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The Roseville Church Origins

From the work of J.C. Cousins, one of the earliest settlers in the district.

In 1882 my brother Dick canvassed the district for subscriptions for the purpose of 'building an Anglican Church. The Caporns, Piersons and Varcoes were anxious for a Church service, so a meeting was called and Dick pooled his efforts with theirs and in 1884 the Roseville Church was erected situated on the north east quarter of section 26-11-20.  Varcoes gave the land.  An Agreement was entered into by the four denominations then represented, Anglican. Baptist, Methodist and Congregational, each having the right to supply its own Minister on one Sunday of each month. The funds and collections were all pooled in, or under a Treasurer, This was the first Church erected in Daly Municipality.

Township 12 Range 20 was set aside as a Reserve for British immigrants.  Crecy John Williams was employed by the Dominion Steamship Company to bring immigrants out to fill up the lands on the township. He arrived at Portage La Prairie with sixty families. He met ay father and offered him a homestead and pre-emption for him and Dick, my brother, on the Reserve provided he would come West and assist him in locating these people on their homesteads. My father led them into the township had traveled miles in locating half-mile and corner mounds.                                                         !

I am going to set forth some facts pertaining to the early history of our Church in Rivers, as well as certain other facts relating to the early history of the Anglican Church in the English Reserve, which is, as the most of you knew, situated just east of Rivers and more particularly comprising township 12, Range 20, and also a bit of history about the first Church in the Red River settlement in Manitoba. You may wonder how the settlers of the years 1875 and up to 1880, that came west and homesteaded in the Western part of Manitoba, got on without a Church or Minister.  However, my Dad and family stopped and camped in a large tent for three weeks at a Peter McLean’s house and on the old Indian trail. In coming West to the English Reserve of course, my Dad and. brother Dick homesteaded on Sec. 17-12-20, three miles East of Rivers, and we, together with the other settlers were without a Minister until the spring of 1880.  At this time the Reverend John B. Sargent was sent out "by the Anglican Church to Rapid City and. he used to walk out to our place, a distance of ten miles and hare service at our house, at which nearly all the settlers In the Township would attend. My brother Dick would drive him "bade home in the lumber wagon. These services were continued until 1884 at which time an arrangement was made and the Roseville Church was erected.