Blackwell,
Samuel
Biography:
Samuel Blackwell (1805-1895) m. Catherine Shepherd
(1835-1918),
Claims:
Settled in 1880. Kitty Blackwell was for a while the only white
woman between Crystal City and Wakopa.
Probable
Significance:
Source:
Trails to Killarney p 216 / Reflections
From
the Local History Sources..
Samuel
Blackwell was already seventy-five when he left Lucan, Ontario,
for the west with his eighty year old brother George, his wife, Kitty
Shepherd (1835-1908), thirty years younger than he was, and six
children, Henry aged 19, Sarah, 16, James, 14, Robert 12, and two
little ones, Mary, and Martha. The Blackwells had come from Ireland in
1843, the Shepherd ancestors in 1832, the latter coming with a group of
Irish immigrants who walked the three hundred miles from Quebec to
Goderich, Ontario, where Kitty was the first white child born in their
district.
They
reached Emerson in March 1880, where Sam bought his oxen, a yoke
and two chains, and a wagon, which cost him $20.00. Into the wagon they
piled their worldly goods, which included an old harrow, a breaking
plough, a stove, a spinning wheel, a Second Form Ontario Reader and the
Bible Sam had brought from Ireland, which Kitty had saved when ruffians
burnt their home in Lucan. Kitty carried the baby, George managed to
walk. Robert remembers carrying an old gun. Sam had a big stick with
which he pushed hard on the wagon box.
In
Emerson they met the Sutherland family who offered them the use of
the cabin on their homestead near Cartwright until they could build
their own. They chose NW 22-2-15 on Long River, and Henry walked to
Deloraine to file for it. From ten pounds of potatoes they planted the
eyes and harvested 300 pounds in the fall. Next year they planted
rhubarb and asparagus, which still flourish there.
They
cut down trees along the river, squared the logs and built a cabin
14 by 16 feet, pressed clay and grass between the logs, spread saplings
across the top and covered them with a layer of hay and a layer of
clay, and moved into their own home in June. Kitty Blackwell was for a
while the only white woman between Crystal City and Wakopa.
In
1900 their son Robert took a homestead east of Holmfield, married
Viola Fisher, and brought up four children. In 1927 he moved to
Killarney where he lived till 1965 when he went in to Winnipeg to be
near his daughters, Vera (Mrs. Clare Pybus) and Nora (Mrs. G. N.
Vogel). He died February 2, 1967.
Sam
Blackwell and his family had good reason to leave Lucan.
One
night in 1875 a rap sounded on their door after midnight. The door
was barred but, when a voice assured him the visitors were friends,
Samuel Blackwell opened it and in stepped Andy Brown, who owed him
$600.00 rent. Andy had eight men with him, their faces blackened with
lamp black. In his hand was a rope which he put around Sam Blackwell's
neck and then declared "I want a receipt for $600.00." Samuel Blackwell
could not write a receipt, for he did not know how to write. The
ruffians led him half a mile away to a tree where a halter was put on
his neck.
"Mark
X on this receipt or we'll hang you by the neck to that apple
tree," snarled Andy Brown. Blackwell signed.
When
Sam Blackwell took the case to court, Andy Brown swore that he had
given the $600.00 to Mrs. Blackwell and that she had hidden it in the
rafters, and he had the receipt to prove it. The Blackwells lost the
case.
Later
men they believed to be Andy Brown and his gang burned their
house and barn. "Father was no coward," asserted his son, "for he met
the ruffians as they came away from the barn. Mother rushed back into
the house and carried out the Bible that Father had carried in his
pocket from Ireland."
Little
wonder that the Blackwell family decided to leave Lucan for a
more peaceful area.
Brown,
James Benjamin
Biography: (1854-1940) m. Sara Eliza Sayers (1863-1927)
Claims: Came from Tweed, Ontario, in 1881 and worked for the CPR before
taking up a homestead the next year. Served on the Lyonshall school
board. In 1914 they retired to Killarney where they took an active part
in the Methodist Church. Son, Walker Brown, owned the Solo Store.
Probable Significance: Medium
Source: Trails & Crossroads to Killarney p. 216 /
Reflections p. 210
From
the Local History Sources..
James
brown came from Tweed, Ontario, in 1881 and worked for the C.P.R.
before taking up a homestead the next year on SE 30-2-18. That fall he
went back to Tweed to marry Sara Eliza Sayers. In the spring they came
by train to Brandon and set out for their homestead with a team of
horses drawing a sleigh on which were piled a wagon, groceries and all
their belongings. They had not gone far when a spring thaw forced them
to change from the sleigh to the wagon.
James had built a one-room cabin and there his bride faced the problems
of her new home. When passing Indians called at the cabin hoping to be
given food, Sara ran up a flag as a signal for her husband to come to
her rescue.
They brought up a family of eleven children who attended Maple Grove
and Lyonshall schools. James started the first Sunday School at Maple
Grove, and later was superintendent of the Lyonshall Sunday School and
on Lyonshall school board. In 1914 they retired to Killarney where they
took an active part in the Methodist Church.
Buck,
Thomas Henry
![](images/BuckT.jpg)
Biography:
(1859-1929) m. (1891) Jane Myers
Claims:
Miller. Homesteaded 1881. Operated gristmill with the Young
brothers. Formed the Young Grain Company – with 19 elevators in
Southwestern Manitoba.
Councillor,
then Mayor during 1909 and again in 1911. In 1894 was the
first Noble Grand of the Odd Fellows. He was a member of the Masonic
Lodge.
Probable
Significance: High
Source:
Trails to Killarney p325 / Reflections
p.
From
the Local History Sources..
Born
at Hanover, Ontario on 19 January 1859, son of Abraham Buck and
Mary McDowell, he left home at the age of nineteen and worked in the
flour milling business for two years before arriving in Manitoba in
June 1881. He took up a homestead in the vicinity of Boissevain. In
1892, he moved to Killarney and opened a milling partnership with
Finlay M. Young. He married Jane Myers of Hanover, Ontario in 1891.
They had a daughter, Beatrice Buck. He was a member of the AF & AM
(Killarney Lodge No. 50). He served as Mayor of Killarney in 1909 and
1911, and was a Liberal candidate in the 1922 provincial election. He
died at Killarney on 11 May 1929.
Thomas
Buck came from Hanover, Ontario, in 1881 to Boissevain where he
took a homestead and farmed until 1890. After two years in a mill
there, he came to Killarney where in partnership with the Young
Brothers he operated a gristmill. The Municipalities of Riverside and
Turtle Mountain issued debentures to bonus the mill, Turtle Mountain
pledging $4,000. The mill was up-to-date in every way and could handle
a hundred barrels of flour a day. Young and Buck built an elevator on a
spur track, which made it possible for them to handle great quantities
of grain. They founded the Young Grain Company, which operated nineteen
elevators in Southwestern Manitoba until 1921 when it was sold to N. M.
