Contains the following files:
17.1 Trail B.C. advertisement 1911
17.2 Angus McPherson beaver license 1900's
17.3 "The Angels of Mons" by Lieutenant Dougald MacEchern
17.4 Brandon General Hospital school graduation invitations 1925 and 1927
17.5 Machinery catalogues [1909-1928]
17.6 Watkins Stock Raisers manual [1920's]
17.7 List and map of Indian Reserves and Metis communties 1959
17.8 Wes Pentland Orange Lodge documents and materials 1862-1940
17.9 Brandon Collegiate reunion ribbon October 9, 1908
17.10 Victory Loan documents 1943-1945
17.11 Boys and Girls Service Clubs exhibit ribbons 1927
17.12 Prize lists for Justice Boys and Girls Clubs 1923-1926
17.13 Voluntary War Aid bulletin #12 [World War One]
17.14 "Canada's War Record" July 1942
17.15 Douglas war memorial unveiling ceremony programme November 17, 1922
17.16 Travel: Waghorns Guide 1898; Manitoba Driver's Guide 1935; southland Chicago-Florida train route and schedule 1916-1917; Manitoba road map 1941-1942; CPR western lines timetables 1918
17.17 Movie programme for "Gone with the Wind" [1939]
17.18 Magazine insert of funeral of Edward VII from Illustrated London News May 24, 1910
17.19 Manitoba Telephone Systems directory with provincial exchanges March 1930
17.20 Brandon Sun articles re: Brandon Hills picnic 1963
17.21 "The Academy Critic" December 1909
17.22 Weldon's Famous Dress catalogue [1920's]
17.23 Alex M. Brown, Pharmacist calendar 1935
17.24 Empire contest from the Winnipeg Free Press (undated)
17.25 Annnie I. Pentland speech re: Barbara Heck
17.26 Electoral division of Landsdowne Municipality map 1949
17.27 Speech on wheat sales (author unknown)
17.28 Site and situation project on Brandon history (author unknown) [1970's]
17.29 Annual report from Protestant Orphans' Home 1937
17.30 Orange Lodge memorabilia (gavel, pin) 1881-1933
Notes
Part of the Alfred Angus Murray McPherson collection.
Storage Location
Margaret McPherson family fonds
Box 14 (Files 17.1-17.29)
Box 15 (File 17.30 and Orange Lodge ribbons and certificates)
Alfred Angus Murray McPherson was born February 15, 1923 in Brandon, MB. The middle son of Angus and Annie Ethel (Pentland) McPherson, Murray grew up on the family farm in the Brandon Hills District. Following high school he obtained a B.Sc. degree from Brandon College, before enrolling in the Faculty of Eduction at the University of Manitoba in 1947 where he received his B.Ed. and M.Ed. Murray completed his Ph.D. in Educational Curriculum in 1975 at Michigan State University.
Murray's teaching career began at Brandon College as a chemistry instructor. After the year of teacher training he taught in Daupin Collegiate, then Luxton Junior High School and St. Johns High School in Winnipeg. In 1962, Murray joined the University of Manitoba Faculty of Education where he taught methods in mathematics and served as Head of the Deparment of Curriculum: Mathematics and Natural Sciences for sixteen years, before assuming the position of Co-ordinator of Student Teaching. During his career Murray co-edited a series of textbooks for elementary grades and was a strong supporter of the Manitoba Association of Mathematics Teachers. Following his retirement in 1988, Murray volunteered with Creative Retirement, Mentors Club and Habitat for Humanity. He also remained active in the United Church.
Murray McPherson married Margaret Elinore Raven on July 14, 1951 in Winnipeg. Margaret Elinore (Raven) McPherson was born in Winnipeg, MB on March 11, 1927. Educated at the University of Manitoba, where she earned a B.Sc. (1947), a Dip. Education (1948) and a B.Ed. (1966), Margaret taught school in Dauphin (1948-1953) and the Winnipeg School Division (Spring 1954). Together they had two children: John Angus Murray McPherson (b. March 19, 1955), an orthopedic surgeon in Winnipeg, and Kathryn May McPherson (b. November 20, 1957), a professor of history at York University, Toronto. Alfred Angus Murray McPherson died on November 25, 2001 at the Charleswood Care Centre in Winnipeg, MB. Margaret continues to live in Winnipeg, MB.
The MacPherson family originally came from the County of Sutherlandshire in the north of Scotland. The need for wool during the Napoleonic Wars resulted in the "Highland Clearances" of the early 1800's, which forced the small farmers or "crofters" to leave their farms and to move to the villages, such as Kildonan, Helmsdale and Golspie along the east coast.
In 1814, Hugh MacPherson (1779-1843) with his wife Anne Sutherland (1783-1857) and their family, immigrated to Nova Scotia and acquired a farm at Watervale, a community on the West River at Pictou. Following the issue of the land title, the "Mac" spelling of MacPherson became "Mc."
Alexander McPherson, the son of Hugh and Anne, married Elizabeth Murray at West River on April 10, 1840. They lived on the family farm at Watervale where they had a family of eleven children, a number of whom died in infancy. Their oldest son Hugh (1845-1916) and their youngest, Johnston (1857-1944), later came to Brandon Hills, MB.
Angus Sellars McPherson, a son of Hugh and Margaret (Sellars) McPherson, was born in Brandon Hills, MB on March 1, 1884. A farmer in the area his whole life, Angus married Annie Ethel Pentland in 1913. Together they had three sons: Howard, Murray and Kenneth. Angus died at Brandon General Hospital on September 5, 1953.
Alfred Angus Murray McPherson's mother, Annie Ethel (Pentland) McPherson, was born into a family that originally came from the ancient Scottish Midlothian or the more modern County of Edinburgh, from the Pentland Hills County, and in and around the towns of Pentland and Carrington. Around the year 1700, at the time of the large movement of immigrants from Scotland and England into Northern Ireland, several families of the clan settled in counties Down and Arnaugh in Ireland.
