Muir started as a clerk for Coombs & Stewart in 1882, went into business for himself 1888 and was still operating in 1938. He closed his 6th Street store in June of 1945 (Brandon Sun).
Muir was a good friend of my pioneer grandfather, Sam Gilmour, who lived a block up the street, and as a small boy I spent many nickels in this store (LAS).
Custodial History
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Scope and Content
Wm. "Billy" Muir & grocery store
Notes
Located on the west side of the 100 block of 6th St.
This photo presented by Wm. Muir to Martin Kavanagh and donated to collection of Assiniboine Historical Society.
According to G.F. Barker (Brandon: A City, 1977, 291), William (Billy) Muir worked at Coombs & Stewart's on Pacific Avenue until he opened his own grocery store in 1888. The shop was located at 143-6th Street, Brandon, and was demolished for a parking lot in 1952.
Custodial History
Donated to Fred McGuinness by Allena Strath (nee Coombs).
Scope and Content
Photograph shows the "Wm. Muir General Grocer" building on 6th Street. Two men pose in the doorway of the store. The man on the left is likely William Muir. Barrels are lined on the boardwalk in front of the store. Apples and mason jars can be seen in the shop's windows.
Notes
Front of photograph reads: Sixth Street between Rosser - Princess. Back of photograph reads: Billy Muir's Store, 143 6th Street Brandon - 57 years in business in this location. An address label affixed to the back of the mat reads: Mrs. James Strath, Box 421, Souris, Man.
Photograph is stained and water damaged. A newspaper clipping about William (Billy) Muir is glued to the top left hand corner of the mat. The image is exfoliated in the right hand corner. The negative has been reverse printed.
History / Biographical
Coombs & Stewart opened the first general store in Brandon in 1881, which was located on 6th Street and Pacific Avenue. According to G.F. Barker (Brandon: A City, 1977, 291), William (Billy) Muir worked at the store until he opened his own grocery store in 1888.
Custodial History
Donated to Fred McGuinness by Allena Strath (nee Coombs).
Scope and Content
Photograph shows the Coombs & Stewart general store located on the corner of Pacific Avenue and 6th Street. A group of men pose in front of the wood-framed store.
Notes
Back of photograph reads: One of first stores in Brandon, Coombs...[?]
Photograph shows the Brandon Wheat Market along Pacific Avenue on November 30, 1885. Farmers can be seen driving wagon teams loaded with bags of grain in line on Pacific Avenue from 10 Street to at least 7th Street. On the north side of Pacific Avenue the CPR Land Office and grain elevators are pictured. On the south side of Pacific Avenue, the general merchant/hardware store Bower, Blackburn, Mundell & Porter is situated on the corner of Pacific Avenue and 10th Street. A 10th Street sign is affixed to the merchants' store. On the east side of the general store, Edie House, the Grand View Hotel, and a Farmers' boarding and lodging house can be seen. Most of the buildings appear to be woodframed except for the Grand View, which is constructed of brick. Sidewalks appear to be in place on the south side of Pacific and snow dusts the streets. A baby swathed in winter clothing sits in a pram/baby carriage in front of the general store.
Notes
Writing on the front of the photograph reads: Novemeber 30th, 1885, Brandon Wheat Market
Photographs have been glued to a backing board that has warped over time
Scope and Content
Photograph shows street view of north side of Rosser Avenue, primarily the 700 block. The Fleming Block, Beaubier Block and its Empire Hotel, A.M. Percival (a grocer), the Brandon Hardware Company (600 block), and the Arlington Hotel (500 block) are visible along the north side of the avenue. The Bank of Hamilton Building on the southeast corner of 8th Street and Rosser appears to be under construction. A sign in the second storey window above the main entrance reads: law office. The streets are muddy and a horse and buggy is traveling west on Rosser Avenue.
Notes
Writing on the front of the photograph matting reads: mud November 12, 1906, 339. The photograph appears to be taken from the interior of a builing on the southwest corner of 8th Street and Rosser Avenue. Page appears to be from a photo album.
