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Note: Harold Findlay was born on the Findlay Farm on the corner of Pilette and Tecumseh road in Sandwich East Twp., Essex County, now a part of the city of Windsor, on July 1, 1889. As a young man, he worked with his father, German Findlay, on the family fruit orchards; He was responsible for the delivery of fruit to local fruit dealers in the Border cities of Windsor and Walkerville, Now amalgamated. He also delivered fruit across the Detroit river to Detroit with a horse and buggy on the passenger ferries which was a major cross border transportation facility in thoses days. At some point his father bought a second small farm west of Pilette on Tecumseh road. Harold's first two sons -- Morrey and Weldon -- were born in a small two- story house on that property. On October 27,1919, Harold married Jessie Forence Morrey, whose family had moved from Ingersoll to Windsor some time before. In 1924 he bought a 100 acre farm on Talbot road North in the town of Essex at the centre of the county of the same name, and moved his family there. He bought the farm from Roland Robinson, son of Joseph Robinson and grandson of James Robinson who, with his wife Sabina, was one of the first families to get a Crown deed in the swampy area of the county that became Essex Centre; that was in 1842. Also in 1924, seemingly the whole extended Findlay family drove to Florida. E.B.Morrey the step father of Jessie Forence Morrey (Mrs.Harold Findlay) was mayor of Apopka at that time and involved in the promation of Orange County Florida. The account of the family experiences with early model automobiles, crocodiles, etc.etc. is a facinating one. The Findlay Farm (Essex) is remembered by most for the beautiful heard of Guernseys that grazed in the old orchard by the main street (Talbot road). Their release from the stable's winter protection was a certain sign of spring. Harold Findlay originally planted orchards of apples, pears, plums, cherries, peaches and small fruit -- grapes, raspberries, strawberries, red and black currents and gooseberries. Later he removed the peaches and cherries and most of the small fruit except for the grapes but retained the rest which the family harvested and marketed locally and to Windsor dealers. After taking out a large part of the orchards, Harold went into dairy farming suppling local Essex customers. As demand for fresh milk grew, he bought 9 head of purebred registered Guernseys at a sale in Wisconsin in 1926 and brought them in by rail to Essex. It was a great sight for Essex residents to see the cows, including one bull, paraded down the main street from the station to the Findlay Farm, all in show condition straight from sale, braided and teased tails and all. It was not long before Findlays' were delivering Golden Guernsey milk to satisfied customers in Essex by horse and delivery wagon; a milk house was built for cooling, separating and bottling. Harold's nephews and nieces (family of his brother, German Todd Findlay) from Woodsey and later from Windsor) were brought in to help with the dairy, milk delivery and fruit picking --Jenny, Beatrice, Frank, Melvin, Mabel, Henry, Margaret, Lloyd and maybe even the youngest, Rhea. The original cattle imported from Wisconsin included the following: Diamond's June Stripe of Big Hill (herd Sire) Evelyn's Gladys of Louis Corners Buella of Manitowac Island Farm Nancy's Bluffer's Queen of Corner Hill Della of Foote Farm Corium Gay's Girl Dora of Springbrook. Clarendale Dolly Ellen of Lloyddale Diamond's June Stripe of Big Hill was later sold to Walker Farms of Walkerville where it sired Diamond Nancy, the first Guernsey cow in Canada to produce over 1,000 lbs. of butterfat in a 365 day lactation. (Walker Farms Diamond Nancy) Herd Sires which followed Diamond's June Stripe of Big Hill included: Sunnyholme King Martindale Butterfat Don Alda King of the Way Pinecroft Holliston Cathedral ? Wally Rilma Harold was an innovator and leader in new technology. His herd of Guernseys was one of the first, if not the first, in Essex county to be T.B.accredited (tuberculin free). He was one of the first in the area to purchase a forage harvester (John Deer) and to cut corn and grass in the field, cut it up and blow it into the silos. He also experimented with cutting hay in the field with the forage harvester and blowing the dry hay into the mow. This had to be timed just right to be successful so as not to knock too many leaves off. He even experimented with planting corn in circular pattern, starting on the perimeters of the field and ending up in the middle. The disadvantage of this was the wide spaces left on the corners which had to be cultivated by hand. It was great for harvesting corn with the forst harvester, however, as you kept going around without having to worry about headlands. He only tried this for a couple of years. Everyone probably thought he was crazy. At some point the Borden Company in Windsor persuaded Harold to sell his milk to them; they marketed it as special Golden Guernsey table milk as well as for the production of cream. In 1963 the barns burned down while blowing hay into the mow. All the cattle were rescued but Harold decided to sell the entire herd intact to a breeder in the Toronto area, since both of his sons, Morrey and Weldon, had gone to other professions. Harold kept on with fruit production for some time while renting out some of the land. Eventually, when he was looking at having to replace spraying equipment he leased the orchards to Russells. Finally, he sold the farm to the Hudak family who later resold it to Developer Earl Burstyn of Essex who commenced its development for residential puposes. On Friday, December 9,1988 the two story brick residence of Harold Findlay, a 111 year old structure built by Joseph Robinson to replace the original log home of the Robinsons, was demolished by Earl Burstyn to make way for Orchard Park residential developments. His son, Morrey Findlay, built a house next door to the old house when he was teaching at Essex District High School across the street. He retired to this house after spending some years as principal of schools in Northern Ontario. He finally sold the house to Burstyns in 1999 and moved to a house he bought at 294 Irwin Avenue at the south east end of Essex. ( The Essex Free Press:Friday May 7,1971) "Harold Findlay,aged 81 years, a highly respected resident of Essex since 1924, passed away in Grace hospital on Wednesday. He had only been hospitalized a couple of days. Deseased was very active in Essex United Church, being an elder for 45 years; he was a past president and trustee of the Essex Rotary club, past chairman of Essex District High School Board; a life member of the Canadian Guernsey Breeders Ass'n; on Boy Scouts Committee and Essex Boys Band Committee. He was born on the Findlay farm on Pilette Road, now in Windsor, July 1st,1889. He purchased the Joseph Robinson farm, in Town, in 1924, and farmed until retiring several years ago. Surviving are his widow, Jessie; two sons, Morrey of Sault Ste.Marie; Weldon, of Guelph; one grandchild (James); four sisters: Eva (Mrs.Delbert McNaughton), of Essex; Miss Stella Findlay, of Toronto; Mrs.Alma Woods of Blenheim; Mrs.Mabel Totten, of Waterloo. Resting at the Stewart L. Kennedy Funeral Home, where services will be held Friday, at 2 p.m., Rev. Gordon Geiger officiating. Burial will be in Windsor Grove Cemetery."
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