Between 1790 and 1820, a number from both Scotland and Ireland immigrated to Canada settling mainly in Eastern Ontario in the Counties of Hastings, Lennox and Addington and on Amherst Island. Around 1860, some moved to Huron County in Western Ontario to carve homes out of the bush. In 1881, Thomas James Pentland came from Goderich to Manitoba and settled near Douglas. He had learned the trade of a blacksmith and found one was needed so badly he gave up the intention to homestead and built a shop northwest of Douglas, on the South East quarter of Section 17-11-17. He later added a store and house there.
On July 22, 1885, Thomas James Pentland and Annie Isobel McVety were married at the home of the bride's parents at High Bluff and lived northwest of Douglas until 1890, when he made a deal with Isaac and Fred Lewis. Thomas took their homesteads on Section 14-12-18 and they took over the store, which they moved to Oakenside. T.J. Pentland continued to farm there until his death in June of 1919. T.J. Pentland was elected to the Council of the RM of Elton for Ward 1 in the fall of 1884 and served three years as councilor and fourteen years as Reeve.
The McVety and Owens families both came from County Fernanagh, Northern Ireland to Ontario during the first half of the nineteenth century. Henry McVety and Elizabeth Owens were married March 11, 1856, at Belgrave and lived at Morris until the spring of 1882, when they moved to High Bluff, Manitoba and fifteen years later to Bagot. In 1882, their daughter Annie Isobel came to Douglas to teach at the first Elton School situated 2.5 miles north and 1 mile east of present Douglas.
The family of Thomas and Annie Pentland consisted of three sons and three daughters. Fred, who served overseas in the 78th Battalion in the First World War and was killed in September 1917; Harry, who farmed in Justice until 1922, then lived in Brandon until his death in 1948; Ethel (Mrs. Angus McPherson), now living in Brandon; Evelyn (Mrs. N.C. Thompson) now living in Brandon; Wesley, living at Justice on the home farm; and Grace who died in 1908.
Harry Pentland's son, H. Clare Pentland, was born October 17, 1914, on a farm near Justice, MB, where Harry had taken up farming. Clare graduated from Brandon College in 1940, with an Economics degree and attended the University of Oregon, where he completed a Master's degree in 1942. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in 1961. His dissertation was later published as "Labour and Capital in Canada 1650-1860." A noted economist and a founder of the history of labour in Canada, H. Clare Pentland died on October 13, 1978.
Custodial History
Prior to the death of Murray McPherson, Margaret McPherson's husband, he and his daughter Katherine McPherson, professor of history at York University, searched through various farm houses previously occupied by members of the McPherson family and gathered together family archival materials to safeguard them from destruction. These materials were tranferred to the McPherson residence in Winnipeg and upon the death of Murry McPherson, Margaret became the sole custodian of the records. The decision to place the records at the McKee Archives was arrived at for two reasons. First, the records relate to the Brandon Hills and the history of this region. Second, Murray McPherson attended Brandon College in the 1940s, and felt kinship with the institution. The records came to the McKee Archives courtesy of the good offices of Diane Hageland of the Association for Manitoba Archives. Margaret McPherson donated the records to the McKee Archives on May 4, 2006.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of personal and business records for various members of the McPherson and Pentland families. These were generated in the course of settlement in the Brandon Hills, travel, participation in the First World War and various forms of associational life, in particular the Orange Lodge. The fonds includes correspondence, financial records/ledgers, legal documents, postcards, photographs, scrapbooks, greeting cards, livestock records, Brandon College Sickles, school records, electoral records, diaries, membership records, certificates, income tax records, ration cards, notebooks, newsclippings, autograph albums, poetry, receipts and speeches.
Notes
Biographical information for the fonds was provided by Margaret McPherson. Processing done by Deidra Wallace and Christy Henry summer/fall 2006. Description by Christy Henry. Numerous spellings of the surname "McVety" appear in the fonds, including McVetie and McVitie. The oldest documented spelling in documents of a legal nature is McVety. This spelling therefore will appear throughout the finding aid.
Accruals
Further accruals expected.
Storage Location
2006 accessions
Storage Range
2006 accessions
Arrangement
Original file order has been maintained, while some boxes have been combined to provide a more suitable environment for the preservation of print materials. The boxes have been renumbered accordingly. Due to the original file order, however, the file numbers in the database have been prefaced by their original box numbers. For example, File 3.5 refers to the fifth file of the original third box.
For biographical information on Angus McPherson and Hattie McPherson Morrison see the description for Box 6 of the Alfred Angus Murray McPherson collection.
For biographical information on Murray McPherson see the fonds level description for the Alfred Angus Murray McPherson collection.
For biographical information on Hugh McPherson see the description for Box 5 of the Alfred Angus Murray McPherson collection.
For biographical information on Georgie McPherson see the description for Box 4 of the Alfred Angus Murray McPherson collection.
There is no biographical information for George Richardson.
Scope and Content
Contains the following files:
15.1 Medical receipts 1945-1950
15.2 Miscellaneous farm receipts 1945-1950
15.3 Cattle and grain papers 1941-1953
15.4 Correspondence 1943-1951
15.5 Insurance 1909-1952
15.6 Angus McPherson wills 1937-1953
15.7 Angus McPherson - income tax forms and papers 1946-1956 (includes Farmers Income Tax Guides and Farm account book)
15.8 Murray McPherson correspondence 1934-1956
15.9 Hugh McPherson - blank form for Fenian Raid Volunteer Bount Act 1912
15.10 Miscellaneous 1929-1950
15.11 Angus McPherson income tax forms and papers 1943-1947
15.12 Income tax forms/papers 1943-1947 for George Richardson (1947), George McPherson and Hattie McPherson
15.13 Angus McPherson - income tax forms 1918
15.14 Receipts 1947
15.15 Receipts 1949
Notes
Part of the Alfred Angus Murray McPherson collection.
