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Date |
Event(s) |
| 1 | 1837 | - 3 Nov 1837—1990: Distillery begins
The distillery is added to the mill and production begins. With the exception of the war years, when acetone and ketone were produced, the distillery is in continuous production until 1990.
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| 2 | 1842 | - 1842—2015: Little Trinity Church
William Gooderham and James G. Worts founded Trinity Church (known as Little Trinity) on King St E. They provided much of the land which even today, generates revenues to support the church. William was an Evangelical Anglican and served as warden for 35 years. His nephew James G. Worts met his wife, Sarah Bright through their activities at the church where he was a member for 39 years and also served as warden. William
- 1842: 21,000 gal whisky sold
Whisky sales of 21,000 gallons; gin, brandy and medicinal alcohol added
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| 3 | 1843 | - 1843—1844: Dairy established
G&W purchased 22 pigs in 1837 to use up the slops from distilling. The number of pigs had grown to 224 by 1839. In 1843 they established a dairy with the purchase of 22 cows and some calves in addition to some steers, 4 heifers and a yoke of oxen. By 1844 the dairy was outsourced to Archibald Cameron.
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| 4 | 1845 | - 1845—1884: J.G.Worts becomes partner
Having begun his apprenticeship with his uncle WIlliam Gooderham some years prior, young James Gooderham Worts reached the age of majority in 1844 and assumed the helm of the operations as a full partner in 1845 until his death in 1884.
- 1845: 53,000 gal. whisky sold
whisky sales of 53,000 gallons
- 1845—1880: Expansion
G&W establishes mills all along the Credit River from Hillsborough in the north, to Streetsville in the south starting with William's purchase of a mill in Norval. Nearby a farm, a cooperage, a general store and an oak forest provided additional business opportunities and a secure supply of grain and wood. Three mills - at Hillsburgh, Streetsville and Meadowvale - remained the property of Gooderham and Worts until towards the end of the century.
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| 5 | 1846 | - 1846—1926: Gooderham Wharf
The Gooderham Wharf was built in 1846. The 5 story grain elevator on the wharf could store 80,000 bushels of grain. Between 1926 and 1937 the wharf and elevators disappeared as the city expanded southwards.
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| 6 | 1849 | - 1849—1864: York Mills Pastor
Ezekiel Gooderham serves as pastor of York Mills Baptist Church in Toronto
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| 7 | 1853 | - 1853—1855: Alderman St. Lawrence
William Gooderham served as alderman for St. Lawrence ward in 1853 and 1855
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| 8 | 1855 | - 18 Mar 1855—1969: Bank of Toronto
William Gooderham was instrumental in founding the Bank of Toronto to speed flour to market. Eventually merged with the Dominion Bank to become the Toronto Dominion Bank. Gooderham's served as directors until Henry S. Gooderham, George Gooderham's grandson, retired in 1969.
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| 9 | 1856 | - 1856: A fleet of schooners
G&W now operating a fleet of schooners and a period of rapid expansion begins
- 1856: Bank of Toronto opens
Bank of Toronto opens with capital of
- 1856: George becomes partner
In 1856 George Gooderham joins his father William and cousin James G Worts as the third partner in G&W.
- 1856—1882: Toronto Harbour Commission
J. G. Worts sat on the board of the Toronto Harbour Commission from 1856 to 1863 and was chairman from 1865 to 1882.
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| 10 | 1857 | - Jun 1857: Cdn. Ship Owners Assoc.
J.G. Worts represented the firm of Gooderham and Worts at the first meeting of the Canadian Ship Owners
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| 11 | 1859 | - 1859: Rapid expansion
Works begins on magnificent limestone distillery; automation of the mill and distillery; the Grand Trunk railway spur built to the distillery; distillery now feeds over 1000 head of cattle,
- 1 Apr 1859—1861: Limestone Distillery built
David Roberts was the architect of the new 4 story limestone distillery. It was cleverly designed so that a fire would only burn the floors and not destroy the outer structure. The mill and distillery are now automated.
