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People and organizations
Aamjiwnaang First Nation
Corporate body

The Aamjiwnaang First Nation (formally known as Chippewas of Sarnia) is a First Nations community of about 2400 Chippewa (Ojibwe) Aboriginal peoples (850 of which live on Reserve). We are located on the St. Clair River, 3 miles south of the southern tip of Lake Huron in the city limits of Sarnia southwestern Ontario, Canada – just across the United States border from Port Huron, Michigan.

For more details consult their website at https://www.aamjiwnaang.ca/history/.

Our heritage language is Ojibwa.

The name Aamjiwnaang, (pronounced am-JIN-nun) means “at the spawning stream.”

Corporate body · 1864-1925

Samuel William Abbott (born 1840) and Hodson Gunning Abbot (born 1841) were brothers from Castlebar, Ireland. Their parents were Alexander Samuel Abbott and Dorinda (née Ruxton) Abbott. They were Wesleyan Methodists. The family moved to London, Ontario, Canada and began Abbott Brother’s Carriage Works, manufacturing carriages and delivery wagons. The company was located at 308-316 Dundas Street.
In 1864, Hodson Gunning Abbott married Elizabeth Beattie and they had five children together. Elizabeth died in 1872. He remarried Emily Hunt in 1876 and they had several children before Emily died in 1901. He remarried a final time in 1910 to Eva Mae Francis. Hodson Gunning Abbott and his family lived at the company buildings.
Samuel William Abbott married Maria Louisa Cohoon in 1870. He started the carriage company with his brother but eventually left the company around 1883 to work as a bookkeeper for McCormick Manufacturing Co. After he left, the company mostly went by H.G. Abbott Carriage Company.
In 1883, Hodson Gunning Abbott’s son, Frederick A. Abbott (born 1865) also began to work for the carriage company and boarded separately from the family in the company buildings. He worked mostly as a painter. By 1886, he had stopped working for the company in order to attend school and became an elocution professor in 1890.
In 1887, Hodson Gunning Abbott’s son, William Abbott (born 1869) became the new painter for the carriage company. By 1900, he had become the manager. After Hodson Gunning Abbott’s death in 1921, he took over the company.
The company ceased operations in 1925.

Corporate body · 1942 -

The Beta Chapter of Alpha Omega Alpha fraternity was formed at Western University in 1942. The inaugural banquet for the chapter took place at the London Hunt and Country Club on February 18, 1942. This fonds contains lecture papers, certificates and member records.

Comfort and Greer
Corporate body

Stephen Comfort was born in 1810 in the United States, later moving to Canada. He and his wife, Elizabeth, had several children. He died in 1895.
James Greer was born in 1798 in Ireland. He married Ruth Ann Rayers in 1819 and they had several children. He died in 1866 due to an accident when he was thrown from his wagon when his horses spooked.
Stephen Comfort and James Greer ran a carding mill and cloth dressing establishment, sometimes referred to as Comfort & Co. They were located along the Thames River in Kilworth, Ontario, about nine miles from London. Their carding machine was a notable piece of equipment in 1857.

Durand and Moore Architects
Corporate body · c1882 - 1888

Durand then partnered with architect John M. Moore. In 1888, a legal dispute between Durand and Moore dissolved their partnership.

Hines Studio
Corporate body · 1906-1929

Henry G. Hines (Harry) was a professional photographer working out of the Hines Studio in London Ontario from 1906 to 1929. He was born in the United States in 1875 and worked as a bartender in St. Louis, Missouri before moving to London, Ontario in 1899 with his wife Gertrude and son William. Upon arriving in London, Hines worked briefly as a bicycle repairman and a street railway conductor. Hines opened his professional photography studio on the East side of London in 1906 and advertised himself as a commercial photographer. Two years later, his son, William Henry (Bill) Hines joined him as a full partner. Although he took private client portraits, he was mainly commissioned by East London businesses and the City of London. The Hines Studiio closed permanently in 1929.

Hippocratic Society
Corporate body · 1915 -

From 1915, the group formed at Western University had gone by the name The Student Body and in 1921 officially accepted the new name The Hippocratic Society. The society arranged scientific meetings as well as taking on the role of supporting other student organizations and initiatives such as the Gazette, the Honour Society and the U.W.O Medical Journal.