Angus Sellers McPherson, son of Hugh and Margaret (Sellers) McPherson, was born March 1, 1884 in Brandon Hills, MB. He died on September 5, 1953 in Brandon, MB. Angus married Ethel Pentland on July 16, 1913. Together they had three sons: Howard Johnston McPherson (m. Jessie Walsh); Alfred Angus Murray McPherson (m. Margaret Raven); and Kenneth George McPherson (m. Mary Spratt).
Ethel (Pentland) McPherson was born May 7, 1890 to Thomas (T.J.) and Annie Isabel (McVety) Pentland. Raised at Justice, MB, Ethel was agraduate of the Winnipeg Normal School; she taught for a number of years at Orange Hall and Brandon Hills. After her husband's death, Ethel remained on the family farm with her sons until she moved to Brandon in 1957. She died on September 20, 1976, in Brandon, MB.
Johnston McPherson, son of Hugh and Margaret (Sellers) McPherson, was born February 7, 1879 in Nova Scotia. He died on September 17, 1966 in Brandon, MB (Johnston McPherson was the last of the original party that settled the Brandon Hills). From 1896 until 1914, he farmed at Brandon Hills. Johnston married Ella Harvey McKay on July 26, 1918. They had no children.
Ella Harvey McKay, daughter of Simon and Sarah McKay, was born September 5, 1885 at Brandon Hills. Her family moved to Alberta and then British Columbia sometime after her birth. Ella worked in Trail, B.C. for Consolidated Mining and Smelting, before her marriage to Johnston "Jack" McPherson. She died on November 25, 1971 in Brandon, MB.
Harriet (Hattie) McPherson Morrison, daughter of Hugh and Margaret (Sellers) McPherson, was born at Watervale, NS in 1877. She attended Brandon Hills and Central School in Brandon before receiving her teacher training; she taught school at Chatfield and Dunrea. Hattie married Robert Morrison at Brandon Hills in 1920 and together they had two children: Robert Morrison Jr. (m. Lila Berdux) and Margaret Morrison (m. George Walton). The family owned a farm at Rounthwaite until 1964, at which point Hattie and Robert moved to Brandon. Hattie died in Brandon, MB in 1965.
Contains the following files:
1.1 Johnston McPherson's drivers licenses and membership cards 1923-1963 (includes 2 photos)
1.2 Miss Ella McKay/Mrs. Johnston McPherson correspondence 1903-1919
1.3 Mrs. Johnston McPherson miscellaneous [1903-1968]
1.4 Mr. and Mrs. Johnston McPherson correspondence 1960 (includes "Story of the Brandon Hills" and "Fun and Happiness on Treasure Trail"
1.5 Mr. and Mrs. Johnston McPherson correspondence 1961
1.6 Mr. and Mrs. Johnston McPherson correspondence 1962-1963
1.7 (Possibly Johnston McPherson) hay account book 1902; same volume contains a travel diary
1.8 Johston McPherson - Land Title (1910) and correspondence re: land purchase (1909)
1.9 Transcript of History of Justice, Manitoba 1956
1.10 Brandon Hills Busy Bees account book 1927-1934
1.11 Basil McDonald's land patent 1884
1.12 List of electors 1938
1.13 Brandon Hills School teacher's notebook 1927
1.14 List of electors in Glenwood [1915-1941] and Blanchard 1933
1.15 Unidentified correspondence [1902-1929]
1.16 Ella McPherson unsorted correspondence 1915-1952
1.17 Address book with newsclippings ca. 1940 (the bigger of the two address books)
1.18 Ella McPherson address book 1913-1939 (includes 2 photographs; was given to Ella McPherson by Ethel McPherson in 1913; the smaller of the two address books).
ALEXANDER MACPHAIL (14 July 1900 - 29 July 1986)
Alex was born in Vista, MB on July 14, 1900, son of John and Catherine MacPhail. He married Florence Turner (d. 1977) at Winnipeg on December 22, 1948 and together they farmed the family farm at Vista. In 1965 they purchased a house in Shoal Lake but continued to farm in Vista until Alex's retirement in 1973, when he sold the farm.
Alex was involved in the 4-H Club at Vista and was a member of the Grain Growers Association. He was also very interested in Wildlife Conservation, an interest which led him to donate a 1/4 section of land to them. Alex also started a museum in Shoal Lake, which in time he turned over to the Village. He was a school trustee for Islay School Board at Vista from 1937-1939 and took the position of Chairman from 1939, until the school closed on 1968. During his years of farming he was a registed Seed Grower and in 1957 was awarded the Robertson Certificate. As a hobby he was a beekeeper. Alexander MacMillan MacPhail passed away at the Shoal Lake-Strathclair Health Centre on Tuesday, July 29, 1986 at the age of 86 years.
MARION (MACPHAIL) MCCORMACK (1903 - 10 February 1988)
Marion attended Islay School and Rosburn Collegiate. Upon graduation, she attended Manitoba Normal School, and became a teacher. She worked at Perth, Islay (1927-1934), Plumas, Strathclair and Minnedosa.
She met and married Coll McCormack (d. 1973) in 1952, and they lived in Minnedosa. She retired from teaching in 1967. Marion McCormack passed away on February 10, 1988.
IAIN MACPHAIL (1912-1937)
Iain MacPhail was born in Vista, MB in 1912. During the years that he was attending high school, he took a keen interest in farming. After he completed his Grande XII, some of the farm projects were expanded, including bee keeping. It was while attending a Bee-Keepers Course at the University of Manitoba that Iain took ill and passed away in 1937.
JOHN ARMSTRONG (6 May 1930 - 21 June 2005)
John Armstrong was born May 6, 1930, the second son of Kate (McKinnon) and William Armstrong. He attended Perth school for his elementary grades, then Vista and Rossburn where he finished high school. John farmed with his dad and brother Hugh, except for one year of permit teaching on the Daupin River Reserve, which was accessible by canoe.
