(18 Aug. 1850-21 Feb. 1917), cheese factory proprietor. (D. G. McBean, Donald McBean) Born in the 2nd Concession of Lancaster Township, GC. Parents: Mr and Mrs George McBean. He was the brother of A.G. McBean of Thornhill Farm. D. G. McBean was married in 1893 to Margaret Stickler, the daughter of Alexander Stickler.

     McBean is named by J. A. Ruddick (p. 54) in The Dairy Industry in Canada (1937), ed. Harold Innis, among the men who in the 1880s and 1890s operated combinations of 10 to 30 cheese factories. The Lancaster columnist in the Cornwall Freeholder of 31 March 1882 declared that “Mr. D. G. McBean, who can safely be characterized as the ‘Little Cheese King’ will run 23 factories this summer.” (The comparison was with D. M. Macpherson, widely known as the Cheese King. Macpherson was married in1871 to a McBean, presumably of this family, and there was to be in time a further family connection, for Macpherson’s daughter married McBean’s nephew, A. S. McBean.) The Glengarry Times of 1 April 1882 reported, “Our popular townsman, Mr. D. G. McBean, is going to do a booming business in cheese the coming season. We understand he is putting up new factories at St. Andrews, Monckland, Grant’s Corners, Kenyon, East Hawkesbury, Fraserfield, Munroe’s Mills, and some nine or ten in the French district below the Province line in Quebec, where he will doubtless do a large business. With his old factories he will have in all about 23 factories this season.” In the Glengarry Times (Lancaster) of 27 May 1882, another Lancaster columnist stated that D. G. McBean had 23 cheese factories and Macpherson had 35.

     In the period 1886 to 1889, McBean had problems over money owed to R. R. (Big Rory) McLennan, who foreclosed or prepared to foreclose a mortgage on McBean’s cheese factories. However, it was suggested to Big Rory in Dec. 1888 that A. G. McBean and another unnamed brother might pay the debt. Later, D. G. McBean moved to Winnipeg, where he died and was buried there. He was survived by his wife and two daughters. Places where he had cheese factories include Baltics Corners, Eamers Corners, Hawkesbury, Iroquois and Gray’s Creek.

Glengarry News 2 March 1917 * private information * Archives of Ontario-RRM * his cheese factory at Gray Creek is going “full blast,” Cornwall Freeholder 29 April 1881 * milk inspector tours his factories, CF 12 Aug. * name Little Cheese King, CF 5 May & 9 June 1882