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Peter Andrew Scott Milliken, the
tenth child of George and Isabella, was born in 1849. He grew up in the
village of Coldingham, located approximately three miles east and north
of Reston, Scotland.
Peter then completed his apprenticeship in carpentry in Newcastle, and
went to Glasgow to work as an interior furnisher for a large
shipbuilding firm on the Clyde. Several of the tools that he used in
making mouldings are on display in the Reston museum. He married
Margaret Handyside on June 9th, 1880 and later left for Canada.
After staying briefly at on Greenridge, near Emerson, and Burnside just
west of Portage la Prairie, they headed west to settle on a homestead
on the Pipestone Creek in 1882. Passing through Brandon, Peter signed
on land described as the west half of 28-7-27 as recommended by the
Lothian brothers. This land, later known as “The Meadows", was held in
the Milliken family for over a century.
The first summer, 1882, the Millikens lived in a shack tent. Mrs.
Milliken was the first woman in the settlement and their small son,
George, was the first child. They moved back to Brandon for the winter
where Peter was able to get work as a carpenter on the C.P.R. Station.
In 1883 a daughter, Mary was born to the Peter Millikens in Brandon.
That spring the family returned to "The Meadows" and spent the summer
getting more land broken for cropping. A log house was built out by the
road allowance. This log house burnt down in 1891 and a frame house was
built nearer the creek.
By the year 1886, there were a number of children of school age in the
district. An acre of land was purchased from Mr. Thomas Bulloch and the
school was given the name of Reston, suggested by the Millikens. The
post office operated by William Bulloch was also called Reston. The
school building was made use of for many events and concerts were held
in it. Peter Milliken's popular singing groups and classes were also
held in the schoolhouse. The name of the school was changed from the
name Reston to Lanark. However, when the C.P.R. railway came through in
1892 they asked for the name Reston for the town.
During the summer of 1911 the Peter Milliken’s left the farm for good
and retired to Saskatoon, leaving their William to take over "The
Meadows". Peter died in 1934 and Margaret died in 1940. Both are buried
in the family plot at Reston.
Entertainment & Social life
(As remembered by Alex Milliken)
Young people of the community used to gather at our home for musical
evenings with my father leading the singing. Special celebrations were
held on Christmas Day and New Year's Day, when the families gathered at
one of the homes, alternating between the Millikens and the Lothians.
It was a day of fun for young and old. A team of oxen, later horses,
hitched to a sleigh provided the transportation. Straw, blankets, and
hot stones, provided comfort to the travellers. The youngsters spent
the afternoon sliding down the creek bank. First curling games were
held on a pond in Jimmie Lothian's yard using tin cans filled with
water and frozen for curling rocks. Games and charades were organized.
Individual songs by young and old topped off by a general singsong
brought the day to a close. The wonderful hot meal of turkey, roast
beef and plum pudding was served to the visitors through the day.
A summertime picnic was always held at least once a year at one of the
families' homes along the Pipestone Creek.
Adapted from Trails Along the Pipestone, page 586
Adapted from Pioneers of the Pipestone. page 10, 38
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