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| Silas Scudder Jr. says (with a yell, pointing at the 22,000 pound cheese): "Oh, Pap, there's the moon." Dr. Scudder says: "Tut, tut, tut! Don't holler so loud before yer know what yer talkin' about. That hain't the moon; that's a grindstone." Talk of the Town "It is in good preservation, of excellent quality and has all the taste, flavour and strength of ripe old cheese. Considering the length of time since it was made, now nearly two years, the distance it has traveled by land and water, and the heat it was subjected to in Chicago, it is surprising how well it has kept. In all respects this cheese must be pronounced as a marvel of the cheesemaker's art..." Guelph Mercury (Grit) May, 1894 Over 100 years since it was produced, the Mammoth Cheese was the most celebrated cheese in the world for nearly a century Courtesy of Perth Museum In 2007, the Rideau Canal proudly joined the Mammoth Cheese on the world=stage when it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Mammth Cheese was more talked about and written about than any other single exhibit at Chicago's World Fair in 1893. Judged to be near perfection, the cheese garnered 95 points out of a possible score of 100 points, receiving a diploma and a bronze medal. Sir Thomas Lipton - the British tea king, purchased the world-renowned cheese and shipped it overseas to London, England via Liverpool. Upon arrival, Mr. Lipton claimed he no longer wanted his large trophy, as quality of flavour had been lost in the Atlantic crossing. A prominent importer of Canadian cheese from Tooley Steet snatched up the chance to turn it over to London caterer Mr. Jubal Webb who cut it up with considerable ceremony in the spring of 1894. The High Commissioner for Canada, Sir Charles Tupper, and other notables were present. It was deemed that the Mammoth Cheese was indeed - aged to perfection. Shortly after, eighty pounds of the world-famous cheese was sent back to Ottawa where smaller samples were widely distributed and received high praise, followed by a fresh wave of publicity. Pride in Lanark County's agricultural giant has continued over the years in ongoing Mammoth Cheese celebrations. Visit Matheson House - Home of the Perth Museum to see the winning medal, original promotional items and an authentic piece of the "Canadian Mite". |
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| Tay River Trail First Drive-thru Going Bananas "In 1927, J. Quattrocchi Wholesale company imported the first-ever carload of bananas to this area. Every time we received a banana shipment at the CPR rail yards in Perth, we would weigh our empty truck here at the scales, and then bring it back and weigh it again loaded to see if we were charged for the right amount. This went on biweekly from April to October from 1927-1941, then almost weekly, year round until 1951 when we built a banana storage room at our new warehouse in Smiths Falls." Gus Quattrocchi The first set of weigh scales was located behind Town Hall. This is the site of the second weigh scale station, operated from 1900-1960 by the Town of Perth. Trucks and wagons laden with good would enter from Drummond Street, drive onto the scales to ge weighed and exit onto what was then-called Baby Street. Knowing the weight of products was important for many reasons - from the government levying taxes on goods to vehicle licensing and for setting trade prices. Farmers weighed-in their loads of dairy goods and produce such as grain and vegetables. Local merchants confirmed the weight of products such as coal, timber, potash before shipping via Tay Canal, rail or road to far-reaching markets. Deliveries were also weighed for accuracy by importers - the most exotic being the banana making its Perth debut in 1927. There was always something interesting coming and going on here. It was a hub - a place for both social and business interaction. Current trading prices, the season's crops, and new technology were discussed, and often there was laughter over a shared joke with neighbours and friends. |
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| PRESENTED BY THE LANARK COUNTY CHEESE PRODUCERS IN RECOGNITION AND APPRECIATION OF THE SERVICES OF ALL THOSE WHO THROUGH LEGILATIVE, EDUCATIONAL, COMMERCIAL, OR INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP OR ACTIVITY DID LAY THE FOUNDATION AND DID GUIDE THE UPBUILDING OF THE DAIRY INDUSTRY IN CANADA UNVEILED NOV. 6, 1943 BY DR.J.A.RUDDICK, DAIRY COMMISSIONER FOR CANADA 1905 TO 1932, ON THE OCCASION OF THE COMMEMORATION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MAKING, NEAR THIS SITE IN 1892 OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST CHEESE WEIGHING 22,000 POUNDS THE NATIONAL DAIRY COUNCIL OF CANADA |
