Excerpt from: "Hills of Hope" - Pub. by Carvel Unifarm, 1976
The Village of Wabamun - by Hilda Margerison
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Mr. and Mrs. Houghton, who had homesteaded on the Lac Ste. Anne Trail, built their home on the corner of Third Avenue and Alberta Street. Mr. Houghton was a carpenter by trade. The names of their children were Ona, Mabel, Earl, Ellen, Ross, Bernice, baby Lester who was born at the Boswell Maternity Home.
Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Root and sons Clarence, Giles, Earl and baby Ross lived in a two storey house built by Mr. Root on the corner of Alberta Street and Government Drive. At this time Mr. Root was engaged in building another home (which is now the Foster residence). When it was completed the Roots moved into it and the first house was sold to A.C. (Butcher) Smith, who moved his family in from their farm, east of the village. Josh, the eldest son, remained on the farm while the other children, Juanita, Charlie and
Dorothy, attended school and church in Wabamun. There were three younger children: Dick and Nora and a baby who just lived a short time.
St. Saviour’s Church and mission house occupied five lots on Alberta Street with fenced lots across the lane for a horse paddock.
Between the church and Smith’s property, stood a cottage with a sun porch which had been built for a man afflicted with tuberculosis; it is now the residence of the Tourangeaus - James and Hermine.
On the corner of Madison Street and Government Drive stood the home of Mrs. Charles Winfield Taylor, a widow, her two sons, Dan and Bill and Bill’s bride, Marjorie Campbell Taylor. Bill and Marjorie were awaiting the completion of their home, on the side of Cameron’s Hill, three blocks to the east. Later, Dan Taylor married Nora Ziegler. When the young couple moved away Mrs. Taylor, senior, boarded a Miss Denmeade, a very charming person who taught Sunday School, played the organ and sang in the choir. There were too many bachelors in Wabamun and Mrs. Taylor lost her lovely companion to Charlie Green. There was another wedding and she was alone again. Next, she chose an older lady, a Miss Templeton, a former teacher of Mrs. Taylor’s. That arrangement turned out very well. Mrs. Taylor had a keen sense of humour; she often made fun of her Christian names which were Prudence Matilda Jane - none of which suited her personality.
There is a hill to the east of Wabamun, which is now the Summer Village of Lakeview. In 1913 it was called Cameron’s Hill, named after a couple who lived in a tall house at the foot of the hill; a grandchild lived with them, named Johnny. The road that climbed the hill near Camerons was quite steep and here the village children went coasting with their sleds. They had a glorious time as there were no cars to worry about and no one to have annoyed with their shouts and laughter. There were cottages on the hill in those
days too but they were only used in summer by owners such as Richardsons, Todds, Bergs, Parneys, Butcharts, Henrys and Reids, to name a few.
A house owned by Mrs. C.H. Dunn on Second Avenue between Main and King Streets was being used for school purposes, until a school house could be built. Mr. McMillan was the teacher. To the east of this was the Firehall and on the corner was located Hayward E. Carter’s home. Mrs. Carter, the former Katherine Lloyd was a pioneer school teacher in the district. The Carters had two sons - Ernest, Leray and later a third son Leslie.
Across the street from the Firehall stood the butcher shop of Bonner and Leach. These two men farmed north of the village, about four miles.
West of Main Street on Second Avenue was a small house which was rented to various people through the years. Next was the home of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Moles and children: Matthew and Edward Cramer, Edith and Arthur Moles. Mr. Moles was the village constable.
To the north, across the lane from Mole’s property was the home of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Boswell, part of which had been moved in from their homestead and placed on the back lane instead of the street. They added three rooms to the original three and this became the Boswell Maternity Home, which was a great service to the mothers of the district, also to Dr. W. Anderson who delivered many babies there. Mr. Boswell, who was much older than his wife delivered bread around the village in a big basket. They had two daughters - Rhoda, Mrs. Frank Cassan and Fanny, Mrs. Fred Whitecroft, a trained nurse, who lived in Edmonton. The Whitecrofts had two young sons.
