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We Made The R.M. of Pipestone

Pioneer

William R. Guthrie 

 

 


William R. Guthrie


 William Reid Guthrie was born in Middleville, Ontario in 1836.  In 1882 he came west with his son James. They worked during the summer on the construction of the mail line of the C.P.R. They returned to their home in Ontario for the winter and the following summer was once again spent in construction of the railway. Before returning to Ontario again for the winter, he bought the south of 26-9-27 in the valley of the Pipestone Creek from the Hudson's Bay Company. During the summer and fall of 1883 some land was broken and a house built. In the spring of 1884 he came west again bringing his wife Eleanor, and their children. He later bought the half of section 33 and two other quarters not far from his original holding.

 
Guthrie’s Grove along Pipestone Creek became a popular meeting place.



Daily Nor’Wester July 13, 1887

William was chairman of the first meeting held on June 29, 1886 to arrange for the construction of a school and later served on the school board for a number of years. It was decided to name the school district Reston, after the little town in Scotland where some of the pioneers had originally lived. When the railway came through, the town site was named Reston, so it necessitated changing the name of the school from Reston to Lanark. He was Reeve of the Pipestone Rural Municipality from 1896- 189S.

Mr. Guthrie died on March 10, 1909.
 
Adapted from Trails Along the Pipestone, page 295,298, 368

Adapted from Pioneers of the Pipestone. page 35




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