In 1882 the two year old son of Reverend Hall was the
first burial in this new cemetery, in a new community, in a new
land.
Did he question his decision to move to this remote territory, and to
locate in a fledgling community far from doctors and hospitals?
We know that in moments of crisis, some did wonder if they hadn’t made
a dreadful mistake.
Earlier that same year Letitia Mooney, from this same community, as her
child Lizzie lay near death with pneumonia, may have rued the day they
had left the relative security and comfort of their Ontario home.
Then a man arrived at her door having walked several miles on
snowshoes. He had with him some medication that he thought might
help. He stayed three days and the child recovered. The
man’s name was Rev. Thomas Hall.
The first Methodist Minister in Millford, essentially the first
resident Minister in western Manitoba, had arrived in the community
with the first wave of settlers in the summer of 1880. As the
newspaper clipping indicates – he came as a person of good standing.
Winnipeg Daily Times, July 27, 1880
As settlement increased his charge extended to neighbouring
communities, and sometimes involved travelling quite a distance. He
held the first Methodist service held in Plum Creek (Souris) some 40 km
to the west in 1881 in an unfinished building on the farm of Capt.
Gilbert Wood and spent the weekend there.
An interesting item from the records of the Second Quarterly Official
Board meeting held in Sourisburg, August 27, 1881, was the estimated
expense for the year: Minister's salary $300, board $300, house rent
$60, horse feed $85, fuel $25, travelling expenses $10, children's Fund
$8.40, incidentals $4.00, total $792.40, to be raised as follows:
Sourisburg $150, Millford $30, Brandon Hills $15, Oak Creek $27, and
that the Missionary Fund be asked for $550.
In 1882, Souris City was included in this mission and it was called
Souris City and Millford. In 1883 Glen Souris, Stockton, Langvale,
Greenfield, Souris Mouth and Dicksons were added.
A report from 1882 in the Winnipeg Times, notes that (In Souris
City) “The Methodists today are in the majority. They have
service every day. A Bible Christian minister has been stationed in
this place to look after the spiritual wants of several families
belonging to that denomination.”
We’re not sure when he made the move to Souris City but he was on that
village’s tax role in 1886 and we can use the town plan to even locate
the lot he occupied.
As with others who helped found our community, then moved on we have
scant information about their personal and family lives, while they
live on in the institutions they served.
The Millford Church and School
A sketch byT.J. Cooper 1890 (Manitoba Archives)
Adapted from Prairie WASP 83, 241
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