13

When the railway came to Smiths Falls, a spur line was also built down William and Bay Streets that fed directly into the Frost & Wood factory. From this spur line, raw material could be unloaded (often by hand), and brought into the storage warehouses. Workers would have until 4 pm to unload the cars before the train came and picked them up to start the process all over again.

Using the railway, Frost & Wood could reach a larger consumer market, increase production, and ship larger orders of machinery. The time and money needed to ship materials and farm implements were cut considerably, and in the end, the company discontinued using the Rideau Canal as a trade route all together.

14

Farm Machinery Shipments
Circa 1905
Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada


Credits:
Heritage House Museum