By the 1890s, it was the largest producer of spirits in canada. Worts became interested in the business, and the present firm of gooderham and worts was formed, continuing the same ever since. Today, the smooth drinking fourgrain whisky they inspired is a nod to their grit, resolve and legacy while reflecting the. William gooderham and james worts were business partners and. Charles horace, son of william gooderham, miller, and harriet gooderham. Seen in this photo is the former gooderham and worts office entrance. Through sheer will, determination and ingenuity, these millers turned distillers brought their strengths together to forge something truly special early in torontos history, before canada was even a country. The gooderham and worts windmill stood at the foot of trinity st.
Over time, distilling declined at the gooderham and worts distillery until 1987 when it was sold to allied lyons who chose to close the facility in 1990. Gooderham and worts four grain whisky is a blended whisky, based on the historical style of the original. Gooderham and worts factory, toronto history, gooderham and. A new book by toronto archivist and historian sally gibson explores the distillery district history by the lake from its beginning in the. For a shop therapy column focusing on things to buy from the art carts at the gooderham and worts district, which opens this weekend. They launched their whisky in 1837 and quickly became a best selling brand, at one point accounting for over a quarter of all alcohol production in canada. On the nose look for notes of honey, toffee, dried flowers, and bubblegum. Ckgw was a torontobased radio station owned and operated by gooderham and worts ltd. Worts died in 1834 and in 1845 his son james gooderham became a partner in the enterprise, which took the name gooderham and worts. Gooderham, and therefore with the growth and development of toronto, was born in great yarmouth, on the east coast of england, on the 4th day of june, 1818. The churchs book of christening records goes back to the first to take place within its walls. Biography worts, james gooderham volume xi 18811890. James gooderham worts, whose career has been so intimately connected with that of mr. Gooderham and worts milling and distillery interests, gave generously to a subscription to build a methodist church here.
At one point it was the largest distillery in the world. In our featured story 1831 the adventure begins, we told how james worts and his yearold son embarked on a great adventure to begin the move of the worts and gooderham families from england to upper canada and to startup the milling business he and william gooderham envisioned. Dating back to the 1860s, the brand built a distillery in downtown toronto in an area that is still known as that towns distillery district today. Jan 21, 2014 in 1837, william gooderham and his brotherinlaw william worts founded a distillery.
The streetscape at gooderham and worts, i was only able to shoot a few frames before being chased away. Its location on the side of the canadian national railway mainline and its proximity to the mouth of the original route of. Gooderham worts photos and premium high res pictures getty. Whisky history tells out how good spirits earned canada. Feb 21, 2020 and the gooderham and worts mill did just that. However, the production was massive at the time for gooderham and worts. Briefly operating as worts and gooderham until worts death in 1834, gooderham continued to operate the mill as the william gooderham company. Between 1914 and 1920, wwi and prohibition began to stall spirit production. In 1998, the gooderham and worts distillery was named one of the national historic sites of canada. Gooderman and worts little trinity 17 year old the rum.
Whether you are paying a visit to the distillery district in toronto or just curious, heres a comprehensive look at the history of this stunning historical site. Torontos gooderham flatiron building on wellington and. Gooderham and worts eleven orphans the most important ingredient in any whisky is not the grain, not the water and not the yeast. In 1832, english immigrants and brothersinlaw james worts and william gooderham built a 22metre brick windmill on the edge of toronto bay that soon became a symbol of the young city. At that time, the typical grains harvested in canada were corn, rye, barley, wheat, and oats. This whisky is a true reflection of the city and the country it helped build. The company has been acquired and changed hands several times over the years, and it is now under the broad ownership of pernod.
It was once one of the largest distillers in canada. The gooderham and worts distillery was founded in 1832. Worts was first to locate on this land, and became partners with william gooderham in flour milling, using the wind power supplied by the windmill. The gooderham and worts distillery was first established on torontos lakeshore in 1832. Jan 23, 20 server christine aldridge pours some canadian club at pure spirits oyster house and grill in torontos distillery district, located in buildings where gooderham and worts made whisky.
The plant grew rapidly from a small outpost in the wilderness of upper canada to become, by the end of the 19th century, the largest distillery in the british empireby some reports, the largest in the world. Gooderham and worts limited distillery district heritage website. A brief history of torontos distillery district spirit of york. The obvious start is the windmill near the mouth of the don river, started by william gooderham and james worts sr in 1832. The gooderham and worts distillery was founded in 1832, and would become, over the course of that century, the worlds single largest producer of spirits distillery district here and for. In toronto you can find history everywhere, and an increasing number of historic places are. Through sheer will, determination and ingenuity, these millers turned distillers brought their strengths together to forge something truly special. Worts was first to locate on this land, and became partners with william gooderham in flour milling, using the. See more ideas about old toronto, toronto, canada history.
In 1845, gooderham brought his nephew, james gooderham worts into the. This first tall structure was constructed of locally produced brick in six storeys, which were set at different angles. A short history of the distillery district in toronto. James worts, previously mentioned, and elizabeth gooderham, daughter of. Torontos distillery district history by the lake spacing. Page 1 of 2 this imposing structure has been around since toronto was formed. A brief history of torontos distillery district spirit. His father, stephen gooderham, told a better story, with endless processions of. Gooderham and worts, one of the oldest whisky brands in canada, began as a grain milling and shipping company in 1832. It was brought on by the automobile age and prohibition era. The new portable expert and one of our own tasting table experts.