Paterson and Sons. In partnership with Thomas Buck they established a
grist mill in Killarney which could handle 100 bags of flour a day.
When
a demand arose for motorcars, he became the agent for the Model T
Ford.
In
1891 he married Jane Myers of Hanover. Their only child, Beatrice,
died tragically when the lamp she was carrying exploded.
Thomas
Buck served as councillor in Killarney and was mayor during 1909
and again in 1911. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge and in 1894 was
the first Noble Grand of the Odd Fellows.
Brown,
James Benjamin
Biography:
(1854-1940) m. Sara Eliza Sayers (1863-1927)
Claims:
Came from Tweed, Ontario, in 1881 and worked for the CPR before
taking up a homestead the next year. Served on the Lyonshall school
board.
In 1914 they retired to Killarney where they took an active
part in the Methodist Church. Son, Walker Brown, owned the Solo Store.
Probable
Significance:
Source:
Trails to Killarney p 214, 65 /
Reflections p. 210
From
the Local History Sources..
From
“Trails”
JAMES
BENJAMIN BROWN (1854-1940) came from Tweed, Ontario, in 1881 and
worked for the C.P.R. before taking up a homestead the next year on SE
30-2-18. That fall he went back to Tweed to marry Sara Eliza Sayers
(1863-1927). In the spring they came by train to Brandon and set out
for their homestead with a team of horses drawing a sleigh on which
were piled a wagon, groceries and all their belongings. They had not
gone far when a spring thaw forced them to change from the sleigh to
the wagon.
James
had built a one-room cabin and there his bride faced the problems
of her new home. When passing Indians called at the cabin hoping to be
given food, Sara ran up a flag as a signal for her husband to come to
her rescue.
They
brought up a family of eleven children who attended Maple Grove
and Lyonshall schools. James started the first Sunday School at Maple
Grove, and later was superintendent of the Lyonshall Sunday School and
on Lyonshall school board.
In 1914 they retired to Killarney where
they took an active part in the Methodist Church. Their surviving
children are Lottie (Mrs. J. G. Tewsley) of Calgary, Florence (Mrs. T.
A. Hill) of Ninga, Lena (Mrs. J. E. Hoath) of White Rock, British
Columbia, Benjamin, John, Walker, Gertrude, Leta (Mrs. Roy Clark) of
Killarney.
Campbell,
George
Biography:
George Campnell (1866-1946), m. Mary Jane Russell
(1872-1946).
Claims:
Arrived in Killarney by train in the eighties with $1.20
in his pocket. Operated a threshing machine in partnership with John
Hannah. Bought a farm in 1893. Helped establish the Killarney Southern
Manitoba Fair. Sold shares in the Grain Growers' Elevator, and served
as a director of the Killarney branch of Manitoba Pool Elevators. He
was an elder in the Presbyterian Church and a trustee of Highview
School for many years.
Probable
Significance:
Source:
Trails to Killarney p 332 / Reflections
p.
From
the Local History Sources..
“Reflections”
George
arrived in Killarney by train in the eighties with, as he often
told his family, $1.20 in his pocket. After working for John Clark of
Bellafield, a year in a logging camp near Seattle, working again for
John Clark and John Hannah, he operated a threshing machine in
partnership with John Hannah which kept them busy into the winter.
In
1893 he bought E 14-2-17 and married Mary Jane Russell (1872-1946).
He was deeply interested in the work and progress of the community,
working to establish the Killarney Southern Manitoba Fair, selling
shares in the Grain Growers' Elevator, and serving as a director of the
Killarney branch of Manitoba Pool Elevators. He was an elder in the
Presbyterian Church and a trustee of High- view School for many years.
In politics he was a Liberal.
George
and Mary Jane Campbell had four children: Emmaline (Mrs. Andrew
Miller) of Killarney, Russell, Wilfred, a doctor in Medicine Hat, and
Guy, who farmed the original half section until 1963.
Chapman,
James
Biography:
Claims:
Came in 1882 with Brother William
Probable
Significance:
Source:
Trails to Killarney p / Reflections
p.
Crawford,
George
Biography:
George Crawford died in 1934, and his wife,
Elizabeth, in 1943.
Claims:
Homestead in 1881. Built the first bridge in the
municipality at Wakopa in 1881. In the nineties he moved to Killarney
where he built two livery and feed barns. About 1905, his horse,
Pathmount, established an outstanding reputation on the racetracks of
Manitoba.
Probable
Significance:
Source:
Trails to Killarney p224 / Reflections
p.
From
the Local History Sources.. “Reflections”
Mr.
Crawford came out from Exeter, Ontario, in 1880 and, making the
home of Richard Downie, his brother-in-law in Crystal City, his
headquarters, explored the surrounding country on foot. Observing that
there was a ready market for horses he returned the next spring with
some for sale. The last team was exchanged near Morden for a yoke of
oxen which he drove to Crystal City. Leaving them there he walked with
James Moir and Peter Low to Deloraine to file his claim. All three
found that the land they had chosen had already been claimed, so they
returned to Crystal City, took the oxen, selected other sites and
returned to file once more.
On
June 24, 1881, he filed for E 28-2-17, the first registration on
record for this township. He cut and hauled logs from Turtle Mountain
to build his cabin and stable. According to Alex Rankin in Stories of
Pioneer Days at Killarney, he built the first bridge in the
municipality at Wakopa that year. In the fall he went back to Crystal
City where he helped Richard Downie harvest and then returned to
Ontario. Meanwhile his brother William came out and lived in his cabin
while cutting and hauling logs for his own buildings.
George
was greatly interested in horses and in the nineties he moved to
Killarney where he built two livery and feed barns. The first was of
stone and on Main Street. The second was a large handsome building on
Williams Avenue. About 1905 his horse, Pathmount, established an
outstanding reputation on the race tracks of Manitoba. While operating
the livery stable George Crawford continued to manage his farm.
Crawford,
William
Biography:
Claims:
Followed his brother George to Manitoba in 1881
Probable
Significance:
Source:
Trails to Killarney p / Reflections
p.
From
the Local History Sources.. “Reflections”
William
Crawford followed his brother George to Manitoba in 1881. His
sister was one of the Greenway settlers at Crystal City. He filed on SW
12-2-15 and spent the winter getting out logs for a house. George,
whose house was finished, went back to Ontario and returned in March
1882 with both families. They were snowbound for three days in Emerson
while the men built sleighs to them along the Boundary Commission
trail. Two nights were spent at Mennonite settlements en route to
in
Crystal City. They reached George's homestead April first and
crossed Jack Fish Creek on the 11th. They harvested a good crop of flat
potatoes they had sown on backsetting, furrows broken the year
then
turned back. They also had five acres of oats.
the ploughshares could
no longer be sharpened hammering on a stone, someone carried them in a
sack Crystal City.
