Neal Baking Company

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• Notes on machinery, you notice the large belts hanging from the roof to a few of the machines, that was because factories back then, only had a few motors that turned drive shafts in the cieling and power was transfered to the eqipment by large leather belts, the machine in photo 3 the belt is crossed over itself to allow the machine to run in reverse. To save time these belts would be crossed over with the main shaft running.
  ron

• Thanks for the explanation Ronald.

• Randolph hit the nail on the head - if you want to change the city you have to run for city council. Even if you lose, if you have some good ideas and start plucking off some their votes, they will steal you ideas (or at least pay lip service to them) for fear of getting fired from their job.
  Plus: last time I checked (years ago), it only cost $100 to put your name on the ballot and if you get 2% of the vote or something like that, you get your money back.

• My friend Julie (sleuth) found this site for me. My father's family owned this bakery (William Neal 1923-1991). It is so great to see the photos. We don't seem to have any. I recall my dad saying that he worked there as a very young boy. He spoke of horses pulling the bread wagon.
  Just wanted to say thanks. Kim Neal

• You might be interested in knowing the Neal Baking Company ultimately ended up in London and included the Windsor & Sarnia operations and then was sold to Northern Bakeries Ltd., the Canadian end of the Continental Baking Corp. of the U.S.

  Mr. Neal started and was the first president of the Windsor Rotary Club.

  It seems it was also Mr. Neal who brought Mr. Ross to town to design Roseland Golf Course as a centerpiece in his Roseland housing plan.

  Mr. Neal lived resided at 680 Victoria Avenue as of 1920.

• Great info Gail! Thanks!

• First, I love this site! A friend introduced me to it a while back.

  This property is 371 Salter Street and is owned by John & Mary Vidican. They are the same couple that built, owned and operated Twin Oaks Golf & Country Club which used to be between Lauzon and Banwell (Closed in the early 90's top become Twin Oaks business park).
  Currently the salter property has no tenants, as David said in an earlier comment.. it is the area, hard to find quality tenants that pay their bills and the zoning requirements the city has enforced on the building which make it nearly impossible. I would be surprised if we could even sell the building for $100.
  Randolph & SBW - You couldn't be more correct!!

• I thought I posted a coment yesterday. Anyway, my mom was Barbara Neal and her dad was Harry J. I don't have much info on my grandfather as my grandmother, Nana, returned to the states around 1935. I love finding things like this about my ancestors. I have a copy of the Who's Who book. When my Nana left Windsor, scandalous at that time, they lived in the Battle Creek Sanitarium, courtesy of her brother Charles Ulrich Bay and my father's family was also closely tied to the Kellogg family.

• Kim Neal and I are cousins, your father would be my great uncle and my mother's dad was Harry J Neal. My mom grew up in the house on Victoria and I was supposedly almost named Victoria but got my mom Barbara's middle name instead. I don't know much about Grandpa Harry as my Nana moved the children to Battle Creek to live in the sanitarium as her brother was a friend of the Kellogg family. My Grandpa Freeman was a BC dentist and also knew the Kellogg's. I love seeing these pictures and tracking down my history.