Genealogy, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, Pioneer,Saskatchewan history, Temperance Colony, Temperance Colonization Society, Pioneers,John N. Lake, John Lake, Saskatoon history, Saskatoon Gen Web, Genealogy, | |
could be done here I started for Moose Jaw on 9th June, and thence to Ot-
tawa, saw the Surveyor General, Sir J. A. MacDonald, Sir David McPher-
son, the Minister of the Interior, and orders were telegraphed to them to
lay the land out in square sections. On my arrival at Moose Jaw, on my
way down from the Colony I went up to Medicine Hat on the 20th of June
to see Kerr and his scows and lumber. He was almost ready to start on
his wonderful and perilous journey down the river. I then returned to the
Colony on 20th July, found the survey of the town site progressing finely;
on Aug. 18th it was finished, and we had a holiday and raised the liberty
pole (the longest pole we could find) (1), Had a general jubilation, all
the settlers round and from the Crossing and below to the number of 30 or
40 people. On the 27th of August the lumber came and we all rejoiced.
Started the Office and various houses, and on 20 Sept. I left for Moose Jaw
again, and on to Toronto, leaving a band of earnest determined people to
face a cold winter and tremendous difficulties. God and the people alone
know how they pulled through.
The following year I spent about a month in the Colony, arranging
matters and left for home about the first of June, dropping out of all con-
nection with the Company the following year, leaving about $8,000 of hard
cash in the wreck. I paid one cheque in the spring of 1882, of $5000 on
stock. I was worried by the interminable law suits, which I thought un-
neccessary and unwise. However, I was vindicated by Hon. Justice Rose,
who said if all had paid up like John N. Lake no lawsuit would be needed.
The Moose Jaw-Saskatoon Trail
Mr. Russell Wilson says:
In 1883 there was an old trail running from the unknown north south
to the Missouri. It passed through Prince Albert, Batoche and Fish Creek
but did not touch what is now Saskatoon. Rather, it ran about six miles
east. It touched the Saskatchewan River at the Elbow and then passed to
and through Swift Current. A new trail was blazed by Mr. Geo. Grant and
Mr. Frank Clark between Moose Jaw on the Canadian Pacific Railway and
the Elbow. This made a shorter route from the east to the river than that
of the old Swift Current trail (2).
Mr. Gerald Willoughby tells of a caravan trip from Moose Jaw to
Saskatoon:
As a rule people who made up a caravan came from some eastern point
or from over the sea. If they came from the East they had a carload of
settler's effects, usually consisting of three horses and probably three or
four cows, a lumber waggon. an eastern plough (which was no use to them
after they got here), a harrow, a few household goods which the wife clung
to, and a necessary adjunct was always a dog.
When they arrived at Moose Jaw they had to be very careful of their
money. Some of them stayed at a building put up by the Temperance
Colonization Society in 1883, where they could store their effects, others
had tents and lived outside. It was always a busy season getting ready for
the trail.
(1) James M. Ehy says: "In August there was a gathering of all the
settlers on the site of the prospective city on which were two or three
tents, but no buildings. There were prehaps a score, possibly a few more,
of us all told. We raised a flag pole on which floated a Union Jack and
amid speeches and merrymaking, celebrated the founding of the city of
Saskatoon."
(2) Traces of this track still exist: it will he identified by its triple line,
the majority of vehicles being of the cart type, the centre track that worn
by the single pony. Later trails were made by team traffic, and can be
distinguished by the team's tracks throughout the course of the joint trail
running south from point of meeting. (W. P. Bate.)
Page 17
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NARRATIVES OF SASKATOON1882-1912Genealogy, Saskatoon, Pioneer, Saskatchewan history, Temperance Colony, Temperance Colonization Society, Pioneers,John N. Lake, John Lake, Saskatoon history, Saskatoon Gen Web, Saskatoon Genealogy BY MEN OF THE CITY PREPARED BY A COMMITTEE OF THE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION OF SASKATOON PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY BOOK-STORE |
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