David,
Alex
![](images/HarrietHysopDavid.jpg)
Biography:
Alex David (1858-1912) married Harriet Hysop
(1863-1935) on March 28, 1883
Claims:
Came west in 1882. He was a stonemason, and carpenter. He
did his own blacksmith work, and doctored his own animals, mixing his
own medicines, liniments, and salves. His advice and help was often
sought by his neighbours with a sick horse or cow. In 1889 he set
up a cheese factory. Oak Ridge School trustee for many years.
Probable
Significance:
Source:
Trails to Killarney p229 / Reflections
p.
From
the Local History Sources..
The
David family has long been part of Killarney’s history. It
began with the arrival of Alex David (pictured) below who arrived in
1882 with Will Hysop. He married Harriet Hysop (pictured) on March 28,
1883. From Trails and Crossroads to Killarney: “.. they (Alex and
Harriet coming from Gananoque, Ontario) brought a carload of
possessions which included a team of good mules, a bellows and anvil,
farm equipment and furniture … He (Alex) was his own stonemason,
building his own basement, his own carpenter, building the frame
cottage.” My Grandpa, J.A.V. David, was said to have inherited
his father’s love of community watching his father assist neighbours
through his skills (above) and ability to care for his animals.
“In
1887 he sold his homestead and bought three-quarters of section
7-3-17 on the bank of the Pembina River.” The last picture is the
David homestead which was located on the land behind the present Oak
Ridge cairn, about 5 miles north of town.
“His
outlook was progressive .. he made a deal with the company
(railroad) to bring families out, thirty-six families to come to
Southern Manitoba. Other people were bringing out horses but no
one was supplying vehicles, so he bought from McLaughlin Brothers
carloads of buckboards, buggies, sleighs, car and wagons which he sold
to the homesteaders. He owned and operated the first upright steam
engine in the district.”
-
1889 set up a cheese factory bringing Isaac Woods from Ontario
-
had up to 50 cows, employed 3 married couples and single men
-
bought all the milk the neighbours brought
-
1892 bought a Babcock Milk Tester to determine if milk had been
diluted
-
1899 sold his herd to the C.P.R. and 1/2 his equipment to Nathan
Clark south of Killarney
-
1889 built a red brick house and a 3 storey barn of stone, brick, and
lumber
- he
was a Trustee of Oak Ridge School for many years
Davidson,
W
Biography:
m. 1898, Ann Rankin
Claims:
Arrived in 1892. Played the autoharp at dances etc.
Probable
Significance:
Source:
Trails to Killarney p p360 /
Reflections p.
From
the Local History Sources..
“Reflections”
James
and William Davidson belonged to a family of ten living on a
hundred acre farm near Fergus, Ontario. Realizing that prospects were
not good for acquiring farms there, they decided to come west in 1892
to seek their fortunes. They chose Killarney because their friends,
James and William Chapman, who had gone there in 1882, were prospering.
They had some idea of making enough to venture farther west.
The
train was snowbound east of Killarney so they walked the last lap,
arriving in March 1892, with only two or three dollars be- tween them.
They found work on adjoining farms, James with J. M. Rankin, William
with J. J. Rankin, at $210 a year. Both the Rankins had large families
and the newcomers felt at home, in fact both married daughters of their
employers, James marrying Margaret, William marrying Ann Rankin in1898
Long
River school was opened the year they took the farm and at
concerts there James and Alvin Oles played the violin, Mrs. Oles, the
organ, and William, the autoharp.
Fairhall, Frederick
Biography: (1827 – 1909)
Claims: Came to District after seeing a presentation by Thomas
Greenway. Chose a location north of where Killarney would later be
located on the advice of a Land Agent. It became the Fairhall District
but the railway passed to the south.
Probable Significance: Modest
Source: Trails & Crossroads to Killarney p.
/ Reflections p.
Finlayson Family
Biography: Catherine Finlayson was the second white woman in the
district. Colin Finlayson's marriage to Maria Shier was the first
wedding and their daughter Anna the first white child born there.
Catherine Finlayson was doctor and nurse combined for some years in the
Victoria Lake district.
Claims: Modest
Probable Significance: Modest
Source: Trails & Crossroads to Killarney p .237 /
Reflections p.
Foster,
Stuart
![](images/foster_ae.jpg)
Biography:
m. Rhoda Kilpatrick
Claims:
Homestead 1881. Was the first of them to come to the Lena
area,
Probable
Significance:
Source:
Trails to Killarney p 241 / Reflections
p.
From
the Local History Sources.. “Trails”
STEWART
FOSTER was the first of them to come to the Lena area, filing
for NW 2-2-17 in 1881 which he fanned for over twenty years before
leaving for Saskatoon. There was quite a stir in the community when he
eloped with Rhoda Kilpatrick, who was engaged to marry a young man in
Exeter, Ontario. John Kilpatrick tried to catch them, hitching his
fastest steers to the buggy and arming himself with a pitchfork, but
soon realized he could not overtake the runaway couple. The marriage
turned out happily
Fowler, Charles & Margaret
Biography: (1834 – 1896) m. (1857) Margaret Martin (1838 – 1923)
Claims: came to the Killarney area and filed for E 28-3-16. Hullett
School was named after their old home in Ontario. In 1885 Agnes Fowler
married a neighbour Peter Finnen, and the next year Ann married his
brother, Alex.
Probable Significance: Modest
Source: Trails & Crossroads to Killarney p. 243 /
Reflections p.
Gaetes,
George Whyte
Biography: (1849-1933), m. (1882) Mary Ann Dodds (1850 – 1919)
Claims: Early homestead. Today the north part of the town of
Killarney is spreading over the area he once farmed.
Probable Significance:
Source: Trails & Crossroads to Killarney p. 247 /
Reflections p.
Highlights from Local Histories
George Gaetes was a small boy when he came with his parents from the
Isle of Wight to Hepworth, Ontario. He married Mary Ann Dodds in 1882
they and their five children came west, where George filed for N
2-3-17. Today the north part of the town of Killarney is spreading over
the area he once farmed.
Their first home was a one-room log cabin with an attic and a board
floor which Mary Ann scrubbed with rushes from the slough; the
furniture was home-made, the beds of lumber topped by straw ticks. For
income Mary Ann knitted socks and mittens and sold her bread to
bachelor neighbors. When times were hard, George worked on the railway
while his wife looked after the farm work.
The first of their six Killarney babies arrived in January, 1883, when
George was away fishing, not for sport, but to provide food for the
family. Two older children kept the fires alive during the night when
the baby arrived without benefit of doctor or neighbour. In the morning
Mary Ann dressed the eight-year-old in her warmest clothing, pinned a
red shawl across her shoulder so she could watch her on her way and
sent her a mile and a half across the frozen lake to the Hossacks for
help.
