Editing Hiram Walker (section)

==Business history==

===Early  years===
[[File:Aged Canadian Whisky.jpg|thumb|right|300px|[[Canadian Club]] whisky, originally made by Hiram Walker & Sons, today a property of Suntory Global Spirits]]
Walker was not new to the world of business. Since his migration to Detroit he had been involved in several different projects. In his earlier days he worked as a grocery clerk from 1838 until 1845 for several different employers. Eventually, after being involved in the grocery business for several years, he took it upon himself to begin operating a grocery store of his own in 1846 which did not last.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 7. Page 3}} Following his work as a clerk, Walker was employed at the firm of Ingersoll and Kirby, a leather and leather goods business.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|p=3}} Through this, he gained his first knowledge into the business world. By 1845, Walker saved enough money as a clerk to invest in a business, the firm of Walker and Parker, which specialized in tanning and leather sales.{{sfn|Fraser|1992|p={{page needed|date=April 2017}} }} However, this partnership dissolved in 1846, and Walker returned to the grocery business.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|p=3}} Eventually, the same tannery business that he invested in was burned down in 1848.{{sfn|Fraser|1992|p=3}}

Walker was well-regarded as a proficient businessman, noted for his involvement in a wide range of different businesses and industries. Some associate his success with his ability to dabble in multiple business opportunities as well as jump quickly on prospective businesses. This can be seen, for example, during his grocery business between 1849 and 1858 when Walker had the idea to produce his own vinegar.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 7. Page 4}} His beginnings in the distillery business have been traced to January 1849, where an advertisement in a Detroit newspaper publicized Walker's "barrels of cider vinegar" and "wheat whisky".<ref name="Legacy of Hiram Walker"/> It was advertised for 10 cents per gallon.{{sfn|Fraser|1992|p=3}}  Through this business, he began to distill his own vinegar, which became popular in the area because of its consistency, low price, and high quality.{{sfn|Brown|1995|p=30}} He then sold it at his grocery store, to other grocers as well as across the River in Windsor via door-to-door sales. Thus, the vinegar factory became another successful business venture for Walker which, after years of success in Detroit, he sold in 1858.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 7. Page 5}}

It is true that it was the manufacturing of vinegar led to Walker's eventual shift to the manufacturing of whisky. However, he had been selling alcohol since 1849 and continued to at the time he actually began to distill.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 7. Page 5}} He also was involved in the grain business, through serving as a supplier to the local flour mills in the Detroit area.{{sfn|Brown|1995|p=30}}

===Development of Walker’s distillery===
Through his work in the grocery business, as well as his cider and wheat sales, he had nearly $40,000 saved, which he then used to purchase additional space in Detroit and inexpensive land across the Detroit River, in what is now Windsor, Ontario,{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 7. Page 6-7}}<ref name="Legacy of Hiram Walker"/><ref name="Brown 1995"/> in order to expand his business.{{sfn|Millman|1993|p=17}} He did have interest in distilling his own liquor, but at the time, there were strict [[prohibition]] laws which prevented him from doing so.{{sfn|Fraser|1992|p=6}} Walker distilled his first barrel of [[whisky]] in 1854, despite the instability of prohibition laws.<ref>{{citation |first=Carl |last=Morgan |title=Birth of a City: Commemorating Windsor's Centennial 1992 |publisher=Windsor, Border Press|year=1991 |page=65}}</ref> After 5 years of distilling in Detroit he ended that particular business there.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 7. Page 5}}

Walker was considered one of the largest landowners in Ontario, and over his entire lifetime, his land possessions measured around 10,000 acre, most of which along the Walkerville and Detroit River Railroad{{sfn|Casey|1961|p=10}} The location of Walker's property, on what was originally considered part of the Labdie farm,<ref>Detroit Journal, 1890.{{full citation needed|date=April 2017}}</ref> was extremely valuable because the [[Great Western Railway (Ontario)|Great Western Railway]] was in close proximity and enabled Walker to move products from his distillery and cattle yards.{{sfn|Fraser|1992|p=11}}

Whisky makers before Walker ran spirits and whisky through charcoal, until around 1855, but Walker's method of utilizing a barrel to "create colour" and a pleasing flavour was unprecedented.<ref name="Legacy of Hiram Walker"/>

A huge demand for Walker's whisky and flour originated through the [[American Civil War|Civil War]].{{sfn|Millman|1993|p=17}} It was at this time, that [[smuggling]] became common via the Detroit River.{{sfn|Millman|1993|p=17}} There is a legend that Walker built a "liquor pipeline" under the [[Detroit River]] for smuggling purposes.{{sfn|Millman|1993|p=17}}

