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John McClary<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
In 1852, John McClary joined his brother Oliver’s tinsmith business, launched in 1847. As J. & O. McClary, they soon added a foundry and produced \u201call kinds of stoves, tinners\u2019 supplies, pressed japanned and spliced wares.\u201d They formed the McClary Manufacturing Company in 1871 and produced stoves, agricultural implements, as well as tin, copper, and pressed metal wares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Image Left: <\/strong>Photograph, Early 20th Century, Collection of Museum London, 1999
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Introducing Enamelware<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
In 1880, the McClary Manufacturing Company began to produce a wide range of enamelware. Advertising informed vendors and homemakers that it was practical, pretty, and profitable.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Geographic Expansion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
This early 20th century McClary blotter, identifying the locations of the company\u2019s warehouses, illustrates the company\u2019s national reach. It benefited from expanding transportation networks, particularly westward. The company\u2019s products also met the needs of a growing population as immigration to Canada increased in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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McClary Manufacturing Company Factories<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The McClary Manufacturing Company\u2019s first factory in London was located at the corner of King and Wellington streets. Demolished in 1955, the factory gave way to Wellington Square Mall in 1962. The company built a second factory on Adelaide Street, just north of the Thames River in 1903. Here, workers manufactured cast iron stoves, furnaces, and other products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Advertising and Promotion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The McClary Manufacturing Company trumpeted the quality and range of its products. From match holders to ashtrays to toys, their goods reminded customers of the McClary name and reputation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Tecumseh Ware<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
In the 1920s, the McClary Manufacturing Company introduced Tecumseh Ware. Company advertising noted this \u201cgreat Indian ally of the British possessed\u2026staying qualities and loyalty.\u201d Just as \u201cTecumseh stood behind his pledges, McClary\u2019s stand behind every piece of Tecumseh Ware\u2026\u201d For Non-Indigenous Canadians, Tecumseh was a hero of the War of 1812 and the epitome of the \u201cNoble Savage\u201d: virtuous, brave, and strong. In appropriating his name, McClary\u2019s tried to link their product with these qualities. They also objectified and trivialized this Shawnee warrior and leader.<\/p>\n\n\n
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A Range of Power Sources<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
In the 1920s, the McClary Manufacturing Company produced stoves that used different sources of power. Some were wood burners, others oil-fueled, and still others electric. While London households had access to the hydroelectric grid from 1910, many rural households were unconnected. They continued to use wood or oil, fuel they could source locally, and which could be transported by rail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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