Vandura, Saskatchewan History

A little history of Vandura:

Jun 19, 2015

Vandura is on SW 20-21-1-W2. The first settlers to this area arrived around 1882. They were the families of: McVicar, deNevers, Aitken (my ancestors), Lewis, Hiscock, Hunt and McLean. In 1907 the railway came through and shortly after the town of Vandura started. 'Granny Aitken' (my 2nd great grandmother) told of the railway crew hauling water from their farm. There was many workers of German descent and she thought it was they who gave the town of Vandura it's name. The railway provided a section house beside the tracks which was moved by Andrew Baudu to reside in and later moved once again right into Vandura by Ron Coffey and then sold to me. We lived there for a number of years and it is still there.

Stores- C. Read had a lumberyard

Storekeepers- Tom Robert, Billy Cheeseman, Mr. Emberay, George Hiscock, Mr. Carvath, Bert and Oliver Gordon, Dune McLaughlin, Fred Wong, Morris Griffith, John Laidlaw

My  great grandfather build a boarding house and livery barn in 1908.

Blacksmith shop- Jim Mills 1907

Dan McIvor

Mr. Carvath

Jim Smart

Postmasters- 1910-1969

1910- E. Weiderholt

1911- Wm W Hales

1912- Peter W Hutchison

1914- Wm Cheeseman

1916- George Hiscock

1917- Andrew Embury

1919- George Hiscock

1922- A H Wilson

1931- Jas. Smart

1941- Robert G New

1947- Clark W Ennis

1954- Mrs Dorothy C Ennis

1954-69- Richard J Simons

My parents, sisters and other relatives went to school in Vandura

The first school classes were held in the Aitken's (my ancestors) boarding house the year before Vandura school was built. First school was built in 1913 and classes started in the fall of this year. The first teacher was Miss H McDonald. First students to start were Gladys, Dixie, Mary (my great aunts), Beatrice (my grandmother) Aitken; Edward, Rose and Dorothy deNevers; Malcolm and Murdock McLean; Maisie Potter.

First school board Alex Aitken Sr as chairman, Murdock McLean Sr as trustee and E A deNevers Sr as secretery and trustee.

This school house was used until 1962. It was torn down and the Duramus school and teacherage were moved into the schoolyard. The school was used until 1968 with Mrs Edith Simons as teacher. The children were then bussed to Wawota school.

Some teachers in Vandura were:

Miss H McDonald

Mrs Anderson

Miss Christie

Miss Treffy

Miss M Cole

Miss I Quayle

Mr Fallis

Miss Love

Charlie Moore

C Ewald

N Cole

D Partridge

C Bochme

Miss Sawyer

L McPherson

A Graham

P Bielby

Miss McClinton

M Zyrmiak

M Kovach

Isobel Main

K Cudmore

Mrs Morley

S Virtue

M Barnett

B Comstock

E Wilson (Simons)

Dale Oliver

V Bourne

First elevator was built by the British American Company and later bought by the Sask Wheat Pool Company. George Lewis was the first agaent. Other agents- B Cummings, T Smith, N Graham, O Olson, K Reeves, Alvin Hambleton and Allan Schwalm. The Dumas (another village closeby) was moved to Vandura about 1967. About 1981 the two elevators were demolished (if I remember correctly I think a tornado took one down)

Vandura had daily train service with a passenger train travelling east at 12am and west at 5am. On Aug 4, 1963 the last passenger train 'the Midnight' passed through Vandura.

Electricity came in 1955 and 3 street lights were installed in Vandura (no longer there)

There is a lake about 1 mile SE of Vandura once called St Charles Lake. In the 1900's the storekeeper from Vandura, William Cheeseman had a stand at the end of the lake and sold ice cream, boxes of popcorn and other goodies. This lake was right beside my ancestors, Aitken homestead. There was a pipe from this lake leading to the tracks (first was a wooden pipe) to Vandura train station to supply the steam engine trains. This lake almost dried up in the 1930's. Today it is as full as it once was thanks to the water table being so high.

Vandura United Church and manse were built in 1919

First minister was Rev A Henderson, followed by W Sallans, Rae Allen and student ministers came for the summers but no services were held during the winter

Cemeteries in the Wawota area

St Paul's

Kennedy Protestant

Kennedy Catholic

Dumas

Highview

Meridian

Wawota Catholic

Wawota

Fernley

Glen Adelaide

Riga

N Kelso

Walpole

Spring Creek

Zion

Mair

Parkman

I have all the info of who is buried in these cemeteries up to 1994. If you would like I can send you all this info

Information on the private cemeteries:

The pic of Cochlan is in the RM Wawken Range 1, Township 12, Section 28, SE W2

The graves of Crampean is on RM Wawken Range 1, Twp 12, Section 10 SE W2

The one in Vandura is a boy with surname Hiscock and there was a small cross that had broke off and was under water this is on RM Wawken  Range 1, Twp 12, Section 20, SW W2

Thanks 

Maureen Jensen (Moe)