Community Connections/ July 2nd, 2021

The O’Hara family, like many local families, were farmers. As such they worked to supply the community with resources to make life easier. The O’Hara’s were active participants in the cheese industry and the lumber industry in the Madoc area during their time.

Contribution to the Local Cheese Industry

Spring Hill Cheese Factory (click on image to learn more)

The O’Hara family were active participants in the cheese industry and while they didn’t produce the cheese themselves, without them it would not have been possible.

Recent historical work by Grant Ketcheson has traced the heritage of cheese making in Madoc Township. Within his research was information on the Spring Hill Cheese factory which was located at the corner of O’Hara and Mill Roads. This factory and ones like it in the area only produced cheese of the cheddar variety.

Colleen Maines and Minnie (Lafferty) at the O’Hara Milk stand

So where do the O’Hara family come into this story? Someone had to source the milk that made the cheese and the O’Hara family, along with their neighbours, fulfilled this role!

The family would collect milk and leave it at their milk stand near the road, where it would be lowered down to be kept cool. It would then be picked up and taken to the cheese factory down the road daily and be made into cheese.

A replication of the O’Hara Milk stand can be found at the Homestead next time you visit!

Lumber Production

Ben Lear (James Jr.’s brother in law) at the Mill

You can’t talk about the O’Hara family without mentioning their role in the Madoc lumber industry! A popular sight to see for visitors to the Homestead is the O’Hara sawmill, if you come on the right day you might even see it in action!

The O’Hara Mill began when Squire James O’Hara went into partnership with his son James Jr. to build a mill. The father purchased the land and provided the mill and his son agreed to supply it with lumber. This partnership lasted 20 years, during which the O’Hara’s provided local builders with cut lumber. As a result, many of the structures built in the area during that time period would likely have been built with lumber from the O’Hara Mill. The O’Hara’s own home and furniture would have been built with lumber supplied from this mill as well.

While the partnership ended between father and son, the mill continued to operate and supply lumber to the community until 1908.

After being restored in the 1950s by the Moira River Conservation Authority, the mill is now functional and can be seen in action on demonstration days.

To learn more please watch our demonstration video from last summer: https://youtu.be/DxWzweQB5xA