Being an [[entrepreneur]], Walker looked at every single business venture possible to be able to expand his business. Since Detroit was only a boat-ride across the river to [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]], Canada, Walker began to weigh his options in expanding into foreign territory. Canada had much to offer entrepreneurs and business risktakers. The population was increasing gradually, communications were advancing, and real estate was cheaper compared to that from across the river.{{sfn|Fraser|1992|p=5}} Labour and materials also cost less in Canada than it did in the States.{{sfn|Fraser|1992|p=5}} Walker looked into expanding over to Canada. Also with the expansion of America through the Great Western Railroad, trade opportunities opened up for businessmen like Walker. Walker ventured into Canada across the border from Detroit into what is currently known as [[Essex County, Ontario|Essex County]]. At this time, the population in this area was considerably smaller than that of Detroit merely consisting of small village settlements under the Township of Sandwich such as the villages of Windsor and Sandwich. Most of the land in this area was vast farm land.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 8. 1}} In 1856, he bought his first piece of land from the Labadie family through grandson Eugene Hall for £300.{{sfn|Fraser|1992|p=5}} This transaction took place on December 22, 1856, using the British currency system that Canada was still employing at the time. A month later, on January 24, 1857, he decided to acquire another 300 acres of land for which he paid £750.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 8. 3}} Also on this day, he purchased yet another 104 acres for £250.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 8. 3-4}} The remainder of 1857 involved building on much of this land and Walker, still a resident of Detroit, often crossed the border to oversee the construction being done.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 8. 4}} His plan was to open a steam-powered flour mill, which did not exist in the area, and a [[distillery]], in which he had very little serious competition.{{sfn|Morgan|1991|p=6}} He also had his hands in the agricultural industry with owning cattle and hogs, as well as farming.{{sfn|Fraser|1992|p=5}}

In 1857, Walker bought more property near the farm he already owned, increasing his holdings to 468 acres.<ref>{{citation |last=Edwards |first=Chris |year=2004 |title=Best of the times magazine: stories and images from the archives of The Times Magazine 1999–2004 |location=Windsor |publisher=Walkerville Publishing|page=22}}</ref> He began construction of the flour mill and distillery in the same year, which he visited every day during construction even though he still resided in America. He continued his grocery business in the meantime, helping him become the leading commission merchant in Detroit.{{sfn|Fraser|1992|p=4}}

The year 1858 marked the completion of the flour mill and distillery that Walker was building in Canada and at this time business could begin.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 9. 1}} During this time he still maintained his very successful grain business in the United States.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 9. 4}} The flour that would be produced in his flour mill would prove to be popular not only in Canada but also in the United States and Britain. His introduction of a large steam flouring mill benefited the County of Essex's farming community, which at this time made up most of the population, by encouraging farming practices.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 9. 1}} Wheat farmers from all around would go and use the flour mill as it gained in popularity.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 9. 2}}

The distillery was also becoming quite popular with the locals at this time. Mid-summer 1858 marked the opening of Walker's whisky operation. The same process which he had used in Detroit was now used in Windsor to distill his alcohol. Spirits were leached through charcoal, a process widely used at the time.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 9. 2}}

His Canadian industries quickly took precedence over that of his grain business still located in Detroit. It was because of this that Walker found himself traveling by ferry to Canada from his home in Detroit on a daily basis. This trip was a lengthy process as the ferry that brought him to Canada dropped him off in Windsor, which left a long ride via horse and buggy to his flour mill and distillery. At this time in March 1859, Walker moved to Canada in order to save time traveling to and from his Canadian businesses. He moved out of the home he had been in since 1851 and into a house located near the flour mill, which he altered and called "The Cottage".{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 9. 4}}

The Cottage was a home that previously had been owned by the Labadie family, from whom Walker had purchased much of the land on which his industries were now located. This framed house was built in 1839 and resembled the French style of residences prevalent in the area. Walker made several modifications to the home including two large additions at each end of the home, the addition of a third floor as well as servants dwellings.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 9. 5}} In the few years that Walker lived in Canada he remained at The Cottage.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 9. 6}}

The new Canadian business helped spur other ventures for Walker. He tried hog farming for a while, until [[cholera]] broke out, when he switched to cattle farming instead.{{sfn|Fraser|1992|p=8}}

In 1859, Walker hired John McBride, one of his workers from Detroit, to be his traveling salesman. His job was to solicit orders from vendors who might be interested in purchasing the product.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 10. 1}} Taken from Walker & Sons Ltd. Archive The year of 1860 saw some of the highest production because both his mill and distillery were running almost non-stop.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 10. 2}}  1861 and 1862 marked the first years of paying back many expenses and seeing the beginning of profits.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 10. 3}}  Operations became larger and more continuous as farmers, salesmen, and office staff would find themselves very busy. In 1863, Walker made McBride his partner, changing the name of the business to Hiram Walker and Company.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 10. 4-5}}
  
