Manitoba Business: Ogilvie Flour Mills Company

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Presidents | Western Managers | Country Elevators | Sources

In 1902, Alexander Walker Ogilvie (1829-1902, who had built a flour mill at Winnipeg in 1881) died and his companies A. W. Ogilvie & Company and W. W. Ogilvie Milling Company were purchased by a Montreal group headed by Charles R. Hosmer and Frederick W. Thompson. The merged company was renamed Ogilvie Flour Mills Company. In November 1954, Ogilvie purchased most of the assets of one of its competitors, the Lake of the Woods Milling Company. Five years later, most of its country elevators were sold to Manitoba Pool Elevators.

An honour roll of employees who served in the First World War was published in 1919 in The Standard: Canada’s Aid to the Allies and Peace Memorial.

Some corporate records are held at the University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections.

Chairmen

Period	Chairman
1947-?	Charles Avery Dunning (1885-1958)

Presidents

Period	President
1902-1927	Charles R. Hosmer (1851-1927)
1927-1935	William Allan Black (1862-1951)
1935-1940	J. W. McConnell
1940-1947	Charles Avery Dunning (1885-1958)
1947-?	G. A. Morris

Vice-Presidents

Period	Vice-President
1902-1912	Frederick William Thompson (1862-1912)
1912-1926	William Allan Black (1862-1951)
1926-1938	R. R. Dobell
1938-1947	G. A. Morris
1947-?	H. Norman Davis H. Groom (sales) E. B. Frost (western division)

General Managers

Period	General Manager
?-1888	W. A. Hastings
1888-1912	Frederick William Thompson (1862-1912)
1912-?	William Allan Black (1862-1951)
?-1931	R. R. Dobell
1931-1935	?
1935-1943	G. A. Morris

Country Elevators (Manitoba)

Location	No.	Rail	Built	1949 Capacity (bushels)	Annex	Comments
Alexander		CPR	Bef 1901	-		Sold to Paterson Grain (1928)
Altamont		CNR	1905	33,000	1941	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959), sold to UGG (1960), demolished (1967)
Altona 1		CPR	Bef 1901	39,000	1941	Closed (c1957)
Altona 2		CPR	1951	-		Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Arnaud		CPR	Bef 1912	32,000		Sold to UGG (c1961)
Argue		CNR	Bef 1912	-		Closed (1946), sold to private ownership (?)
Ashbury		CPR	1910	30,000		Closed (1950)
Basswood		CPR	Bef 1912	-		Closed (1947)
Bethany		CNR	Bef 1912	-		Closed (1934)
Boissevain	37	CPR	Bef 1901	-		Closed (1921)
Bradwardine		CPR	Bef 1912	-		Closed (1929)
Brandon		CPR	Bef 1901	-		Closed (1919)
Broomhill		CPR	Bef 1912	-		Sold to Manitoba Pool (1945)
Burnside		?	?
Cabot		GTP	Bef 1912	-		Closed (1913)
Carberry	34	CPR	Bef 1901			Closed (1912)
Carman			Bef 1901
Carnegie		CPR	Bef 1912	31,000		Closed (1951)
Chater		CPR	Bef 1912	-		Closed (1913)
Clandeboye		CPR				Bought from Lake of the Woods (1954), sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Clanwilliam	199	CNR	Bef 1912	33,000		Closed (1951)
Crandall		CPR	Bef 1901	-		Sold to Federal Grain (1928)
Cypress River	44	CPR	Bef 1901	-		Closed (1923)
Deloraine	38	CPR	c1888	33,000	1941	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Dominion City		CPR	Bef 1901	-		Closed (1921)
Dugald		CNR	1948	35,000		Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Dunrea	74	CNR	Bef 1912	31,000	1952	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Elkhorn		CPR	Bef 1901	32,000		Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Elm Creek		CPR	Bef 1901	-		Closed (1929)
Emerson			Bef 1901
Fortier		CNR	Bef 1912	33,000	1940	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Franklin A		CPR	Bef 1901	40,000	1940	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Franklin B		CPR	1916	30,000		Bought from Blackburn Mills & Graham (1932)
Gilbert Plains		CNR	Bef 1912	31,000	1940	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Glenboro		CPR	Bef 1901	32,000	1953	Closed (1954)
Grandview		CNR	1902	30,000	1940	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Gretna	8	CPR	Bef 1901	-		Closed (1913)
Griswold		CPR	Bef 1901	41,000		Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959), sold to UGG (c1960)
Hamiota	45	CPR	Bef 1901	-		Closed (1919)
Hartney	23	CPR	Bef 1901	-		Closed (1937)
Hazelridge	129	CPR	1911	20,000	1940	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
High Bluff			Bef 1901
Holland		CPR	Bef 1901	35,000		Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Howden		CNR	1903	35,000	1940	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Justice		GTP	Bef 1912	-		Closed (1913)
Kaleida		CPR	1905	40,000	1941	Bought from local farmers (1907), sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Kelloe		CPR	1923	33,000		Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Kemnay		CPR	Bef 1901	-		Closed (1912)
Kenton	88	CPR	Bef 1912	-		Closed (1913)
Keyes		CPR	Bef 1901	30,000		Closed (1956)
La Riviere		CPR	Bef 1912	-		Closed (1929)
Lasalle			Bef 1901
Lauder	27	CPR	Bef 1901	-		Closed (1937)
Lenore		CPR	Bef 1912	32,000		Closed (1950)
Longburn		CPR	1953	-		Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Lyleton		CPR	Bef 1912	-		Closed (1920)
Manitou	34	CPR	Bef 1901	34,000	1940	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Margaret	75	CNR	Bef 1912	-		Closed (1927)
Mather		CPR	1918	28,000		Closed (1953)
McTavish		CPR	Bef 1901	23,000		Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Melbourne		CPR	Bef 1901			Closed (1926)
Melita	29	CPR	Bef 1901	32,000	1940	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Methven		CPR	Bef 1901	-		Closed (1913)
Miniota		CPR	1910			Bought from Lake of the Woods (1954), sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Minnedosa	28	CPR	Bef 1901	31,000		Closed (1954)
Mollard		CPR	1952	-		Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Moore Park		CPR	1905			Bought from Lake of the Woods (1954), sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Morden	32	CPR	Bef 1901	-		Closed (1945)
Morris	12	CPR	Bef 1901	-		Closed (1924)
Napinka		CPR	Bef 1912	33,000	1957	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Naples		CPR	1918			Closed (1918)
Neepawa		CPR	Bef 1901	35,000	1957	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959), sold to UGG (c1961)
Newdale		CPR	Bef 1912	32,000	1941	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Niverville	121	CPR	Bef 1901	35,000		Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Oak Lake		CPR	Bef 1901	35,000		Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Oak River		CPR	Bef 1911	29,000	1941	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Oakville	71	CNR	Bef 1912	32,000	1951	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Oberon		CPR	Bef 1912	33,000		Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Petersfield		CPR	1918	22,000		Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Pettapiece		CPR	Bef 1901			Closed (1912)
Pierson	61	CPR	Bef 1901	26,000	1940	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Pilot Mound		CPR	Bef 1901	34,000	1941	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Plum Coulee	31	CPR	Bef 1901	33,000	1941	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Poplar Point		CPR	Bef 1901	-		Sold to Forsythe Elevator (1925)
Portage la Prairie	16	CPR	Bef 1901	-		Closed (1921), bought from Lake of the Woods (1954), sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Rathwell	59	CPR	Bef 1901	40,000		Closed (1957)
Rosenfeld	40	CPR	Bef 1901	35,000	1940	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Rossendale		?	?
Rosser	201	CPR	Bef 1901	34,000	1950	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
St. Claude		CPR	1914	32,000	1953	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959), sold to UGG (1960)
Sinclair	79	CPR	Bef 1912	34,000		Closed (1950)
Sperling		CNR	Bef 1912	-		Closed (1948)
Starbuck	68	CPR	Bef 1901	40,000	1940	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Stonewall		CPR	Bef 1901	?		Leased to Manitoba Pool (1928), closed (1937)
Thornhill 1	33	CPR	Bef 1901	36,000		Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Thornhill 2	33	CPR	1954	?		Bought from Lake of the Woods (1954), sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Tilston		CPR	Bef 1912	30,000		Closed (1956)
Treherne	60	CPR	Bef 1901	40,000	1955	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Two Creeks		CPR	1918	31,000		Closed (1950)
Virden	20	CPR	Bef 1901	29,000		Closed (1950)
Warren		CNR	Bef 1912			Closed (1913)
Westwood		?	?
Wheatland		CPR	Bef 1912	-		Closed (1921)
Willow Range		?	?
Winkler		CPR	Bef 1901	35,000	1940	Bought from Lake of the Woods (1954), sold to Manitoba Pool (1959)
Winnipeg	14	CPR	?	-		Closed (1938)
Winnipeg	31	?	?

