(died 8 Feb. 1933, aged 75), cheese factory proprietor. (Charles Wood, Charles H. Wood, C. H. Wood) In 1881 Charles Wood was “manager” of a factory D. M. Macpherson had leased in the St. Elmo area from its farmer-owners. (Cornwall Freeholder 3 June 1881) The Maxville columnist of the Glengarrian (Alexandria) wrote in the issue of 8 Nov. 1889, “We are pleased to see Mr. Charles Wood has returned to our village again, having closed down his factories for the season. We may call him Cheese King No. 2.” The comparison was with D. M. Macpherson, widely known as the Cheese King, and it may be guessed from the words used that the years since 1881 marked economic advance for Wood himself. In 1890, it was reported that “Mr. C. H. Wood has rented Mr. D. M. McPherson’s factories at St. Elmo and Maxville.” (Glengarrian 16 May 1890 ) At the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893, Wood was among the people who won awards for cheese, the subsequent Ontario government report on the fair listing him as C. H. Woods [sic], South Finch. It was not, however, until the issue of 21 Aug. 1896, i.e, three years later, that the Glengarry News was able to announce that Wood had actually received the medal which he won for his cheese at the World’s Fair. When he died, he was described as “A former resident of Maxville, Ont., where he won the world’s championship for cheese-making.” (Standard Freeholder)

     Whatever the exact form or definition of the prize referred to here, and whether or not it was a reference to the Chicago award, which does not seem to have been a world’s championship prize, other troubles struck, for in Nov. 1894, it was reported that Wood had been robbed by highwaymen near Maxville while carrying a large amount of money from the bank at Morrisburg to pay the patrons of his cheese factories. “There were some who sneered at the story and ‘winked the other eye’.” All the same, the patrons had to bear their share of the loss, though one of them, challenging the truth of the robbery story or holding Wood guilty of unacceptable negligence, sued Wood unsuccessfully for his share of the missing money. “Mr Wood’s reputation for integrity was too good to be affected.” At this time Wood was described as “C. H. Wood, the well-known cheese man of Maxville.” (Vankleek Hill Review 30 Nov. 1894, 10 May 1895) In later life Wood worked for years as a customs official, retiring a year before his death, which took place in Vancouver. T. W. Munro, in his “I Remember” series, mentions him as being the captain of the Maxville’s first lacrosse team. (Glengarry News 20 May 1938)

     At the 1893 Chicago Fair also, the giant cheese, “The Canadian Mite,” of which J. A. Ruddick was the cheesemaker, was exhibited. For this fair, see D. Gray and C. A. Wilkins.

Brief obituary Standard Freeholder 11 Feb. 1933, dated at Vancouver 10 Feb. * B. C. Archives’ internet listings of deaths * Maxville (1991) 530 (?) * Chicago 1893 81