July 10, 2012 by

Green’s Tenement House (1891)

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Categories: 1890s, Tags: , , ,

205 Division Street South

George Warren Green and family moved to Kingsville from Greensville (near Hamilton) in 1885. Together with his nephew Robert Barber, G.W. purchased the Canfield lumber mill on Division Street South, near Mill Street East. Within a year, Green & Barber built a new larger lumber mill and a factory which manufactured “fork, pick and maul handles” and employed “13 hands.” Green started building employee housing on Myrtle Street in 1889, and had this “tenement house” constructed in 1891 on property he leased from J.H. Smart and Dr. S.A. King. G.W. finally purchased the lot in 1901 and this home remained in the Green family, as a rental property, until 1923 when it was sold to Bon Jasperson. Later owners include Isaac & Lulu Whittle and Charlotte Berry.

Green & Barber’s new saw mill is on the way. It is to be erected in the north east corner of their lot on Division street and will be of two or more stories, 60×36 feet, and will be fitted with the usual machinery of a saw mill with the latest improvements, which will be driven by a new 35-horse power engine, having a 45 horse power boiler.

Amherstburg Echo, December 5, 1885 p.6

During the year 1887, Green & Barber paid out in Kingsville, in cash, $5,374.65, and yet some people say these factories are no good to a village.

Amherstburg Echo, January 14, 1888 p.6

Green & Son have put into their factory a “blower” made by Curtis Joyce, of this village. The object of this is to carry away saw dust and shavings from all the machines in the entire mill and convey them to a building near the furnace to be used as fuel for running machinery in the factory.

Amherstburg Echo, April 6, 1888 p.6

Destructive Fire

G.W. Green & Son’s Saw Mill Consumed

Loss Over $2,000

On Tuesday morning at four o’clock, our citizens were aroused by the alarm of fire. The fire proved to be in Green’s saw mill, in rear of their large factory on Division St. When discovered the devouring element was under full head-way, and the roof had fallen in. The townspeople promptly responded to to (sic) the call and did what they could toward saving the lumber around the burning building, and in preventing the spread of the flames to the factory, a short distance away. There was a large pile of wood stacked between the two buildings, and a considerable portion of this had to be removed in order to clear a space between the mill and factory. The wood flew right and left for a time very lively, until danger from this direction was past, and then attention was turned to the fences and to the roof of the factory, which caught fire several times. and it was almost a miracle that the factory was saved from destruction. As we have no system of fire protection, all that could be done was to save what loose material there was in that yard, and keep the fire from spreading as much as possible.

The origin of the fire is a mystery. The mill had been running for a short time in the forenoon the day before, but as gas is used instead of wood for firing, and that was turned off at noon, it could not have caught from that source. There was only about $200 insurance on the mill and contents, which was valued at $2,500. The machinery is a total loss. Fortunately there was not much lumber in the yard, it having been shipped away some time since. There is in the yard probably 100,000 feet of logs, which will no doubt be cut at Smith’s mill.

Messrs. Green & Son will not rebuild this season, but will probably do so next season. We are pleased that it is their intention to rebuild, as the town can ill-afford to lose industries of this kind.

The Kingsville Reporter, August 18, 1893 p.1

G.W. Green & Son’s factory and mills have started and are running full blast.

The Kingsville Reporter, July 27, 1894 p.7

Green & Son’s factory will make 20,000 boxes for the canning factory this season.

The Kingsville Reporter, November 1, 1895 p.8

© 2012, KMHAC. All rights reserved.

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