Oshawa Community Museum and Archives

Oshawa Community
Museum and
Archives

Please Choose a Company from the List Below:

Joseph Hall Works

A.S. Whiting/Cedar Dale Scythe Works

Other Agricultural Plants

Joseph Hall Works

The Joseph Hall Works located on Richmond St
Established 1851
A987.25.3 file 300

A Medal for the Joseph Hall Work from the
Knights of Labor Demonstration, August 13, 1883
A998.9.1

Joseph Hall bought the Oshawa Manufacturing Company, originally owned by a group of citizens including A.S. Whiting, on Richmond St.Renamed the Joseph Hall Works, this plant was established in 1857 with it parent company located in Rochester, NY. The plant was managed by F.W. Glen and was one of the village’s largest manufacturing works. Its production included agricultural implements, threshing machines, and custom castings. As the company had no real competition in Canada it was able to secure good prices for their products and at the height of their prosperity, the Joseph Hall Works was probably better known in Canada than any other industrial concern.
     Production at the Hall Works also included turbine water wheels and printing presses, both of which were made in quantity. The Hall Works was the only establishment in Canada to manufacture the Leffel Double Turbine Water Wheel.
     At its peak, the Joseph Hall Works employed as many as 300 people and had an excellent apprenticeship program. Those in the program would be able to learn in the shops, and graduates took leading positions in every state in the Union and throughout Canada. It was said, at the time, that in any large machine shop in North America, you could find a Joseph Hall graduate.
     Unfortunately, by the late 1870’s a depression and high tariffs on farm implements caused the business to slump. By 1887, the Joseph Hall Works was forced to declare bankruptcy. While it is always sad to see the demise of a company, in this case a new company was established as the R.S. Williams Piano Co. moved into the building in 1890. Another new industry had been born in Oshawa.