The Perines
Inducted In
1972
M.B. Perine (1815-1898) [left], W.D. Perine and J.S. Perine (1820-1880) [right], were three brothers of Huguenot stock who migrated from New York State to Waterloo County in the 1850s. Perine Brothers was a name long associated with flax mills in Waterloo County.
In 1854 mills were opened at Conestogo and Doon. W.D. Perine soon returned to the United States but his two brothers expanded the mill at Doon into a twine and rope factory and another flax mill was established at Floradale. The firm name eventually became the Doon Twine and Cordage Company with E.G. Perine (1866-1911), son of M.B. Perine, as president from 1898 until 1911.
The Conestoga mill was purchased by Henry Ebel in 1904 and continued in operation until 1949. The Floradale mill was sold to J.B. Snyder in 1911 and the Doon mill was reorganized as Doon Twines, Limited, a firm that is still in operation in Kitchener in 1972.