Photograph shows seven men posing in front of a wood-framed shack on 10th Street. The men are wearing three-piece suits or vests and long-sleeved shirts. One man can be seen holding an axe another a saw. A double ox-team wagon is in front of the structure.
Notes
Writing on the back of the photograph reads: 10th St. May 1882, Brandon. Photograph is stamped Public Archives Canada.
Photograph shows the 700-block of Rosser Avenue facing west. Visible businesses on the north side of Rosser Avenue include: Burchill's Music Store, E.W. Woolworth Co. Ltd. 5-10 and 15 Cent Store in the E.E. Evans Block, Empire Hotel, and W.A. Paterson Drugs. Automobiles are parked on both sides of the avenue and at the time the photograph was taken, Rosser Avenue was a two-way street.
Notes
Part of "Souvenir of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada [viewbook], Printed by Photogelatine Engraving Co. Limited, Ottawa." Dates obtained from the Burchill's Music Store Henderson's Brandon City Directory listings (1927-1929). Writing on the front of the photograph reads: Rosser St. [sic.] - Brandon, Man.
Photograph shows the 800 block of Rosser Avenue facing west. On the south side of Rosser Avenue the Nation Block, Christie's Bookstore, and Reesor's Clock can be seen. A number of horse and buggies/carriages are travelling along Rosser Avenue.
After demise of the streetcars, a transit system was started by MacArthur Transportation Co. with three routes, an east end loop, a south end loop, and a west end loop, with terminal at 8th St. & Rosser Ave. The E & W was operated as a continuous route with two locally built coach bodies on new Maple Leaf trucks. A secondhand, larger, Leland coach was acquired for the S. end, which was replaced by a large GMC about 1938.
Custodial History
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Photograph was in possession of Mrs. Ruby Miles, who passed the image on to Fred McGuinness. McGuinness makes reference to Mrs. Miles and this photograph in his Sunbeams column (Brandon Sun 14 September 1978).
Scope and Content
Photograph shows a horse drawn wagon advertising Cowan's Cocoa. The Gilmore Advertising Company of Toronto appears to be responsible for the ad and the wagon is numbered "No.4". Three men appear in the photograph: one behind the reigns, one in the rear seat of the wagon, and other standing at the rear axel.
Notes
Writing on the front of the photograph matting reads: Pringle & Booth, 181 George Street, Toronto. Writing on the back of the photograph matting reads: Mrs. R. Miles, R.J. Brdgdon?, Right Side 2.50 a day.
Date obtained from http://photographersofontario.ca
This store, the first established in Brandon (June 12, 1881), was erected on the southeast corner of 6th St. & Pacific Avenue, facing Pacific.
Coombs and Steward later opened a store on the northeast corner of 9th St. & Rosser Ave.
Billy Muir was Coombs & Stewart's first clerk. He later opened a store of his own on the west side of the 100 block of 6th St., which he operated for nearly 50 years. (I was often a customer as a kid - LAS). Billy Muir closed his 6th Street store June 1945 (Brandon Sun). [See E18]
Custodial History
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Photograph shows the recently constructed Strathcona Block. H. Lamontagne & Co. Ltd., Wholesale, occupies the ground floor. Scaffolding is suspended from the north side of the building. Buildings have yet to be erected to the north and south sides of the Strathcona Block.
Notes
Back of photograph is stamped: Hughes & Co. Ltd., 1009 Princess Ave., Brandon, Man.
Photograph is scratched and has been glued to a backing board that has warped over time
Scope and Content
Photograph shows street view of the northeast intersection of the 000 block of 8th Street and Rosser Avenue. Horse and buggies are parked along the east side of 8th Street. Businesses on the east side of 8th Street from Pacific to Rosser Avenues are clearly visible and include: a Lunch Room (likely Aagaard's Lunch Counter), the Hotel Imperial Annex, Liverpool House (a boarding house), R.S. Thompson and Company Real Estate Office (Land Office), a barber shop (likely J. Coulter's), Frank Gowen photography studio, and Fleming's Drug Store. A possible street fair is in progress on Rosser Avenue. One man is standing on a soap box and is surrounded by a crowd in the middle of 8th Street. Another man can be seen standing behind a booth on the northwest street corner. Building construction appears to be happening on the west corner of 8th Street and Rosser Avenue.