A massive source of profits for Hiram Walker was actually the Civil War in the United States.  The U.S dollar plummeted during this time, and Americans turned to smuggling in Canadian beverages.  It is reported that Hiram Walker and Company loaded jug after jug of whiskey onto American ferries, carrying them across the Detroit River, leading to Walker making massive profits. Jealous competitors constructed a story of Walker creating a lead pipe that led right from the distillery, under the Detroit River, and into Detroit.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 10. 6}} By 1863, Walker had named James Ellis in charge of his mill, William McManus as his distiller, and John McBride in charge of managing.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 11. 1}} While a majority of his business did take place on the Canadian side of the border, he did prefer to live in Detroit.  
In 1863, he bought a home within Detroit. Walker also attempted to construct and run a vinegar factory in 1864, but was unsuccessful and closed down two years later due to his other commitments.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 11. 2}} Up until 1865, Walker's distillery was the only one to exist in Essex County, however, Walker found himself with competition with Rolph and Melchers.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 12. 2}} During this time, Walker's partner McBride was anxious to move up the chain within the company. Two years later, John McBride and two of his friends bought Rolph and Melchers.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 12. 3}} After discovering what McBride had done, his employment was terminated and Walker lost his business partner.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 12. 3}}  Ironically, McBride and his partners would end up having to sell their property to Walker because they were going out of business and it was operated by Hiram Walker as a second plant until 1876.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 12. 3}} John McBride would go on to become a tax collector and grocery store owner in Detroit.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 12. 5}}

===Involvement with Detroit newspapers===
Walker became heavily involved with Detroit newspapers during the mid-1860s and 1870s.  He bought $10,000 worth of stock in the newspaper known as the ''Advertiser and Tribune''.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 11. 4}}   Their largest competitor of the time was the ''Daily Post'', which proved to be a fierce rival.  Walker constantly put forth suggestions of a merger, but his requests were constantly denied.  By 1872, Walker purchased another $10,000 in shares, becoming the primary shareholder in the newspaper.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 11. 4-5}}   The following year, the senior editor of the ''Advertiser and Tribune'' had resigned, and Walker immediately bought the stock he had in the company.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 11. 5-6}} J.E. Scripps, the former senior editor of the ''Advertiser and Tribune'', soon opened his own newspaper, the ''[[Detroit News|Evening News]]''.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 11. 6}}  This divided the competition even further.  In 1877, the ''Advertiser and Tribune'' merged with the ''Daily Post'' under the name the ''Post and Tribune'', as Walker had wanted.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 11. 6}}  Two years later, a fire burned down the offices of the newspaper and Walker was estimated to have lost $30,000.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 11. 6}}    Walker lost interest in the newspaper business soon after and sold the ''Post and Tribune'' to James McMillan.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 11. 7}}

===Walkerville===
[[File:Walkerville Ontario LOC det.4a19916.jpg|thumb|Distillery buildings in Walkerville (now part of Windsor, Ontario) c. 1910]]
Walker started his [[milling (grinding)|milling]] and [[distilling]] business in the town of Sandwich, near [[Windsor, Ontario]]. Farmers and other people who worked in Windsor aided Walker with his distilling business. The economic growth that encapsulated the Township of Sandwich started with Walker transforming his property (Labadie Farm) into one with new industrial buildings.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 13. 1}} These buildings, like the "Walker Mill" and the "Walker Pens" were places people living in the area could bring their wheat and pigs, creating a connection between Walker and his community. Eventually, the name for the section where Walker and his business peaked was called "Walkerton" but there was already a town in the province of [[Ontario]] with that name, so Walker and the other citizens settled with "Walkerville" but often referred to it as "Walkers Town".{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 13. 1}}

With the growth of the [[distillery]] and the flour mill, Walker expanded the business in many ways. He began to build [[Walker Road]] in 1860,{{sfn|Fraser|1992|p=11}} and hire many employees, such as salesmen, office workers or skilled trade workers. With this developed an increase in population in the area, especially in respects to it being centralized around the mill and distillery. On March 1, 1869, Walker’s Town established its first [[post office]].{{sfn|Edwards|2004|p=23}} This is when the government recognized the small hamlet as the name it is known by today, [[Walkerville, Ontario|Walkerville]].{{sfn|Edwards|2004|p=23}}

