The Museum collection includes a Tudhope Anderson horse mower which was donated to the Museum in the early 1960s.
Tudhope Anderson was a farm equipment manufacturer located in Orillia, Ontario. As well as manufacturing equipment,Tudhope Anderson also represented other North American equipment manufacturers in Western Canada. These companies included International Harvester and the Indiana Road Machinery Company.
Tudhope Anderson had its beginning in 1854 when William Tudhope set up a shop in Jarret, Ontario where he made iron hardware such as wagon parts. He then moved to Orillia where he opened a blacksmith and wheelwright shop. In 1890 William was joined by his five sons and they formed the Tudhope Carriage Company.
In 1902 one of the sons, J. B. Tudhope, formed the Tudhope Anderson Company with Harry Anderson.
Harry Anderson had immigrated to Canada in 1880, studied at the Ontario Agricultural College and took a homestead at Oak River, Manitoba in 1882. When the North West Rebellion broke out in 1885 he joined the 91th Battalion. After he mustered out he became involved in the farm machinery business in Manitoba with the John Elliot and Son Company and then with the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company. He formed a partnership in 1889 with J. Bryan to act as agents for various manufacturers in Western Canada. The companies included the Emerson Company, Tudhope Carriage Co. and the Chatham Company. He then formed Tudhope Anderson with J. B. Tudhope and acted as the manager for Tudhope Anderson’s Western Canadian operations.
The Tudhope Anderson Company manufactured simple machinery like the horse mower in the Museum collection and distributed other manufacturers equipment. In 1911, Tudhope Anderson took over the manufacturing facilities of the Sylvester Company of Lindsay, Ontario after Sylvester encountered financial difficulties developing the “AutoHarvester.” Sylvester manufactured seed drill, grain binders, pumps, cultivators and gas engines. Sylvester managed to retain the gas engine part of their business.
Just when Tudhope Anderson wrapped up is not clear. There is some suggestion the Company suspended manufacturing in the early 1920s. In 1930s a company called OTACO (Orillia Tudhope Anderson Company) appeared and began manufacturing the Auto-Trac kit which converted a car into a tractor plus farm wagons and sleighs. With the advent of the Second World War, the Otaco plant was converted to war production and made aircraft landing gear. In 1948, Otaco obtained the license to from International Nickel to produce Ductalloy castings. While producing casting for other manufacturers, Otaco produced the Gold Tip plow share which it sold to farmers. Otaco was sold in the 1960s with the American owners finally closing the company in 1990.
The Tudhope Carriage Company was never part of Tudhope Anderson. This company was one of the first Canadian automobile manufacturers building the Everett 30 which later became known as the Tudhope. When the First World War started, the car plant was converted to war production and car manufacture never resumed after the war. Tudhope became involved in manufacturing specialty metal shapes. The Tudhope Carriage Company was wound up in the 1960s.