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The
Fox
Family
Four
generations back, Michael Fox with his wife, the former Elizabeth
Stanley and one daughter left Dublin, Ireland for Canada in 1834.
This was the beginning of the Fox Family in this Dominion. This
family settled near Kingston, Ontario. While at Kingston, nine
other children were born. They lived on a farm in Ontario and
their oldest son, Thomas did not like farming so at the age of 14, left
home and took wagon making, then later become a carpenter in
Lucan. This story will be on the Thomas Fox family. Thomas
married Diane McCann in 1862. Four sons, Alfred, Cambridge,
Seymore and Russell were born to Thomas and Diana, there in
Lucan. They moved to Moncton in 1870, where Mr. Fox operated a
shingle mill. Here two other sons were born, Franklin and
Arthur. The mill burned down in 1874 so this necessitated another
move and they went on to Windsor. Two more children were born,
Etta and Oscar. Now they have a family of eight children, 7 sons
and 1 daughter.
Thomas
Fox, the farmer got an urge to go west, so leaving his wife and family
in Windsor, came to Winnipeg in 1878. He found work in the
building trade so the next year sent for his family. They came
through Minnesota by train drawn by an old wood burner which had to be
refueled every few miles from piles of cordwood along the tracks.
After
a
couple of years in Winnipeg, they were anxious to go farther west, so
leaving Winnipeg, the whole family came west up the Assiniboine River
to the junction of the present sight of Souris and Assiniboine, east of
Treesbank. Accompanying them on their trip was Tom Fox’s brother
and a nephew. At the junction they were joined by John Blanchard
and this whole party started out towards the hills as they learned
later and proved to be the Turtle Mountains. Having purchased two
yoke of oxen and a pony, it took them 14 days to travel the 50 miles to
the edge of the bush. They headed for a farm which was near the
present sight of Wakopa, owned by J. P. Alexander, who had squatter’s
rights to a shanty at Wood Lake, not far away and Mr. Alexander allowed
the Fox family to live in this shanty for a time. The shanty,
like many others, had a sod roof and during a heavy rainstorm would
drip. Beds, etc. had to be moved around to keep the family from
getting wet. Things were not convenient then. They had long
hauls for supplies as Wakopa was just a store and a couple of other
buildings at the time. There were no trails to be seen. The
only route was over the Old Commission Trail from the present sight of
Morden.
While
Mr. Thomas Fox, father, had business to attend in Winnipeg, his oldest
son Alfred who had been clerking in Winnipeg, came out to Wood Lake to
build a house for the family. The new house was a nice
improvement from the shanty. It was higher with an
upstairs. The family welcomed the new house.
When
Thomas Fox returned from Winnipeg, he operated a sawmill east of Lake
Max. Most of the settlers got their supply of lumber from this
mill for building. The older boys and Mr. Fox operated this mill
for some time.
There
were many Indians around at that time and the younger boys would often
spend time with them, learning many Indian customs. They hunted
wild animals and fowl and learned to cook the fowl over the coals of
camp fires Indian fashion. The Indians were always moving.
They never did any harm but often startled the settler’s wife by
popping up very quietly on her doorstep, ask for something they wanted
and when given to them went away peacefully. Indians were well
liked by the settlers and in turn the Indians liked the people.
The Indians were very fond of LaRiviere, the storekeeper who was good
to them.
One
year after coming to Wakopa in 1881, Mr. Fox decided to take up a
homestead S.E. 10-2-19. This homestead was operated by Frank, his
son. A two-storey house was built on this piece of land in
1883. It was built of poplar lumber from the mill, insulated with
shavings and ashes to keep out the cold. It was used until 1924,
then torn down and much of the lumber was in as good shape as when it
came from the mill 40 years before.
Early
church services were held by an Episcopal minister by name of Mr.
Akins, at the Fox home in the summer of 1882. These services
continued on being conducted by travelling ministers about once a
month, many settlers coming for miles, often on foot.
Schools
began to appear in the district. Maple Grove school was first to
be built, Westlake next in 1885. Frank Fox, his wife and their
older children all attended this school which served its purpose until
1918, when it was replaced by a new stone school.
Mail
was delivered by any traveler who happened to be going through and was
left at the Fox home for distribution.
Mr.
Thomas Fox operated his mill until 1884 when it was dismantled and
lumber shipped to Calgary to make snow sheds for the C.P.R. Mr.
Fox went along with it. The family remained in Manitoba and
Thomas returned every year. His son Frank was doing the homestead
duties on the quarter they had filed on which was mentioned before as
being S.E. 10-2-19 and Frank remained in possession of the land.
Frank married and raised a family of three girls and two boys. He
bought more land, made improvements and both he and his wife died on
the old home farm.
Mrs.
Thomas Fox, the mother, died at home in 1901 and Mr. Thomas Fox, the
father died in British Columbia in 1907.
To
mention other members of the Thomas Fox family who were young pioneers,
Russell Fox, one of the sons married Jane Henderson in 1891. Jane
was the daughter of William Henderson, a pioneer of Wakopa. It
was not until the year 1898 that Russell bought a half section of
31-1-18 near the old townsite of Wakopa. They too went through
all the pleasures and difficulties of pioneer life. He cleared
and worked his land, worked with oxen and hauled grain to
Brandon. Russ and Jane raised a family of two boys and one
girl. His children went to school at Wakopa and attended Church
and Sunday School held in the school. Their first superintendent
was Phillip Scott, and a student minister did the preaching.
Their source of entertainment came from box socials, debates, concerts
consisting of local talent, house parties, skating, etc. some of
their talent for entertainment came from Thomas Coulter and all the
Olds family to mention a couple. William Fox, Russell’s oldest
son married Madge Maxwell and operates a General Store in Regent.
Cam his second son, married Theresa Scott and live in Boissevain, while
Lena, their only daughter married Ernest Lougheed and operated a farm
at Bedford, near Regent. Lena died in 1960.
This
is
part of the story of generations as I know it, originating from Michael
Fox, the great grandfather. There is much more to be said about
the family of Thomas Fox but Russell and Frank were the only ones I
really knew well. There are numerous fourth generations and even fifth
now. But most of these mentioned were pioneers of the 1881 and
1882.
Russ
Fox, his wife and family lived on their farm at Wakopa until the
children were all married and left home, then they retired to
Boissevain. Russ Fox died in 1952 and Mrs. Fox in 1955 and are
both resting in Boissevain cemetery.
I
presume the grandchildren of the Thomas Fox family now sit with
memories of the past and talk with pride of the Progress of the West.
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