Fonds 2015.01 - Weiller & Williams Co. Ltd. fonds

Weiller & Williams Co. Ltd. of the North Edmonton Stockyards is one of the oldest cattle-commission firms in Canada. The company was chartered to buy and sell, import and export, and slaughter cattle, hogs, sheep, poultry and all other livestock and livestock products. As well, they acquired ranches and farms to carry on the trade of livestock rearing and manufacturing, and erected buildings necessary for the purposes of the company’s business.

In 1911, Leland Stanford Williams moved from New York to Edmonton to work for Swift & Company where he started in construction work, but later progressed to handle Swift’s livestock department. In 1916, Swift Canadian Co. transferred Williams to work in Winnipeg, where his talent in the livestock commission business was recognized by Henry Weiller. In 1917, Williams began working with Weiller in a livestock commission business named, Wood, Weiller & McCarthy in Edmonton. When McCarthy of the partnership resigned, the company was renamed.

Thus, on December 11, 1925, Weiller & Williams Co. Ltd. was co-founded by the two. Since the founding, Weiller and Williams built a strong relationship with Weiller responsible for the financial backing, and Williams on the livestock commission frontline. By 1927, in addition to the main stake in Edmonton, Weiller and Williams had opened offices in Calgary, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, St. Paul (Minnesota), and Chicago (Illinois). The company later expanded to additional branches in Lloydminster (Saskatchewan) and Fargo (North Dakota). When Weiller passed away in 1956, Williams took over as the principal of the company.