Dominion of Canada Plumbago Co.
The Dominion of Canada Plumbago Company appears to have been created in 1875. It was included a graphite mine in Buckingham Township of Quebec with a mill to process the graphite. The company had offices in the US, Canada and England with most of the financial backing coming from overseas.
The company displayed plumbago from Canadian mines at both the Philadelpia Centennial Exhibition in 1876 and the Paris Worlds Fair in 1878. In both of these World Fair's the company won medals including medals for pencils. It turns out that these pencils were manufactured in the US using Canadian Graphite.
The company soon had to be liquidated and in 1880 it was sold to American investors (Walker Mining Co) who continued to operate it until about 1895.
For some additional background see - https://graphography.org/index.php/2022/07/01/plumbago-canada/
The company displayed plumbago from Canadian mines at both the Philadelpia Centennial Exhibition in 1876 and the Paris Worlds Fair in 1878. In both of these World Fair's the company won medals including medals for pencils. It turns out that these pencils were manufactured in the US using Canadian Graphite.
The company soon had to be liquidated and in 1880 it was sold to American investors (Walker Mining Co) who continued to operate it until about 1895.
For some additional background see - https://graphography.org/index.php/2022/07/01/plumbago-canada/
Advertisement from the Ottawa Daily Citizen 28 Aug 1875.
News
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Montreal Gazette 1878
The Dominion of Canada Plumbago Company have been award, at the Paris Exposition, the gold medal over all competitors for the superiority of their pencils. |
Montreal Gazette 1878
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Plumbago An Interesting Exhibition - The Times, Ottawa 23 Feb 1876
Yesterday we made an inspection of the specimens of plumbago which the Dominion of Canada Plumbago Co have prepareed for exhibition at the Philadelphia Centenntial.
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As generally known plumbago is used principally in the manufacture of pencils, crucibles, stove polish, and for lubricating and electrotyping purposes; and large glass jars will be exhibited, each containing ground plumbago specially prepared for these purposes. A quntity of plumbago has also been manufactured into pencils, the excellence of which we can vouch for , as we are writing this paragraph with one of the same pencils, which we find to be a very superior article.
Yesterday we made an inspection of the specimens of plumbago which the Dominion of Canada Plumbago Co have prepareed for exhibition at the Philadelphia Centenntial.
...
As generally known plumbago is used principally in the manufacture of pencils, crucibles, stove polish, and for lubricating and electrotyping purposes; and large glass jars will be exhibited, each containing ground plumbago specially prepared for these purposes. A quntity of plumbago has also been manufactured into pencils, the excellence of which we can vouch for , as we are writing this paragraph with one of the same pencils, which we find to be a very superior article.
Deliberate Misrepresentation - The Ottawa Daily Citazen 20 Aug 1881
"Now the fact of the matter is, the lead pencils of the Dominion of Canada Plumbago Company were manufactured in the States and not in Canada at all. The lead used was the product of Canadian mines. A movement is now on foot to have the pencils manufactured in Canada. We can scarely accuse the Globe's correspondent of Ignorance in this case, as in the currency returns case, connected with which he assailed Mr. Toller most maliciously and attempted to bring his ability as a fancier into disrepute, although his returns were precisely similar in form to those made during nearly five years of Reforms rule, In The Citizen on Tuesday it was said, "The company manufactured its pencils in New York, the lead bing the product of a Canadian mine. The company having given up the manufacure of the clare of pencils which were chiefly required, purchased ceased, and the articles of other manufacturers had to be secured. The Dominion of Canada Plumbago Company is not manufacturing at present, but we learn that for some time past a movement has been on foot to have its works transferred to Canada, where, if encouragement were given, a large and profitable business might be built up."
"Now the fact of the matter is, the lead pencils of the Dominion of Canada Plumbago Company were manufactured in the States and not in Canada at all. The lead used was the product of Canadian mines. A movement is now on foot to have the pencils manufactured in Canada. We can scarely accuse the Globe's correspondent of Ignorance in this case, as in the currency returns case, connected with which he assailed Mr. Toller most maliciously and attempted to bring his ability as a fancier into disrepute, although his returns were precisely similar in form to those made during nearly five years of Reforms rule, In The Citizen on Tuesday it was said, "The company manufactured its pencils in New York, the lead bing the product of a Canadian mine. The company having given up the manufacure of the clare of pencils which were chiefly required, purchased ceased, and the articles of other manufacturers had to be secured. The Dominion of Canada Plumbago Company is not manufacturing at present, but we learn that for some time past a movement has been on foot to have its works transferred to Canada, where, if encouragement were given, a large and profitable business might be built up."
Colonial Exhibition - Daily Evening Mercury, Quebec 27 Feb 1886
The Dominion Plumbago Company have just completed their collection for shipment to the Colonial and Indian Exhibition. It is certainly a very creditable one - pure and disseminated, prepared stock for pencils, lubricating electronplating crucibles, stove polish, foundry facings, refracting goods, pencils in varous stages of manufacture and finished from the lowest to the highest grades.
The Dominion Plumbago Company have just completed their collection for shipment to the Colonial and Indian Exhibition. It is certainly a very creditable one - pure and disseminated, prepared stock for pencils, lubricating electronplating crucibles, stove polish, foundry facings, refracting goods, pencils in varous stages of manufacture and finished from the lowest to the highest grades.
The Buckingham Post - 31 Dec 1920
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The history of the rise and fall of Graphite City is very graphically told in the following paragraphs written especially for the Post by one with first hand knowledge of the events; -
The original mill was built in 1872 by the Dominion of Canada Plumbago Company whose offices were on Great Jones St, New York, and whose capital was largely British. At the Centennial Exhibition held in Philadelphia in 1876 the company had a very comprehensive exhibit for which it was awarded many medals. The Dominion of Canada Plumbago continued to operate intermittently until 1879 when it went into liquidation, the mill and property passing into the hands of the Walker Mining Co. who operated with indifferent success until 1895 when the mill was closed down and remained so until until 1905 when it was leased from M. P. Davis, of Ottawa who had in the meantime come into possession. The Buckingham Graphite Co. made important changes and made the mill a modern plan in so far as the knowledge of milling graphite at that time allowed and continued to operate the plan with a fair modicum of success until 1909 when the property reverted to the owner ever since which date the property has been idle.
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The history of the rise and fall of Graphite City is very graphically told in the following paragraphs written especially for the Post by one with first hand knowledge of the events; -
The original mill was built in 1872 by the Dominion of Canada Plumbago Company whose offices were on Great Jones St, New York, and whose capital was largely British. At the Centennial Exhibition held in Philadelphia in 1876 the company had a very comprehensive exhibit for which it was awarded many medals. The Dominion of Canada Plumbago continued to operate intermittently until 1879 when it went into liquidation, the mill and property passing into the hands of the Walker Mining Co. who operated with indifferent success until 1895 when the mill was closed down and remained so until until 1905 when it was leased from M. P. Davis, of Ottawa who had in the meantime come into possession. The Buckingham Graphite Co. made important changes and made the mill a modern plan in so far as the knowledge of milling graphite at that time allowed and continued to operate the plan with a fair modicum of success until 1909 when the property reverted to the owner ever since which date the property has been idle.
