History and Progress
of Argyle
Municipality From 1885 to 1940
Who was the first white man to set foot on the soil of the Municipality
of Argyle? That is a question which may never be answered. I think
however, it is safe to assume, that some of the hardy traders who
worked for the North West. Company at Pine Fort on the Assiniboine;
just 22 miles north of the village of Baldur; knew something of our
marshes and gazed across the undulating prairie from the summits of the
Tiger Hills. Pine Fort or Fort Epinette was established in 1785 and
continued to be the western headquarters for Indian trade until 1794.
It was located on the NE quarter section of 36-8-14 west: David
Thompson visited the site in 1798 and B. Tyrrell located the remains of
the early fort as late as 1890. Pine Fort was the headquarters for
trade with the Mandan Indians of the Missouri country; and some Indian
relics, which the writer has found in Argyle are quite definitely the
work of the Mandan tribe, which would seem to indicate these
agricultural redmen from across the border, travelled our soil to reach
Fort Pine. Peter Pond in 1790 writes as follows: "Upon the branches of
the Missury live the Maundiens .Mandans) who bring to our factory on
the Assinipoli River, Indian corn for sale. Our people go to them with
loaded horses in twelve days". Argyle was the scene of some of this
early trade.
There is also good reason to believe that David Thompson – geographer
extraordinary – passed through Argyle on one of his many journeys. In
1897 Thompson made a journey overland to visit “Big John” McDonnell at
Assiniboine House located near the forks of the Assiniboine and Souris
Rivers and on that journey crossed the Cypress River somewhere in
Township 6, Range 13 west.
When we advance another 70 years however we do know something definite.
Hector Le Ber surveyed Townships 3 and 4 in Range 12 West during the
months of July, August and September of 1872. And during the same
months John and William Otty; and another set of brothers Walter and
David Beatty surveyed the rest of Argyle in Ranges 13 and 14 West.
These men not only left us their impression of our soil. They observed
the heavy wooded areas, the soil that was rich and deep, they noted the
marshes and the hay lands; and did not overlook the shale and gravel
ridges “poor soil in a time of drouth”
They named some of our important landmarks - names like Oak Creek which
remain with us yet. We wonder what the thoughts of these men were as
they marked out the farmlands of Argyle. Perhaps they dreamed of
settlement to come; but new doubt if even at their most prophetic
moments they had visions of democratic government controlling the lands
so recently surveyed.
The first settlers came in 1879 and not long after that came organized
local government. Where ever the Anglo-Saxon race settles
their genius for self-government follows. The early spring of 1881 saw
a heavy influx of settlers into these townships and in the fall of the
same year the first municipal council was elected. The
members of the first Council were: Reeve Geo. W. Playfair and
Councillors F. Butcher, A. Henderson, G. W. Cramer, James Graham, J. F.
Macey and James McClellan. This Council was sworn into office before
A.W. Playfair, "who held the office of
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Commissioner for Oaths by appointment, by
the Provincial Legislative Assembly”; And they appointed William Stark
as Secretary Treasurer. While the election of these men took place in
the fall of 1881, we are of the opinion they did not act in an official
capacity until 1882, as the seal of the Municipality indicates the year
1882 as seal of the Municipality indicates year 1882 as the year
of municipal incorporation.
The new municipality was named after the Marquis of Lorne, afterwards
Duke of Argyle; who at the time of incorporation was
Governor – General of Canada.
In the beginning Aryle covered much more territory than at present. All
of the municipality of Strathcona was within our borders and continued
so until 1906. All records of where the early council meetings were
held has been lost but we do know that the Council met in Baldur
sometimes in the Chester House or McKnight’s Hall; with an occasional
meeting at Belmont. The last recorded meeting in the neighbouring
village being held on May 16th 1905. Meetings continued to be held in
either the Victoria Hall or the I.O.O.F. Hall until 1913.
It is unfortunate that the minutes of the first five years of Argyle’s
history can not be found, we are left only with our imagination to
picture the work of the early councillors. We do know however that they
built roads and bridges, established a tax roll and collected taxes;
and battled with the problem of schools. The Rev. Peter Strang in
an article dealing with life in the early days of Argyle's history,
laments the fact that young ladies of marriageable age were
scarce. This had a bearing on the problem of schools, for we find an
early commentator remarking that the chief opposition to the
establishment of schools came from the all too numerous bachelors. From
the year 1882 to the end of 1886 Argyle was served by four Reeves who
bear names that have still a familiar ring among the people of Argyle:
Geo. W. Playfair in 1882, Geo. W. Cramer in 1883 and 1884, Thomas W.
Leslie in 1885 and Alex Card in 1886.
By the year 1887 the western part of the municipality had become
settled, and we note in the Council, men from the pioneering families
of the municipality of Strathcona. We also find that the people of
those days took municipal affairs seriouslv.
In the elections in the fall of 1886 no less than 3 candidates were
nominated in Ward 1; but Michael Little was elected by a majority of 10
over Macey, while Graham was at the bottom of the poll received only 5
votes. We also note that Peter Strang who continued to serve as Reeve
until 1894 was elected Reeve over Alex Card by a majority of 28, We
also find that that early members of the council had a high sense of
duty, many and varied were the problems discussed; it was not an
uncommon practice for the members of these early councils to spend two
days meeting and then postpone decision on
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