RANNEY, 1856, DAIRY SYSTEM.
Ranney began with just two cows,
Which he in winter fed on browse,
And now he hath got mighty herds
Numerous as flock of birds,
May he long live our hearts to cheer
This great and useful pioneer.
FARRINGTON, 1866, FACTORY SYSTEM.
The farmers they now all make rich
Since Farrington went to Norwich,
And the system first there began
Of making cheese on factory plan;
He came from Herkimer county,
To Canada he was a bounty;
Norwich village moved but slow,
Till railways made it quickly grow,
And industries here now take root,
The township's famous for its fruit.
Among the earliest champions of the Factory System of making cheese were Messrs. Chadwick, Casswell and Ballantyne. The North Oxford Company were awarded the highest honor at the Centennial Exhibition. Messrs. J. L. Grant & Co. have a fine large cold storage warehouse on the G.T.R., and the C.P.R. have erected one on their line, which is leased by Mr. Riley. Ingersoll being the great dairy centre of Ontario it was deemed requisite to have those facilities for preserving the cheese in the hot season. The following is a list of the most prominent cheese factories in this district and the salesmen thereof:
- Dereham and West Oxford—W. Nancekivell.
- Harris Street—T. R. Mayberry.
- W. Oxford—G. Galloway.
- N. Oxford—D. J. Dundass.
- Maple Leaf—Thomas Caddy.
- W. Zorra—John Blair.
- Burnside—H. George.
- Gore—H. C. Hopkins.
- Salford—Foster & Gregg.
- Mt. Elgin—W. Tripp.
- Brownsville—Hopkins & Fulton.
- Prouse's—T. Prouse.
- Kintore—G. Alderson.
- Harrietsville—R. Facey.
- East Nissouri—W. J. Walker.
- Cold Springs—H. Matheson.
- Dorchester—L. D. Monk.
- Lawson—N. Wilford.
- Wilkinson—J. H. Wilkinson.
- Dereham and Norwich Union—W. Fewster.
- Verschoyle—James Hunter.
- Avon and Firby—W. Kirkly.
- Thamesford—F. Patterson.
- Lyons—James Mitchell.
- Lakeside—T. Marshall.
- Belmont—John Evans.
- Cherry Hill—H. Webster.