Haight,
George
![](images/Haight.jpg)
Biography:
George and Nancy Haight
Claims:
Mr. Haight named the area Rowland, prompted by the rolling
countryside. Built the first real house in the district in 1885 on N.W.
2-4-18. The Haights ran a stopping house, and also a horse exchange.
They also had a feed business and a large livery barn.
Credited
wirhsettling most of the south half of Township 4-18. His four
sons, William, Ozra, Joseph and Seymour, and many of their friends and
neighbours from Oxford County joined them.
Probable
Significance:
Source:
Trails to Killarney p 251 / Reflections
p.
From
the Local History Sources.. “Reflections”
In
1882 George Haight (1833-1913), his wife Nancy and four sons, Ozra,
Seymour, Joseph and William came from Oxford County in Ontario to
settle Rowland district. Mr. Haight named the area Rowland, prompted by
the rolling countryside.
George
and Nancy Haight built the first real house in the district in
1885 on N.W. 2-4-18.
They
homesteaded NW 2-4-18 and his son, Ozra, located on SW 10-4-18
where the hopeful settlement of Rowland developed. As it was expected
that the railway would pass through section 10, a number of buildings
were put up. The Haights ran a stopping house, and also a horse
exchange where horses were brought from Eastern Canada by rail to
Emerson and driven across the prairie by the men of the Haight family.
They also had a feed business and a large livery barn. When the railway
chose the southern route, the hopes of the people of Rowland were
dashed. The Haight family suffered another disaster when their forty
horses developed glanders and had to be shot and the bodies burned
along with the buildings.
The
first post office was in George Haight's home and remained there
until there was so much confusion in the mails between Rowland and
Roland, some seventy miles east, that it was moved to the Hyder farm
and renamed Hyder P.O.
Credit
is given to George Haight for settling most of the south half of
Township 4-18. His four sons, William, Ozra, Joseph and Seymour, all
took homesteads and many of their friends and neigh- bours from Oxford
County joined them. There were few women in the district; most of the
men were unmarried. Naturally they were eager to give any women who
came a hearty welcome, but when Mrs. George Haight arrived on July 7,
1883, accompanied by Miss Cunliff, they made such good time coming
across the prairie from Brandon that they arrived too soon for the
grand reception S. J. Woodrow had planned - all the men and their ox
teams accom- panied by a brass band were to have assembled to greet
them.
Hossack,
James
Biography:
m. 1954 Jane Blackburn
Claims:
Came to Killarney from Wroxeter, Ontario, in 1881. He was the
second person to take a homestead in that township and the first to
take land on part of which the town of Killarney is now situated.
Superintended the stone and brick work on the first Killarney High
School, surveyed the area north of the bay into
lots.
Probable
Significance:
Source:
Trails to Killarney p 350 / Reflections p
.
James
Hossack House
From
the Local History Sources.. “Reflections”
James
A Hossack was born and educated in Killarney. He is the youngest
son of Jack and Martha Hossack and grandson of Killarney pioneer,
Samuel Hossack.
Jim
was athletically inclined and after being discharged from the Royal
Canadian Navy in 1953, was playing hockey in Pilot Mound where he met
and married his wife, the former Jane Blackburn, in July of 1954.
Mr
and Mrs Hossack resided in Winnipeg where Jim trained for and
received his certificate in Sanitary In- spection. He has subsequently
been employed as a Health Inspector in Winnipeg, Steinbach, and since
1965, in Killarney.
James
Hossack has been very active in community affairs in Killarney
serving on the 1970 Centennial Committee, on the Westman Development
Corporation, as a Trustee on the Turtle Mountain School Division, on
the JAV David Museum Board, and on the Killarney Musical Festival
Association and the Tri-Lake Concert Society. At present he is serving
as Chairman of the 1982 Centennial Committee.
Hossack,
Samuel
Biography:
(1832-1913) m. Margaret Archibald (1832-1905),
Claims:
Came to Killarney from Wroxeter, Ontario, in 1881. July, 1881,
he was the second person to take a homestead in that township and the
first to take land on part of which the town of Killarney is now
situated. Superintended the stone and brick work on the first Killarney
High School, surveyed the area north of the bay into lots. Land
for Demonstration farm purchased from Samuel.
Probable
Significance:
Source:
Trails to Killarney p 349 / Reflections p.
263
Samuel
and Margaret Archibald Hossack
From
the Local History Sources.. “Trails”
SAMUEL
HOSSACK (1832-1913) came to Killarney from Wroxeter, Ontario, in
1881 with his daughter Mary and son John, aged fourteen. They travelled
by train to Emerson and then by covered wagon. 'When they saw the lake
"they thought they had found heaven." The fact that Indians were
encamped on the beach did not disturb them; they pitched their tents on
the south side of the bay. Having brought only the bare necessities,
they depended upon the plentiful supply of fish and game for their
daily fare.
When
Samuel Hossack filed for E 34-2-17 in July, 1881, he was the
second person to take a homestead in that township and the first to
take land on part of which the town of Killarney is now situated. His
homestead took all the land south of Park Avenue to Highway 3 and east
to Highway 18 and west to the bridge. He also filed for his sons, Alex
and William, but they were not interested in farming and did not take
up the homestead when they came. This land was later taken by John
Williams and most of Killarney stands on it today.
Samuel's
wife, Margaret (1832-1905), and his sons, Alex and William,
came in 1882 to the log house south of the bay. They were of Scottish
descent and staunch Presbyterians. The Bible was read every day in
their home. Samuel, Alex and Will were stonemasons and built many of
the stone houses still to be seen in Killarney. In 1906, when he was
over seventy, Samuel Hossack superintended the stone and brick work on
the first Killarney High School. As their farm extended on both sides
of the bay, threshers working on the north side used to cross the bay
in a rowboat for their meals.
As
the population grew, Samuel Hossack surveyed the area north of the
bay into lots and there he built the red brick house on Park Avenue in
which the family lived for many years. When his daughter, Jessie,
married J. G. Treleaven, they had a house built on four lots, and Alex,
William and John also built homes there. Other lots were sold as the
demand for town lots increased. The waste land east of the bay and the
site of the old power plant were given to the town
When
the Provincial Government was operating experimental farms, it
established one on land south of the bay bought from Samuel Hossack.
When this policy was discontinued, the land became the property of the
Agricultural Society and is used for Fair Grounds and sports.
JOHN
HOSSACK (1866-1940) filed for NE 2-4-17 when he was old enough to
homestead. He lived in Killarney most of the time and there brought up
his five children: Jessie (Mrs. Lorne Miller), Agnes (Mrs. R. W.
