History of the Name
The name 'Golden Plough Lodge' honours the first World Ploughing Match held at the site of the current facility from October 8 to 9, 1953.
The following overview is provided by the late John Boughen of Port Hope, former Director of the Northumberland Federation of Agriculture.
Peace Cairn and the Golden Plough
The Cairn of Peace and the Golden Plough that stands on the Northumberland County property at the corner of Elgin and Burnham streets in Cobourg, Ontario stands as a symbol of peace and unity. The plaque on the stone cairn reads:
"This Cairn of Peace and the Golden Plough honours the first World Ploughing Match held here October 8-9, 1953. Similar cairns are reaching across the world, that man may use the plough to cultivate peace and plenty. Dedicated September 12, 1955."
The Cairn of Peace and the Golden Plough were unveiled on September 12, 1955 by the Honourable Paul Martin, Sr., Minister of Health in Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent's' government. It was quite a ceremony with many dignitaries in attendance including Jim Eccles, who won the first World Ploughing Match, from Brampton, Ontario, and the runner-up Bob Timbers from Milliken, Ontario. There were bands in attendance and a flyover by planes from the Air Force Base in Trenton, Ontario.
The Golden Plough was handmade by Douglass Randall in 1954 at the Dominion Foundry in Cobourg. His son Neil Randall remembers helping his father build the plough in 1954. Mr. Randall modelled the plough from the golden miniature of the "Norfolk" plough, which is given to the winner of the World Ploughing Match. The original plough trophy is now in a museum in England.
This type of plough (Norfolk) invented or developed by Josiah Tull at the beginning of the 18th Century in England made a great contribution to the rise of modern agriculture.
The stone work for the cairn was built by Robert and James Skillen, well-known stonemasons from Cobourg.
The World Ploughing Organization was founded in 1952 after discussions between Alfred Hall (secretary of Workington and District Agricultural Society in England) and Jack Carroll (Secretary-Manager of the Ontario Ploughmans Association in Canada) commenced in 1948. Subsequent meetings included Arie Stehouwer (farmer and competitor in the Netherlands) and others from Sweden, the Republic of Ireland and Finland. One of seven objectives adopted by the World Ploughing Organization was "By these means to encourage fellowship and understanding amongst the people of all nations".
Note: This information courtesy of Bob Timbers, a past chairman of the World Ploughing Organization.
From an article 'The Norfolk Cairn' By A.W. Osborne: "On September 26, 1955, the Hon. Paul Martin, in an address to the Plenary Session of the United Nations General Assembly on the subject of World Peace, described the Cobourg Cairn and extolled the plough as: A message of peace and harbinger of hope and abundance for all mankind. What better symbol could be found for our united determination to help bring about the fulfillment of the Biblical prophecy, "They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up the sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more."