listed it as Wm. Taylor & Son Ltd., Phone 21. The same address was printed in the Dec. 1956 telephone book, but the telephone number then was 2500, with Wm. Humphrey Taylor available after hours at 2502. After William Taylor died (1925), Mrs. Clara Taylor continued to manage it, assisted by Humphrey Taylor. After she passed away in 1956, Humphrey Taylor became Manager. In its later years, the firm was known as "Taylor's Soft Drinks". The name change came into effect in19__. The bottling company was still in the same location circa 1966, but by then was known as "Taylor's Soft Drinks". Mr. W. Humphrey Taylor was later the "Son" of the firm's name (his older half brother Chris was originally the son of the company name). They were the second company in Owen Sound to work for Coca Cola (the first was Taylor & Pringle) and they were the last company in Owen Sound to bottle for them. In a 1941 advertisement for Wm. Taylor & Sons Ltd., showing a bottle of Orange Quench soda pop, it mentions that it was available for five cents a bottle at the "Manjuris Cafeteria" (see the 1941 Georgian Figure Skating Club programme, p. 12). The ad also illustrates a bottle of Coca-Cola. The company required a lot of sugar for its products. They also used to supply Coca-Cola to the Owen Sound Fall Fair in the 1950s. The company closed in 1971. (see Melba Croft's book, GROWTH OF A COUNTY TOWN, p. 249). A large curling trophy used at Owen Sound, from 1910+, is engraved on one side with "WM. TAYLOR & SON LTD CARBONATED BEVERAGES". The other side of it was updated with "TAYLOR'S SOFT DRINKS" later on. This trophy is now in the Grey Roots Collection. |