Kingsmill's Ltd.
Corporate body · 1865 - 2014

The iconic Kingsmill department store was founded as a dry goods store in London, Ontario in 1865 by Thomas Frazer Kingsmill (1840-1915). He and his wife, Anne immigrated from County Tipperary, Ireland in 1858. Kingsmill's department store was successfully run by Thomas Frazer Kingsmill's direct descendants until it closed in 2014. The history of the family is inextricably linked with that of the store.

The store at 130 Dundas street, London, Ontario operated from 1876-2014. It survived two fires (1911 and 1932) and expanded over the years to include at times: a carpet warehouse, a Chatham location and a kitchen store (2001 -2014). The Kingsmill family also operated a real estate business in London and surrounding areas in Southwestern Ontario in the early 20th century. The first family farm, Bellevue was sold to Western University for their new campus in 1916. The family later owned and operated a dairy at Bellevue Park Farm off of Sarnia Road. The store continued to operate successfully in the same location at until its closing.

The Kingsmill family has contributed significantly to the social, political and religious life of the city of London. Family members were well-known in many different local circles, acting as chairs, presidents and committee members for a number of commercial, academic, religious, political and charitable organizations. Thomas Ford Kingsmill served as Mayor of London from 1936-1938 George Frederick Kingsmill was a board member at Huron College, and as the bell-ringer and clock maintenance worker at St. Paul's Cathedral for most of his life. Thomas Frazer Kingsmill, Thomas Frazer Kingsmill Jr, Thomas Ford Kingsmill, George Frederick Kingsmill and T. Fred Kingsmill were all actively involved in London's Masonic community. Thomas Frederick Kingsmill was a major member of London's Downtown Business Association, as well as the Ad and Sales Club. Henry Ardagh Kingsmill and George Frederick Kingsmill.were active in the military, serving in WWI.

When the store closed, it had grown to 73,000 square feet on five floors and had operated successfully for 148 years. Tim Kingsmill, the last store president, closed Kingsmill's Department Store on August 10, 2014.

Lockwood Films (London) Inc.
Corporate body · 1974 - 2007

In 1974, Nancy Johnson and Mark McCurdy started a film production company in London, Ontario. Starting the company with only the two of them, they named it Creative Services Inc. Their intention was to create audio-visual materials for clients for promotion, advertising, education and other purposes. The name was changed to Lockwood Films (London) Inc. in 1978 and incorporated under the Business Corporations Act on January 19, 1978. Nancy Johnson and Mark McCurdy owned additional companies that were associated with Lockwood Films. From 1984-1997 they operated 584193 Ontario Inc. which owned the airplane used by Lockwood Films to travel to jobs. Holding companies 533400 Ontario Inc. started in 1983 and 959229 Ontario Inc. was started in 1992 and owned Lockwood Films. 533400, 959229 and Lockwood Films were amalgamated to Lockwood Films (London) Inc. in 2013. Throughout the life of the company, Nancy Johnson was President, Producer and Writer and Mark McCurdy was Producer, Director and Writer. The company was divided into production related activities, marketing and sales, and bookkeeping. They had a number of employees on staff until they stopped producing in 2007.Someof their earliest projects as Creative Services were commercials, public service announcements and slide shows with audio tracks. They also created a music video called “Friends.” Under the name Lockwood Films, the company produced documentaries, commercials and public service announcements, training and educational material, corporate communications both internal and to promote the organization or products and, promotion for not-for-profit organizations. While Lockwood Films was a fairly small company located in London, they did projects locally, nationally and internationally. Significant projects were: “Doctor Woman: The Life and Times of Dr. Elizabeth Bagshaw” for the National Film Board in 1978; “Quick Strike” in 1983 for General Motors Defense which led to Lockwood being the producer of record for GMD for over 20 years; “James Reaney: Listening to the Wind” in 1996; “Always Be Careful”, a burn safety film for children in 1979 and “Cover Up”, a film about sunburn for children in 1995. They won national and international awards including winner of the American Film Festival in New York for “From the Farm to the Fork” in 1985 and Best Documentary for “Doctor Woman” from the Canadian Film and Television Association Awards in 1979. They worked in such diverse industries as automotive repair, agriculture, education, health and government. They worked for clients such as 3M, General Motors Defense, Mufflerman and Western University. Productions were completed for the National Film Board and TVO (Ontario Educational Communications Authority).