Notes
Writing on the front of the photograph matting reads: 297. One photograph (20-2009.80) is glued below the photograph. Another photograph is glued on the reverse side. Page appears to be from a photo album.
Photograph is scratched and has been glued to a backing board that has warped over time
Scope and Content
Photograph shows street view of intersection of the 000 block of 8th Street and Rosser Avenue. Horse and buggies are travelling on both roads. Businesses on the east side of 8th Street from Pacific to Rosser Avenues are clearly visible and include: a Lunch Room (likely Aagaard's Lunch Counter), the Hotel Imperial Annex, Liverpool House (a boarding house), R.S. Thompson and Company Real Estate Office (Land Office), a barber shop (likely J. Coulter's), Frank Gowen photography studio, and Fleming's Drug Store. A possible street fair is in progress on Rosser Avenue. One man is surrounded by a crowd adjacent to the Fleming Block, another man stands on a soap box in the middle of the intersection, while a third man is standing behind a booth. Building construction appears to be happening on the west corner of 7th Street and Rosser Avenue.
Notes
Writing on the front of the photograph matting reads: 296. One photograph (20-2009.12) is glued above and two others are glued on the reverse side. Page appears to be from a photo album.
Photograph shows a panorama, bird's-eye-view of downtown Brandon, between Pacific and Rosser Avenues and 7th Street facing east. Photoraph likely taken from the McKenzie Seeds Building. Visible businesses include: Western Canada Flour Mills, Hanbury Hardware Co. Ltd., Cockshutt Plow Co., New Pacific Hotel, Gordon McKay Building, and Arlington Hotel.
Notes
Part of "Souvenir of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada [viewbook], Printed by Photogelatine Engraving Co. Limited, Ottawa." Dates obtained from the Burchill's Music Store Henderson's Brandon City Directory listings (1927-1929). Writing on the front of the photograph reads: Panorama of Brandon, Man.
Photograph was in possession of Mrs. Ruby Miles, who passed the image on to Fred McGuinness. McGuinness makes reference to Mrs. Miles and this photograph in his Sunbeams column (Brandon Sun 14 September 1978).
Scope and Content
Photograph shows a wagon displaying advertisements for Taylor's Infants-Delight Toilet Soap and Dyson's Red Cross Baking Powder. The Gilmore Advertising Company appears to be responsible for the advertising and the wagon is numbered "No.3". The horsedrawn wagon is facing north on 18th Street and is parked in front of Brandon College's Original Building. An elderly man is seated at the reigns of the wagon and another man is seated at the rear. Standing to the left of the wagon is a man holding a can of Dyon's baking powder. Standing to the right of the wagon is a young man holding a cardboard ad of an infant holding a bar of soap in a wash basin.
Notes
Writing on the back of the photograph reads: Mrs. R. Miles. Cover shot. The photograph is stamped Davidson & Gowen, Photographers, Brandon, Man. Note: The two men standing in the photograph appear to be in another photograph where they are advertising O-Pee-Chee gum (see 20-2009.96).
Photographs have been glued to a backing board that has warped over time
Scope and Content
Photograph shows street view of north side of Rosser Avenue, primarily the 700 block. Horse and buggies are travelling on the avenue and pedestrians fill the sidewalks. Union Jacks and English flags are mounted from the windows on the Fleming and Beaubier blocks. Flag banners are drapped across Rosser Avenue. Businesses visible in the Fleming Block include: Lowes Brothers Clothing and Spring Park Nurseries. Businesses visible in the Beaubier Block include the Empire Hotel. Businesses east of the Empire Hotel are grocer A.M. Percival and the Brandon Hardware Company. An advertisement for the Northern Bank is affixed to a telephone pole on the southside of the street.
Notes
Writing on the front of the photograph matting reads: July 1 1906, 314. One photograph (20-2009.8) is glued below and another, 20-2009.6, is glued on the reverse side. Page appears to be from a photo album.
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