Our Heritage

4. Excerpts from Trails and Crossroads to Killarney

Tisdale – By Byron Mason

The writer arrived at Emerson about the 25th of March 1881 after a somewhat slow and tedious journey from Halifax via Intercolonial Railway to Montreal, then via Toronto, Chicago, St. Paul and Milwaukee, Pembina and Emerson.

After staying a day or two in West Lynne to secure an outﬁt consisting of a yoke of often, sleigh and numerous other articles, we started west with two set of sleighs (my brother meeting us here).. The objective being Pelican Lake, about 130 miles. Our party consisting of my two brothers, Harry and Jack, the latter having travelled from the Old Country with me, and Mr. and Mrs. J. Stephens their son, Will and the writer.

Passing through the Mennonite villages and coming by way of Calf Mountain, Nelsonville, Dead Horse Creek (at which place was a store kept by one Asher by name) through Crystal City and Pilot Mound (the old sites), crossed the Valley at Wilson’s, through the Marringhurst district, and so on to Pelican Lake to the house of Mr. H. Knight, on the west side of the lake. This house had been built during the summer of 1880, Mr. Knight bringing up his family that fall, consisting of Mrs. Knight and family of three, two sons and one daughter, who had been living recently in the Morden district,

This was the only house west of the lake, hence a stepping place for all travellers, and I think he was the ﬁrst homesteader west of the lake for a good many miles. Mr. John Moir was also living in the valley, the late Mr. A. Henderson residing with him during the Winter of 80 and 81 and who had a homestead on the hill overlooking the Pembina River. The Cameron Bros, Hugh and Dougald, having came during the winter, staying with Mr, Knight, they homesteaded section 2 and which afterwards became the site of the town of Tisdale.

Several settlers came in during the summer among whom I might mention, F. Butcher, W, .Folliott, E. Douglass, J. S. Gale and the Finnen Bros. This summer was chiefly taken up with building houses and stables, putting up hay, and some breaking was done.

All mail had to come through the Post Office at Marringhurst, 25 miles east and there being no regular courier it was carried by any one who might be passing east or west. During 1882 more settlers began to arrive, among whom were J. Johnston, J. Wilson, J. J. Meir, T. Hamilton, R. Freeborn, James and Joseph Clements, E. Moore, E. Mason, James and Thomas Freeman and D. Robinson, also F. Armstrong and Boucher, the last two settling in Glendenning valley and building a house and store, also putting up and operating a saw mill close to the west bank and not far from where W. Thompson's present house and barn are now situated. This mill was run at intervals for a few months, or until the supply of logs gave out, the mill gang consisting of Charles Cummings as engineer, Harry Williamson as sawyer and the writer acting as tail sawyer, handling the ﬁnished product. It was mostly custom work that was done, at least I never heard of any being exported.

The house above referred to is still standing, the store having been moved and now is part of the home of R. Olver, Boucher owning that land at that time.

J. Moir and P. Finnen built the ﬁrst bridge across the Pelican Lake outlet during this summer. The C. P. R. having surveyed their South- Western line through this district, and every one expecting to have a townsite of their own, little else was talked about. But it was the Cameron Bros; who did more than talk, they, with the help of T. P. Murray, real estate man of Winnipeg, surveyed the town site of- Tisdale on the West half of section 2-4-16 (so named after the chief engineer who surveyed the line), this having settled the question of where the town would be, activities commenced on all sides, a large house of logs being built, the bringing of a portable saw mill, overland from Brandon, one Thomas, of Millford (on the Souris) opening up a large general store in a frame building of about 8 foot walls, being covered with a tent, with F. Corley in charge.

T. J. Lawlor also built a frame two-storey building, in which one could buy almost anything from a “needle to an anchor.” Also, one Rogers (of Crystal City) built a store, but which was later burnt down. E. Machon built a house and shop in which he carried on a blacks-mith’s business for some time. The proprietors of this site had not overlooked the comfort and necessity of the present and future generations seven acres being surveyed and laid out for a public park and recreation ground. The spiritual needs of the community being administeed to by Mr. Cairns of Marringhust, and the Rev. Mr. Stewart of Crystal City, (who later became Dr. Stewart) who preached several times at the home of the writer. Mr. Amstong of Glendenning also held services (Anglican), about this time and most of 1884. The Rev. C. N.Jeffreys, of Clearwater being the ﬁrst Anglican ordained minister to preach in that house, June 7th, 1885, having monthly services.

I think I will mention a rather amusing incident in connection with a service held at Tisdale. A young bachelor of the district decided to go to church that morning, remembering that his syrup can was empty, took it along to have it ﬁlled, and presented it at one of the stores, remarking that he would like to have it ready to take back after the service. The weather being cold and the storekeeper having a few minutes to spare, placed the can under a 56 gallon hogshead and turned on the tap, intending to turn it off before leaving for the service. Being one of the main singers and a leader of the choir he made haste to be at the service in time for the opening hymn, service being held in the boarding house, he forgot all about the tap. All went well until the last hymn, when half way through the ﬁrst verse, he remembered the syrup. Having no music at that time, he held the key to the situation; and each verse was faster and faster, and the congregation wondered why the haste. Needless to say, he did not stay for the Benediction, but left quietly by a back door making the quickest time he had ever done, for the store; However, the found things not too bad, the bachelor got full measure, and the ﬂoor got some, but I do not think the loss was very serious, but it was a good ' joke around town and country for some time. The store keeper referred to is now a resident of Killarney.