Worts brought 20 years experience as a miller, while gooderham contributed most of the capital and business acumen. Jul 25, 2020 george gooderham took the office in the top of the five story building where he had a commanding view east along front street toward the distillery and the don river. A blend of corn, rye, wheat and barley and bottled at 44. With offices and studios in the king edward hotel, and a 5kw transmitter in bowmanville, ontario, the station began broadcasting on march 5. In the year 1861, gooderham and his partners opened a fivestorey limestone mill and distillery.
The gooderham and worts distillery trinity and mill st. In his youth, george attended sunday school and became librarian at trinity church anglican, just north of the family home, which was situated adjacent to the milldistillery complex. Gooderham and worts windmill toronto historical association. To understand the history of canada, is to understand the history of canadian whisky. The windmill, which served as a waterfront landmark and position marker for sailors on the lake for nearly 25 years, was built in 1832 by james worts. By bringing together four diverse grains, seven individual whiskies and a variety of cask types, it finds perfect balance. Gooderham located in haliburton county 18 km southeastof haliburton, this place was first called pine lake. Born in scole, norfolk, england, the son of james and sarah gooderham, he immigrated to york, upper canada now toronto, in 1832 to invest and partner in a windpowered flour mill with his.
Gooderham and worts distillery toronto ontario ghosts. Nov 10, 2018 by the 1850s gooderham and worts company began building a largescale production site in toronto, now a national historic site known as the distillery district. May 15, 2020 highlights gooderham and worts, a distillery set up in the 1860s in what is now the distillery district. The gooderham building was completed in 1892 and was adorned with plenty of carved stone. After the death of gooderham and worts son, gooderham s son inherited the distillery. A case study in business organization in nineteenthcentury. At the topright is torontos old coat of arms and motto. The gooderhams had a significant interest in the toronto and nipissing railway, and william gooderham 1824. Aug 11, 2005 beverage media blue book, history of hiram walker. Created during the sites 175th anniversary, this website is dedicated to bringing to life the history and heritage of the distillery district from earliest times onward.
In the early 1890s, george gooderham, the eldest son of william gooderham, purchased the coffin block to construct a new headquarters for the gooderham and worts distillery. Feb 11, 2020 gooderham and worts, one of the oldest whisky brands in canada, began as a grain milling and shipping company in 1832. The history of the gooderham family in toronto hubpages. When canadians began getting ideas about independence and self sufficiency back in 1860 and threw out the imperial troops, they suddenly found. Not only was alcohol a big business in the distillery district, but antifreeze had become a big business at gooderham and worts by 1938 too. The gooderham family had a history of important service not only in church work, but in the defense of our country.
In 1923, he was forced to sell the withering business to harry c. Gooderham and worts factory, toronto history, gooderham. Gooderham s son and nephew worts son joined in partnership with him and under their collective, determined leadership, the distillery became fully functional by the year 1850. Mar 31, 2019 as much as the current building stock is an impressive visual reminder of the history of gooderham and worts, the distillery districts story also lays in its lost geography too. Between 1870 and 1872 worts was an important shareholder and a director of the toronto and nipissing railway, incorporated in 1868, in which the firm of gooderham and worts was in 1871 the largest shareholder. In 1832 william gooderham, also arriving from yorkshire, brought with him money and 54 family members to help his brotherinlaw expand the business, to be known then as worts and gooderham. Once providing over 2 million us gallons 7,600,000 l of whisky, mostly for export on the world market, the company was bought out in later years by rival hiram walker co. The gooderham and worts distillery, the cornerstone and standard bearer of the gooderham family business empire was sold in 1923 to harry c. Feb 11, 20 gooderham and worts little brown jug rye 1954 tax stamp home reno nation. Apr 06, 2010 in 1832, english immigrants and brothersinlaw james worts and william gooderham built a 22metre brick windmill on the edge of toronto bay that soon became a symbol of the young city. Aug 15, 2011 a new piece i learned was gooderham and worts were into the antifreeze production, not only alcohol. It is the oldest distillery in canada bev med blue book, history. With offices and studios in the king edward hotel, and a 5kw transmitter in bowmanville, ontario, the station began broadcasting on march 5, 1928.
Canada has an eventful, centurieslong whisky history. Gooderham worts photos and premium high res pictures. Gooderham first began distilling, it was on a scale of fifteen bushels per day, but it has now increased to the enormous amount of 3,692 bushels per diem. April 1831 with the arrival in york toronto of james. History the gooderham and worts distillery was founded in 1832. In 1859, gooderham and worts built a magnificent limestone distillery, the beginning of an expansion phase that continued until 1890. Shuttleworth, privately published in 1924 by william george gooderham, many.
Between 1870 and 1872 worts was an important shareholder and a director of the toronto and nipissing railway, incorporated in 1868, in which the firm of gooderham and. In faded ink one finds each christening numbered, and the very first is listed with the babys names as. By 1926 it was the largest producer of canadian whisky and the thenowner bought the second largest canadian distillery, which was hiram walker. Jan 08, 2021 the gooderham and worts distillery, the cornerstone and standard bearer of the gooderham family business empire was sold in 1923 to harry c. In 1871, gooderham and worts became one of the largest exporters in spirit production, shipping millions of gallons of whiskey all across canada as well as throughout north and south america. Originally a 70 foot windmill was built by james worts and william gooderham in 1832 built overlooking lake ontario and it was a very prosperous venture indeed but a tragedy would cut short james worts business success.
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