(Copied by hand by R. H. Blake, nee Osborne, her granddaughter and typed in from that copy by Vanessa Blake, her great granddaughter. Original books with Anne Hadley, granddaughter of Mabel)
I am getting on in years now, but memory takes me back when as a child I was living on a bush farm in Ontario, Canada, with my three brothers. My father decided to sell the farm and go to Manitoba where land had been recently opened for settlement and thus be able to obtain land for himself and the boys. I remember how delighted I was with the preparations for our departure. Four of the best horses were selected and two new wagons bought and such farming implements that could be carried safely packed in one wagon, plough harrows and various other things that would be useful on a farm. The loading was completed and a large canvas drawn tightly over all and tied securely to rings at each side of the wagon. Box bows had to be fitted to the other wagon with canvas covering which were afterwards packed in the wagon. In a few days we were on board a steamer taking us along the lakes until finally we were in Lake Superior and later entered Sault Ste Marie rapids going through the locks and continuing our way we came to the town of Marquette. This was a pretty place and as we were staying two hours we were able to see something of the town and buy some of the splendid fruit of which there was an abundance. Proceeding on our way we came to the small villages of Handcock and Holton [*1] which were situated at each side of a cutting. Large rocks towered up behind the houses and a small ferry boat carried passengers and supplies across. The men were tunnelling into the rocks and getting out Copper ore. Leaving there we at length came to Duluth [*2], the end of our journey by boat. There our horses and wagons were unshipped and we made our first camp on the outskirts of the town. Then followed preparations for our journey by land to Winnipeg, which most people called Ft Garry. Supplies had to be got, also oats for the horses and baled hay. Wagons to be overhauled and loaded in the best possible way and when all had been completed we started on the long trail of adventure.
There were no roads in those days and we very often came across a draw (?) with mud and water. Often both teams had to be attached to one wagon and when the crossing was completed we usually made camp to rest the horses as they were often taxed to the utmost. Sometimes we came across a settlers ranch, where we were able to buy milk and eggs, but they were few and far between. After many various experiences we reached Ft Garry or Winnipeg as it is now known, and the capital of Manitoba. It consisted of a main street, buildings and a few houses and plenty of open ground at the back of the buildings, where we made camp. That was Winnipeg as we knew it in those early days. (A few years ago I saw at a cinema a view of Winnipeg and I may say it came as a surprise to me to see the change a few years had made, with its fine buildings, surroundings and wide streets).
To continue, after resting a few days we started west with the object of coming across suitable farming land. After passing Silver Heights, White Horse Plains, Marie St Paul near the Assiniboine river we arrived at Poplar Heights, and there by Long Lake and vicinity found suitable land open for settlement. My father and elder brothers each took claims. One of my brothers began as soon as possible to plough a fire break, in a large circle around our wagons while father and brother went to the nearest timber to get logs to build a house, so much had to be done in a short time, as winter came early in those parts. My youngest brother being useful with his gun kept us supplied with wild duck and prairie chickens which were plentiful. And in the bluffs and nearest timber we found wild fruit. Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, also high bush cranberries. The latter make delightful jelly and the prairie flowers were grand, from tiny dog roses to tiger lilies. We were located four miles from the Assiniboine river. Along its banks lived French halfbreeds and a few Scotch people, but they did not cultivate their land much, most of them relied on fish and wild game and Indian turnips, which they dug out of the ground on the prairie with sharp sticks. In the fall most of them who had ponies and carts went west to hunt buffalo. They used to bring back sufficient pemmican and buffalo robes for winter use. Some of the robes were tanned and made into moccasins which were worn instead of boots. During the cold months of winter as the snow remained very dry the robes were also used for coats, which were very warm and comfortable.
My people were very anxious to get on with the building and hauling of wood during the fine weather, as it was some distance to the nearest timber and it generally took a whole day to bring a load home. We were having dinner one day when one of the boys noticed a cloud of dust in the direction of the Assiniboine River. Of course we were curious to know what caused it when looking closer, we made out the forms of men and horses. They came straight for our wagon and all drew rein. Suddenly a young man advanced alone, he was a Scotch halfbreed. As we learned later and had evidently had a good education as he spoke English well. He said they had come to put us off the land as by right it was theirs. Father explained to him he had been to Winnipeg to the government land office and taken the land in the usual way, but to satisfy them he would go immediately to the land office to see if there had been any mistake and he also told them if he was in the right he should stay on the land. With that they seemed satisfied.
