Photos of Merle

Merle Cassell Boulton's sons and daughter-in-laws spent a wonderful afternoon with two of her sisters and the Boulton photo albums at the farm a few months ago.  Aunt Allie and Aunt Ena were able to put names on some of the unknown pictures and asked for copies of some of Merle from the 40's and 50's when she was first a teacher at Kinloss School and then a young bride and mother on the Boulton farm.  Better late than never!  I hope you are able to right click your mouse on the pictures below and save them to your computers to print out or otherwise let me know and I'll mail you any you'd like!

I believe the photo above on the left was taken on the Elkhorn water tower, right ladies?  Aunt Ena says it brings back memories of when they would take their Dad's (Russell Cassell) lunch to him when he worked at the coal docks in Elkhorn and they would climb the tower.  The one on the right was when she was teaching at Kinloss.  I love how the print of her dress camouflages her right into the trees!

I think the building behind Merle in the first photo is Kinloss School and the second is on the wedding day of Edwin's sister Edna and Ewen Pearn - August 15, 1945.  Two months later, On October 9th, Merle and Edwin were married in Virden.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think these two pictures are Merle with her oldest son Richard Edwin who was born in 1948.  

This baby looks a lot like her second son, Russell James who was born in 1956 and also bears a striking resemblance to grandson Jarrett Edwin, born in 1996!

They are precious moments in time of a beautiful woman who was gone far too soon.

Looking for a Homestead 1892

A recent trip to the Archives in Winnipeg turned up a copy of the letter written by Benjmanin Boulton requesting a homestead dated May 30th, 1892.  If you have an ancestor who acquired land under the Homestead Act of 1872, you might find something similar in their microfilm.  Under the act, anyone who was at least 21 years old could apply for 160 acres of unsettled land .  Title would be granted if they lived on the property for three years and made the required improvement.  They were also given a pre-emption privilege that allowed them to buy nearby land for one dollar per acre.

Reston May 30th 92 

Agent of Dominion

Lands Mr Hiam
Dear Sir
As I am very anxious about getting a place I thought it best to write you a line to see if the place that I cancelled could go on in my favour as it would not be long now untill perhaps you could let me know if there would be any chance of one getting it my friend Mr. Baldwin tells me that I made a mistake in trying to give it up I have a chance of getting some land to work next year so if you can let me know at your earliest convenience the full particulars you will be very greatily
Oblige
Yours
Scincerely
Benjamin Bolton
Reston Man

According to a 1970 Reston School  publication, Through the Eyes of Our Community, the railway did not reach Reston until December of 1892 and the town was not firmly established until the spring of 1893.  Mr. John Baldwin had been approached by the C.P.R. to put the town site on the corner of his land if he would give the company 24 acres of land for a station site and yards.  He turned it down but did reconsider after pressure from nearby residents who saw the water run on the west side as a positive factor for a townsite. The name "Reston" was taken from the Post Office (and later School District) that had been established in 1890 at  William Bulloch's farm.  

It is interesting to see the spelling of his name without the "U". It does indicate in the file that he decided to cancel the application somewhere between the 11th and the 30th of May but it went ahead anyway.  The final patent certificate for this quarter did not go through until 1916, likely because it was held up in probate after Benjamin's death in 1895.  Several letters are included back and forth with lawyers to see what Ann needs to do to get the letter of patent for this land.

Also in the file was a memo that indicates the NE 24-6-28 had 30 acres broken in 1893 and 50 more the next year.  By 1895, 105 acres were broken and under cultivation.  There was also a frame house worth $1000, stable, granary and fencing allowing the conditions of homesteading to be met.  Neighbours William Lau and John William Sutcliffe submitted documents in support of the Boulton claim and they are in the file as well.

Also in the file is a notice to an Albert Armstrong of Pipestone in May of 1892 to cancel his Homestead application for the quarter as he had not replied to letters on behalf of the Minister of the Interior. That would have freed Benjamin to take the quarter for himself.  

In 1892, his son James Herbert applied for and in 1903 he received the North West quarter.  The "x" is claimed to be his mark on this document.  

Ernest Cassel - Part Two

In my search for a photo of Ernest Leroy Cassel - a brother to Randy's maternal grandfather- I paid a visit to the Provincial Archives in Winnipeg to look at microfilm copies of the newspapers of that era.  I first tried the "Virden Empire Advance" with no luck but then heard that there was an "Elkhorn Mercury" that published a paper there from 1908 to 1965. Success! 

The clipping on the left above was printed on November 8, 1917 and the second was in the next week's edition.  No photo but a glimpse at the heartbreaking time this must have been for the family and the whole community.

Edith Beatrice Boulton Morris (1905-1995)

Thomas and Margaret Boulton's youngest daughter of 12 children was Edith Beatrice, born on February 11 in 1905.  Her father left for the west shortly after her birth and she was raised by her mother with the help of the older siblings at Graham Lake, Ontario.  

On the first of June in 1926, Edith married John Moulton Morris at Lyn, Ontario.   He was a 22 year old Anglican farmer and she was 21.  Moulton, as he was known, was a hard worker throughout his life.  Moulton and Edith were initially farmers in their married life and then went on to road construction.  He was the foreman who built many roads on Canada's East Coast and Edith cooked for the crew.  He later owned a Shell Service Station in Athens, Ontario until he passed away in 1966.

Edith was a working Mom in the 30's, 40's and 50's at the Post Office in Athens.  After Moulton died, she moved to Winnipeg in 1967 where she bought a rooming house on Chestnut Street and later a duplex on Lenore Street. Her granddaughters recall that she spelled her given name "Edythe" as well as "Edith" over her lifetime. She had a first cousin, Edythe Boulton (daughter of Ben and Peggy) who lived to be 102 and is buried in Elmwood cemetery in Winnipeg where she lived unmarried most if her life.

Edith and Moulton had three children - Ray, Vernon and Audrey. In the above photo left to right is Edith, Audrey, Moulton and Vernon .  Their daughter Audrey Yvonne (pictured below with "Georgia") was author of a book in 1968 called Gentle Pioneers about Canadian pioneers - The Moody family.  Audrey led a very interesting life in Ottawa and Winnipeg and her lovely home in the Wolseley area of Winnipeg is now the home of the next generations of the family.  

Ray was an excellent mechanic.  His daughters told me that someone could call him up and hold the phone near the running car and he could diagnose the problem over the line! Ray lived with his aunt and uncle on their farm (Lenna Boulton King and her husband Elton) when Moulton and Edith were out east and after they returned.  
"Vernie" as Vernon was known, worked in the mines for INCO in Sudbury, Ontario for 44 years.

Edith Beatrice Boulton Morris was involved in the Rebekah Lodge and was a member of the Anglican Church. Her obituary says that her many interests included travel, gardening, theatre and animals. After living in Winnipeg for 28 years, she passed away in July of 1995, the last surviving Boulton sibling.  She is buried in Oak Leaf Holy Trinity Cemetery with her husband Moulton, near Athens.  

Vernon, Audrey, Moulton, Ray and Edith Morris - 1960's