Postcard Memories is a weekly series of historic postcard views and photos submitted by Marcel Rousseau.
Some were previously published by the Orillia Museum of Art and History and in the book Postcard Memories Orillia.
Since 1910, Otaco and its predecessor, the Tudhope Anderson Co., were one of the largest producers of farm equipment in Canada. They made wagons, spreaders, pumps, cow bowls, harrows and tractor plows.
One of their best-selling items was the In-Throw Disc Harrow. It was made in three sizes: 12, 14 or 16 discs. In 1951, the Harrow seen here in front of the plant had a list price of $81.50. That would be close to a month’s wages for a workman in the early 1950s.
This 14-disc harrow weighed 420 pounds and had a seven-foot cut. The 16-inch discs were equipped with scrapers to keep the inner side clean. The driver's weight was over the gangs where it was needed, leaving no centre strip uncultivated.
Made with a two- or three-horse tongue, it also came with a short tongue and clevis for tractor haulage.
The section of the factory seen here with the Canadian National boxcar sitting on the rail siding and the Hewitt Bros. Cartage truck at the loading door is the front of the plant on the northeast side facing West Street.
Ready for display to the left of the truck can be seen other farm equipment made here including a wooden wheelbarrow, a spring tooth harrow and the “Peerless Wagon” made out of hardwood with steel-tired wheels.