Corporate body · 1894 -

The London and Area Council of Women was founded on February 14, 1894 as the Local Council of Women, London. In 1990, a motion was passed by the executive to change the name of the council from the London Council of Women (LCW) to the London and Area Council of Women (LACW). The objective of the council is, “To draw together the women of London in greater unity of thought, sympathy and purpose to further the application of the Golden Rule to society, for the development, improvement and happiness of mankind.” The logo of the council is a bow bearing the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would that they do unto you.”
The LACW is comprised of individual members and members of its federated organizations which include women's groups, service clubs and volunteer organizations. The president of each federated organization is named a vice-president of the LACW executive and has a single vote. The executive of the LACW also includes a president, an executive vice-president and elected and appointed officers who hold positions such as treasurer, secretary, registrar and standing committee officers.
The LACW is part of a hierarchical organization of Councils of Women, answering to the Provincial Council of Women of Ontario (PCWO) and the National Council of Women of Canada (NCWC). The NCWC is a member of the International Council of Women (ICW).
Throughout its history, the LACW has held regular meetings and organized events to encourage political engagement, educate the public on various issues of importance to women, raise funds and promote culture and heritage. In addition to this, the LACW has been active in lobbying the municipal, provincial and federal governments. As a member of the PCWO and the NCWC, the LACW proposed resolutions which were debated, voted on and formalized into briefs which were submitted annually to the provincial and federal governments.

London Free Press
AFC 177 · Corporate body · 1849-

Founded in 1849.....

London Motors Limited
Corporate body · 1881-

William Riley Stansell was born March 26, 1881 in Courtland, Ontario to Ephream and Eunice Belore Stansell. He began his career as a baker’s apprentice working in St. Thomas, Portsmouth, and Windsor. He started his own business selling baking equipment in Dundee, Michigan in 1902. Stansell married Bertha Buchner, daughter of A.O. Buchner, on October 12, 1903. They had six children together.
Stansell changed careers and began work in the machinery business with positions at the Read Machinery Company and the Lynn Superior Machinery Company. He founded the Motor Car Sales Company in Detroit, Michigan in 1915 selling and distributing Lexington, McFarlane, and Premier Motor cars. After working at Packard in Detroit, he joined Deby Motor Truck Company as their City Sales Manager. In 1919, Stansell was transferred to the Deby Motor Truck Company’s factory in Chatham, Ontario as their Factory Sales Manager.
In 1921, Stansell raised $750 000 to start London Motors Limited and set up shop in London as the President and General Manager. The company acquired space on Hale Street, near the family’s home at 367 Hale Street, and a second site at 67-69 King Street, the original site of the White Portable Steam Engine Company. Production began on pilot models in autumn 1921. The London Six was displayed at the London Motor Show in February 1922 and the CNE in August 1922. Stansell was known for his abilities in marketing and in April 1922 Governor General Lord Byng and his party were transported to and from the ground breaking ceremony for the new Western University campus in London Sixes.
London Motors built 98 London Sixes over the course of their operations. The cars were priced at $2700 to $3700. The price tag depended on the specific model, touring, roadster, or sedan. The London Six included a Herschell-Spillman engine underneath a rounded aluminum body. A variety of finishes were available, including polished, painted, or covered in cloth.
In 1924, Stansell needed to raise more capital for the business, and when he was unable to do so, the Board of Directors took control of the company. London Motors was unable to change their finances and the company dissolved in early 1925.
After the company dissolved, Stansell sold real estate in London before leaving for Detroit around 1928, where he worked as a car salesman. He retired to Courtland, Ontario in the 1950s and died on July 22, 1961.

Noon Day Study Club
Corporate body · 1934 - ca. 1959

Founded by Dr. Crane in 1934, the club met weekly at the YMCA. It facilitated medical lectures and discussions on medical subjects for physicians in London and the surrounding area.

Corporate body · [1870 - 1879]

O'Connor and Lancaster, Photographers, operated in London, Ontario during the 1870s. They also went by the name "Popular Photo Studio".

