collection - Grafton & Co. Ltd.

Grafton & Co. Ltd. was a clothing manufacturer located in Dundas. It was established in May 1853 when James Beatty Grafton and his business partner, Andrew V. Gregson, established Gregson & Grafton, a small dry goods and millinery shop on the corner of King and Ogilvie in Dundas. In 1858, Mr. Gregson retired from the business and the Grafton/Gregson partnership was dissolved. Later the same year, James and his brother, John Stewart Grafton, formed a partnership, and the company of Grafton & Co. Ltd. was born a year later when James’ son, James J., joined the company. The company prospered commercially in the 1800s. Grafton brothers purchased the adjacent property in 1887 and they built the three-storey brick building on the corner of King and Main streets in Dundas. By 1900, Grafton and Company had expanded to further locations in Hamilton, Brantford, London, Peterborough and Owen Sound, with a sixth location opening in Woodstock in 1905. The company always had the most modern equipment to handle clothing products from manufacturing to shipping to retail. By 1967, Grafton and Company had merged with the Jack Fraser Stores, which provided the company with 85 store locations across Canada. But business at the Dundas Grafton's store declined and, by 1976, had ceased business.