Canadian Shredded Wheat Company Fonds

In 1893 Attorney Henry Drushel Perky and William H. Ford invented a machine for the preparation of cereals for food. Perky soon realized that the actual cereal biscuits were more popular than the machines and he opened Shredded Wheat plants in Massachusetts and Niagara Falls, New York. In 1904, the Niagara Falls, Canada plant was opened. These factories also served as tourist attractions. In 1907, one hundred thousand people visited the plants on both sides of the border. In 1928, the company was sold to The National Biscuit Company and the product name changed to Nabisco Shredded Wheat. The name of the plant was changed to Nabisco Foods in 1956 to reflect the variety of foods that were being produced at that time. In 1985, Nabisco was purchased by J.R. Reynolds thus forming RJR Nabisco. In 1994, RJR sold its breakfast cereal business to Kraft Foods and the international licenses to General Mills. Shredded Wheat is now integrated into the Post Foods portfolio. with information from: Niagara Falls Canada a History by The Kiwanis Club of Stamford, Ontario Inc. and Business Source Complete

Series I. Scrapbook entitled The Visit of His Excellency the Governor-General to The Canadian Shredded Wheat Company Ltd. October 25th, 1933 1.1 includes: a guest register page signed by the Governor General and 13 b&w photographs of the visit of Captain Vere Brabazon Ponsonby, 9th Earl of Bessborough who served as The Governor General of Canada. Series II. Photographs, 1901, 1918, [1960], n.d. 1.2 includes: 13 b&w photographs of the Canadian Shredded Wheat Factory, the George Ellis canning factory, Shredded Wheat staff and one of the Triscuit ovens in the Niagara Falls, New York factory.