Skip to content

Livery Stables of Midland: Lost World of Leatherworkers (5 photos)

Penetanguishene and Midland once featured many livery stables with some eventually converting to garages

Postcard Memories is a weekly series of historic postcard views and photos submitted by René Hackstetter.

Big field, the leather business, and, oddly, I have a lot to say about this industry, but I will try to restrain myself and touch lightly on Breithaupt’s Eagle Tanning Works in Penetang, from which we get 'Tannery Cove.'

Wonder where the black colour comes from along the shoreline? Oak and Hemlock tanbark was used in tanning the hides and much of the spent tanbark lies below the homes.

Michel Gendron tanned and made the famous Gendron Shoepack in Penetang for years. I attach the centre page from a Gendron catalogue for those bushwhackers or re-enactors that want the real deal revealed.

Little is known about the A.W. Yager Shoepack Company of Midland. A photo is attached. This building is gone and, currently, Arcade and Jory Guardian Pharmacy occupy the site.

Hollisters was a going concern in Penetang, however, with the advent of automobiles, they converted to supplying motor cars.

Midland had J.W. McWaters Harness and Saddlery on King next to Osbornes Store. Founded in 1898, the trade sign was a horse head, seen in the Stokes photo of King ( blue star marks the shop and horse’s head ). J.W., meanwhile, served as Reeve 1910-11.

At least a dozen Livery Stables operated in Midland: J. Woon, Foster & Gardiner, Smith Brothers and Brown’s ( presently, Phil’s Eatery), to name just a few. All offering to deliver their happy customers wherever they needed to be.

Coaches spring, summer or fall and sleighs in the winter. Even the Undertaker used a coach powered by an ideally matched set of grey or black heavy horses. A.W. Barrie comes to mind.

As I mentioned, many of the Livery Stables became garages.

Brown's converted to autos and a gas pump appeared almost on the street. It was Beauchamp's Garage after Brown's and before the Midtown Motel. Much of the rear part of the current Valu-mart ( actually, the buildings east of there) was the old Livery for the Georgian Hotel as well as its earlier incarnation, the Gladstane.

Steve Contois, who managed the old Queens Hotel, says the soil at the back has been enriched by years of manure. I wonder if City Hall might have had an old stable there as well?