1

Even though the area looks drastically different today, residents of Smiths Falls still remember hearing the whistle from the Frost & Wood factory fifty-seven years later.

2

Frost & Wood, Past and Present
1930s-1980s
Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada

Credits:
Heritage House Museum

3

A retail business on Chambers street began expanding their building during the summer of 2011. Much to the surprise of many, parts of the Frost & Wood head office's foundation was uncovered by construction workers.

The building's old brick and stone foundation can be seen in this photo. Soon after the photo was taken, the foundation was filled in and a parking lot put in its place.

4

The Frost & Wood Office is Found Once Again
18 August 2011
Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada

Credits:
Heritage House Museum

5

Today, the North End plant remains to be one of the few buildings left standing that was once part of the legacy of Frost & Wood.

After it was owned by the Cockshutt Plow Company, the building was also a textile plant. An employee of the textile company remembered a hoist marked "Department of National Defence" in the building, which serves as a reminder of the building's past.

6

The North End Plant
1 June 1942
Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada

Credits:
Staples, Dennis

7

Elmcroft, the former home to Senator Frost, still stands today. Built in the 1895, the home once boasted two halls, a dining room, two staircases, a library and stables, to mention a few. The home was so big, that a freight car load of coal was needed every winter to heat the building.

Founder of Rideau Beverages, a bottler for the Coca Cola Company, J. Clark Ketchum bought Elmcroft in the 1930s. Due to water damage, Ketchum eventually removed the top floor of the home completely.

Eventually, a new owner sold off most of the home's front lawn. New homes were then built on the land, effectively obstructing the view of Elmcroft from passersby.

8

Elmcroft
20 October 1908
Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada

Credits:
Bryant, Don

9

Frost & Wood machinery can still be found today throughout the country in museum or private collections. Organizations like the International Cockshutt Club have become important resources and have ensured the histories of the Cockshutt Plow Company and Frost & Wood are remembered.

10

Frost & Wood Machinery
Circa 2011
Prince Edward Island, Canada

Credits:
Gregory, Patricia

11

Even though Frost & Wood is gone, little pieces can be found all over. Lids from tool boxes, tractor seats, signs, and grenades have been found scattered in the homes and antique businesses throughout Lanark County and beyond.

12

Frost & Wood Mower Tool Box Lid
18 October 2011
Rideau Ferry, Ontario, Canada

Credits:
Fraser, Kara

13

After World War II, the Malleable also fell on hard times. The plant was able to rebuild after a fire in 1947, but the company never totally rebounded back to pre-war production levels. The Malleable closed down in 1964, adding to the mass unemployment created by the closure of Frost & Wood a few years before.

Kids in town, however, loved running through the empty Malleable building. As a boy, Ken Graham remembers playing in the building and rummaging through everything that had been left behind. The empty Malleable plant was also a haven for local scrap-metal collectors.

On May 18, 1967, the Malleable succumbed to fire. Within five minutes of the fire alarm sounding, the plant was totally engulfed in flames. The damage was estimated to be upwards of $50,000. After the 1967 fire, all remnants of the Malleable were gone, but eventually other businesses like Canadian Tire moved to the site.

14

Burned-out Shell of the Malleable
18 May 1967
Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada

Credits:
Giff, Gordy