Posnett), John, William and James. After World War II, "Bill" Hossack
bought the strip north of the bay and built the Lakeside Motel there on
land his grandfather had homesteaded in 1881. P259
The
village of Killarney was once described as: comprising: part of Sec
34-2-17 known as the' 'Hossack Survey"
Hysop,
David
![](images/hysop_d.jpg)
Biography:
b. 1834 (Northern Ireland) (1834 - 1917)
Claims:
Pioneer farmer, railwayman, gardener.
In
August 1881, he helped with construction of the Canadian Pacific
Railway in Manitoba and filed a homestead claim at the Deloraine Land
Titles office for a homestead about four miles from Killarney Lake.
William Whyte, superintendent of the C.P.R. in Winnipeg, called upon
Hysop for special services and solicited his advice. Station gardens
was one of his ideas. The railway put him in charge of the program, and
he eventually became responsible for the maintenance of forty-four
gardens on the main line from Brandon to Golden, BC. He managed the
Macmillan Brothers grain warehouse, the first in Killarney. He and his
wife were important figures in the life of the district. First trustee
of Fairdale School. Early Justice of the Peace.
Probable
Significance:
Source:
Trails to Killarney p / Reflections
p.
From
the Local History Sources.. “Reflections”
Born
at Langford, Northern Ireland in 1834, he immigrated to Canada
with his family in 1847, arriving at Kingston, Ontario where he was
apprenticed to a shoemaker. Three years later, he was helping with
survey work for the Grand Trunk Railway, and served as conductor on its
first passenger train into Toronto.
In
August 1881, he helped with construction of the Canadian Pacific
Railway in Manitoba and filed a homestead claim at the Deloraine Land
Titles office. He then returned to Ontario to bring his wife and five
children (George Hysop, Frank Hysop, Ida Hysop, Harry Hysop, and Ernest
Hysop) back to Manitoba, homesteading about four miles from Killarney
Lake.
He
suggested to the CPR that they establish gardens at stations along
their line, to show arriving settlers the capabilities of the land. The
railway put him in charge of the program, and he eventually became
responsible for the maintenance of forty-four gardens on the main line
from Brandon to Golden, BC.
He
died at Killarney on 28 November 1917
From
“Trails”
DAVID
HYSOP (1834-1917) came from Ireland, with his parents to
Kingston, Ontario, in 1847. There his father apprenticed him to a
shoemaker, but this was not the life for David. When he was sixteen he
was on a Grand Trunk Railway survey party, and a few years later,
conductor on the first Grand Trunk train that steamed into Toronto.
A
railway man like David Hysop would never have settled so far from a
railway if he had not believed one would soon come into the district.
Deputations went to Winnipeg urging the C.P.R. to continue its
Rosenfeld-Manitou branch on to Turtle Mountain. It was David Hysop who
went to Ottawa and secured a promise from Sir John A. Macdonald that
the branch line would be extended into the area, he who sought out the
surveyors and advised them what route to choose.
Because
of his railway experience and his knowledge of the country,
William Whyte, superintendent of the C.P.R. in Winnipeg, called upon
Hysop for special services. He made several suggestions which proved of
value to the company. William Whyte commissioned him to investigate
claims made by Alberta ranchers for loss of cattle due to fires started
by sparks from the railway engines, and handed him a huge roll of bills
with which to pay any claims he thought were just. In his report David
Hysop advised ploughing wide fireguards along the track, which was
done. A seed company urged the railway officials to plant this
fireguard in grass but David Hysop said "Plough it and harrow it but
keep it black. Planting good grass there would be establishing a free
lunch counter for all the cattle in the district. Imagine the train
wrecks and the lawsuits about cattle killed by the train!"
Another
suggestion was that to increase the sale of railway lands at
selected stations gardens should be planted with flowers and vegetables
to advertise the fertility of the soil to passengers. The vegetables
and flowers could be used in the dining cars, he said, and the best
shown at fairs far and wide. Water could be supplied where needed by
the locomotives and kept in barrels near the track. William Whyte was
enthusiastic about this and Hysop was appointed superintendent of
forty-four gardens between Brandon and Golden on the main line. These
C.P.R. gardens became world famous. He also advised caragana hedges in
suitable locations which would serve as snow fences and be an example
to settlers for shelterbelts on their farms.
When
Macmillan Brothers of Winnipeg built the first grain warehouse in
Killarney, the firm of David Hysop and Son undertook to manage it. The
son was Harry.
Although
his duties sometimes took him away from Killarney, he and his
wife were important figures in the life of the district and could
always take time to be good neighbours. In several of the stories
written by other pioneers the statement occurs, "Mr. and Mrs. David
Hysop were our first visitors," and in one "They brought us some eggs
and some butter, and we were happy because that meant we could have a
cake for Christmas."
Kelloway,
Sam
![](images/KellowaySam.jpg)
Biography:
Claims:
Their farm was planted with spruce and pine trees. Member of
the Agricultural Society
Probable
Significance:
Source:
Trails to Killarney p / Reflections
p.
Kilpatrick,
John
Biography:
Claims:
Elder of the Erskine Presbyterian Church
Probable
Significance:
Source:
Trails to Killarney p / Reflections
p.
Lawrence.
Mrs. B.T. (Mary Gertrude Cooney)
Biography:
1886 (Killarney) Married Benjamin Thomas
Lawrence in 1910.
Claims:
First child born in the village.
Probable
Significance:
Source:
Trails to Killarney p / Reflections
p.
Lawrence. Mrs. B.T. (Mary Gertrude Cooney)
Biography: b. 1886 (Killarney) m. Benjamin Thomas
Lawrence in 1910.
Claims: First child born in the village.
Probable Significance:
Source: Source: Trails & Crossroads to Killarney p. /
Reflections p.
O'Brien,
John Sydney
![](images/ObrienJohnSydney.jpg)
Biography:
Claims:
Land Guide. One of the first to build a shack.
Responsible for re-naming naming Killarney Lake (formerly Oak Lake).
Delivered Mail. Met Lady Aberdeen in 1890 and she referred to him as
“The Godfather of the place.”
Probable
Significance:
Source:
Trails to Killarney p / Reflections
p.
Images:
As Above
Content:
No additional information
From
the Local History Sources..
As
Trails to Killarney sys, “One hundred years ago all that could be
seen of what is now Killarney was the shack of John Sydney O'Brien, the
dwelling of Samuel Hossack (the father of the Killarney settlement),
and the hut of Arthur Rollins. “
Killarney
Lake was named in 1880 by a government land agent who chose a
homestead on the north shore of the lake then known as Hill, and later
Oak Lake. Arriving in a Red River cart, he and another settler made
camp for the night, built a smudge for their pony, consumed their tea
and bannocks and adjourned to the lakeshore. The agent then declared
that he was going to hold a political meeting. He moved that his friend
take the chair, which was a big stone, and he would have the lake for
his audience. He then commenced his speech:
"My
name is John Sydney O'Brien, a lineal descendant of Brian Boru, the
last king of Munster. I have been sent to your country by our great
chieftain, Sir John A. Macdonald. When I look at this beautiful lake it
puts me in mind of the Lakes of Killarney in Ireland, and when I look
at those hills, they remind me of the mountains of Killarney they call
the Macgillicuddy Reeks. I think we should call this lake Killarney,
after the beautiful hills of the homeland."
