{"id":23320,"date":"2023-02-07T15:07:34","date_gmt":"2023-02-07T20:07:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=23320"},"modified":"2023-02-07T15:09:15","modified_gmt":"2023-02-07T20:09:15","slug":"episode-735-templin-fanning-mills-fergus-ontario-factory-gift-to-ont-agric-museum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=23320","title":{"rendered":"EPISODE 735 TEMPLIN FANNING MILLS, FERGUS, ONTARIO \u2014 FACTORY GIFT TO ONT. AGRIC. MUSEUM"},"content":{"rendered":"
EPISODE 735     TEMPLIN FANNING MILLS, FERGUS, ONTARIO \u2014 FACTORY GIFT TO ONT. AGRIC. MUSEUM<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
alan skeoch<\/div>\n
february 7, 2023<\/div>\n

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<\/div>\n
Templin Manufacturing Company, Fergus, Ont., circa 1890<\/div>\n

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Templin Manufacturing Company,, circa1900<\/div>\n

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Replica Templin Manufacturing Company (circa 1970),  Milton , ontario<\/div>\n

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SUNNY AFTERNOON ABOUT 1970<\/div>\n

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\u201cJust down the hill was the Templin Factory, Alan\u201d  said aunt Greta (Skeoch) Metcalfe one sunny afternoon<\/div>\n
\u201cRight here in Fergus?\u201d<\/div>\n
\u2018Yes, now the Howes and Reeves Garage Repair shop.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cThat was where Perfection Fanning Mills were made,\u201d<\/div>\n

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\u201cI believe the factory is still there\u2026on the second and third floors\u2026untouched<\/div>\n
for decades\u2026.access only by a ladder.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u2018Do you think Mr. Reeves would let me climb the ladder?\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cI believe so\u2026I will come with you.\u201d<\/div>\n

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Aunt Greta Skeoch Metcalfe was about 80 years old at the time we spoke,  My dad\u2019s<\/div>\n
oldest of four sisters\u2026keeper of the family records\u2026sharp as a tack.  <\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
I climbed the ladder first, pushed open the trap door.  Aunt Greta followed but only<\/div>\n
head and shoulders exposed to the site.   What we behind was heart stopping.  There before<\/div>\n
us was the Templiin Manufacturing Company\u2026intact.  Like Miss Havisham\u2019s cake<\/div>\n
in Dickens \u2018Great Expectations\u2019.  Everything in place but coveedi in half a century<\/div>\n
of dust.  My boots left a trail from station to station where the Perfection Fanning<\/div>\n
Mills were assembled.   Shelves along the walls contained the inventory\u2026the parts<\/div>\n
stations in line \u2026 ready for assembly.<\/div>\n

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What should I do?  What could I do?<\/div>\n

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\u201cMr. Reeves, I have an idea for you to consider.  Bob Carbert is the manager of the<\/div>\n
new Ontario Agricultural Museum on the outskirts of Milton.  I am a director\u2026along <\/div>\n
with many others.  Maybe we could find a home for the old Templin Factory,\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cSounds fine to me.  Nobody other than you and your aunt have shown any interest.\u201d<\/div>\n

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And so for the next few week ends we moved the factory to our farm while<\/div>\n
Bob Carbert built a replica factory on the Museum grounds.  The end  result<\/div>\n
was marvellous as you can see below.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Unfortunately Bob Carbert retired and the whole site of the Agricultural Museum<\/div>\n
fell into neglect.  Many tried to resuscitate the site but government support was minimal.<\/div>\n
Museums are loss leaders.  They do not make a profit.  Visitors come once or twice<\/div>\n
and then get on with their real lives.  <\/div>\n

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Museum managers try to change this pattern of neglect.  Try and try and try.<\/div>\n

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I suppose there are only a few people who want to climb that museum ladder<\/div>\n
to see the dust covered reminders of past lives.  <\/div>\n

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As to the replica Templin Fanning Mill Factory, it remains.  Closed.  Perhaps<\/div>\n
covered in the dust of the past couple of decades.<\/div>\n

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The pictures below were taken when the replica factory was first opened.<\/div>\n
Makes me sort of weepy.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
alan skeoch<\/div>\n
Feb, 7, 2023<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Perhaps the Wellington County Museum might start to pay attention,<\/div>\n

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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

EPISODE 735     TEMPLIN FANNING MILLS, FERGUS, ONTARIO \u2014 FACTORY GIFT TO ONT. AGRIC. MUSEUM alan skeoch february 7, 2023 Templin Manufacturing Company, Fergus, Ont., circa 1890 Templin Manufacturing Company,, circa1900 Replica Templin Manufacturing Company (circa 1970),  Milton , ontario SUNNY AFTERNOON ABOUT 1970 \u201cJust down the hill was the Templin Factory, Alan\u201d  said […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23320","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23320"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23320\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}