First World War Casualties

Name	Occupation	Service	Rank	Birth Date	Death Date
Alan Collie MC [All Saints Erinview, Next of Kin]	Stenographer	44th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Lieutenant	7 December 1894	28 September 1918
John Winfield Downey [Westminster]	Clerk	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	26 May 1889	12 November 1917
Ian MacMillan [Next of Kin, Westminster]	Clerk	49th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	26 October 1897	30 October 1917
Thomas James McKenney [Next of Kin]	Stenographer	44th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	12 December 1889	6 November 1916
Isaac Winning	Clerk	52nd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Lance Serjeant	30 July 1894	16 August 1918

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Ogilvie Flour Mill (Higgins Avenue, Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Gemmill House (157 West Gate, Winnipeg)

Sources:

“The Standard - Canada's Aid to the Allies and Peace Memorial,” Montreal Standard Publishing Company Limited, 1919.

“R. R. Dobell honored by Ogilvie’s western staff,” Winnipeg Tribune, 11 September 1926, page 18.

“Black elected President of Ogilvie Mills,” Winnipeg Tribune, 23 November 1927, page 18.

“Ogilvie Flour Co. head announces his resignation,” Winnipeg Free Press, 23 November 1935, page 22.

“R. R. Dobell retires from milling firm,” Winnipeg Tribune, 16 April 1938, page 20.

Record of Country Elevator Receipts, Expenses 1922-23 to and including 1955-156, Lake of the Woods Milling Company Limited, University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections, Ogilvie Flour Mills fonds, MSS120-L-128.

Ogilvie - Lake of the Woods Purchase, File 7, RG 4, Manitoba Pool Elevators fonds, Series B, Central Office Records, B.14, Acquisitions, Box 1: 1937-1977, S. J. McKee Archives.

Ogilvie in Canada: Pioneer Millers, 1801-1951 by G. R. Stevens. [Everitt Fonds, S. J. McKee Archives, Brandon University]

British Immigrants in Montreal.

We thank Robert Alldritt, Dennis Galbraith, Janice McClelland, Butch Pearson, and Darryl Toews for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 15 April 2024