During the winter of 1883 rumors began to circulate that the C. P. R. had changed their plans, and would take a more southerly route, which eventually proved to be correct, the reason being stated that it was too expensive to build a line up by the Glendenning Valley. That may have been so, but the opinion of the writer is that by so doing, they hoped, at that time, it might be the means of cutting off competing lines from the south. However all rumor were set at rest as they began to grade the present line from Manitou, which had been the end of the track since 1882, The steel being laid through Killarney the, fall of 1885 and Deloraine the next fall. From this time the town of Tisdale began to fade and the boom was over. T. J. Lawlor dismantling his building and moving it to Killarney, Mr. P. Finnen and the writer handling the contract in February 1884. The blacksmith’s house being moved to section 3, where he combined farming with his business for a while, later moving to Killarney. And now that the railway and townsite had been deﬁnitely settled, people turned their attention to improving their lands, by breaking more land and drawing out wood and logs for building purposes from across the lake, and each spring saw the erection of many new buildings. As they were always built by having raising “bees”, it was the place where one would hear the latest gossip, good natured chaff and jokes, some having a special gift that way, While the supply seemed to be limitless.

Recreation we had in various forms, picnics in summer and dances at any' time. The writer remembers a let of July at the house and grove of Mr. Knight, all kinds of games, races, etc., being on the programme, a race for oxen making the fastest time, ridden by the owner, also one for the slowest ox under the same conditions, and all kinds of foot races for old and young, jumping of all kinds, throwing the hammer, tossing the saber, etc. Dancing was indulged in by both young and old, as there were no school houses or community halls they took place in private houses, people coming from far and near. Among those from across the lake, one remembers the names of Wanless, Hall,Thring, Williamson, Maxwell, Daniels and others It was never too cold to go to a dance, people coming any distance would do so in daylight, and leave in daylight.

About this time a post office, Glendenning, was established, at the house of J. Moir, Mr. Fraser of Pilot Mound acting as courier. This office remained in the valley for a year or so, or until Mr. Moir moved to Virden, when it was transferred to the house of Mr. Knight, later the mail was brought in via Killarney, J. S. O’Brien having the contract. In those days people thought nothing of walking, some of the women going almost every week for the mail, both to the valley and later to Mr. Knights, sometimes carrying a plow share as far as the blacksmith’s. I have known my old neighbor, Mrs. Stephens to do so. There were several ways of travelling, one had the choice of either a wagon, red river cart, stone boat or a hay rack, all of which the writer has seen used and with oxen as the motive power, which though slow, one might generally depend on getting to their destination, unless the mosquitos were bad, which was often the case. The writer has seen oxen so covered with them it was hard to tell what color they were, and if space would permit, I could tell of many exciting times I have experienced. At the same time I still have quite a lot of respect for the oxen of the early days, for as a rule they were hard working, patient beasts, easily kept, and did a lot of hard work in opening up this settlement and others. The ﬁrst harvesting that was done was cut with a cradle, then followed the reaper, and later the self binder.

The ﬁrst threshing was done by hand power (ﬂail). Robinson Bros. of Cartwright operated the ﬁrst horse power machine, which had no straw carriers and when threshing near a building would take about six men and a boy to keep the straw away. McCool and Richards operated one later of a more modern type, although both threshed into bushels, the bushel man keeping tally by pulling a string through a hole in a board, a knot on each end for every bushel he emptied. This method often caused rows and arguments. J. Stephens operated the ﬁrst steam outﬁt.

Of all the houses that the writer assisted in the raising of, only two are occupied at the present time, the Butcher Bros. are still living in the house built in 1881, and Guy Compton is living in one that T. Hamilton built on his homestead in 1883, both are built of oak logs. Of all who came to this district in those early days, none are on their former homesteads now, except the writer, Mr. P. .Finnen having moved to Killamey last year, the rest having passing on to that place from which no one returns, Of the events that took place during the ﬁrst ten years of this district, which is as far as this history deals with, I might mention: R. Freehorn’s death, who was instantly killed from the kick of a horse near Mr. Knights, as he was going to the bush on the 23rd of January 1889. The death of Mrs. T. Hamilton in January 1889. The death of E. Douglas, during the winter of 1886. The death of Mr. Johnston; father of Joseph Johnston, in June 1885, The death of F. Corley, who was killed at the Tisdale sawmill 1883. All of these with the exception of F. Corley (who I think was taken east) were buried on a point of land on section 12 overlooking the lake, three of them have been re-interred.

Of the public buildings since that time are: Tisdale school house in April 1895, and the Anglican church in 1903, the Rev. W. R. Johnson, who had been holding services in this district for several years, being in charge.