A History of Barter in Kinmount

By Guy Scott

In Pioneer Times, cash was not so readily available as it is today. Prior to 1900, most small towns and villages didn’t even have a bank. So, the old-fashioned barter system was often used. The local farmers traded produce or wares to the general store for credit to be used for purchases from the same store. Many farmers carried a “balance sheet” or account at the local store. The farmers would bring in the products of their farm and sell them at an agreed-to price. They then “shopped” for items they needed. Sometimes the balance sheet was settled the same day, sometimes it was carried over and settled periodically.

What items did the farmer sell to the merchant? Wood products will be left out of this article. Not every merchant accepted wood products. There were independent buyers in the village for these items. So this article will concentrate on farm products or food stuffs. Potatoes were one of the commonest items for barter. Kinmount was famous for its potatoes. They were easily grown, easy to handle and kept well. The locals all grew their own potatoes, so they just bartered the surplus for cash or items. In 1929, potatoes fetched the measly sum of .83 cents a pound. That’s right, they were valued at less than a penny per pound! That seems very cheap! The merchants could re-sell the potatoes to their customers, but most of the potatoes were shipped out to be resold in the cities or to lumber camps. Even people living in the villages often grew their own potatoes.

Another common commodity was eggs. In 1910, eggs fetched 18 cents a dozen. Fewer townspeople kept chickens, so there was always a market for eggs. Lumber camps also used a lot of eggs and bought large quantities. Eggs could not be stored as long as potatoes, so this commodity was always in demand.

Butter always found a market, but only until the Kinmount Creamery was started in the 1890s. Other communities usually put their local cream into cheese, but Kinmount made butter instead. Many farmers kept a few dairy cows to supply milk, so it was easy to ship the cream to the Creamery. Butter and cheese could be produced right on the farm, but they were arduous jobs. It was easier to sell to the Creamery and let the professionals do it. Also, cheese was imported from neighbouring villages and sold at the general store.

Meat products such as pork and beef were left to the local butcher to sell. Kinmount always had at least one butcher shop. Most farmers did their own butchering, and the butcher shop was patronized by townspeople and farmers that ran short. The animals were acquired as needed from the local farmers. Surplus animals could be turned into extra cash by being sold to travelling cattle buyers or drovers. To avoid this stage, provide a stable market and enjoy more profits, the farmers in the Kinmount area formed a Kinmount Farm Club in the 1920s. This cooperative venture shipped cattle to market. The local blacksmith and equipment dealer (James Walker) acted as the agent. A bill of sale from the year 1922 records 3 cattle shipped; prices ranging from 5 cents to 6.4 cents per pound. Expenses totalled $32.20; but the farmer (William Dudman) was still left with $412 for the 3 cows. Further information on the Kinmount Farm Club is unavailable.

What did the farmer want to buy as his part of the barter? The store bills from the Dudman Collection reveal a withering variety of goods; too numerous to list. But several items do stand out. Hardware items such as nails, locks, hinges, etc. were common items. Also, housewares such as pots, pans, preserving equipment, etc. were popular barter items. Soap, fabrics, clothes and boots had a ready market. Under food stuffs, raisins, canned salmon, oatmeal and baking supplies are frequently listed. After 1903 (when the last grist mill burned), local residents were forced to buy flour, grain and seeds from another source. Sometimes these items were shipped directly from other centres such as Fenelon Falls or Lindsay, other times they were purchased from the general store. While the gardeners of Kinmount were good at producing vegetables in season, vegetables out of season were available at the general store. A 1925 bill records purchases of bananas and applies. Tomatoes, cabbages and cucumbers appear on the bills occasionally, usually in the spring before their gardens were producing. Garden seeds were also popular in the planting season.

While Kinmount usually had a bakery until after the 1942 fire, bread was a popular barter item as well. The Dudman brothers were bachelors and lacked a baker in the house. They purchased 2 loaves of bread every trip to the Hopkins & Marks store for 12 cents per loaf. Canned salmon and sardines were on the menu as well. All these items were available in barter at the Kinmount stores. The barter system disappeared during the late 1930s. It became cash only which also meant extra products like potatoes now had no market.