O-Pee-Chee
Corporate body · 1911 - 1996

In 1897, brothers John McKinnon McDermid and Duncan Hugh McDermid joined the C.R. Somerville Company in London, Ontario. C.R. Somerville manufactured chewing gum, popcorn, and boxes, among other products. In 1908, the company was sold to an American firm and the candy manufacturing division moved to Toronto while the box division remained in London under the new name, Somerville Paper Box Company, with J.K. McDermid as its President. In February 1911, the McDermid brothers purchased the company for the manufacture of chewing gum. Their new company was named the O-Pee-Chee Gum Company. Opeechee, meaning Robin in Ojibwe, was the name of the McDermid cottage in Grand Bend, Ontario.
In 1921, the O-Pee-Chee Gum Company was incorporated as a public company with members of the McDermid family holding the five shareholder positions and the four director positions. The company’s name changed from the O-Pee-Chee Gum Company to the O-Pee-Chee Company Limited at the time of incorporation. The company now manufactured chewing gum, mints, and popcorn, including the popular Krackley Nut. A manufacturing plant was constructed at 430 Adelaide Street in 1928. The company experienced an increase in production in the ensuing decade as a result of various licensing agreements in Canada and the United Kingdom. The 1930s also saw the introduction of collectable cards sold within their gum packaging. These included a baseball set, a Mickey Mouse set, and a Fighting Forces set.
The O-Pee-Chee Company was forced to rethink their business strategy during World War II and the onset of sugar rationing. They signed war contracts to supply dried egg powder overseas. The only confectionary product sold during the war was Thrills chewing gum. In addition to changes in production, there were many leadership and corporate changes during this time. D.H. McDermid passed away in 1942 and J.K. McDermid passed away in 1945. The company changed from a public company to a private company in 1945. John Gordon McDermid, son of J.K., took over the role of President in 1946. He remained in this role until his death in 1953.
Frank P. Leahy, who had worked as a Sales Manager for many years, became the company’s next President. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Leahy arranged multiple licensing agreements with various companies, such as Topps Chewing Gum Company, to manufacture and market brands to the Canadian market, which substantially increased the company’s sales. In 1958, the O-Pee-Chee Company began promoting trading cards on a regular basis. This first year included hockey and football cards. In the 1960s, the company produced cards for baseball, football, and hockey, as well as entertainment cards, such as the Beatle Bubble Gum cards.
In 1961, Frank Leahy purchased the company from the McDermid Estate. He remained President until his death in 1980. Leahy’s son-in-law, Gary Koreen was the owner and President of the company until it was purchased by Nestle Corporation in 1996. The O-Pee-Chee brand is still used in the trading card business through licensing agreements with Topps (1996-2004) and Upper Deck (since 2007).

Corporate body · 1878-1880

In the late 1860s, Durand articled for architect William Robinson where he met his friend and future partner Thomas Tracy. Durand returned to London and formed a partnership with Robinson and Tracy in 1878.

Corporate body

The Six Nations of the Grand River is a First Nations reserve located on the Grand River near Brantford that is made up of the six Iroquois Nations - the Mohawk, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Seneca and Tuscarora. John Brant (ca. 1794 - 1832), the son of Joseph Brant, was resident superintendent of the Six Nations of the Grand River from 1828 until his death in 1832. Major James Winnett was appointed to the position in 1834

Spramotor Company
Corporate body · 1896-

Spramotor Company manufactured agricultural equipment in London, Ontario and Buffalo, New York. It was established in 1896 by William Henry Heard and eventually taken over by his son, G.N. Heard. It manufactured agricultural equipment, including hand, compressed air, traction and power sprayers meant for orchards, vineyards, potatoes, row crops and destruction of farm weeds. During World War One, Spramotor Co. switched to manufacturing munition shells. Once the war was over, it returned to producing spraying and irrigation equipment.
The headquarters were located in London, Ontario and operated in a number of locations throughout the years. The main office was at 68-74 King Street for a period, with other buildings located on York Street in the 1940s as well as 357 Richmond Street for a time. A branch factory was located in Buffalo, New York to handle the American trade. Spramotor Co. was registered in many countries around the world, with machines being used in Canada, the United States, India, Australia, Russia, Great Britain, New Zealand and in South American countries. The equipment was covered in many different patents to protect them around the world because of their global reach.
Spramotor Co. would put out catalogues with tests that further attested to their success and value, as well as information about common plant diseases and insects. In their 1902 catalogue, they stated, “From five orchards where the Spramotor was used the yield was 2977 barrels of perfect fruit out of a possible 3400… On the other hand, where the orchards were not sprayed the returns were most disappointing.” The company received over one hundred awards all over the world for their equipment, including a gold medal at the Pan-American Exhibition in 1901 and were also the winners of the Government Spraying Contest.

Tracy and Durand Architects
Corporate body · 1880 - 1882

In 1880, Robinson left and Tracy and Durand worked as partners. This partnership lasted until Tracy became city engineer.

Corporate body · 1908 -

The Board of Governors of Western University was established in 1908 with full authority to govern and manage the affairs of the University, except for those purely academic matters assigned to the Senate. The Board's mandate was to manage the property, finances, and business affairs of the University.