Walker is recognized as the man who gave momentum to such aspects that benefited the community like [[trade (financial instrument)|trading]], agricultural work, stock raising, building industries, and most importantly, inspired those who surrounded his perseverance and progressive attitudes.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 13. 2}} Walker build homes for his employees and rented them out at reasonable prices, and also created public utilities, paved the streets, and paid for and encouraged people to get an education.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 13. 3}} One of the most popular institutions Walker erected was a Methodist church in 1870.{{sfn|Morgan|1991|p=67}} It was converted into an [[Anglican Church of Canada|Anglican church]] in 1874, and renamed St. Mary’s, in honour of Walker’s late wife, Mary.{{sfn|Morgan|1991|p=67}}

As mentioned, the heart of Walkerville was Walker’s distilling business, "Hiram Walker and Sons" which was established in 1858.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 13. 3}} Walker’s business created an expansion of the town that included, malt houses, cooperage, copper shop, planning mill, [[lumber yard]], brick yard, and a [[ferry]] between Walkerville and Detroit.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 13. 3}} The trip from his house in Detroit to his businesses in Walkerville took approximately an hour and a half. Due to this, Walker decided to invest in a ferry that would travel between Detroit and Walkerville as to save time and be of assistance to the public.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 19. 1}} In 1880 he finally decided to rent a ferry that would travel from Detroit and Walkerville.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 20. 1}} The ferry he would lease was called "The Essex" which was a steam ship built in, 1858 in Walkerville.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 20. 2}} He installed a dock system on his land in Walkerville that would allow people to board the ferry.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 20. 1}} In its beginnings the ferry was not very useful for the people of Walkerville as it mainly served as a personal transportation service for Walker himself. It did not follow a set schedule and did not make very many trips on any given day. However, in the following year of 1881, a set schedule was developed and the ferry as a [[public service]] began. It was also during this year that another ferry, called "Ariel", replaced "The Essex" due to the termination of the lease.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 20. 5}}

Furthermore, with the construction of a railway by the Essex and Detroit Railway Company, which ran through Walkerville until [[Kingsville, Ontario|Kingsville]], encouraged many businesses to move from Windsor to the Township of Walkerville because of transportation opportunities.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 14. 1}} The amount of new industries and people in Walkerville because of these transportation opportunities led to the creation of good roads that could sustain heavy traffic, traffic lights, police and fire fighters, proper sanitary measures.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 14. 1}} All of these necessities for a town to properly function could not be afforded by the rural municipality of Sandwich East (what Walkerville was called before its official name) so Hiram Walker and Son’s funded everything.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 14. 1}} Walker paid for the following: water, 52 fire fighters, the fire appliances, two police officers that rotated shifts, repairs of streets and sidewalks, the night watch service, and the electric lighting of the streets, the [[Music Hall]], the Anglican Church, and some privately owned houses. Walker’s efforts to make Walkerville a legitimate town, no weaker than any other, led to his title as Walkerville’s mayor.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 14. 3}} Walker created a town council that included, the mayor (Walker), councilors, clerks, treasurers, medical health officers, collectors, assessors, auditors, solicitors, and the chief of police and policeman.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 14. 3}} The town council’s first meeting was held May 12, 1890, in a building near Walker Road, owned by Walker and Sons.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 14. 6}} The first major act done by the Walkerville’s council was to create an event honouring the efforts of the creator of Walkerville (Walker) that would fall on his birthday, July 4.{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 14. 7}} A bronze emblem was created by New York's Tiffany and Co. that displays three Cossack foragers on horseback returning from an expedition, with an inscription that reads, "Presented to Hiram Walker, on the 74th anniversary of his birthday, by his friends in the [[County of Essex]], a token of respect and gratitude for Hiram’s efforts with the creation of the Town of Walkerville."{{sfn|Chauvin|1927|loc=Chapter 14. 11}}

The Walkerville community received a large reward in 1890. Through heavy petitioning, especially from that of the Walker family, the community became an incorporated town.{{sfn|Morgan|1991|p=69}} This released the burden of paying for many services from the Walker company.{{sfn|Morgan|1991|p=69}} The City of Windsor was developing around this time, and by Walkerville becoming incorporated, it also helped the town ward off annexation with Windsor.  Walkerville became a town on April 7, 1890.{{sfn|Morgan|1991|p=69}} In honour of the incorporation and in gratitude to its founder, Walker received a bronze statue made by [[Tiffany’s]].{{sfn|Morgan|1991|p=69}} The ceremony took place on Walker’s birthday, July 4, which was declared by town council to be a public holiday.{{sfn|Morgan|1991|p=69}}

One of Walkerville’s great concerns was to be annexed with Windsor. The town tried and tried, yet eventually efforts failed and the two communities [[wikt:amalgamation|amalgamated]], with Walkerville becoming a neighbourhood near East Windsor. Although Walkerville is a neighbourhood within the larger city limits, it still holds distinct historical significance.