FAMOUSE FLEURY PLOWS

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According to the Banner, the chairman of the event congratulated the guest of honor on the early success of the new sewing machines coming off the lines, and since he was given the opportunity, Joseph responded. The company's founder expressed his appreciation for the dinner and the kind remarks, complimented the organizers for not serving 'loquacious' beverages and wished them good health. He also gave an extensive overview of the company's history.

The third event worth noting occurred Aug. 5, 1876, when sewing machine production and manufacture of all other Fleury products halted abruptly after a devastating fire hit the factory. The Newmarket Era reported that the fire spread with 'fearful rapidity, burning the entire Works, except the molding and blacksmith shops, which were built of brick.'

No insurance existed in those days on either the buildings or the stock, and losses were estimated between $45,000 to $70,000. More significant was the loss of patterns, designs and plans that had to be re-created before business could resume. At a well-attended public meeting soon after the fire, a $3,000 municipal loan was granted to the company, to be repaid over a five-year period. By the time Joseph Fleury Jr. died Sept. 23, 1880, the Agricultural Works were completely rebuilt and expanded, and a 200-man workforce was on the job.

Death of the patriarch

Fleury was only 48 years old when he died suddenly. The funeral was held on Saturday, Sept. 25, 1880, and 100 employees, 300 townspeople and a number of Freemasons from Aurora and nearby communities attended the service. Eighty vehicles made up the cemetery procession, described as 'one of the most imposing ever seen in the village.'

Fleury's passing signaled more than the demise of one individual. He'd exhibited extraordinary pioneer and business ingenuity with respect to farming in Canada. Had he lived longer, he surely would have continued to make significant contributions to the field and to his community. His enduring Fleury plows and other implements, though, can still be seen in museum and private collections, and sometimes, in use to work farms and large gardens.

Fleury's sons took up their father's work after his death, and the Fleury name was associated with agricultural plows and other implements until the late 1930s. Operating as Fleury Bissell Ltd., the old Aurora Agricultural Works remained open until the end of World War II. Then, operations moved to Elora, Ontario, where they continued until the mid-1980s - 120 years after Joseph Fleury Jr. opened his first blacksmith shop.

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