Turning
to his tent he found a bottle of the Irish and poured it into
the lake, baptizing it "Killarney".
"Oak
Lake (Killarney, as the Land Guide, John Sydney O'Brien calls
it)," Captain John Rigby wrote on July 23, 1882.
Lady
Aberdeen in “Through Canada with a Kodak in 1890” was more
moderate in her enthusiasm. "Killarney is rather a respectable little
place for only four years old," was her first comment. She took a
picture of Lord Aberdeen with John Sydney O'Brien and his wife outside
their cabin, and reported, "Our first visit was to the old Irishman,
O'Brien, who constituted himself the godfather of the place, and
insisted upon its being called Killarney. I am afraid my smothered
exclamation of dismay at the first sight of the lake, remembering our
first sight of the real Killarney, was taken as disrespectful by our
cicerone (T. J. Lawlor); but, in truth, it is the prettiest thing we
have seen in Manitoba."
Rankin,
John J.
Biography:
John Rankin (1856-1935) m. 1878 Janet Rankin
(1860-1930)
Claims:
Arrived in 1881.
Probable
Significance:
Source:
Trails to Killarney p. 294 /
Reflections p.
From
the Local History Sources..'
JOHN
M. RANKIN was born in Eaglesham, Scotland. After his mother
died and his father married again, he became dissatisfied at home and
threatened to run away to sea. His father promised that if he would
wait a few years he would pay his way to Canada, so when the lad was
seventeen he set out for Smith's Falls, Ontario, where an uncle lived.
He found work in lumber camps and sawmills.
In
1878 he married his cousin Janet Rankin (1860-1930) and three years
later he and his cousin John J. Rankin and their families came to
Manitoba. At Emerson they bought oxen and wagons and struck out along
the Boundary Commission Trail, the families sleeping under the wagons
at night. It took two weeks to reach the Long River district where John
M. took the west half and John J. the east half of 22-2-18.
John
M. built a one-room sod shanty for a temporary shelter, no glass
in the window, a rag carpet taking the place of a door. When it rained,
the roof dripped long after the rain had ceased and the only dry place
was under the bed.
Rankin,
Alex
Biography:
Alex Rankin (1859-1936), m.
1886 Elizabeth Coventry (1864-1946).
Claims:
Arrived in 1881.from Scotland. Active in making
representations to the government for farmers rights vs. the CPR. He
wrote ”Reminiscences of an Early Home-steader” included in “Stories of
Pioneer Days at Killarney.” It is a valuable first-hand record of the
times.
Probable
Significance:
Source:
Trails to Killarney p. 294 /
Reflections p.
Images:
As Above
Content:
No additional information
From
the Local History Sources..
Alex
Rankin in Stories of Pioneer Days at Killarney stated that the
first church service in Wakopa was conducted by a young Presbyterian
student, William Patterson, later Dr. Patterson of Toronto.
ALEX
M. RANKIN (1859-1936), a younger brother of John M., came from
Scotland in 1881 and homesteaded W 20-2-18. For two seasons he lived in
a dug-out sixteen feet square heated by a small sheet-iron stove. In
winter several men with teams drove over the top of it, not knowing
that a faithful homesteader was fulfilling his residence requirements
underneath. He kept a diary from which he culled material for his
contribution to Stories of Early Days At Killarney.
In
1886 he went back to Scotland and returned with a Scotch bride,
Elizabeth Coventry. They had eight children. Later he moved to
the Lyonshall district where he continued to farm until he retired to
Killarney.
There
was dissatisfaction among the farmers of the West about the
charges made by the elevators and about the grading of the wheat at the
local elevators. Alex Rankin was one of those who persisted in making
representations to the government until in the early 1900's the farmers
were granted the right to load directly into grain cars, thus saving
from l0 to 20 cents a bushel. He kept a book and notified each
farmer when his turn came for a car.
Richards, Charles
Biography: (1844 – 1930) m. Harriet Mee ( 1844 – 1928)
Claims: Homestead in 1881. The first church service in that district
was held in their home by the Rev. Andrew Stewart. Son, Ernest,
was the first white boy born in the Oak Ridge district, About 1902
Charles Richards bought a general store in Killarney and set Ernest up
in business. He operated the store until he went to live in Vancouver,
British Columbia, in 1929.
Probable Significance: Medium
Source: Trails & Crossroads to Killarney p. 297 /
Reflections p.
Rigby,
Captain John
![](images/RigbyJohn.jpg)
Biography:
John Rigby (1844-1909 m. Agnes Fairbairn
(1847-1896)
Claims:
Arrived in 1882. Captain Rigby had been a sailor and had
seen many parts of the world.When a Masonic Lodge was formed in
Killarney, Captain John Rigby became the first Worshipful Master.
Called the meeting to organize Oak Ridge School. He built the school,
the neighbours helping by drawing lumber from Brandon and from Wakopa.
Probable
Significance:
Source:
Trails to Killarney p298 / Reflections
p.
From
the Local History Sources..
CAPTAIN
JOHN RIGBY ran away from his home in Bury, England, when he was
fourteen and sailed the seven seas. He came to Hawkesbury, Ontario,
where he married Agnes Fairbairn
and
served as captain on the St. Lawrence River steamboats, The
Princess and Dagmar.
In
1882, in company with John Westley, Edmund Lillew, and Ralph Vipond,
he joined the westward land rush.
When
a Masonic Lodge was formed in Killarney, Captain John Rigby became
the first Worshipful Master.
Captain
John Rigby called the meeting to organize Oak Ridge School,
which was set up by the Municipal Council by Bylaw 9, March 14, 1885,
under the name Killarney. It was called Killarney, and the school in
the town called Oak Lake until 1892. Captain Rigby built the school,
the neighbours helping by drawing lumber from Brandon and from Wakopa.
"Oak
Lake (Killarney, as the Land Guide, John Sydney O'Brien calls
it)," Captain John Rigby wrote on July 23, 1882, to his sister in
England, "is a beautiful sheet of water, clear as crystal and abounding
with fish and fowl ... I think we would travel the world over before we
would hit another spot to equal Manitoba and this locality in
particular."
Captain
Rigby had been a sailor and had seen many parts of the world.
His letter was effective; his sister joined him in Killarney.
Rollins,
Arthur
Biography:
Claims:
Came from Ontario, to Crystal City in 1879 with Thomas
Greenway's first party of settlers to Cyrstal City. June 1882, he
had established a small store on the south side of the bay. Moved to
South Railway Street when the railway arrived. First School Trustee.
