The Peterborough Mattress Company (also known as Peterborough Mattress and Spring Company; and Peterborough Mattress and Upholstery Co.) remains one of the earliest examples of industry in Peterborough. First owned by William Faint, the Factory was located along the Otonabee River, on the east side of Hunter Street. The Factory was purchased by James Ellis in the late 1890s. Ellis moved the Factory to the back of his Mark Street property in 1927, when the construction of the new Hunter Street Bridge forced the closure of many of the industrial buildings in the area.
When the Factory was relocated to Mark Street in 1927, the building was reconstructed by James Ellis’ father-in-law, John H. Bettes, a millwright with Quaker Oats. The structure reused the material from the original site, as well as materials salvaged from various other buildings.
The Mattress Company sold products to Marshall Mattress Company in
Toronto, local resorts such as Viamede and Mount Julian, local hospitals, Eaton’s, Harry McGuinnus’ Travel Trailers, the King George Hotel, and private homes in the area. Besides mattresses, the Factory manufactured springs and upholstery. Mattresses were filled with marsh hay, horse hair, wool, and feathers, all from local suppliers. In 1936, a branch plant was opened in Lindsay, Ontario. The Factory eventually moved to a new plant on the Queensway, where it remained in operation until the mid 1970s.