John lived at home with his parents and cared for them until his dad's passing in 1972 and his mother's in 1982. At one time John was a leader of the 4-H Seed Club and was able to help members with his weed and plant identification skills. He did some secretarial work for 4-H and the Argyle Presbyterian Church. John William Armstrong of Rossburn passed away June 21, 2005 at the Shoal Lake-Strathclair Health Centre.
Custodial History
The records in this collection were accumulated in the residence of Alexander MacPhail from various family members. The materials were discovered in the attic of MacPhail's house on the MacPhail land in Vista, MB in 2005. Subsequently they were given to Gerald R. Brown by the family living in the MacPhail house. They resided in Brown's home until their donation to the McKee Archives in September 2006.
Scope and Content
The collection consists of teaching materials and textbooks used by members of the MacPhail family - Alex, Marion and Iain. It has been divided into two sub-series, including: (1) Textbooks; and (2) Teaching materials.
Notes
Biographical notes were written by Gerald R. Brown and were taken from his "Vista Tales . . . from Islay School District No. 733 in Vista, Manitoba." Description by Christy Henry.
Generally good. Some of the photographs have tape on them.
History / Biographical
Churches of the Prairies was a project undertaken by Doug Brolund and his brother. The project involved gathering information on the churches of the prairies (Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta). They were interested in the time between 1800 to 1925. Their aim was to collect historical, architectural and photographic material, as well as information concerning the people involved in the building, the ministry and in the using of the churches. The information was to be collected, put into order and made available and retrievable to anyone wishing to use it.
The purpose of the bank of information was to be the publication of a book or books. The Brolunds' believed in the importance of preserving our heritage, of honouring those who were involved in the building of the churches and believed the material would prove to be invaluable in the future to other organizations. To gather information, they sent out letters asking for any information, photographs, news clippings and stories on the churches of the prairies. The project ended when Doug Brolund was left on his own to complete the work. He concluded that it was simply too much for one person to accomplish.
Custodial History
In the early 1980s Doug Brolund donated the text and photographs that had been assembled to the McKee Archives. He was convinced that the material was too valuable to simply discard.
Scope and Content
The collection consists of information (such as news clippings, church histories, correspondence and for Saskatchewan and Manitoba, inventory site forms) on and/or photographs of various churches across Canada. The files for Alberta; British Columbia; Ontario, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Quebec are quite small and generally contain pages from old calendars and newsclippings, although there are a few photographs (some of them unidentified) and church histories. The Alberta file also contains a copy of the Provincial Register of Historic Sites ca. 1979.
The file for Saskatchewan contains information on and/or photographs of churches in the following towns/areas: Kennell, Castleton, McAulay, McLean, Neudorf, Eatonia, Eston, Carnduff, Wheatland and Carievale. There are also photographs of Welwyn Church, Trinity United, Florence School, Coshen? School and Wamphray Presbyterian (RM of Edenwold). The file also contains the finding aid for Saskatchewan developed by the project members.
The material on Manitoba churches is the most extensive. There is a copy of the finding aid for Manitoba developed by the project members. The files are arranged alphabetically, with separate files for Brandon, Portage la Prairie and Winnipeg. There is information on and/or photographs of churches in the following towns/areas: Aspelund Free Church, Arden, Angusville, Alexander, Birtle, Brookdale, Boissevain, Belmont, Mount Hope School District, Beulah, Beausejour, Clanwilliam, Carberry, Petral, Chater, Carrol (Bunclody), Decker, Deloraine, Dauphin, Darlingford, Douglas, Hargrave, Elgin, Elton, Elkhorn, Erickson, Forrest, Hamiota, Hunterville, Hilton, Horod, Hilltop, High Bluff, Horton (Desford), Hartney, Ingelow Isabella, Kola, Killarney, Kenton (and area), Justice, Lockport, Lenore (Breadalbane), Lynn Lake, McConnell, Minnedosa, Melita, Miniota, McGregor, Newdale, Ninga, Neepawa, Ninette, Oakner, Onla, Oakburn, Oak Lake, Pipestone, Rosser, Rapid City (and area), Rivers, Riding Mountain, Rounthwaite, Rossburn, Russell, Polonia, Sandy Lake, Scandinavia, Solsgirth, Souris, Hellmouth, Seech (and area), The Pas, Saint Agathe, St. Pierre, St. Anne, Teulon, St. Andrews-on-the-Red, Swan River, Shilo, Sparling, Virden, Westnbourne, Vista, Wabowden, Wawanesa, Waskade, Brandon, Brandon Hills, Portage la Prairie, Portage la Prairie (Oakland) and Winnipeg.
File 24 contains negatives. There are also some negatives for New Brunswick churches in File 23.
Notes
The Brandon file also contains a minute book of the First Church United Circle. For information on the Brandon Synagogue, see the Brandon Synagogue file in the institutional biographies. For technical architectural descriptions of some Brandon Churches, see "A Guide to the City of Brandon, Municipal Heritage Building Inventory" in the institutional biography files. The Winnipeg file contains a copy of "Souris Valley Plains - a history" by Lawrence B. Clarke. A number of the Winnipeg churches are unidentified. Description by Christy Henry.
George E. Thorman was born in Vancouver, British Columbia on September 17, 1913. His public school education began in Rivers, Manitoba and was completed, along with his high school and part of his university education in Brandon, Manitoba. After completing his Bachelor of Arts General at Brandon College, Thorman attended the College of Education in Toronto for one year before beginning his teaching career at Essex Hisgh School, Essex, Ontario in 1935. After four years in Essex, Thorman transferred to the St. Thomas Collegiate Institute (STCI) in St. Thomas, Ontario.