Probable
Significance:
Source:
Trails to Killarney p93 / Reflections
p.
From
the Local History Sources..
ARTHUR
and ROBERT ROLLINS came from near Exeter in Huron County,
Ontario, to Crystal City in 1879 with Thomas Greenway's first party of
settlers. In Sept. 1881, the first issue of the
Rock
Lake Herald states that Arthur Rollins offered to sell a half
section south of the town for $4000.00. What he received for it we do
not know, but by June 1882, he had established a small store on 35-2-17
when W. J. Schnarr and his companions passed that way.
Legend
has it that at the first political meeting at Wakopa, when:
asked what were the boundaries of the constituency, Arthur Rollins,
replied "They begin at Clearwater on the east and end at sun down on
the west."
When
the railway came to Killarney, Arthur Rollins promptly moved his
store
from the site east of the Bay to South
Railway Street.
Rollins,
Frank
Biography:
Claims:
Brother to Arthur & Frank. Arrived with them. Once
proprietor of the Grand Central Hotel.
Robert
built the first
General Store in Crystal City and then opened stores in Baldur and
Killarney, establishing the first chain stores in the West.
Probable
Significance:
Source:
Trails to Killarney p93 / Reflections
p.
Claims:
Brother to Arthur, arrived with him.
Sanders,
William John (Jack)
Biography: (1871 – 1956)
Claims: He was one of the team of four which won the International trap
shooting competition in 1906. Brought Hungarian partridges and
ring-neck pheasants into the district. He belonged to the Masonic Order
and at one time was District Deputy Grand Master. In 1912 and 1913 he
was mayor of Killarney.
Probable Significance: Medium
Source: Source: Trails & Crossroads to Killarney p. 304 /
Reflections p.
Sanders, John
Biography: M. Ann Howard
Claims: Came from Exeter, Ontario, in 1881. Stone mason. John
Sanders was elected to the Council of Turtle Mountain in 1885. Sanders
School was organized on May 16, 1885, at a meeting at his home.
Involved in horse racing.
Probable Significance: Medium
Source: Source: Trails & Crossroads to Killarney p. 303 /
Reflections p.
From
the Local History Sources..
JOHN
SANDERS, a stone mason by trade, came from Exeter, Ontario, in
1881 and filed for W 20-2-17 in 1882. With another newcomer, John
Christie, he went to Turtle Mountain, and built a shack.
John
Sanders was elected to the Council of Turtle Mountain in 1885.
John
and Ann Sanders brought up six daughters and two sons. WILLIAM
JOHN (JACK) SANDERS (1871-1956) took over the farm and later handed it
on to his son, Roy, who farmed there
until
1964.
Jack
Sanders was a noted shot, winning so many trophies that it took a
room to hold them. He was one of the team of four, with O.G. Rutledge,
Dr. Musgrove, and Norman Arscott, which won the International trap
shooting competition in 1906. His brother Sam was also a noted shot.
He
was one of those who spent time and money bringing Hungarian
partridges and ring-neck pheasants into the district. He set high
standards for the sport of shooting. Anyone who accompanied him had to
fill in his own goose-pits, shut his share of the gates, and refrain
from pot-shooting or he would not be with that group again.
Sanders
School was organized on May 16, 1885, at a meeting at the home
of John Sanders.
Jack
Sanders was outstanding; he won so many trophies and prizes that
it took a whole room to house them.
Scott, George
Biography:
Claims: Came to Wakopa in 1880. Helped in an effort to mine coal. A
shaft was sunk on 5-2-19 and a good quality of coal discovered, but at
a depth that made working it unprofitable. Son James was the
first white boy registered as born in Wakopa.
Probable Significance: Medium
Source: Trails & Crossroads to Killarney p. 306 /
Reflections p.
Scott, Philip
Biography:
Claims: Came west to Wakopa with Finlay Young in 1879. He worked on the
survey party during the winter, and the next summer for the C.P.R. In
1882, they settled down on the homestead. He was the first
superintendent of the Wakopa Sunday School.
Probable Significance: Medium
Source: Trails & Crossroads to Killarney p. 325 /
Reflections p.
Shier,
Robert
Biography:
Claims:
Probable
Significance:
Source:
Trails to Killarney p / Reflections
p.
Schnarr,
William J.
Biography:
(1864-1941)
Claims:
Businessman.
Often
walked three and a half miles to Killarney several times a week
where there was a debating club, a dramatic club, and where William
played in the band. He kept a diary which gives an enlightening picture
of a bachelor's life on the homestead. In 1887 he was elected to the
Council of the Municipality of Turtle Mountain, an office he held for
eleven years.
Appointed
Customs Officer in 1904. Moved to Killarney. He served
several years on the School Board and at one time held the office of
secretary or treasurer in seven local organizations
Agent
for the United Grain Growers. He held high offices in the Masonic
Lodge and also in the Odd Fellows. Made an honorary life member of the
Killarney Curling Club. Charter member of the Golf Club.
Probable
Significance:
Source:
Trails to Killarney p 188 / Reflections
p. 305
Standing:
Wilfrid, Raymond, Margaret and Herman. Seated: Kathleen, W.J.
Schnarr, Mrs. Schnarr
From
the Local History Sources.. “Reflections”
Born
at Goderich, Huron County, Ontario on 3 March 1860, son of
architect James Smaill, he was educated at the Goderich Public School
and Collegiate Institute. He came to Manitoba in 1880, working in the
real estate business in Emerson in the days of its boom then moved to
Crystal City in 1881 where he opened an office and had charge of the
business of the late Hon. Thomas Greenway. He moved to Killarney in
1884 where he homesteaded and opened a real estate business.
He
and wife Ruth Ella Burns of Bowmanville had one son and two
daughters. He was active in municipal affairs, serving as Reeve of the
Rural Municipality of Turtle Mountain and Mayor of Killarney (1910,
1928-1937). He served for 13 years as County Court Clerk, was a member
of the Killarney School Board for nine years, and President of the
Killarney Curling Club for fourteen years. A notary public and a Police
Magistrate, he was President of the Killarney Board of Trade for
several terms. During the First World War, he was a member of the
Tribunal Board and Chairman of the Red Cross and Patriotic League. He
was Secretary of the Jamestown-Brandon Highway and Governor of the
Highway for Canada. He was an Anglican and supported the Liberal party
in politics.
He
died at Killarney on 6 September 1937
SCHNARR
WILLIAM
J. SCHNARR
(1864-1941) was born in Tavistock,
Ontario,
the son of Werner Schnarr who came from Germany in 1854 and
Catherine Zinkman, also of German origin. In their home they spoke both
English and German.