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| 12 | 1860 | - 1860: Meadowvale expansion
In 1860 William foreclosed on Francis Silverthorn's grist mill and farm lands in Meadowvale. He also established a mercantile store. His sons, James and Charles Horace (Holly), and, in 1869, Ezekiel's son, George, managed these operations as well as, eventually, other acquisitions such as a linen mill in Streetsville.
- 1860: WWI
In 1860, when Canada threw out Britain
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| 13 | 1863 | |
| 14 | 1865 | - 1865—1869: Toronto Board of Trade
J. G. Worts served as vice-president and president of the Toronto Board of Trade from 1865 to 1869
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| 15 | 1868 | - 1868: Toronto & Nipissing Railway
G&W helped finance the Toronto and Nipissing Railway to help bring grain and wood to the Mills in Toronto. William Gooderham was a founding director and later, his son William Gooderham Jr. became President in 1873.
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| 16 | 1869 | - 1869: Fire
The limestone building in the distillery goes up in flames but is quickly rebuilt due to the clever design (by architect David Roberts)
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| 17 | 1870 | - 1870: Railways under control
George was made a director of the Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway, which, along with the Toronto and Nipissing Railway, was controlled by G&W and hauled freight for the company
- 1870—1881: The Toronto Hunt
The Toronto Hunt, one of the oldest hunt clubs in North America and the second oldest in Canada, was founded in 1843. In its early years, hunting was largely confined to and supported by officers of the Imperial Army stationed at Toronto. Later James G. Worts, with his cousin, George alternated as master of the Toronto Hunt Club between 1870 and 1881. For fifty years, the hunt was conducted from various points in and around Toronto, but in 1895 the present site on Kingston Road was chosen to be the headquarters of the Club. Eventually hunting was replaced with golf.
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| 18 | 1875 | - 1875: 2,000,000 gal. whisky sold
Whisky sales of over 2 million gallons
- 1875—1892: RCYC
George Gooderham joined the club in 1875; four of his brothers and three of his sons also joined the club between 1881 and 1886. And during the decade of 1883 through 1892, George Gooderham in Oriole I and II and his oldest son William George Gooderham in Aileen won an astonishing nine of ten Prince of Wales. George Gooderham acted as Commodore of the RCYC in 1888, a position also held by two of his descendents, son George Horace Gooderham and grandson Norman Gooderham.
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| 19 | 1879 | - 10 May 1879: Tragic rail accident
In 1879 James Gooderham who supported the creation of the Credit Valley rail line was participating in the opening ceremonies which included a ride on the new line. The engine approached the rail car, packed with well wishers, at too great a speed. William's son James lost his legs and his life.
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| 20 | 1881 | - 20 Aug 1881: William Gooderham dies
On this date, William Gooderham Sr. dies at the age of 91.
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| 21 | 1882 | - 1882: Incorporation
George applies to parliament to have G&W transformed into a joint-stock corporation
- 20 Jun 1882: J. G. Worts I dies
Not one year after his uncle and partner William Gooderham dies, J. G. Worts I died of malaria.
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| 22 | 1886 | - 2 Dec 1886: Letters patent
Letters patent were granted and George Gooderham buys out J.G. Worts
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| 23 | 1889 | - 1889—1892: Waveney -The York Club
George built Waveney at 135 St. George at Bloor (it became the York Club on his death)
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| 24 | 1891 | - 1891—1892: Flat Iron Building
The flat-iron building called the Gooderham Building designed by Toronto architect David Roberts Jr.is built at Front and Wellington to house business headquarters
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| 25 | 1895 | - 1895: Mining investment
With his son-in-law Thomas Gibbs Blackstock, George invests in two world-famous mines, the War Eagle and the Centre Star, in the Kootenay region of British Columbia (later, part of Cominco).
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| 26 | 1903 | - 1903: King Edward Hotel
As Toronto expanded westward, George wanted to build a hotel to anchor Toronto's downtown close to the Distillery and the Gooderham Building. The planning for the hotel began in 1899 when the Toronto Hotel Company was founded by George Aemilius Jarvis, George Cox (of Canada Life and the Bank of Commerce) and George Gooderham (of Gooderham & Worts Distillery). The King Edward hotel, designed by Edward James Lennox, opened in 1903.
