Historic Sites of Manitoba: Brandon College and Clark Hall Buildings (270 Eighteenth Street, Brandon)

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Photos & Coordinates | Sources

A stone monument erected in 1999 beside Brandon University’s Clark Hall commemorates Prairie College, from whose walls it is constructed. Prairie College was the first post-secondary educational institution on the Canadian prairies west of the 1870 “postage stamp” border of Manitoba. Established in 1880 just north of the Village of Rapid City, it trained Baptist ministers for service on the western agricultural frontier and provided general literary instruction to the rapidly growing population of the area.

Prairie College owed its existence to Reverend John Crawford, formerly a member of the Theology Department at the Canadian Literary Institute in Woodstock, Ontario. Crawford was assisted in the venture by Reverend G. B. Davis, a graduate of the Canadian Literary Institute. The college was created with the unofficial endorsement and support of the Baptist Union of Ontario and Quebec. In 1883, the college was incorporated into the new McKee Academy under Reverend S. J. McKee which, in 1890, was relocated to Brandon. The same Baptist idealism and educational traditions that shaped the brief life of Prairie College provided the inspiration for the establishment of Brandon College.

Brandon College was formally established by the Baptist Union of Canada in 1899 and became an affiliate of Ontario’s McMaster University in 1910. Financial difficulties forced the Church to withdraw its support in 1938, after which Brandon was incorporated as a non-denominational college of the University of Manitoba. Brandon University was established as an independent institution in July 1967.

The original Brandon College building, designed by Winnipeg architect Hugh McCowan and constructed by local contractor Thomas M. Harrington, was completed in 1901. Although resembling other educational structures being constructed in Winnipeg during this period, Brandon College was a somewhat larger, more dignified and distinctive structure. Built of locally produced brick and Manitoba limestone, this imposing edifice displays a handsome Romanesque tower with graceful arches and small turrets at each corner.

A commemorative plaque at the site was erected by the Manitoba Heritage Council. An Honour Roll at Brandon University commemorates students of Brandon College killed during the First World War.

Photos & Coordinates

Postcard view of Brandon College (date unknown) Source: Gordon Goldsborough, 2013-0135 Clark Hall (no date) Source: Christian Cassidy Brandon College and Clark Hall buildings (May 2018) Source: George Penner Brandon College and Clark Hall buildings (August 2023) Source: Eva Janssen Brandon College commemorative monument (April 2010) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.84539, W99.96249 denoted by symbol on the map above