Father started for Winnipeg arriving there the following morning, then to the land office. They explained to him that many years before grants of 4 mile claims were given to the French and Scotsmen, but later 2 miles were taken back to open for settlement and they had been recompensed in other ways. They told him to stay where he was located and they would send an interpreter and soldiers to protect him if necessary which they did and we did not hear anything further about it, but some days later we noticed a very black cloud in the direction of the Assiniboine River, which proved to be smoke. The prairie had been set on fire and a strong wind was bringing it straight towards us. As dry grass had been lying on the ground year after year our only hope was in the ploughed fire break and sacks rung out in water and used as beaters to prevent fire getting over the break. Three of our horses were out grazing at the time and they had got the fire turned past our enclosure. My brother mounted the horse kept in the shelter having blindfolded him, started off across the burnt ground in the direction the horses had last been seen and nearing the further edge of the burning grass rode through the flame and was lucky to see the horses a short distance beyond the fire. Quickly he rounded them up and set them going for a part where the flames were not as high and sending them at top speed crossed to safety. The fire burnt on for miles and our outlook was rather black. Shortly after rain fell and the blackened ground became changed to a beautiful green.
Afterwards things became quieter and the halfbreeds used to assist us occasionally and in time became quite friendly. Our house was finished and better stabling for the horses were made. More land was ploughed to be ready for the following spring. Supplies had to be got from Winnipeg for the winter and feed for the horses. It was a very busy life and very interesting. It was seldom we saw our nearest neighbours. As supplies had to be taken by wagons or carts in those days, we often saw an outfit, chiefly oxen and carts loaded with goods for some part in the North West, Bidinsy (?) Mountain, Peace Biner or perhaps Hudson Bay Companies Stores. All the men rode ponies and each ox was tied to the cart in front on him. In this way we have seen them going along from half a mile to a mile in length and we usually called them cart trains. All those long journeys had to be made before the snow fell, as the roads would be impassable then owing to the drifts.
We were later to face our first winter with a temperature of 40o below zero. So no time was lost in getting things as comfortable as possible in the short time that remained before winter set in. Firewood had to be stacked upright to keep it out of the snow. There was no time to spare as winter came early and sometimes the storms lasted three days and nothing could be done except feeding the animals and cutting firewood for the stove. When the frost came our spring was frozen over, and we had to rely on melting snow in a large washing boiler placed on the stove. This had to suffice for our own use and a small quantity for the horses. The boys in the meantime used to make rakes and axe handles and various other things that would be useful in the Spring. So passed our first Winter. There were no schools or churches, but when the weather was more settled a Minister would come from a distance and hold a service in one of the settlers houses, people coming a long way to attend the service.
We were all glad to see signs of the coming spring and when the thaw set in the snow was soon gone. It was a long time before the frost was out of the ground sufficiently to begin ploughing, so my brothers used to cut firewood as we had no coal and hunt the wild fowl that were beginning to come to the open lakes further north. Long Lake about 3 miles away was found to be more suitable than the open prairie as the water did not freeze to the bottom in the winter months, also for plenty of game in the summer and Fall. The soil was exceptionally good for farming so Father decided to make his homestead there and a larger house was built. My Brothers hewing the logs flat on each side with a broad axe. The roof was covered with small poles, stripped of their bark and when all were securely nailed to the roof tree, they thatched it on the poles making a durable roof that stood the force of many a storm.
My Brothers found a quantity of limestone on the prairie, so they built a kiln in the side of a bank and hauled limestone which they burnt successfully, people coming from a long distance to buy the lime. It was useful for plastering and whitewashing our own house and buildings during the summer. Father bought a few cows and calves. They used to run out on the prairie and were rounded up each night and put in the enclosure for safety. Milking had to be done and we hand fed the calves and were able to get milk and butter for our use.
Settlers began to come in slowly. Our post-office was 6 miles away at a neighbours house. There was one mail each week, that was brought between 10-12 miles by the mailman and our newspaper was the Winnipeg Free Press and we always looked eagerly for the news it contained. We had fine crops later on, wheat, oats and vegetables turned out exceptionally well. We had a fine crop of potatoes on the first breaking by simply dropping the potatoes along the edge of the furrows and letting the next furrow turned cover them up. This applied to french beans, only my Brother made a bean planter and planted them in every 4th row. We found that turnips did well planted in that way just by sowing the seed along the furrow. When the plants grew the turnips formed on top of the soil and did well. The lake was fine for boating and there was a plentiful supply of wild ducks and other wild fowl. Also there were prairie chickens, rabbits and we also got plenty of wild fruit. About the edge of the timber was a small bluff. We used to go for the day gathering fruit. We dried blueberries (?) for winter use, they made nice pies and strawberries and raspberries for jam.