In 1941, Thorman joined the Canadian Army at Brandon as a gunner inthe 59th Field Battery and after five years, having served in England, Italy and Western Europe, heretired with the rank of Captain. Following the Second World War, in 1945, Thorman taught in a high school for Fifth Division in Gronigen, Netherlands before moving on to teach first year university English at Kahki College in England in 1946. That same year he returned to Canada and rejoined the staff at STCI. Two years after his return George Thorman married the former Margarett Gliddon of St. THomas and in 1953 returned to Europe where he taught in Scotland for one year on a teacher's exchange.
During the 1960's, Thorman's career reached its peak. In 1964, he became the Vice-Principal of STCI and in 1967, he attained the same position at Parkside Collegiate Institute before becomeing its Principal in 1969. Three years later in 1972, Thorman retired as Principal of PCI and from his teaching career. Throughout his career Thorman's primary interests were in English and History, however he also taught Mathematics, Georgraph and Science. In addition to his classess following WWII, Thorman was an active instructor of the Cadet Corps, as well as a coach for various volleyball, basketball and track and field teams during his years at STCI.
Aside from being an educator, George Thorman had many other interests. He and his wife Margaret were active in the formation of the Elgin Theatre Guild in 1948 and thogether and separately they performed and directed several productions in the early years of that organization. Thorman was also largely responsible for the development of a local history course in the Elgin Secondary Schools in the early 1960's. In 1966, with his fellow history teacher Ralph Parker, he published a booklet to serve as an outline for teachers on the history of Elgin County.
That same year, 1966, Thorman, as the prime instigator in the re-formation of the Elgin Historical Society, became its first president and in 1971, he was elected Honorary President of the Society for life. This was followed by a furhter two-year term as elected president. The re-organization marked the beginning of THorman's continous active involvement with the EHS, including several lectures he presented to its members and many years as a Trustee. In 1985, he received the Ontario Volunteer Service Award for over 15 years of continuous service to the Society before retiring from the EHS in 1995.
In addition to the EHS, Thorman served on the St. Thomas Public Library Board from 1979 until 1991, and was a Chairman of the Board's Personnel Committee. He was also a member of the Ontario Historical Society. From 1975 to 1978, Thorman served as an elected member of the Elgin County Board of Education and in 1979, he received from the City of St. Thomas the St. Thomas Civic Award for outstanding citizens. George Thorman was also a life member (1936) of Central Lodge No. 402, A.F. and A.M. (Masonry) of Essex, Ontario and had been an active member of the St. Thomas Duplicate Bridge Club since 1985.
As an authority on historical research relating to The Hudson's Bay Company, Thorman gave lectures and printed articles on the topic in "The Beaver" publication of The Hudson's Bay Company. In regards to the HBC he also did excavation work at Fort Albany with Walter Kenyon during several summers in the 1960's and 1970's.
As well, George Thorman was a founding member and served on the executive committee of the Elgin Military Museum since its inception in 1982 until the late 1990's. He contributed greatly to the library and files of this museum, particularly in the field of the War of 1812 and the Fenian Raid. The reference library of this small museum rates high in this country, largely through the efforts of George Thorman. Thorman's book collection was one of the finest and most extensive in Western Ontario. His personal library contained a wealth of information with particular emphasis on material relating to Elgin County, the City of St. Thomas and The Hudson's Bay company. His G.A. Henty collectio was nearly complete.
As an author Thorman contributed ten entries in The Dictionary of Canadian Biography on Aboriginal and Metis peoples, co-authored "St. Thomas 100 Years a City," the centennial history of the city of St. Thomas. In 1989, he edited "Frank Hunt, Essays on Elgin County" as well as wrote and privately printed "A Brief History of Secondary Education in St. Thomas" as his contribution to the STCI Reunion, at which he was one fo the honorees. In th early 1990's, Thorman co-edited "Garret Oakes, Tales of a Pioneer," authored and privaley printed "Letters and Petitions and other Papers Concerning the MIlitia Companies of Middlesex for 1839" and "The Chisholm Family in Elgin County: Myth and Reality."
For serveral years, ca. 1975 to the mid 1990's, Thorman hosted a TV talk show on local television interviewing persons connected to the history of St. Thomas and Elgin County. Many older residents, who have since passed away, were interviewed and the resulting tapes are an invaluable source of historical information.
Thorman and his wife lived in the historic section of St. Thomas and in the summer months spent their time in Port Stanley. In addition, for several years in the early 1990's, Thorman traveled annually to England - each time visiting a different area of the country. As well, Thorman was also interested in the lives and activities of his former students and was available and eager to assist any student or former student who asked for his guidance. George E. Thorman passed away on January 11, 1997.
Custodial History
The Order of the Sheaf and Thorman's Bachelor of Arts degree were transfered to the McKee Archives by Rudi Denham, Chief Librarian, St. Thomas Public Library in August 2007. George Thorman had placed his papers with the St. Thomas Public Library at some point prior to his death; the Library had decided to deaccession the records and offered them to interested institutions.
Scope and Content
The collection consists of textbooks covering the subject areas of: Agriculture, Art, Business education, Economics, Composition, Grammar, Rhetoric, Literature, Plays, Poetry, Prose, Readers, Spelling, Phonics, Stories, Geography, Health, History, French, German, Greek, Italian, Latin, Algebra, Arithmetic, Geometry, Trigonometry, General mathematics, Music, PHilosophy, Logic, Psychology, Religion, Research, Methods, Manuals, Astronomy, Botany Chemistry, Physics, General science, Zoology, Cooking and Gardening. It also includes two notebooks.
The works found in the collection were published primarily between 1880-1940, although they range from 1801-1967, with an emphasis on history, all areas of mathematics, research and topics related to english or language arts. There are a number of works published in the nineteenth century dealing with most of the collection's subject areas. The majority of the collection focuses on public and high school textbooks, particularly in relation to the province of Ontraio, with some attention to university education.
Also included is George Thorman's Order of the Sheaf, Clark Hall Guild certificate awarded to him in recognition of his outstanding contribution toward the betterment of Brandon University and Thorman's Bachelor of Arts degree from Brandon College (McMaster University).
