Abell's Agricultural Works, 1874
The Woodbridge Agricultural and Machine Works was one of the most significant local businesses to open in Woodbridge and was established in 1862 by local entrepreneur John Abell. It is credited with contributing to the upsurge in growth in the area during the 1860s; by 1874 the factory employed close to 200 people. It specialized in the production of steam-powered agricultural equipment. When John Abell decided to relocate his plant to Toronto in 1886, it caused Woodbridge to spiral into a severe economic decline, and the area did not begin to recover until the early 1900s. The above photograph shows the Woodbridge Agricultural and Machine Works as it would have looked before being destroyed by fire in 1876.
City of Vaughan Archives: MG 10
Abell's Agricultural Works, 1874
The Woodbridge Agricultural and Machine Works was one of the most significant local businesses to open in Woodbridge and was established in 1862 by local entrepreneur John Abell. It is credited with contributing to the upsurge in growth in the area during the 1860s; by 1874 the factory employed close to 200 people. It specialized in the production of steam-powered agricultural equipment. When John Abell decided to relocate his plant to Toronto in 1886, it caused Woodbridge to spiral into a severe economic decline, and the area did not begin to recover until the early 1900s. The above photograph shows the Woodbridge Agricultural and Machine Works as it would have looked before being destroyed by fire in 1876.
City of Vaughan Archives: MG 10