First World War Casualties

Name	Occupation	Service	Rank	Birth Date	Death Date
James Andrew Adams [Armoury]	Labourer	5th Canadian Mounted Rifles	Lance Sergeant	24 March 1893	7 November 1917
Samuel Franklin Attridge [Armoury]	Farmer	The Fort Garry Horse	Private	4 July 1888	1 April 1918
Richard Middleton Beaumont [Armoury, Minnedosa]	Farmer	Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry	Private	4 November 1884	30 October 1917
Henry Victor Best [Virden]	School teacher	1st Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps	Private	30 April 1896	10 August 1918
Norman Blackburn MM [Armoury]	Farmer	3rd Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps	Private	11 September 1896	24 September 1918
Harry Leslie Burke	Farmer	9th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	29 June 1894	11 August 1918
Kenneth Preston Campbell [Armoury]	Student	196th Royal Air Force	Lieutenant	27 October 1897	28 November 1918
Robert George Chapman [Agricultural College, Armoury]	Farmer (Brandon)	27th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	18 March 1888	21 August 1917
Jean Joseph Cloutier [Armoury]	Bank Clerk	1st Canadian Mounted Rifles	Private	24 May 1896	29 October 1917
Milton Castle Crozier [Armoury]	Student	46th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	2 January 1896	2 September 1918
Robert Wallace Cruise [Armoury, Dauphin]	Jockey	31st Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	3 August 1899	28 September 1916
Andrew John Cumberland [Armoury]	Chaffeur	Royal Flying Corps	Second Lieutenant	29 April 1895	3 January 1918
William Benjamin Cunningham [Armoury]	Clerk	44th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Corporal	30 December 1895	27 October 1917
Henry John Davis [Armoury, Brandon Hills]	Student	46th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	7 April 1894	6 May 1917
Carlyle Douglas [Armoury, Griswold]	Farmer	1st Canadian Mounted Rifles	Private	18 December 1895	5 June 1916
Frank Stanley Durrant [Agricultural College, Alexander, Armoury]	Student	Canadian Machine Gun Corps	Private	23 July 1892	24 March 1918
Charles Linnell Dutton [Armoury]	Bank Clerk	10th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	1 October 1892	15 April 1916
Frederick George Fisher	?	?	?	?	?
Herbert Lynn Gainer	Clerk	50th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	30 May 1895	26 August 1917
Wellington Clinton Hainer	Student	11th Reserve Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	3 January 1899	6 January 1918
Ernest Walter Hallam	Insurance Broker	18th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Captain	16 April 1884	29 September 1915
James Arlon Hamilton MC	Railway Conductor	27th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Lieutenant	23 March 1880	18 September 1916
George Jellett Henderson [Armoury]	Student	Lord Strathcona's Horse	Trooper	31 January 1895	30 March 1918
Hugh Hetherington [Armoury]	Vice-Principal of Industrial School	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Lieutenant	26 July 1885	15 April 1917
Frank Alexander Higgins [Nassau Baptist, Roland]	Teacher	Canadian Army Service Corps, 3rd Division Mechanical Transport Company	Private	10 June 1896	4 February 1919
John Stanley Hollies	School Teacher	Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry	Private	5 September 1889	19 September 1916
Arthur David Hosie [Armoury, Orange Lodge]	Fire Insurance Act	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Lieutenant	3 May 1893	9 October 1916
Robert James Hosie MC [Armoury]	Physical Director	54th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Lieutenant	23 January 1891	22 March 1922
Wesley Williams Irvine [Hartney, Maryland Methodist, Wawanesa, Wawanesa, Wesley College]	Teacher	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Lieutenant	5 April 1893	28 September 1918
Frank Sterling Irving [Armoury]	Farmer	44th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	22 September 1897	16 August 1918
Orrin Athal Jones [First Baptist, Kelvin, Next of Kin, Wesley College]	?	1st Canadian Mounted Rifles	Private	26 July 1896	5 June 1916
Wilfred Anson Kerr	Farmer	27th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	25 February 1888	21 August 1917
Gerald Edward Latimer [Armoury, Bank of Commerce, Next of Kin]	Bank Clerk	Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry	Private	9 September 1892	9 April 1917
Frank Otto Lau [Armoury, Forrest]	Student	1st Canadian Mounted Rifles	Private	7 January 1897	18 December 1918
Harold Arthur Lawton [Armoury, Next of Kin]	Scholar	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	21 November 1898	15 August 1917
Duncan Dewar Lindsay [Armoury]	Student	46th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	2 February 1892	28 September 1918
Robert Alton Logan	Farmer	1st Depot Battalion (Manitoba Regiment), Canadian Infantry	Private	1 February 1897	30 June 1918
Ivan Clark Maharg [Armoury]	Student	1st Canadian Mounted Rifles	Lieutenant	16 March 1896	29 September 1918
Campbell Arnett Matheson [Armoury]	Bank Clerk	46th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	1 February 1898	26 October 1917
Charles Edgar McCulloch [Deloraine]	Farmer	19th Reserve Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	19 October 1898	17 April 1917
Peter Roy McGregor [Armoury, Rapid City]	Clerk	43rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Corporal	15 June 1887	5 June 1916
John Alden McIntyre [First Baptist, Next of Kin]	Stenographer	27th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	21 July 1887	1 October 1918
Robert Allan McKee [Armoury, First Baptist]	Student	196th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	9 October 1893	13 February 1919
William Carey McKee [Armoury, First Baptist]	Law Student (Professional Teacher)	1st Canadian Mounted Rifles	Lieutenant	3 February 1892	26 August 1918
Alistair Forbes Menzies DCM, DSO [Westminster]	Clerk	17th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers	Captain	1 June 1892	4 May 1918
Daniel Fleming Pack [Field Ambulance, Medical College]	Student	Canadian Army Medical Corps	Private	30 December 1894	12 September 1917
Lewis Sherwood Pickett [Armoury]	Student	16th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	8 April 1899	1 October 1918
George Nelson Pugh [Armoury, Lenore, Union Bank]	Bank Clerk (Union Bank of Canada)	46th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	1 April 1898	21 June 1917
Harry Larne Quackenbush [Armoury, First Baptist]	Student	1st Canadian Mounted Rifles	Private	1898	29 September 1918
William Ross [Armoury, Carmel Presbyterian, Virden]	Teamster	27th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Corporal	17 April 1888	1 May 1917
Josiah Aikens Scott [Armoury]	Clerk, Real Estate	Lord Strathcona's Horse	Private	6 April 1895	30 March 1918
Goodman Sigurdson [Armoury, Brierley School]	Farm Worker	8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Sergeant	22 February 1894	10 November 1917
Alexander McGregor Simpson	Teacher	8th Battalion, London Regiment (Post Office Rifles), British Army	Second Lieutenant	15 April 1888	5 September 1918
Harry W. Thompson	?	?	?	?	?
Joseph Bedford Thompson	Farmer	78th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	4 August 1895	9 April 1917
William Percival Underwood	Student	8th Field Ambulance, Canadian Army Medical Corps	Private	22 February 1890	16-Nov-17
James Ward Warriner [Armoury]	Farmer	27th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Corporal	24 April 1897	19-Apr-17
George Markland Yeomans [Alexander, Next of Kin]	Student	4th Field Ambulance, Canadian Army Medical Corps	Private	12 October 1896	23-Jan-19
Arthur Cecil Young [Alexander]	Student	46th Battalion, Canadian Infantry	Private	9 August 1893	13-Apr-17

See also:

Memorable Manitobans: Hugh McCowan (1841-1908)

Memorable Manitobans: Thomas M. Harrington (1847-1937)

MHS Centennial Organization: Brandon University

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Brandon Citizens’ Science Building / Knowles-Douglas Student Union Centre (270 Eighteenth Street, Brandon)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: First Baptist Church (1037 Lorne Avenue, Brandon)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Postage Stamp Province 1870 (RM of Louise)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Fraser Block / Chrest Block (1031 Rosser Avenue, Brandon)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Prairie College (RM of Oakview)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Provincially Designated Historic Sites

Doors Open Brandon

Sources:

Brandon College and Clark Hall Buildings, Manitoba Historic Resources Branch.

We thank Christian Cassidy, Darryl Toews, George Penner, and Eva Janssen for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 3 September 2023

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