Then: Carborundum

In 1891, Dr. Edward G. Acheson developed a grinding material that would replace emery, sandstone and other natural abrasives. The substance was carbide of silicon, trademarked by Dr. Acheson as "carborundum". In 1893, new power production at Niagara Falls provided a cheap and reliable source of energy, and Dr. Acheson founded Carborundum Company plants in both Niagara Falls N.Y. then Ontario. The Ontario plant, a major manufacturer of abrasives, grinding wheels and sharpening stones, opened on Buttrey Street in 1897, but the heat of the furnace caused the wooden building to burn to the ground. Production was moved to larger, non-wooden facilities on Stanley Avenue in 1915. Dr. Acheson's family home was on Lundy's Lane near Dorchester Road.

Two large additions were constructed in the early 1930s, with more expansion after WWII. The 1960s had a number of labour disputes, but also years of record earnings. The economic downturn of the 1980s lead to the closing of the sister-plant in Niagara Falls, N.Y., followed by the local abrasives plant closing in 1985. Norton in Hamilton purchased the technology and trade names along with the market information.

Now: Washington Mills

Today (2018) Carborundum abrasives products are sold by Saint-Gobain Abrasives, and the facilities are owned by Washington Mills Electro Minerals.

Niagara Falls Public Library. 2017. Niagara Falls - Then & Now: A Photographic Journey Through The Years. Carborundum/ Washington Mills.

Niagara Falls Then and Now
A collaborative project
Niagara Falls Museums - Niagara Falls Public Library - Dept. of Geography and Tourism Studies,Brock University.
Original newspaper series by Sherman Zavitz, Official Historian for the City of Niagara Falls from 1994 - 2019.

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