Erected in 1889, on the southeast corner of Rosser Avenue and 7th Street at 806 Rosser Avenue, this block was designed by Brandon architect W.H. Shillinglaw. At the time of its construction the structure housed the Nation & Shewan Department Store, one of Brandon’s largest and most successful drygoods businesses, owned and operated by Fred Nation and Alexander Shewan.
Major improvements were made to the store and an annex was added in 1910. Some of the renovation additions included, but were not limited to, an updated frontage with new copper sash windows and prismatic glass tops, plate glass windows, new fixtures and carpet. With the renovations the floor space of the business was to be almost doubled. The stock of the business also increased, with the Brandon Weekly Sun reporting that when finished, Nation & Shewan would be a “store of which the citizens of Brandon will be justly proud.” The drygoods firm operated until Nation’s death 1926, when it became known as A. Shewan Limited. From 1933 to 1944, the business was known as Shewan and Son. Shortly thereafter, the Metroplitan Stores Ltd began operating out of the Nation & Shewan Block.
In 2000, the Town Centre prepared to knock down the Red Apple Building, formerly the Nation & Shewan Block. The demolition was to make way for the new atrium and entrance for the mall, and begin a new period of redevelopment at the downtown shopping centre.
[History/Bio written by Christy Henry (SJ McKee Archives) and Eileen Trott (Daly House Museum), researched by Morganna Maylon, for 2015 photographic exhibition "Gowen's Brandon: Then and Now".]
Custodial History
Photograph was given to Fred McGuinness by Linda Bilkoski (nee Lepard) of Lac du Bonnet, MB.
Scope and Content
Photograph shows a display of women's clothing and accessories in the window at Nation & Shewan. A sign reads: 1914 Spring Opening commences on Wednesday March 25th.
Notes
Writing on the back of the photograph reads: Mrs. E. Harden, 33-10th St., City. According to the Henderson's Brandon City Directories, Catharine "Kate" Harden (nee Chalmers) worked as a cashier at Nation & Shewan from 1913 to 1914.
The Metropolitan store was located at the southwest corner of 8th Street and Rosser Avenue. At present (August 2008) the space is the entrance and parking lot of the Towne Centre.
Scope and Content
Photograph shows a Metropolitan store window display of Canaidan made fall hats for women.
Repro Restriction
The McKee Archives is the copyright holder for the Stuckey materials.
Red Cloud 'Makpiya-luta'. As a non-hereditary chief, Red Cloud became the most successful war leader of the Cheyenne and Sioux during the 1860's and the Indians' campaign to close the Bozeman Trail and keep the Powder River inviolate. The Sioux were victorious and with the signing of the Fort Laramic treaty in 1868 the army abandoned her forts within the Dakota's hunting grounds. Thus Red Cloud became one of the few Indians ever to win an armed conflict against the U.S. Army. (Harbaugh, P., 1982)
Red Horse 'Xunktanka Stanewe'. During the spring of 1876, Red Horse moved his band from the region of the Cheyenne River traveling through the Rosebud Valley and met with a large contingent of Sioux assembling on the west bank of the Little Bighorn river. As a head chief within the council lodge of the largest recorded Sioux camp, Red Horse fought both Custer and Reno. In 1881 at the Cheyenne River Agency, S.D., Red Horse created 41 ledger drawings illustrating his part in the famed battle. His story was published by the Bureau of American Ethnology in their Tenth Annual Report. (Harbaugh, P., 1982)
Douglas Vincent Reiley was born in Amherst, N. S. He got his education in New Brunswick, London (England), and other places. Reiley worked both in two and three-dimensional media. He held various positions on Art Educational boards in Nova Scotia and Manitoba. For a period of time the artist worked as an art lecturer in Brandon. He spent 20 years at BU offering visual art courses. Reiley died in 1987. (1996 inventory)
Dimensions
76 X 50.5 cm
Size Overall
84 X 59 cm
Medium
oil
Condition
Bulging of surface - canvas loosely stretched. Mitre joints splitting in upper corners (TL and TR). Stretcher semi-detached from the frame in BL corner. Paint loss in area 22cm TL X 18.5cm L (c.. 0.5cm in diameter). Cracking of paint in the yellow area of the drum
Gustave Bellegro “Gus” Yaeger was born on July 10, 1878 at Genoa, Italy. The son of Swiss parents, he immigrated to the United States, working in West Virginia then North Dakota before arriving in Brandon, MB in 1910. He worked at various jobs before opening Yaeger's Furs, a fur-coat factory and retail store at 602 Rosser Avenue, in 1919.
Yaeger married Sarah Ellen Williams (1883-1966) of Big Rock, Idaho in 1907. They had two children: Karl Williams Yaeger (1908-1975) and Barbara Yaeger (m. H.H. Ricketts).
Gus Yaeger died on March 25, 1942 in Brandon, MB. His son carried on the business after his death before selling it to one of the managers in 1969.
The Dionne quintuplets, born May 28, 1934, were the first quintuplets known to have survived their infancy. They were born just outside Callandar, ON.
Scope and Content
Item is a photograph of the Yaeger's Furs Dionne quintuplets Christmas window display. The display features five dolls dressed in fur coats and bonnets, a framed photo of Gus Yaeger, a Christmas tree and a cardboard Santa.
Notes
History/Bio information taken from the Manitoba Historical Society website (http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/people/yaeger_gb.shtml)
The Eaton's store was located at the southwest corner of 7th Street and Rosser Avenue. The store closed c. 1997 and since 2000 the building has been occupied by the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba and the Brandon Public Library.
Scope and Content
Photograph shows a window display for the Eaton Groceteria, including various food items. The photograph was taken at night.
Repro Restriction
The McKee Archives is the copyright holder for the Stuckey materials.
