William "Billy" Muir came to Brandon in 1881 where he worked at the Coombs & Stewart general store. He became the proprietor of Brandon's first grocery store located on 138-6th Street. The building was demolished in 1952 (see Brandon Daily Sun 04 September 1952). According to correspondence in the McGuinness collection (see McG 1.2 File 22), Dr. Matheson brought the first car to Brandon, which he later sold to Muir. A note in McGuinness' papers (see McG 1.2 File 53) identifies the first motor car as a Hupmobile, which was purported to have arrived in Brandon in 1905. The Hupp Motor Car Company, however, is reported to have manufactured Hupmobiles between 1909 and 1940. Mrs. (Jessie) R.M. Coombs was Allena Strath's (nee Coombs) mother.
Custodial History
Donated to Fred McGuinness by Allena Strath (nee Coombs).
Scope and Content
Postcard shows a woman, identified as Mrs. (Jessie) Robert M. Coombs, seated behind the wheel of a motor car.
Notes
Back of postcard reads: Mother Mrs. R. [Robert] M. Coombs in Billy Muir's car, Brandon around 1908
Brandon Sand & Brick Co. was better known as "Samson's Brick" for owner-proprietor Samson.
Plant located at 29th Street & Princess Avenue; Offices located in Smith Block.
Used Huennekes (German) system, whereby dried sand was mixed and ground with lime in a tube mill as water was added to slake the lime. The mixture was formed into bricks in a press, then steamed in a cylinder 6 ft. in diameter and 62 ft. long for 10 hours, under pressure of 120 psi, to form a compound like cement. Bricks were ready for use when taken from cylinder. (Ritchie, T. Canada Builds. pp. 219)
In addition to the Belvedere Apartments, many houses are faced with this brick. The rear of the 9th St. MTS building and others downtown buildings were also formed of it. Also used in interior walls of Prince Edward Hotel, Alexander School and many other buildings that were faced with more expensive brick. The product was so good, the plant's demise was likely caused by the post-WWI depression.(LAS)
Custodial History
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Scope and Content
Brandon Sand & Brick Co. (Samson's Brick)
Notes
Great Northern Railway enginehouse visible in background [Fred McGuinness collection (20-2009)].
Mr. Stuckey's notes: Copy [of a] neg[ative]. Neg[ative] in collection, Dick George.
Custodial History
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Scope and Content
Image of CP 5233, station, water tank, and elevator. Binscarth, Manitoba. Image was taken along the CPR Minnedosa & Bredenbury subdivision (ex. Manitoba & N.W. Railway).
Notes
[Image shows a Binscarth Co-operative Elevator Association elevator].