Early Pioneers. (Continued
from page 1)
The town was most conveniently situated in the very heart of the
municipality approximately 120 miles SW of Winnipeg, 30 miles north of
the United States boundary and 60 miles east of the city of Brandon.
This townsite was located on M. T. Cramer’s, Jesse Chester’s and Mr.
Taggart’s (a resident of the east), and purchased from them for $700
and acre. Previous to this Mr. G.W. Cramer had undertaken grain buying
for the Bawlf Grain Company. He had built a sput at the track, and
brought a building from his farm for his winter grain buying on sleigh.
Mr. A.E. Cramer moved an old creamery or often referred to as the
Cheese factory of which Mr. Brown was the cheese maker, to the present
site of Mr. Kilgour’s store and sold it to G.W. Griffiths for a General
Store in the spring of 1890, although the townsite was not yet settled.
Later the street on which this Griffith store stands was named
Elizabeth after Mr. Griffith’s wife. After the town site was fully
settled up the office for grain buying over on the spur was moved
across to the front street to act as office for the commencement of the
furniture, lumber machinery business of G.W. Playfair and placed where
the Gam Low Restauant is now. The Icelandic immigration Office Sigurder
Christopherson built for himself with residence
rented to Barry Hallgrimson an excellent carpenter, and placed where
the post office is now. Thomas Sweinson owns and lives in this building
today. William McKnight built a carriage and blacksmth shop where J. C.
Skarda1 has his Massey Harris shop, with a hall used for church
services for the Presbyterians. T. E. Poole erected (he first hardware
store between what is now the Fowler block and Hunter's Hardware, used
as both business and residence.
The workers frequently lunched in town at Mr. J. Chester's farm, one
half mile out where Stanford's live now. The persuaded Mr.
Chester to build a boarding house in closer to the railway. In 1890
this materialized and commonly was called the Chester Boarding House it
stands today in its first form and location. Mr. Chester had the
first post office in this building and there is still an opening the
wall of the front room where Mr. Chester handed out mail Frozen crops,
long hauls, low prices, the severe winters, poor roads, the cost of
machinery, all tested the most courageous souls and hardy. Grain and
other products were drawn to Manitou
Splendid returns resulted from both. The Bethel church, a frame
building was moved in from the Welch farm out from the prairies south
west of town to site of the present United Church. Later the present
church was built and the frame building moved and finally dismembered
and the parts used for various purposes throughout the town. The Tiger
Hills School was moved into town by W. Playfair and used for the
municipal Hall. G. W. Cramer built a blacksmith shop, manned by Harry
Goodman, who had deserted his trade to go on a homestead five miles
east of town. This blacksmith shop was placed where Stilwell's is now.
The fall of 1890 saw A. E. Cramer build a 2-storey building, which is
now occupied by A. Kadrie, to be used as a saddlery conducted
consecutively by C. W. Watson and Alex S. Fowler.
An important branch of industry was established in 1890, namely, a
flouring mill conducted by Band and McDonald, capacity of the
mill 75 barrels per day run the year around and the only one in
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Argyle. This was the most
important industry in the district and the scattered settlers now had
found a home market which
(Continued on Page 17)
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Reeve of Argyle
W. E. Clark
Mr. Clark has filled the position of reeve in a manner befitting the
record by his predecessors. His father was one of the pioneers of
the district. |
Reeves of the Rural Municipality of Argyle
1881-1882 Geo. W. Playfair
1883-1884 Geo. W. Cramer
1885 Thos. W. Leslie
1886 Alex Card
1887-1894 Peter Strang
1896 Ashton Andrews
1898 Christian Johnson
1901 Charles Brown
1904 Jas. Dale
1905-1906 Jas. Strang
1907-1908 Walter Mabon |
1909 Jas. Strang
1910-1918 Christian Johnson
1919-1922 Jas. Conibear
1922-1933 E. L. Embury
1934- W. E. Stark
SECRETARY-TREASURERS
1881-1887 Mr. Wm. Stark
1888-1933 John Harrower
1933
- Gladys Harrower
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J. A. Mabon
Mr Mabon is the son of a former Reeve and is the representative of
Argyle's southern area. He was reelected last year.
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