Notes
An inventory of the collection has been created. Also, the items have been added to the Brandon University Library catalogue. Description and inventory by Christy Henry (1999).
These items were received from Ms. Cooper’s father C.G. "Kelly" Stone , Class of 1921 and her mother Tena Turnbull, Class of 1921 and her aunts Jane Turnbull, Class of 1916 who later taught at the College and Bessie Turnbull , Class of 1918.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of 5 photographs; an article Campus News 1967 on "In memorium Dr. Jane"; and a photocopy of a letter from the Governor General Lord Tweedsmuir (John Buchan) regarding Jane Turnbull’s book "Essential Traits of French Canadian Literature". A note and xerox copy of a photograph of Ernestine Whiteside March 1914 to Jennie Turnbull.
The photographs include:
1. one b/w photo 8 cm x 6 cm Initiation Brandon College 1916
2. one b/w photo 8 cm x 13.5 cm class of 1921
3. one b/w photo 5 cm x 8 cm Class of ’21
4. one b/w photo 17 cm x 26 cm the College Band 1915-1916
5. one sepia photo 15 cm x 23 cm Class of 1919
Notes
Descpription available on CAIN under Charles G. Stone fonds.
2 photographs
6 cm textual records, including architectural plans
History / Biographical
Norma Laird's mother, Irene Clarke, was a daughter of Mr and Mrs John Clarke, who were pioneers in the Brandon region. Irene married David Black. Norma Laird was their daughter.
Custodial History
The records passed from Irene Clarke to her daughter Norma, who donated them to the McKee Archives on January 15, 2007.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of two historical accounts, one of the beginnings of Grand Valley, and a second of the Grand Valley School (author(s) unknown); architectural plans for the brick residence of Mr. Clarke, Farmer on section 35, township 10, range 19, county of Brandon by W. Richard Marshall, Architect, Brandon (1892); a newspaper clipping from the Brandon Sun, June 8, 1972 depicting the fire that destroyed the Clarke residence; a Three-Quarter Century Farm Ownership certificate to M. Irene Black from the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba (1967); a certificate to John T. Clarke to honour the significant contribution the family had made to the founding of Brandon from the Brandon Centennial Board (1982); two Grand Valley honorary Goodwill Ambassador of Grand Valley certificates for Mrs. J. Clarke and Mr. D. Black (1970).
The first photograph is a 8x10 b&w mounted photo of the counsellers of the Municipality of Elton with names on the back (1912). The second photograph is a 5.5 x 3.5 b&w postcard of a bus of some kind with numerous men and women standing in front of it (ca. 1914).
Accruals
The Archives anticipates the donation of a photograph of the Clarke residence from Norma Laird at a later date.
Alfred Fowler was born in 1903, in Toronto, Ontario. At the age of 23 he began working for Canadian National Railways (C.N.R.) in the company's telegraph accounting department. He remained employed there for 45 years, with the exception of the years 1940-45 when he served with the Royal Canadian Artillery during World War II. During his service he was stationed at Shilo, Manitoba, where he met his future wife, Elsie Bowen. They were married late in 1944, and in 1945 returned to Toronto. Fowler remained in Toronto until his death in 1969. Throughout his life, Mr. Fowler was an ardent amateur photographer.
Custodial History
All 105 prints in this collection were created by Davidson & Gowen, a photography business located in Brandon. It seems likely that they were created for display and/or for commercial sale as part of the November 7, 1912 "Harvest" edition of The Brandon Sun. Alfred Fowler acquired a copy of the Davidson and Gowen prints during his stay at C.F.B. Shilo during the Second World War. In 1946 Alfred Fowler left Brandon returning to his home in Toronto. With the death of Alfred in 1969 the collection passed to his wife, Elsie Fowler. Elsie died in 1987, also in Toronto. Her estate passed to her nephew, Byron Forsyth, a Brandon resident. Byron brought the collection back to Brandon and in 1999 donated it to the McKee Archives.
Scope and Content
The prints concern various subjects in Brandon, Manitoba c. 1911-1912 including Brandon residences, store fronts/businesses, streetscapes, churches, the Brandon Fair, parks, hotels, institutional structures (ie hospitals, City Hall) and rail yards (both Canadian Northern and Canadian Pacific) in the city. These images provide a visual record of Brandon in the years just before the Great War.
Notes
CAIN No. 202647. All addresses listed for photographs in the Fowler collection were derived from Henderson's Directories (1911, 1913).
Location Copy
Copies of the photographs are in the green binder on the reference shelf in the reading room. Negatives for CPR photographs have been placed with 6-1999.10 (CPR Railway depot).
10 cm textual records;
2 class portraits;
and 1 small print
History / Biographical
Stella and Gladys Sleigh were born and raised in Rossburn, Manitoba, and attended Normal School in Brandon, Manitoba, in the late 1910's and early 1920's. Both subsequently pursued teaching careers in Manitoba. Katherine McLean also attended Normal School in the early 1890's, and was from Virden, Manitoba.
Custodial History
Janette Donnelly has donated this collection of material that belonged to her mother and aunt, Stella and Gladys Sleigh, respectively. Included in this collection is a booklet that belonged to Donnelly's great-aunt Katherine Sinclair (McLean). This collection was donated to the McKee Archives by Janette Donnelly of McGregor, Manitoba, on September 15, 1999.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of portfolios and notebooks kept by Stella and Gladys Sleigh while attending Brandon Normal School. The portfolios contain drawings and projects that the women made. The notebooks contain information about education in Manitoba in the early 20th century. There is also a portrait taken of Gladys Sleigh around 1920 and two Normal School portraits included in this collection. The collection also includes a notebook kept by Katherine Sinclair (McLean), which describes lessons given to prospective teachers at the Virden Normal School in the early 1890's.
Notes
CAIN No. 202609 (under Stella and Gladys Sleigh fonds).