I can well remember the year the grasshoppers came, how promising things looked. Our garden stuff and grain were of the best and bid fair to be a splendid crop. It was a sad sight to see everything stripped to the stalks and so ruined. The grasshoppers piled themselves up at the side of our house and nothing remained on the ground that was eatable when they were passing. There were still so many flying by you could look at the sun as if through brown glass and this continued for several days. We were obliged to part with a fine team of horses, as we could not provide oats for them. We exchanged them for Oxen and they proved satisfactory both at ploughing and hauling timber and they stood the climate much better than Canadian horses.
Later we read in the paper that a railway was probably coming from Winnipeg through to the Northwest. Shortly after surveyors came and camped near us. They were putting in the pegs for a possible route. That was the beginning of the Canadian Pacific Railway, that line would have passed close by our house and crossed the Lake to an island and would have had to cross the lake again a few miles further on. A more suitable route was found by taking the line further north and skirting the edge of the timber. The ties and lines were laid on the ground in order to get the materials as far along the line as possible. It was strange after so long a silence to hear the first engine whistle. The country soon began to open up for settlement. Many farmers came from Ontario, Canada and quickly to begin farming on a larger scale, as they could locate plenty of land in those days and the new railway became a better mode of transit for their produce. Settlers took land as near as possible to the Railway. My Father did not live to see the completion of the railway, although he had been able previous to his last illness to take active part in the settlement. He was made a Justice of the Peace for the County and conducted trials and other legal business at his own house. One of my brothers married and moved west to Regina where he began farming and chiefly the buying and selling of horses. Those were in the days when Indians used to travel from one hunting ground to another and in the fall go for a great buffalo hunt in the north west bringing back robes and pemmican. The half breeds made pemmican by bruising berries with the meat. The flavour was very good. The half breeds also made moccasins. We had them make about 15 pairs for our winter use as no boots or shoes could be worn in the winter months, on account of the intense cold which reached 40 deg below zero. We also had buffalo robe coats and fur caps and long knitted mufflers to wind round the neck and face. The ice froze to a great depth in the winter and we had to keep going further out in the lake to get water for the stock. My Brothers used to cut a hole in the ice, about a yard long and a foot deep, then cut a step all the way round the hole so the cattle could not slip in the water when it rose to the surface. After that a round hole was cut about 10 inches and straight down until the water was reached. It was a long job and sometimes took a whole morning cutting then again it would freeze out during the night and all the work had to be done over again going further out towards the middle of the lake. In the meantime the cattle would stand in the rushes that surrounded the lake, when they had finished drinking they were hurried back to the stables on byres. There were no stalls for the cattle and they stood side by side for warmth. They were fastened in wooden bails and the calves in a little pen by themselves to keep warm.
Sometimes travellers overtaken by the storms would find their way to our house, or rather I should say their horses would bring them by keeping to the beaten snow track until the house was reached, if they were to leave the track it would be to step off into 2 or 3 ft of snow. It often happened the travellers were numb and frozen in hands and feet and great care had to be taken to rub the frozen parts with snow and so bring back the circulation. Yes there were times when one had to act quickly, there were no Doctors near and people did what they could for each other in cases of emergency often having to go quite a distance to their aid. I often used to go to a new neighbours house when the men had occasion to go to Winnipeg or elsewhere. They were not used to the prairie and found it lonely at first. As more settlers began to come in the young people used to get up surprise parties in the winter time. They would go in their sleighs, the horses having bells fastened over their backs that made things quite merry ringing out in the frosty air. I like the summer time best of all. I could get out for nice long rides and visit all the new arrivals to our township. They were all very sociable people.
I had a canoe and many hours I spent on the lake and sometimes shooting wild ducks. My brother taught me how to use a shot gun also a rifle and revolver and when I went for our cattle to bring the cows home for milking I used to strap the revolver round my waist in case I needed it. I had started out after tea as usual going over a ridge on the prairie and I saw camped at the other side some Indians and half breeds. When they saw me they shouted and ran and mounted their ponies and began to follow me. I was not afraid of them for I had a good horse and revolver. I just gave `Kit' the rein and a little pat on his neck and we were soon far away. When I turned to look back they were returning to their camp. I went on a few miles further, found the cattle and headed them for home. Kit was splendid for driving cattle, if one stayed behind he would just take a little nip at it to make it move on. I took a long time driving the cows home as they could not be hurried. My brothers used to make the switches at sundown to keep the flies and mosquitoes off while we were milking. The milk had to be strained and put away. Calves to be fed and various other chores to be done before we could say our work was done, which usually ended about 11 pm. There is plenty to be done on a western farm from early morning till late at night, but it is really a fine life.
Mother decided to give up farming and return to Eastern Canada as she wanted a change and so ended our early experiences in those early days near Winnipeg Manitoba.
With many thanks to Ayla Z for e-mailing me the following place name
corrections:
*1 Houghton and Hancock, Michigan
*2 Duluth, Minnesota