In 1857 William Hespeler, a merchant, and George Randall, a contractor, built what was known as Granite Mills in Waterloo, Ontario. A subsidiary to the mill was a small distillery known as the Waterloo Distillery. The business also included a dry goods store near the corner of King and Erb St. in Waterloo.
In 1863 Hespeler and Randall took in William Roos, and in 1864 William Hespeler hired young Joseph Emm Seagram. By 1870 Seagram had bought out Hespeler's interests and the company name became "George Randall and Company." In 1878 Seagram bought out Randall, and Seagram and Roos operated as "Randall and Company" until 1881 when they changed the name to "Seagram and Roos."
In 1883 Seagram bought out Roos and became the sole proprietor, using the names "Joseph Seagram Flour Mill and Distillery Company" and "Joseph E. Seagram, Miller, Distiller". Seagram incorporated the company in 1911, changing the name to "Joseph E. Seagram and Sons, Limited." By 1919 when Seagram died, he had built his Waterloo distillery into a major exporting company and his brand names were widely known. In 1928 the Bronfman family acquired the distillery and amalgamated it with their company, Distillers Corporation Limited.
From: 200 Years of Tradition: The Story of Canadian Whisky / Lorraine Brown. Markham, Ont.: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, c1994: 27-29, and History of Seagram's / Joseph Edward Frowde Seagram (Speech notes, 1960).
Original Seagram Door.
View of the Town of Waterloo, with Seagram's shown roughly at the centre.
Joseph E. Seagram General Store, King St., Waterloo.
Partnership agreement dated 1870, signed by George Randall, W. Roos and Joseph E. Seagram.
Invoice from Randall & Co.
Letter from J.E. Seagram comparing U.S. and Canadian Internal Revenue costs in producing spirits: "If the American distiller makes as good a spirit as is made in Canada it is utterly impossible for Canadians to compete with him." (July 31, 1879).
Joseph E. Seagram advertisement from Canada Calendar, 1906.
Business Card.
Early Seagram Label.
Early Seagram Label.
Early Seagram Label.
View of Seagram's ca. 1887.
Another drawing of Seagram's as it appeared ca. 1900.
Seagram's as it appeared ca. 1900.
Exterior of the Stillhouse.
Bottling line for Seagram's V.O., ca 1928.
Bottling line for Seagram's V.O., ca 1928.
Bottling line for Seagram's V.O., ca 1932.
Bottling line for Seagram's V.O., ca 1932.
This Bottling Label Account of Spirits Exported in Cases (above) from 1921 shows exports to such places as Brazil, the Bahamas, England and Norway. Joseph E. Seagram expanded the export side of his business during his lifetime. Licensed distilleries were required to account for all such exports.
