MR. DILL.
Geo. Dill, who was massacred at Frog Lake, was born in the Village of
Preston, in the County of Waterloo, Ont., and was at the time of his
death about 38 years of age. At the age of about 17 years, he joined
his brother, who was then trading for furs at Lake Nipissing, in 1864.
In 1867 his brother left Nipissing, leaving him the business, which he
continued for a few years, when he left that place and located on a
farm on Bauchere Lake in the Upper Ottawa River. In 1872 he went to
Bracebridge, Muskoka, where his brother, Mr. J. W. Dill, the present
member for the Local Legislature, had taken up his residence and was
doing business. After a short time, he set up business as a general
store at Huntsville, where he remained until 1880; he then took a
situation in a hardware store in the Village of Bracebridge. While
living in Huntsville, he was married to Miss Cassleman, of that place.
They had a family of two children, who are now living somewhere in
Eastern Canada. In 1882, at the time of the Manitoba boom, he went to
see that country, and engaged with a Dominion Land Surveyor, retiring
to Bracebridge again in the winter following, remaining till spring
1883, he again went to the North-West, and again engaged with a
Surveyor; his object was to secure a good location and settle down to
farming, but his inclination led him to trading again, and after
speculating until the fall of 1884, he left Battleford for Frog Lake.
He was the only trader in the Frog Lake district, and was well
respected by the community generally.
--Two months in the camp of Big Bear
by Theresa Gowanlock and Theresa Delaney (Primary source documents / Timeline)
|