Mrs. Boswell was a favorite in the village, a spry, lively lady who loved to dance and skate when her free time permitted and was a very good worker for St. Saviours Church. Bill Wilkinson operated a boat rental. These were good boats - all of them were Peterboroughs. He had his own wharf and two good sized boat houses. When the boating season was over he did carpenter work or clerked in a store. He was building a house of his own, in preparation for the arrival of his fiancee from England.
Bill Doe was in charge of the weedcutter. It was like a scow with an engine that propelled the boat and operated the cutting bars which cut the reeds below the surfaceof the water. It really helped control the growth. After being cut several times the reeds died.
In 1913, the first schoolhouse was built to government standards, by Alfred Root, local architect. It was opened in October of that year. Mr. McPhee was hired as teacher and at least forty pupils attended.
Jack McLean operated a daily stage to Lac Ste. Anne. Mrs. C. Conrad of Darwell recalls the many times she and her sisters, as young girls, rode the stage to Wabamun in order to catch the train next morning for Edmonton and how they enjoyed watching the trains go by from their hotel room. Mrs. Conrad is the former Anna McConnell of Lac Ste. Anne, the daughter of real pioneer people.
Captain and Mrs. Livesay owned and operated a very large boat named the Lady Belle. They made regular trips to Seba Beach and to Bennett’s Gardens, this side of Fallis. This was a delightful place as it was on the beach and it contained a beautiful wishing well. The Bennetts and son Joe had lived here since before the railroad came through. They made their living by fishing and selling produce from their gardens. In season you could buy strawberries, raspberries, vegetables, flowers; there was also wild fruit. The Lady Belle also made moonlight excursions, everyone wrapped up because it can get chilly on the Lake at night. Many sing-songs were enjoyed on these trips and if there was a musician aboard, all the better. Captain Livesay was an elocutionist and recited at concerts, often Robert Service’s poems.
The days of greatest excitement were May 24th, July 1st and Labor Day when the Railway Company ran excursion trains to Wabamun and Seba Beach. The train arrived in the morning, so the first thing to do was to go to watch the arrival of the train and the crowds of people who would alight. Then everryone who was big enough was pressed into service as extra help at the hotels, restaurants and ice cream parlors. There were sporting events in the park, races, ball games, many a tug-of-war and all the other events
that go with a picnic. Nearly always the Indians came and danced for the crowd. There were some visitors who preferred to dance by themselves and did so, all afternoon in the Pavilion in the Park There were others who enjoyed boating and fishing. There were lots of motor boats for hire and the Lady Belle provided excursion trips around the lake throughout the day. On Victoria Day and Dominion Day the buildings were decorated with red, white and blue bunting. Everywhere flags were flying as nearly everybody had
his own flag pole. Patriotism was a matter to be taken seriously in these early days. After supper, everyone went back to the station to see the train depart. Tired children were helped aboard and tired mothers too.
Weekend excursion trains were instituted mostly for the benefit of cottage owners, as there were few cars and poor roads. The excursions were also convenient for anyone who fancied a weekend at the lake or in the country.
The Pavilion in the Park was financed and built by selling shares. It was a very attractive looking building - the walls were boarded up half-way with wire screening on the upper half. There was an alcove on the west end where the piano was kept, with doors to protect it from the elements. On the Saturday nights when an orchestra was not in attendance a local fiddler, Solomon Letendre, often played. He had a way of drumming his feet on the floor of the alcove, to keep time, which was effective as any drum.
Charles and Dave Andrews had a cabin north of the Pavilion and they were engaged in the fishing industry. Other bachelors who lived in shacks around the village were; Harry Elwell, Ernie Shields, Bill Stone, Jack Malloughs, Bill Adams and Frank Swan.
