INDUSTRY
Church, Robert Biography: Claims: Arrived in 1882. Brickmaker by trade.Established a brickyard on his farm (16-1-17). Supplied many of the brick used in Killarney and district. Probable Significance: Source: Trails to Killarney p p360 / Reflections p. Highlights from Local Histories Robert Church and his wife, Mary left England for New Jersey in 1868 where Robert followed his trade, bricklaying. After the death of two of their children, the doctor advised them to move to a drier climate. They chose Toronto but three of their children died of diphtheria there in one week. In 1880 they set out with their surviving children for western Canada. They spent a year at Emerson and here again ill fortune dogged them. Robert Church, who had gone to help a sick neighbour, was quarantined with him when the illness was pronounced smallpox. His first claim was on the site of the University of Manitoba, but when the Red River overflowed its banks in the spring he feared he could never make a living there. When a stranger appeared and offered a homestead in the Turtle Mountain district in exchange for his flooded fields, Robert accepted. They set out in a covered wagon drawn by oxen, leading a cow behind, and in seven days reached the homestead on SW 16-1-17. Their first task was to build a sod cabin to shelter them for the winter. In the spring of 1883 Robert broke three acres of land, seeded it to oats by hand, and harvested it with a scythe and flail. In 1884 he built a log house. Robert Church soon realized that the texture of the clay on his land was ideal for brickmaking and made plans to set up a brickyard. The wood for burning the bricks was hauled from Turtle Mountain in a home-made sleigh, and all the equipment required for making brick had to be made by hand. The next year he made 20,000 bricks and found a ready market for them as many houses needing brick chimneys were being built. There was no lime to make mortar so he burned a kiln of limestone. From that time to 1903 the Church brickyard produced the bricks that were used in most of the buildings in the surrounding district. The family were staunch Methodists and family worship was held in their home daily. When guns were issued to the farmers during the North West Rebellion, Robert Church refused to take one, preferring to make friends with the Indians. Many Indians realized that they could find food and rest at the Church home. Fox, Thomas Biography: d. 1907 m. (1862) Diana McCann d. 1901 Claims: Settled near Wood Lake 1880. Established a sawmill east of Lake Max that served a wide area. In 1881 he took a homestead on SE 10-2-19 Probable Significance: Medium Source: Trails & Crossroads to Killarney p. 244 / Reflections p. Harrison, William Biography: Claims: In 1878 he and his brother Matthew built a grist-mill and a sawmill on Long River at Wakopa. William Harrison and his younger brother George moved to Killarney where William and George built Killarney's first grain elevator. In 1885 they built another elevator at Holmfield, and later leased elevators at Cartwright and Mather. Probable Significance: High Source: Trails to Killarney p / Reflections p. From the Local History Sources... Matthew was the first of the Harrison family to leave Mitchell, Ontario, for Manitoba. In 1875 he built a flour mill in Fort Garry for the Hudson's Bay Company, in 1876 one in St. Leon and in 1877 one on the Bird Tail River. William, his older brother, joined him in 1878 when they built a grist-mill and a sawmill on Long River at Wakopa which they ran themselves. The first mill was burned down and they promptly built another on the same site. In 1882 George joined his brothers. With him came his mother and his sister Mary, who married Peter Bryan. George Harrison filed for N 20-1-17 in 1884 and moved there with his mother and sister until his homestead duties were completed. The mills did well. When the railway came in 1885, it ran nine miles north of Wakopa, and along the tracks the villages of Holmfield, Killarney, Ninga, and Boissevain sprang up. William Harrison and his younger brother George moved to Killarney where they built Killarney's first grain elevator. In 1885 they built another elevator at Holmfield, and later leased elevators at Cartwright and Mather. Hettle, John Biography: (1842 – 1897) Claims: The first steam power butter factory was started by John Hettle, on Sharpe’s Creek in 1885. A. Sharpe and the Young Bros. were directors. Brought purebred Shorthorns from Ontario and at one time was president of the Manitoba Dairy Association. In he was 1888 Elected MLA for Turtle Mountain. He was re-elected in 1892 and in 1896. Probable Significance: High Source: Source: Trails & Crossroads to Killarney p. 256 / Reflections p. |