Taking a stroll along the trail of Fairy Lake, Southampton, one quickly notices the interpretive plaque near the bandshell. It displays the history of a tannery that once stood on its grounds and served as one of the main industries of the town. However, as one glances back up at the picturesque park with its calm water and lush greenery, it’s hard to imagine that a tannery, with its smokestacks and industrial buildings, ever stood there. The only obvious hint of its existence is the tannery machinery wheel situated at the bottom of the Grey Street stairs, which was retrieved from Fairy Lake in 1983.
Tannery Beginnings
Before the founding of the Bowman & Zinkan tannery in Southampton, Zinkan Cress & Co. opened in 1874 in Port Elgin. It was run by three partners originally from Waterloo: Henry Zinkan, Isaac Bowman, and Philip Cress. Henry Zinkan also owned another tannery in St. Jacobs and his son, Nelson B. Zinkan, owned a leather house in Winnipeg alongside his other tanneries in Port Elgin and Southampton.
Bowman & Zinkan was built in 1880 by Charles Bowman (Isaac’s son) and Henry Zinkan at the outlet of Little (now Fairy) Lake along the side of Clarendon and Grey streets. They were known to use cow hides from two local slaughterhouses in their production, but most hides were imported from South America. The factory obtained Ontario hemlock bark, used to tan the hide, from Northern parts of the Bruce Peninsula, as well as other locations along the North Channel of Lake Huron such as Blind River, Thessalon, and Sault St. Marie.
Active Employer and Producer
Bowman & Zinkan Tannery employed around 20-25 men at the beginning. However, these numbers would grow to around 100 at its height of operation in April 1900. The tannery specialized in Spanish sole leather which required an extra step in the tanning process. The tanning process at Bowman & Zinkan was performed in four stages.
Stage 1 involves scraping the flesh from the inside of the hide and the fur from the outside.
Stage 2 applies when the hide was not needed right away; it is placed in a solution of salt water as a means of preservation until the hide is needed.
Stage 3 involves the submersion of the hide in a vat of “liquor” which was made of hemlock bark. The soaked hide would then be draped over bars where, for the next two weeks, the strength of the solution would be maintained, and the hide would be dipped frequently.
Stage 4 consisted of rolling the hide dry and treating it with oil.
The finished hide, now leather, would be loaded and sent by train to either Toronto or Montreal. At the height of operation, Bowman and Zinkan would process up to 2500 cow hides and would use 2000 cords of tan bark a year.
Fire
On the evening of July 31, 1900, at around 9:15 pm, a mysterious fire started in the tannery. It quickly travelled to the upper building and by 10 pm it was out of control. Despite efforts by many townspeople, the building was burned beyond operation. However, they succeeded in saving several hides as well as the safes, desks, and papers of the office. Overall, the fire caused $100,000 in damage and cost 100 employees their jobs. Based on initial reports about the fire, it seemed that there was an intention to rebuild the tannery once insurance affairs were settled.
Aftermath
As is evident, Bowman & Zinkan Tannery was never rebuilt, and nothing moved in to take its place. The cause of the fire was never determined; however, the leading theory was spontaneous combustion. Arson is not suspected in the case. The nightwatchman on shift the night of the fire said that he had not seen any sign of fire when he checked the room in which the fire started at 9 pm, shortly before its ignition. The burning of Bowman & Zinkan would linger as a shadow over Southampton in the wake of its demise.
Houses were later built on the site of the burnt tannery now called Tannery Hill, where, even today, bits of charred leather will be found when someone digs in the area. Some of the remaining bark was also shipped to the Canadian National Exhibition in 1937 to be used in their Fish and Fame exhibit.
Fifty-nine years after the fire, Fairy Lake and its surrounding land was transformed into a park and bird sanctuary by the Junior Conservation Club, and it currently remains in this state. Today many know Fairy Lake as a picturesque park that is host to many community events.
Sources
“Fairy Lake Park Is Transformed into Bird Sanctuary and Beauty Spot,” The Southampton Beacon, Southampton, Ontario, July 22, 1959.
Hilborn, Robin R. Southampton Vignettes: a Brief History of a Lake Huron Town – Chapter 16: Fairy Lake: Fire and Ice. Southampton: Family Helper Publishing, 2015
Keller, Krista. “Bowman & Zinkan had one of the largest tanneries in Ontario,” Marketplace, Kincardine, Ontario, February 2024.
Reynolds, John. “The Bowman and Zinkan Tannery, Southampton” pamphlet, Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre, AX2013.012.001.
“Tannery Burned,” Chesley Enterprise. Chelsey, Ontario, August 9, 1900.
The Times. “Town & District News” Port Elgin, Ontario. April 19, 1900.