He
kept a diary which gives an enlightening picture of a bachelor's
life on the homestead. The six men lived together and worked together
until their houses were built.
William
Schnarr became secretary, a position he held for twenty-two
years. The teacher usually stayed at the Finkbeiner home and when Jesse
Poole was there, he and William thought nothing of walking three and a
half miles to Killarney several times a week where there was a debating
club, a dramatic club, and where William played in the band. In 1887 he
was elected to the Council of the Municipality of Turtle Mountain, an
office he held for eleven years.
Appointed
Customs Officer in 1904, William Schnarr moved to Killarney
where, two years later, he bought the stone house on Clark Avenue where
he and his wife spent the rest of their days. He served several years
on the School Board and at one time held the office of secretary or
treasurer in seven local organizations
When
the government changed in 1911, he lost his job as Customs
Officer, for he was an ardent Liberal and active in the Party;
naturally the Conservatives, according to the custom of that time,
replaced him. The next year he was offered the position of agent for
the United Grain Growers. He held high offices in the Masonic Lodge and
also in the Odd Fellows. In recognition of his interest in curling he
was made an honorary life member of the Killarney Curling Club. When a
golf course was proposed in 1921, he was one of the charter members who
put up $10.00 to start the club.
Tayler, Augustus
Biography: (1857 – 1927) m. 1884) Sarah Blackwell)
Claims: Augustus was a sailor who had circled the globe in a sailing
vessel, arrived in Manitoba in 1878, and to the Faidale District in
1881. An Indian trail leading from Rock Lake, Lorne and Louise Lakes to
Turtle Mountain crossed Long River near his dugout and he often traded
produce for fish with the Indians.
Probable Significance: Medium
Source: Trails & Crossroads to Killarney p. 35 /
Reflections p.
Highlights from Local Histories
AUGUSTUS TAYLER (1857-1927), a sailor who had circled the globe in a
sailing vessel, arrived in Manitoba in 1878 and took up a homestead
near Morris on the Red River. He brought an invalid brother with him,
who died in hospital in Winnipeg. Augustus had completed his homestead
duties, breaking land and putting up buildings, when a stranger
appeared and claimed the property. He had filed in the Land Titles
Office two weeks prior to Augustus and took possession.
With a friend, George Reynolds, Augustus Tayler set out in April, 1881,
to make a new start in the Fairdale district, where he took W 22-2-16
and Reynolds took the east half. He had spent his savings caring for
his brother and improving the land at Morris, so he started here
without funds. He borrowed Reynolds' shovel in the evenings and by
working all night dug a garden patch and a hole in a sandy hill for a
one-room dwelling. Over this hole he placed a pole, set willow branches
from the ground up to the pole, covered the willows with rough hay,
sad, and earth, making a room with earth for floor, walls, and ceiling.
He often told about receiving a letter from his brother in England, a
bank manager, who warned him to be careful where he kept his funds, as
several banks in England had failed. His reply was that he lived in a
bank (of a hill). He had to borrow money for the postage from George
Reynolds.
An Indian trail leading from Rock Lake, Lome and Louise Lakes to Turtle
Mountain crossed Long River near his dugout and he often traded produce
for fish with the Indians. After two years in the dugout, he built a
log house which stood until it was taken down in 1949 by his son
Edward, although it had been replaced as the home of the family in 1904
by a large brick house.
In 1884 he married Sarah Blackwell (1863-1938) whose family had come
from Lucan, Ontario, to the Holmfield district in 1880. They had three
sons and seven daughters. Their son, Edward, and his son farmed this
property until 1964. Another son William farmed on NE 14-2-16.
Williams,
John
Biography:
Londonderry, Ireland (1828-1907) m. 1850 Cynthia McLean (d
1877) m. 1879 Mary Clark (1859-1939)
Claims:
Pharmacist, farmer.
Qualified
druggist, with his own store in London, Ontario, from 1849
until he came west in 1882. When the railway came, most of the townsite
was on his property. Insisted that Broadway, which became the Main
Street of the town, should run at right angles to the railway, not
facing it as it does in so many prairie towns. He gave the town the
site for the school. He gave the Methodist Church its site, and sold a
lot for $50 for the parsonage, and sold the town six lots for a
cemetery for $200 in 1895. Started the cottage development on the
lake. Started a drug store, then concentrated on real estate. Early
Justice of the Peace. Built the first boat on the Lake in 1883.
Probable
Significance:
Source:
Trails to Killarney p322 / Reflections
p.
From
the Local History Sources.. “Reflections”
Born
at Londonderry, Ireland on 15 December 1828, son of Joseph
Williams and Dorothea Green, he was educated at Foyle College
(Londonderry) then emigrated to Canada at the age of 16, setting at
Nicoll, Ontario for a short time. He then spent 18 months in the United
States after which he returned to Canada and worked as a clerk in drug
stores at Brockville and Hamilton, Ontario. In 1849 he moved to London
and established a drug store there which he conducted until 1877 when
he came to Manitoba and settled where the town of Killarney now stands.
He farmed for a few years and, in 1891, ran a drug store for two years.
He sold the business and devoted himself to real estate and personal
interests.
In
1850 he married Cynthia C. McLean (?-?) of Brockville, Ontario. They
had four children: Joseph Williams, John Williams, Charles E. Williams,
and Ella Williams. He married again in 1879 to Mary Clark (?-?) of
Teeswater, Ontario. They had five children: Frank Williams, Arthur
Williams, Elizabeth Dorothy Williams, Lenore Williams, Walter Williams,
and Ruth Williams. He was a member of AF & AM (St. John's Lodge of
London No. 20).
He
died at Killarney on 6 April 1907.
JOHN
WILLIAMS (1828-1907) came to America from Londonderry, Ireland,
when he was sixteen years old. He became a qualified druggist, with his
own store in London, Ontario, from 1849 until he came west. In 1850 he
married Cynthia McLean of Brockville who died in 1877 leaving three
sons and a daughter. In 1879 he married Mary Clark (1859-1939) of
Teeswater.
With
his son, John, he came to Manitoba in 1882, took a look at
Winnipeg, declared he "would never live in that mudhole" and went on to
Killarney where he took up W 2-3-17.
When
the railway came, most of the townsite was on his property and he
was fully occupied looking after sales and collections. It was he who
insisted that Broadway, which became the Main Street of the town,
should run at right angles to the railway, not facing it as it does in
so many prairie towns. He gave the town the site for the school, gave
the Methodist Church its site, and sold a lot for $50 for the
parsonage, and sold the town six lots for a cemetery for $200 in 1895.
In
April 1895 The Killarney Guide announced that John Williams had
built six cottages for rent on the north shore, and a year later
reported that he had added more cottages, provided Peter- borough
rowboats for his tenants, was asking the railway for reduced fares for
summer visitors, and that in July there were about fifty cottagers at
the lake.
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