Ward Watson was born in Brandon, Manitoba and attended Brandon Collegiate Institute in the late 1930's. In 1937, he was chosen out of the student body to attend the Coronation of King George VI in London, England. Watson graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1942. Until his retirement, Watson was an executive with Cargill Grain Company.
Custodial History
This collection was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1997. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Collection contains yearbooks from Brandon Collegiate Institute - "The New Era" - for the years 1935 to 1938. The yearbooks include enrollment lists, pictures of classes and sports teams, short essays, editorial gossip, and local advertisments.
Born on February 10, 1924, in Elgin, Manitoba, Audrey Ellen Silvius (nee Honeyman) was raised in Fairfax, Manitoba on the Honeyman homestead. In 1964, she received her Indian name, Blue Star. Silvius completed her high school education in Fairfax before moving to Winnipeg in 1943, to earn her Nursing degree from Grace Hospital. She later completed her post-graduate degree in Psychiatric Nursing at the Brandon Mental Health Centre. Married to Merritt W. Silvius, Audrey Silvius raised four children, David, Kay, Lorna (Downie) and Gail (Campos) while working in her chosen field. In addition to her family and her career, she was also involved with the Brandon Council of Women and the United Church in Brandon. Silvius was the first executive director of the Brandon Indian-Metis Friendship Centre, a founding member of the local branches of the Marquis Project and Amnesty International and initiated a project called Tools for Peace. She was also involved in various other peace and human rights organizations. In 1987, she received the Order of the Buffalo Hunt from the Province of Manitoba in recognition of her work relating to women’s issues. In 1992, she was awarded a Confederation medal for community service.
Custodial History
The records found within the collection were collected by Audrey Silvius from a number of people, including Jean Halliday, Grace Godmaire and Norma Walmsley, involved in various projects with her throughout the years. Prior to their donation to the McKee Archives at Brandon University in October and November 2000, the records were stored at Mrs. Silvius’ home.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of meeting minutes, agendas, speeches, correspondence, newsletters, brochures, written publications and newspaper clippings. Four photographs and one pencil drawing are also included within the collection.
The records deal with the creation, activities, and history of the Brandon Indian-Metis Friendship Centre, as well as the activities of its Board of Directors. In addition, materials located within the collection can be divided into two areas: (1) those that relate to various organizations associated with the Friendship Centre itself, such as the Council of Christians and Jews and the Brandon Council of Women; (2) materials related to projects of important individuals involved with the Friendship Centre, such as the South Western Manitoba Recreation Council and the 4F Club of Minnedosa. Other records deal with general aboriginal issues in Canada during the time frame of the Audrey Silvius collection.
Notes
CAIN No. 202607. Description by Christy Henry (2000).
The collection is divided into ten (10) series:
1. The Brandon Indian-Metis Friendship Centre
2. The Scout – Friendship Centre newsletter
3. The Brandon Council of Women
4. Council of Christians and Jews
5. Aboriginal Glee Club/Dancers
6. The South Western Manitoba Recreation Council
7. 4F Club of Minnedosa
8. Miscellaneous Publications related to Aboriginal Issues
9. Miscellaneous Newspaper Clippings related to Aboriginal Issues
10. Photographs and pencil drawing
Reg Forbes was born September 16, 1924. He and his wife Clara have two children, Bob and Faye. Forbes served in the Royal Canadian Air Force as a Navigator during World War II. From 1945-1949, he attended the University of Manitoba where he received his B.Sc.A. While working as Village Councillor and as Secretary-Treasurer for the Pilot Mound Hospital, Forbes initiated the "Save the Soil Campaign," a soil conservation programme that became province-wide, between 1952-1962.
From 1956-1975, Forbes was the Principal of the Agricultrual Extension Centre in Brandon, where he reorganized the Adult Education Centre into the Agricultural Extension Centre. During this period, Forbes was a founding member of the West-Man Regional Development Corporation and a founder of the Manitoba Committee on Rural Leadership. He was also instrumental in the amalgamation of the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair and the Provincial Exhibition and in the resulting construction of the Keystone Centre.
From 1975-1977 Forbes was a Commissioner for the Grain Handling and Transportation Commission (Hall Commission/GHTC). Following his work with the Commission, Forbes was employed as the General Manager of the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba (1977-1979), the Director of the Grain Handling & Transportation Section of the Manitoba Department of Agriculture (1979-1983), the Industrial Commissioner for the Brandon Industrial Commission (1983-1986), and as the Westarc Group Inc. Project Director for delivery under contract of Canadian Rural Transition Programme in Manitoba.
Forbes also held a number of voluntary and elected positions, such as Long-term Director and President of the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair and of the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba. In 1970-1971, he was the President of the Agricultural Institute of Canada, and from 1978-1981, Forbes was the first chairman of the Agricultural Advisory Committee of the Canadian Broadcasting Corportation. He was also a member of the Canada West Foundation Board, the Brandon University Board of Governers (1974-1976), and the Federal-Provincial Transportation and Industrial Development Advisory Committee (TIDAC). Forbes is also a Fellow of the Agricultural Institute of Canada. In 1977, he received the Jubilee Medal and in 1987, he was given the Distinguished Agrologist Award by the Manitoba Institute of Agrologists.
Custodial History
Reg Forbes donated his working collection of briefs, correspondence and other documents relating to his work as a commissioner of the Grain Handling and Transportation Committee (GHTC) to the McKee Archives c. 1985.
Scope and Content
The majority of the collection consists of records created and received by the Royal Commission on Grain Handling and Transportation (GHTC). Included are documents detailing numerious hearings from all four Western provinces. In addition to the GHTC hearings, there are also a number of documents given to the GHTC as reference material. These include information on the Snavely Commision, documents for the province of Alberta, various reports, the Prairie Regional Studies in Economic Geography (No. 1-27) and General Information. The collection also includes two maps given to the GHTC.
