Situated in the R.M. of Whitehead on the Little Saskatchewan River, the 10 Mile Dam was a 14 kilometer transmission line that supplied the city of Brandon with power. The Brandon Electric Light Company built the dam in 1900 and it is considered Manitoba's first hydroelectic power generating station. The dam spanned approximately 80 meters and was constructed from timber and reinforced with clay and stone. The station was decommissioned in 1924.
Alonzo Archibald Rowe (b. 1862, London, ON; d. 22 Oct 1951, Brandon). The Rowes were considered Brandon area pioneers. Alonzo’s father, Alonzo L. Rowe, came to Brandon with his family in 1881, where the family had a furniture and undertaker business on the west side of 10th Street between Rosser and Princess Avenues. In 1885, the family began farming west of Brandon and Alonzo Archibald served as a councilor and then a reeve in the R.M. of Whitehead. He returned to Brandon in 1907 and served with the Brandon Police Department until 1910, when he returned to farming, this time in Arrow River. A.A. Rowe returned to Brandon in 1915 to work as a Provincial Licenses Inspector, a position he held until 1938. (Source: Obituary, Brandon Daily Sun 22 Oct 1951)
Custodial History
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 (Source: F.A. Rosser, "Another interesting chat with a daughter of the plains," Brandon Sun 18 Aug 1981).
Scope and Content
Photograph shows four fishermen at 10 Mile Dam, also known as the Brandon Dam or Minnedosa River Hydro Plant. The fishermen in the photo are identified as George H. Rowe and his father A.A. Rowe, Dr. Wilfred Bigelow, and Al Collins.
Notes
Writing on the back of the photograph reads: at Brandon Dam, [right to left] son and father - George H. ROWE, Mr. A.A. ROWE, Dr. BIGELOW, Al COLLINS (dam?, 1906?, George born March 1897); Jerrett's Photo-Services, May 7 1938.
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...[?]
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.
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.
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.
Located about 10 miles west of Brandon on the Little Saskatchewan River, this dam was the first hydroelectric generating station in operation in western Canada. It began supplying power to the city in 1901. This power source, which could not operate in winter, was supplemented by the steam plant on 10th St. By about 1920 the steam plant had been greatly expanded and the hydroelectric plant closed. The old dam was washed out due to a thunder storm in 1948.
Custodial History
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Scope and Content
Original Hydroelectric Dam belonging to Brandon Light & Power Co.
Located about 10 miles west of Brandon on the Little Saskatchewan River, this dam was the first hydroelectric generating station in operation in western Canada. It began supplying power to the city in 1901. This power source, which could not operate in winter, was supplemented by the steam plant on 10th St. By about 1920 the steam plant had been greatly expanded and the hydroelectric plant closed. The old dam was washed out due to a thunder storm in 1948.
Custodial History
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Scope and Content
Original Hydroelectric Dam belonging to Brandon Light & Power Co.
Located about 10 miles west of Brandon on the Little Saskatchewan River, this dam was the first hydroelectric generating station in operation in western Canada. It began supplying power to the city in 1901. This power source, which could not operate in winter, was supplemented by the steam plant on 10th St. By about 1920 the steam plant had been greatly expanded and the hydroelectric plant closed. The old dam was washed out due to a thunder storm in 1948.
Custodial History
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Scope and Content
Original Hydroelectric Dam belonging to Brandon Light & Power Co.
Located about 10 miles west of Brandon on the Little Saskatchewan River, this dam was the first hydroelectric generating station in operation in western Canada. It began supplying power to the city in 1901. This power source, which could not operate in winter, was supplemented by the steam plant on 10th St. By about 1920 the steam plant had been greatly expanded and the hydroelectric plant closed. The old dam was washed out due to a thunder storm in 1948.
Custodial History
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Scope and Content
Original Hydroelectric Dam belonging to Brandon Light & Power Co.
Notes
[Mr. Stuckey put two negatives (with two views each) in one envelope, numbering each view J3b through J3e. We have separated them.]
Located about 10 miles west of Brandon on the Little Saskatchewan River, this dam was the first hydroelectric generating station in operation in western Canada. It began supplying power to the city in 1901. This power source, which could not operate in winter, was supplemented by the steam plant on 10th St. By about 1920 the steam plant had been greatly expanded and the hydroelectric plant closed. The old dam was washed out due to a thunder storm in 1948.
Custodial History
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Scope and Content
Original Hydroelectric Dam belonging to Brandon Light & Power Co.
Notes
[Mr. Stuckey put two negatives (with two views each) in one envelope, numbering each view J3b through J3e. We have separated them.]
Located about 10 miles west of Brandon on the Little Saskatchewan River, this dam was the first hydroelectric generating station in operation in western Canada. It began supplying power to the city in 1901. This power source, which could not operate in winter, was supplemented by the steam plant on 10th St. By about 1920 the steam plant had been greatly expanded and the hydroelectric plant closed. The old dam was washed out due to a thunder storm in 1948.
Custodial History
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Scope and Content
Original Hydroelectric Dam belonging to Brandon Light & Power Co.
Notes
[Mr. Stuckey put two negatives (with two views each) in one envelope, numbering each view J3b through J3e. We have separated them.]
Located about 10 miles west of Brandon on the Little Saskatchewan River, this dam was the first hydroelectric generating station in operation in western Canada. It began supplying power to the city in 1901. This power source, which could not operate in winter, was supplemented by the steam plant on 10th St. By about 1920 the steam plant had been greatly expanded and the hydroelectric plant closed. The old dam was washed out due to a thunder storm in 1948.
Custodial History
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Scope and Content
Original Hydroelectric Dam belonging to Brandon Light & Power Co.
Notes
[Mr. Stuckey put two negatives (with two views each) in one envelope, numbering each view J3b through J3e. We have separated them.]
In 1917 the Brandon Electric Light Co. and the Brandon Gas & Power Co. merged to form the Canada Gas & Electric Company; CG&EC was subsequently taken over by the Manitoba Power Commission;
Brandon's central heating system was taken over by the Brandon Steam Heat Users Co-operative;
On September 13, 1957 at 3:38 PM, an explosion in the boiler and stack destroyed the large stack causing two fatalities.
Custodial History
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Scope and Content
Canada Gas & Electric Co. steam plant
Notes
View (from 10th St.) of the coal-powered steam generating plant located at 10th St. & Lorne Ave.
Copy negative from 8x10 negative by C.J. Smith (on file).
In 1917 the Brandon Electric Light Co. and the Brandon Gas & Power Co. merged to form the Canada Gas & Electric Company; CG&EC was subsequently taken over by the Manitoba Power Commission;
Brandon's central heating system was taken over by the Brandon Steam Heat Users Co-operative;
On September 13, 1957 at 3:38 PM, an explosion in the boiler and stack destroyed the large stack causing two fatalities.
Custodial History
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Scope and Content
Canada Gas & Electric Co. steam plant
Notes
Rear view of the coal-powered steam generating plant located at 10th St. & Lorne Avenue
Coal was fed from boxcars up elevators to crushers in two cupolas from which it was fed by gravity to chain grate boilers; The chain grate revolved slowly but constantly with coal fed at front edge, burned, and dumped as cinders in pit at far end
The two boxcars shown were used to haul the coal; One is lettered for the Canadian National, the other is still lettered for the merged Grand Trunk Pacific; Cinders were loaded in gondola cars at far right
Copy negative from 8x10 negative by C.J. Smith (on file).
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