106 Main Street

Did You Know?

106 Main Street was once home to the Penetang Bottling Company, part of Penetanguishene's twentieth-century commercial and industrial history.

Around 1920, John Dewell opened a garage on the property. In 1929, the Penetang Bottling Company moved into this location under the ownership of Abraham Moses. The company held the Coca-Cola franchise for Simcoe County, bottling and distributing beverages from its downtown Penetanguishene operation.

The historic photograph captures this period in the property's history, with prominent signs for The Penetang Bottling Co., Coca-Cola and Dominion Dry Ginger Ale.

By the late 1940s, the company had outgrown the location and moved to a larger facility farther up Main Street. Since then, 106 Main Street has been home to a succession of small shops and restaurants, reflecting the continuing evolution of Penetanguishene's downtown.

The history of 106 Main Street illustrates how a single downtown property has adapted over more than a century—from garage to bottling company to generations of local businesses.

Historic photograph: The Penetang Bottling Company, 106 Main Street, Penetanguishene.
Image source: Penetanguishene Centennial Museum & Archives.
Historical information: Penetanguishene Centennial Museum & Archives; Government of Canada historical industrial records.