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| 27 | 1905 | - 1905: George Gooderham dies
George dies and his eldest sons take over: Albert Edward as Managing Director and William George as President
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| 28 | 1908 | - 1908—1919: G.H.G. is an MPP
George Horace Gooderham made an unsuccessful bid for mayor in 1905 and then served as an MPP 1908
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| 29 | 1914 | - 28 Jul 1914—11 Nov 1918: World War I
World War I begins
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| 30 | 1916 | - 1916—1923: Prohibition
Prohibition in Ontario against selling and possessing (but not manufacturing) alcohol. The government allowed numerous exceptions. Wineries were exempted from closure, and various breweries and distilleries remained open for the export market. The Ontario government ended prohibition in 1923 and created the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, permitting the sale of liquor in the province though under heavy regulation.
- 1916—1918: British Acetones
US price of acetone rises 75%. Government offers remuneration if G&W will make acetone. Instead they insist on doing it for free. Colonel Albert E. Gooderham and his son dedicate themselves and the distillery to production of acetone for the war under the name British Acetones.
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| 31 | 1918 | - 11 Nov 1918: World War I ends
World War I ends
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| 32 | 1919 | - Aug 1919: HRH Prince of Wales
HRH Prince of Wales (future Edward VIII) visited the RCYC in August 1919. And it was RCYC Commodore George Horace Gooderham who greeted him. At one point during the ball that evening, the prince excused himself. Eventually, he was discovered relaxing aboard the Oriole III, moored in a lagoon and surrounded by canoes and singing admirers.
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| 33 | 1920 | - 16 Jan 1920—5 Dec 1933: U.S. Prohibition
The National Prohibition Act in the US came into effect on January 16, 1920. Drinking itself was never illegal, although manufacturing and sale of alcoholic beverages was outlawed. Repeal of Prohibition was accomplished with the ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment on December 5, 1933. Under its terms, states were allowed to set their own laws for the control of alcohol.
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| 34 | 1923 | - 1923: Distillery sold
G&W sold to Harry C. Hatch who later merged it with Hiram Walker and Sons Limited. All efforts are focused on developing the successful Canadian Club brand so the bulk of operations shifts to the Walkerville plant in Windsor, Ontario. In 1957 Gooderham & Worts stop producing rye whiskey. It concentrates instead on the distilling of rum products. In 1986, the conglomerate Allied-Lyons, bought Hiram Walker
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| 35 | 1927 | - 1927: Prohibition ends
Prohibition ended in Ontario
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| 36 | 1946 | - 1946: Indian Agent
Ezekiel's son, George Hamilton Gooderham was promoted to Regional Supervisor of Indian Agencies in Alberta and NWT in 1946
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| 37 | 1949 | - 1949—1953: Secretary of State
Dean Acheson, a grandson of George Gooderham, was Secretary of State from 1949 to 1953 in the US under President Truman
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| 38 | 1955 | - 1955: Toronto Island homes demolished
George and his family had a number of cottages on Toronto Island. Many Gooderhams made their way over to the Island after George had established a beach head at 244 Lakeshore in the early 1880s. The Toronto Archives reveal connections to early cottages at: 238, 242, 244, 246, 270 and 274 Lakeshore
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| 39 | 1966 | - 19 Jun 1966: First family reunion
300 Gooderham and Worts descendants met at the York Club, originally the home of George Gooderham, for the first family reunion.
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| 40 | 1984 | - 1984: Second reunion
No info about this reunion...
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| 41 | 1990 | - 1990: Production ends
After 153 years of continuous production, the Gooderham & Worts Distillery finally ceases operations. During the
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| 42 | 1994 | - 1994: Third family reunion
The third reunion brought together over 1000 Gooderham and Worts descendants to celebrate at the RCYC, Enoch Turner schoolhouse and various other Gooderham related venues.
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| 43 | 2001 | - 2001: The Distillery is reborn
In December 2001 Cityscape Holdings Inc. purchased The Distillery, later partnering with Dundee Realty Corporation. They undertake an incredibly ambitious project to renovate the Distillery into an entertainment district and succeed. Today it is known as the Distillery District.
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