The Brandon Council of Women (BCW) was active between 1895 and 1927, when it disbanded. Principally through the efforts of Mrs. Kaye Rowe of Brandon, the BCW was officially restablished in 1952. The Brandon Council of Women remained active until c. 1973. It brought together fifty-two women's organizations in Brandon, representing 2600 women.
Custodial History
The Brandon Council of Women fonds was transferred to the McKee Archives during the 1970s. It was accessioned in 1998.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of papers and photographs of the International Council of Women (ICW), the National Council of Women of Canada (NCWC), the Manitoba Council of Women (MCW), and the Brandon Council of Women (BCW). The ICW papers include meeting minutes. The NCWC papers include meeting minutes, resolution lists, pamphlets, newsletters, correspondence, financial records, yearbooks, and copies of Acts pertaining to women. The MCW papers contain copies of the MCW constitution, meeting minutes, resolution lists, correspondence, and committee reports. The BCW materials comprise the largest part of the fonds, and include meeting minutes, committee reports, financial records, correspondence, short course agendas, posters, pamphlets, memos, resolution lists, newspaper clippings, manuscripts, photographs, and scrapbooks.
Murray's Garage opened in 1932 by Melvin Earl Murray. The business was later renamed Murray's of Neepawa in 1964.
Custodial History
See Fonds level description for custodial history
Scope and Content
Murray's Garage opened in 1932 by Melvin Earl Murray. Before it's opening in 1932 the building was used as a truck and storage facility, the business opened for automotive sales after Earl Murray had recieved a contract by General Motors in 1932. The first sale of a vehicle occurred in 1933 when a customer from Winnipeg bought a Pontiac vehicle. During the first few years of operation Earl Murray served as the Office Manager, Parts Manager, and Salesman. In 1934 an additional contract with the International Harvester Co. giving license to the additional sale of farm equipment. This new expansion resulted in the hiring of other staff to handle Parts and Service while the sales of the farm machinery remained Earl's responsibility.
The business aquired many contracts over the course of its existence as such new propoerties were aquired to allow for this expansions and new additions were added to the original building. When the new addition was near completion an explosion occured which resulted in 100% loss of the original building as well as all the contents it enclosed. Luckily, the fire department was able to save most of the new addition. A sizable loan was required for the buisness to rebuild after this disaster. Once the business was open again, car sales, need for parts, and service volume increased resulting in the complete recovery of the buisness.
In 1940 due to the war the purchase of new vehicles was limited to emergency service, it was at this time that General Motors added the Cheverolet-Oldsmobile to their contracts. Shortly after this a tornado hit the building causing substantial damage however it was soon repaired and business resumed.
Earl's son, Gerald, had worked in the business since his return from the war in 1945. He schooled in in Flint Michigan at a General Motors Business Institute to assist his father with the business. In 1960 Gerald took a course in Detroit Michigan in a Post Graduate School of Modern Merchandising and Management. After his completion of this course Gerald moved back to Neepawa and took of the position of Sales Manager at his fathers garage. The business was later renamed Murray's of Neepawa in 1964 when Earl handed the keys to the business over to his son Gerald.
Notes
Description by Jillian Combs. Information from Manitoba Hisotrical Society,
This record group was artifically created in January 2007 by Tom Mitchell and Christy Henry of the McKee Archives.
Scope and Content
The record group consists of various fonds and collections concerned with the political, cultural, social, and educational life of western Manitoba. See the Subject Access field for a list of titles.
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