James Elliott, along with one sister and four brothers,
was born in Hope Township, County Durham, Ontario, son of James Elliott
who had immigrated there from Cornwall County, England around 1830. In
1868 he married Mary Hurley, daughter of a Bible Christian Missionary,
Rev. Robert Hurley and his wife Mary Anne Clemence. In the spring of
1880 James went west with brothers Jabez and Joshua and, after spending
the summer on his homestead, returned to Ontario in November. In the
spring of 1881 he again set out for Manitoba with a carload of
equipment and household effects. In May, his wife, with their sons,
Almon (eleven) and Oliver (seven) followed. On arrival in Winnipeg,
they boarded the paddlewheeler, "City of Winnipeg," and sailed up the
Assiniboine River to Two Rivers (Souris Mouth), landŽing there on June
3, where they were met by father James. The "City of Winnipeg" has been
described as a finely appointed, three-decked steamboat, gaily painted
and upholstered and kept in the most spotless and shining order
throughout. It was capable of carrying several hundred passengers and a
large quantity of freight. From Two Rivers the family travelled some
twelve to fifteen miles by team and wagon to their new home.
The summer of 1881 was a busy one for the family. They lived in a sod
shanty erected the previous year by their father and before the arrival
of winter, they had built a house 20' x 28' (the only one of the
original buildings still remaining on the farm), an 18' x 16' granary
and a stable large enough to hold 5 span (teams) of horses. In
addition, 200 acres of land were under cultivation.
Pioneer life on the prairies was very difficult in those early days.
The winters were extremely cold and pioneers told of blizzards so
severe that it was impossible to see from one building to another. As a
precaution against becoming lost they strung ropes between the
buildings as a guide.
Conveniences were non-existent — no running water, indoor plumbing or
electricity. Wood-burning stoves were used both for heating and
cooking. Baking bread, making butter, doing the laundry by hand,
ironing with flat irons heated on the stove, picking and preserving
wild fruit and home-grown vegetables in season, making their own
candles and soap were all part of the work of the pioneer women. In
addition, they were always willing to lend a helping hand to a
neighbor, particularly in time of sickness or during the arrival of a
new baby.
James farmed his homestead location until 1892 and by this time had
added the balance of Section 29 and the east half of Section 30. In
1892 they moved to a smaller farm in the valley near Wawanesa — part of
23-7-17, leaving son, Almon, to work the east half of his property (480
acres) and sending to Ontario for William
James, a staunch Methodist, was on the origŽinal Board of Trustees for
Methven Methodist Church. He was a director of the Wawanesa Mutual
Insurance Company from 1900 until his death in 1913 and on the first
slate of Councillors for both the Municipality of Oakland and the
village of Wawanesa. He was interested in and actively participated in
all things he believed to be for the good of the community, sang tenor
and it was said, never drank anything stronger than creek water.
Adapted from Sipiweski, page 282
The seven Mrs. Elliotts
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