Mr Al Pattison was the Indian Agent. He and his wife and grown family of two sons and two daughters: Albert, Alfred, Nora and Janet, lived in a large house on the Reserve overlooking the lake. They joined in all social events in the village. It was a short trip across the Lake by boat in summer, or by cutter in winter, but a good five miles by road. Mr. A.C. Smith and W.J. Taylor had the first cars in the village. Just prior to the opening
of the Macdonald Hotel in Edmonton they took as many girls as they could squeeze into the two cars, to see this wonderful hotel. They were taken on a tour of the building by members of the staff, and allowed to ride up and down in the elevators. No doubt a grand time was had by all.
Mr. Peter Gunn of Lac Ste. Anne, a rancher, was the elected member of the Legislative Assembly for the constituency.
St. Saviours Anglican Church was the only church at this time. Reverend Edwin Teale, the minister, was ably assisted by Sidney V. Patrick, lay reader, Sunday school teacher,scoutmaster and he was known to all as "Pat".
Father Beaudry of the Lac Ste. Anne Mission was a frequent visitor on his way to and from the west. On one occasion, returning from a trip to Shining Bank in the winter, he told of the hardships the homesteaders were enduring in that district. He asked that anyone who had any clothes to spare to pack them in boxes and he would take and distribute them on his next trip. He had given his felt boots to a man whose feet were wrapped in sacking; he himself came back with his house slippers on. The Reverend Teale asked some of the ladies to go to the Mission House and check some boxes of men’s clothing that were stored there. These boxes proved to be a gold mine of warm
socks, clothing and blankets. Everyone donated and some of the ladies sewed warm mittens out of the legs of socks whose feet were worn out. Father Beaudry was delighted when he saw the pile of boxes at the railway station.
The Reverend Thomas F. Lund was the first resident Methodist minister, arriving in 1914. He held services in the schoolhouse, making his home in a small house at the west end of the village. That summer a lot was purchased and some lumber donated for the start of a church building but World War I put an end to those plans, as it did to many other things. The lot reverted to the village and the lumber was returned to the donor. A new section foreman, Walter Bryant, was appointed to the Wabamun section. He and
his wife and family, a daughter May, four sons - William, Joe, Bert and Harry, proved to be a welcome addition to the village. Walter Bryant’s brother Joe also found work and lived here until he joined the navy. He married a young lady who was employed at the Royal George Hotel. Walter, his wife and brother Joe were all good singers.
In 1913, Dr. W.C. dunn commenced work on a mining project about three miles west of Wabamun under the name of Wabamun Power and Coal Company. This was later changed to Lakeside Coals. The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company laid a line into the mine site and this spur line was completed in November, 1914.
In the spring of 1914, Mr. W.H. Asley of Boissevain, Manitoba, arrived in Wabamun to start publication of a weekly newspaper. He rented the former Root residence, the Roots having moved to a farm three miles east. Mr. Ashley had a shop built to house the printing press and other equipment. He was joined in the fall by his wife and family - Bernard, Wilfred, Cecilee and Adrian (Jack). One daughter Constance spent holidays here with her parents. The first issue of The Mirror was published October 22, 1914. Mr Ashley had worked for the Edmonton Bulletin in the winter of 1881-82 so he was on
familiar ground in this part of Alberta. Mrs. Ashley was a talented musician. All the family were singers with the exception of young Jack whose one accomplishment was the ability to burp, whenever it suited him, much to the annoyance of the teachers and other adults.
In the spring of 1914, Ned Carthew, a pharmacist, the oldest son of Dr. and Mrs. Carthew, a pioneer family, had a building put up to house a drug store and ice cream parlor, with living accomodation in the rear. This building was next door to the Royal George Hotel. The building was intended for summer use only, as Mr. Carthew was employed in Edmonton and would only be here on weekends. His wife and a Miss Rose Hutchison tended to the business through the week. However, it became a year round project. A baby daughter, Evelyn, was born to the Carthews in 1915, at the Boswell Maternity Home.
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