60 photographs (b/w) and 18 negatives; 3 cm textual records
History / Biographical
Rubina Isabella Miles (née McGregor) was born October 9th, 1909, in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, the only child of Kate (née Rowe) and William McGregor. Her father, William Thom McGregor was a native of Scotland who, before coming to Canada, travelled to Australia and New Zealand, and served in the Boer War. Ruby Miles and her parents migrated to Australia in 1921. In 1925, the family moved to Papua New Guinea where Mr. McGregor was employed as Head Stockman on the Giligili Estate, part of the Commonwealth Copra Company. The family returned to Canada in 1929. In 1940, Ruby married Leonard "Len" Miles, a native of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Following the Second World War, they settled in Brandon, Manitoba. Ruby spent her adult life as a homemaker. She died in April 2003.
Custodial History
The records came into Ruby Miles' possession through her husband (correspondence while he was overseas) and through the death of various family members. Following the death of Ruby Miles, the collection was donated to the S.J. McKee Archives by Errol Black, the executor of her estate.
Scope and Content
Collection includes c. 15 letters from Kate McGregor, to her parents Mr. and Mrs. A.A. Rowe of Brandon, Manitoba. The letters were written in the years 1925-1929, when Mrs. McGregor and her family were living in Papua New Guinea. Collection also includes photographs and photographic negatives containing images of the Giligili Estate in New Guinea. Collection contains correspondence with Len Miles during his service overseas in the Second World War, as well as Len Miles' service record, death certificate and various memorabilia from his time in military service. Finally, the collection includes various news clippings, documents and correspondence received or retained by Ruby Miles.
Marion Margaret Hales Doig was the only child of B.J. Hales. She died in Brandon on June 8, 1961.
Custodial History
This fonds was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1997. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Fonds contians issues of two periodocals, "Northern Review" (1949-51), which reviews contemporary Canadian literature, and "The Keystone Province" (1941-45), a primarily economic look at Manitoba.
In July 1928, Verna Althea Whitfield married William Arthur Gamey (b. 1892) in Winnipeg. For the first year of their marriage they both taught at Lockport, before moving to Winnipeg in 1929. Their only child, William Roy, was born there. In 1933, the Gameys moved to the Gamey family farm located at N1/2 12-16-22, near Strathclair. Verna's nephew Robert Kerr, from Kelowna, B.C. joined the family in 1949. Art and Verna left the farm in the spring of 1956, and moved into the house formerly owned by an aunt, Miss Bella Gamey. Art Gamey was a staunch supporter of the Co-operative movement and the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF). He died in January 1968.
Custodial History
This fonds was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1997. Prior custoridal history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Fonds contains documents relating to the Manitoba Farmer's Union, including copies of its publication "The Voice of the Farmer" (1961); the United Church of Canada, primarily Strathclair (1960-1989); the Manitoba Women's Institute and the National Institute for the Blind (1959-1976); the Manitoba Federation of Agriculture (1945-1961); the Birtle Presbyterian Church (1986-1989); the Social Credit League in Manitoba and B.C. (1947, 1953); the Manitoba Provincial Council of Women (1958-1959); the Manitoba Centennial Corporation (1966-1968); and the Shoal Lake Fair and Hamiota Exhibition (1949-1981).
Fonds also contains diaries (1923-1926); various political publications, newspaper clippings, and correspondance, primarily concerning the CCF and the New Democrats (1945-1971); the Cooperative Union of Canada (1949-1964); and the Manitoba Farm Forum (1942-1963). Included as well, are clippings from the Brandon Sun dealing with a wide variety of topics (1970-1991); publications on home/farm/highway safety (1949-1975); and the Manitoba Pool Elevators (1950-1955).
Fonds also contains correspondence to and from both Verna and Art Gamey.
Notes
History/Bio information taken from "Our Story to 1970" published by the R.M. of Strathclair and compiled by The Centennial History Committee (pp. 255-257).
RG 4 Manitoba Pool Elevators; Women's Institute collections: Manitoba (8-2002), Strathclair (7-2002), Rathwell (6-2002), Minnedosa (2-2002), Cordova (4-2002), Clanwilliam (3-2002), Crocus (5-2002), Douglas (20-2006), Binscarth (12-1997), Southwest A Region (26-1997); and the Greenway Fair (35-2006).
Biographical information for Helen Dutka is currently unavailable.
Custodial History
These records were donated to the McKee Archives by John Shurb, a relative of Helen Dutka's, in 1999.
Scope and Content
Consists of seven letters dated October 1943 through January 1945; two Christmas cards 1943, 1944; and four photographs - two measuring 7 cm. x 12 cm.; one meansuring 8 cm. X 10 cm.; and one measuring 6 cm. x 9 cm.
The letters, cards and photographs were written or taken by John Dutka during service with the Canadian army in England, France, and Belgium during World War II.
Lawrence Alexander Skeoch was born in 1910. After two years of teaching, he joined the Class of 1932 at Brandon College in 1929. While at Brandon College, Skeoch performed in "Disraeli" and was elected Senior Stick.
Skeoch taught Economics at Queen's University.
Lawrence Skeoch died on April 22, 2001.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of the Brandon College Annual Commencement program 1931, the Brandon College Annual Graduating Banquet program 1931, the Brandon College Annual Graduating Banquet program 1932, the Brandon College Annual Commencement program 1932, Skeoch's placecards from the 1931 and 1932 Graduating Banquets, an invitation to a tea put on by Mrs. Hurd and Mrs. Westcott, Class of 1932 past history booklet (produced by the Brandon University Alumni Association in 1992), The Quill Vol. XXII, Nos. 1-8 and a drawing by Laurie Smith of Lawrence Skeoch in the role of "Disraeli."
Notes
Some editions of the Quill have been moved to RG 6, 14.5.3.1 (BUSU, Publications, The Quill, Editions). Description by Christy Henry.
Storage Location
MG 2 Brandon College Students
2.19 Lawrence Skeoch
