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.
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).
20 cm textual records; 51 lantern slides (measuring 22 cm x 20.5 cm); 44 photographs (41 measuring 17.5 cm x 23 cm and 3 measuring 26.5 cm x 35 cm)
History / Biographical
J.D. McGregor was a leading agriculturist from Brandon who served as Lieutenant Governor in the province of Manitoba during the 1930's. The Hon. J.D. McGregor was born in Amherstburg, Ontario August 29, 1860. He came west with his father in 1877, and entered the horse and cattle trade. McGregor established Glencarnock Farm north of Brandon and created one of the finest Aberdeen-Angus cattle herds in North America. In 1912 and 1913, his cattle (Glencarnock Victor and Glencarnock Victor II) were selected Grand Champions at the Chicago International. McGregor was a Liberal in politics with close ties to Clifford Sifton. From 1897-99, he served as mines inspector in the Klondike during the gold rush in that region. He also served as Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba from 1929-1934. James Duncan McGregor died March 15, 1935.
Custodial History
This collection was donated to Brandon University in 1971 by McGregor's daughter Mrs. E.C. Harte. The collection was accessioned in 1998 by the McKee Archives.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of photos and slides, principally of the Klondike during the gold rush era (1897-1902); Government House seating plans and speeches from a wide variety of events (1912-1934); correspondence of McGregor's, primarily from his time as Lieutenant Governor (1912-1934); a (23.75 oz.) gold bag; a state publication "Instructions for Lieutenant Governors;" documents pertaining to the history of the Manitoba Winter Fair; and documents dealing with the early career of Winston Churchill.
The idea of the Keystone Centre was first mentioned in 1958, at a meeting of the board of directors of the Manitoba Winter Fair. The Manitoba Winter Fair wanted a new facility because the old Wheat City Arena had a leaking roof and a deteriorating west wall. The old facility also had limited space and the Winter Fair felt it needed more space for expansion. The Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba also had problems with their facilities, such as old barns and poor display areas. The idea of the Keystone Centre was put on hold until 1969, when the boards of the Provincial Exhibition and the Manitoba Winter Fair joined together as the Provincial Exhibition Association of Manitoba and the Wheat City Arena was sold and demolished. The original estimate for the cost of the Keystone Centre facilities was $4.5 million and funding would be proportioned so that the federal and provincial governments would each put in one-third of the money, with the rest coming from local donations. The financial campaign for the Keystone Centre began in 1970, and construction began in November 1970. The grand opening of the Centre was in March 1973, and coincided with the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair of that year.
Custodial History
This fonds was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1998. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
Fonds contains many folders full of correspondence, financial statements, meeting minutes and other documents relating to the development and construction of the Keystone Centre from 1970-1974, including those from the Keystone Executive Committee, as well as the Building Committee. Fonds also contains one folder that pertains to the Brandon Area Agricultural Development Survey from 1959. This folder contains the names and locations of all farmers in the Brandon area in 1959. The Brandon Area Agricultural Development Survey was created in 1959, in order to make farming in the Brandon area more profitable. The survey was aided by Doane Agricultural Service from St. Louis, Missouri, who had success creating agricultural development programs in the United States. Fonds also contains folders from the Provincial Exhibition with correspondence, pamphlets, estimates, and studies from the 1960's. There is also one folder belonging to the Manitoba Winter Fair, which contains correspondence and financial statements relating to the Wheat City Arena. Fonds also contains information pertaining to the proposals made in the 1960's, for the building of the Keystone Centre, as well as one folder about the Keystone campaign from 1970-73. There is also one folder about the opening of the Keystone Centre, which contains newspaper clippings and guest lists. Finally, the fonds contains information about a court case involving Albert Bobyk and Robert Stewart. Stewart was the project manager for the Building Committee and Bobyk worked on the Keystone Center. The fonds includes a report about the trial of the two men who were charged with fraud involving their work on the Keystone Centre.
In the period leading up to World War I, Brandon, due to its excellent railway connections, was also home to branch offices of a number of large manufacturing companies during this period. Among those manufacturing outfits were William Gray & Sons Co. Ltd., and Mason Campbell Company. Based in Chatham, ON, these companies were leading manufacturers of carriages, sleighs and light wagons and fanning mills respectively. Constructed in 1907, by Giddings and Wyman for approximately $15,000, the four-storey structure was located at 801 Pacific Avenue and was shared by the two companies.
In response to the new technology of the gasoline engine, Wm. Gray & Sons entered into a partnership with the Dort Motor Company, of Flint, MI in 1915, and began designing and producing the Gray-Dort automobile; Mason Campbell’s Chatham plant became the assembly plant for the Gray-Dort. Production of the car spanned nearly ten years with over 20,000 Gray Dorts made. The company had over 300 dealers across the country, including one in Brandon.
In 1924, the Dort Motor Company decided to cease production, sending the Gray Company into significant debt. They were forced to close their doors in 1925, when Gray was unable to find a suitable partner to manufacture the car.
Following the closure of Gray-Campbell Ltd., portions of the warehouse were used by a number of businesses between 1925 - 1948, including farm and agricultural implement concerns Canadian Stover Co., Cameron & Rathwell, and Case (J.I.) Co. Ltd., the McKay Fruit Co. Ltd., Brazzell Motors, AC Bateman (electrician), Samuel Coxe (veterinarian) and Burns & Co. Ltd (packing house and egg grading station).
In 1949, the warehouse was taken over by Canada Grocers Ltd., who remained until 1973, when the building became Kullberg’s Big Warehouse. When Kullberg’s moved their warehouse to the old International Harvester building in 2004, the Wm. Gray & Sons Co. Ltd. building was torn down.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of the Alf Fowler collection for custodial history.
Scope and Content
Photo shows the front of William Gray & Sons Co. Ltd. Wording and signs on the bulding include: "High Grade Carriages, Chatham, Ont."; "Scales"; "Incubators"; "The Manson Campbell Co. Ltd."; "Kitchen Cabinets"; "Chatham Fanning Mills"; "Emerson (New Standard) Mowers"; "Tudhope Carriages"; "Agency for Sylvester Drills"; "Stover Coy Gasoline Engines"; "Gray-Campbell, High Grade Carriages"; and "Phone 771."
Storage Range
RG 5 Western Manitoba Manuscript collection - photograph storage drawer
The Cockshutt Plow Co. was located on Pacific Avenue opposite 6th Street.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of the Alf Fowler collection for custodial history.
Scope and Content
Photo shows the premises of Cockshutt Plow Company, Limited. Wording on the building includes: carriages; wagons and sleighs; seeding-machines; and traction-plows.
Storage Range
RG 5 Western Manitoba Manuscript collection - photograph storage drawer
The Hanbury Hardware Company Limited was located at 703 Pacific Avenue.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of the Alf Fowler collection for custodial history.
Scope and Content
Photo shows the premises of the Hanbury Hardware Co. Additional signs on the building read: "Walter M. Borbride, Harness Trunks Val??"; "Agents for Hugh Car?n Limited, manufacturer of harne?? saddlery, trunks & bags. O???wa, Ont."; and "Canadian Coal & Com? Co."
Storage Range
RG 5 Western Manitoba Manuscript collection - photograph storage drawer
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