Metcalfe Foods had canning factories in Deseronto from 1912, according to a Deseronto Post article published in 1948. The archives has three copies of this photograph of the staff of the firm, taken in the 1930s (either 1932 or 1938, according to notes on the photos).
Staff of Metcalfe Foods, 1930s
One of the employees pictured here, Floyd Marlin, wrote down many of the names of those pictured and his list is reproduced below. If you are able to fill in any of the gaps, please post a comment or drop the Archives an email. Some of the spellings here are possibly wrong, so please let us know if you spot one that needs correcting.
Front row, left to right:
?
?
?
Pansy Lindsay
Mrs McCabe
Muriel Cole
Gerty Toppings
Mrs Ed Martin
Mrs McLaughlin
Mrs Herb Histed
Lila Histed
?
Lizzy Marlin
Mrs Wager
Mrs Harv Scriver
Mrs Norm Davis
?
?
? Smith
Marion Clause
Mrs Scyler Smith
Second row:
?
?
Ruby Maracle
Mrs Herb Maracle
Barbara Rennolds
Jean Cronk
Mrs E. [Ernie] Crisp
Bessie Young
Mrs Cat Young
Mrs Bill Miller
?
Lola Brooks
Violet Cole
Mrs Bessy O’Ray
Annie Johndrew
Meta Clause
Mrs Hoppings
Mrs De Mille
?
Susan Maracle
Audrey Maracle
?
Mrs Fred Laurence
Third row:
Mrs A. Joyce
Mrs Bill Purvis
Vera Dawson
Mrs Abe Cronk
?
Alice Leafe
Mrs Morley Gault
Mrs Arney Cole
Mrs Alport
?
Mrs Nellie Tompkins
Maude Covert
Elsie Maracle
Verda Maracle
Muriel Cole
? Gault
Lou Green
Back row:
?
Fred Powell
?
Tom Jackson
Jim Sharpe
Bert Richardson
Art Howard
Abe Cronk
Ed. Chambers
Dixie [?] Green
Jim Sager
Evert Martin
Claborn Tompkins
Norm Davis
Floyd Marlin
Walter Joyce
Jack Barber
Joe Clare
Fred Hoppings
Phil ‘Cribby’ Blake
Maude Covert, who also appears in this photograph, lived at the house we featured in an earlier post.
Maude Covert
Deseronto Archives 
November 1, 2009 at 11:22 pm
Hi Amanda, so happy to see this photo. Date must be 1938 and not 1932 though. Marion Claus (now Hearns) is 2nd from right in front row. She is working at Deseronto Library and you could verify her age in photo with her.
Marion’s mother is Meta in 2nd row.
Great info! Keep up the good work!
November 2, 2009 at 10:42 am
Thanks for this, Paul. I’ve had conflicting views on whether the photo is 1932 or 1938. Can I ask what makes you so sure it’s the later date? I will definitely quiz Marion about it, too!
November 2, 2009 at 11:02 am
I’m pretty sure that Marion said she started at Metcalfe in 1935 when she was about 11! In this photo I’m sure she’s older than that, so I’m guessing that if there’s a reference to the photo possibly being in 1938, that would be much more likely.
BTW, you can verify with Marion as well, although Meta went by that name, her real name was Ada Violet (nee Maracle). I don’t know why she went by Meta!
August 1, 2010 at 10:17 pm
Hello, I am not sure if anyone is checking this site anymore, however, I am the great grandson of Elwood metcalfe. His son Clayton took over the business and ran it to his death at age 60. He is currently in the Deseronto cemetary. Clayton’s daughter is my mother. If you are looking for any information, please contact me at davidsonjohn04@gmail.com. Thanks