Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object ID # |
2017.045.031ab |
Object Name |
Churn |
Other Name |
Churn, Butter |
Title |
5-Gallon Hand-Cranked GSW Metal Butter Churn |
Date |
post-1927 |
Year Range from |
1927 |
Year Range to |
1940 |
Artist |
General Steel Wares |
Made |
General Steel Wares (GSW) |
Place of Origin |
Ontario |
Description |
Hand-cranked metal butter churn. It has "GSW" emboss-cast on the two heavy-duty lift handles. The cylindrical churn (a) has a two-piece perforated wooden dasher mounted on a metal shaft. There is a hand crank on the exterior with a bare turned wooden grip. There is also a thumb nut that appears to be brass. There is a lead-coloured metal spigot towards the bottom for draining the churn. There is a sheet metal round lid (b), that fits tightly. It has an intentional top vent hole positioned underneath the rivetted lift handle. |
Makers mark |
Emboss-cast "GSW" on the lift handles of the churn body |
Provenance |
Manufactured by GSW (General Steelwares, established in 1927) in Ontario. Owned and used by the Hugh and Jeanette (Jane) McKay family (they had six sons and two daughters) who farmed in the Annan/Leith area of Sydenham Township, Grey County. The McKay family farm was located about one mile north of Leith, at Lot 28, Concession A. One son, Donald Gordon (Doug) McKay, and his wife Olive (née Beattie, m. 1930), also farmed there in Sydenham Township, until 1940, when they moved to Derby Township to another farm (Lot 9, Concession 8, along Highway 21). The item was last kept by their daughter, Donna McKay-Mills of Owen Sound, Grey County. |
Collection |
Food Processing Tools & Equipment |
Material |
Metal/Steel/Wood/Brass |
Dimensions |
H-41 W-39.5 cm |
Found |
Jackson, Township of Georgian Bluffs, Grey County |
People |
McKay, Olive McKay, Donald Gordon (Doug) McKay, Hugh |
Subjects |
Churns Butter Dairying Dairy farming |
Search Terms |
Jackson Leith (Village of) |
Function |
A factory-made metal butter churn, likely a 5 gallon capacity churn, that was used on a Grey County farm that had a Jersey cow (Daisy) and that also provided milk for the Scenic City Dairy. The cream would be put into the churn and the crank was hand-turned to move the dashers inside to make the butter clumps that would be removed and worked further to make butter on the farm. The buttermilk would be drained off and could used as a beverage, or for baking. |