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Incorporated January 16, 1911.
Mr. & Mrs. Scott - Married Jan 23 - 1912 by Rev. Finn at Battle Bend in Main's house. Bertha Scott taught school at Battle Bend & boarded at Main's house.
The first school was built in 1909. It was a two-storey building near the brick school which was built later. The upper room of the old school was used as a lodge room for the Masons & Eastern Star after the brick school was built.
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Walter Scott came from Strathroy Ontario in 1909 & was school inspector for many years. Mrs. Scott arrived at Battle Bend district in 1911 & taught school there before being married. Prince Edward island was her birthplace & home until she came to Alberta. Her maiden name was Bertha McAusland.
Rev. G. N. Finn was the first Anglican minister. He was assisted at times by Rev. Canham. When Rev. Finn was called to another town Rev. Luckcroft replaced him. He was a student of psychology & spent many hours talking with Mr. Scott on the subject.
Mr. Cluff was an Englishman from Sussex. He & Mr. Dugdale & Charlie Harris were bachelor pals for many years in Hardisty. Mr. Cluff eventually married a very young girl whose name was Doreen De Wilton. Mr. Cluff assisted his father-in-law in operating the flour mill in town. Doreen departed for England to pursue her career as an actress & later became the first wife of the famous actor Boris Karloff. After the flour mill closed down Mr. Cluff became the Town Clerk of Hardisty.
1911
Mr. & Mrs. Wm. Drever & their three
boys came to Hardisty from Moose Jaw in 1911. Mrs. Drever was the granddaughter
of Catherine Parr Trail who was an authoress from England. She was one of
the Strickland sisters & one wrote "The Queen of England" and
another was the authoress of "Roughing it in the Bush" which was
about the early days of Ontario where they later lived. Mr. Drever was employed
by the C.P.R. as engineer.
1908
Allan Johnstone came from Long River P.E.I.
as a young man. He had T.B. & came west for his health & was soon
cured completely by the Alberta sunshine. His cousin Col. Johnstone still
lives in P.E.I. & had been in Hardisty years ago to visit Allan &
Jim Johnstone. Another brother of Allan & Jim's lived in Provost Alberta
(Dave Johnstone). All three brothers were in the lumber business. Allan was
mayor of Hardisty for many years.
Dr. Callbeck was the first Doctor in Hardisty. He also owned the first drugstore & had his office in the back of the store. He came from P.E.I. & his wife came from Halifax. They built the big Dutch Colonial house on the south edge of town.
Mr. & Mrs. Main came from Parsons Kansas & lived in the Battle Bend district. Mrs. Scott boarded with them when she taught school there. Mr. & Mrs. Scott were married in Main's house by Rev. Finn.
Mr. Main was an expert sign painter & was responsible for most of the beautiful big signs which graced the business buildings of Hardisty.
Mr. J. MacKay helped build the Methodist Church. He did all the beautiful carving & woodwork around the windows & the interior. He built his home on the south side of town which looked out on the Battle River valley. Two of the MacKay daughters were married & lived in the country near Hardisty. One became Mrs. Quillan & the other Mrs. Moon. Zora Moon was Mr. MacKay's favorite granddaughter who became a first-rate organist & later played the pipe organ in one of Vancouver's big churches.
(Rev. J. D. Jones was preaching in the United Church at Streetsville Ont. in 1943)
The Hardisty United Church was built in 1912 & dedicated by Rev.
J.D. Jones on Sunday Nov. 24 - 1912. Until 1925 it was known as the Hardisty
Methodist Church, but in that year the name was changed to "St. Paul's
United Church" when the congregation joined in Church Union under the
ministry of Rev. R. E. Finlay.
The church was built as a labor of love under the leadership
of Mr. J. McKay. Others who gave unselfishly of their time & means were
Al Johnstone, Dr. Callbeck. A.C. Atton, Jim Clarke, W.J. White, Frank Winsley,
Harry Perkin & J. Erokine.
Mr. & Mrs. Martin E. Skogheim came from Norway to the United States in 1902. They lived in Minot, North Dakota until 1906 where their first two children were born -- Nora Loveny & Rolf Finn. In 1906 they came to Hardisty & took a homestead north-west of town.
They lived on their homestead until 1914. During that time three children were born -- namely Oscar Victor, Ester Lilly & Dagney Kristine. The family moved to the town of Hardisty when Mr. Skogheim signed up to go to war in 1915. From that time on the family lived in Hardisty on Althorp street in what was known as the "Tin House" which was next door to the Walter Scott home.
After the war Mr. Skogheim built the first hockey rink in Hardisty & soon a hockey team was formed by Jack Ruttan, which eventually became the champions of Alberta in their category.
Mr. Skogheim became a grain buyer for the Alberta Pool & operated the new elevator which was built in Rosyth. Mr. & Mrs. Skogheim retired & moved to Vancouver in 1936.
The three girls became school teachers & taught in Alberta Schools. Loveny married Jack Ruttan. Ester married James Glockzin of Czar & Dagney married Jack Lees of Amisk. Dagney & Loveny are still widows but Ester after twelve years of being a widow married Roland Gissing of Calgary.
P.S.: Roland Gissing came to Hardisty with Ester - his wife in 1961 - & painted a view of Bald headed peak.
Mr. & Mrs. Mursell owned a dairy north of town near a lake which was always known as Mursell's lake. The C. P. R. tracks west of town ran along the south end of the lake. There were two girls in the family -- Mabel & Fanny. Later after Mr. Mursell died they sold the dairy & moved to town & lived in the Walter Daniel house. Fanny was a marvelous horse back rider. She rode bucking horses at all the Stampedes & won many prizes. She married Bill Gutowski who came from the Battle Bend district. His father was a Polish Count who married a Blackfoot Indian & Billy was their son.
Mr. & Mrs. Terry lived south of town by the Battle River. There were four sons, Albert, John, Raymond & Neri. Mr. Terry died in the 1918 Flu epidemic. Mrs. Terry & the two younger boys moved to Vancouver.
Mrs. Cook - She was John & Doreen's Primary teacher.
She lived in a house on main street between Tuetin's
& Cawley's bakery. She had such a beautiful front yard with the only
flowering honey suckle bush in the whole of Hardisty.
Arthur Bailey - (or Pailey?)
He lived in the fire hall back of Cawley's bakery.
There was a fire hall in the tower & he was in charge of the place &
saw to it that the bell was rung in case of fire. Sad but true he burned
to death when the fire hall took fire one wintry night. No-one rang the bell
& by morning there was nothing left of the proud fire hall & poor
Arthur was consumed by the flames. Several years later a chemical tank on
wheels was procured by the town council & housed in a new fire hall on
main street across from the Canadian Bank of Commerce. A volunteer fire brigade
was composed of men in town who practised pulling the chemical tank &
operating it. The Canadian Bank of Commerce burned down despite their valiant
efforts to save it. Mr. Gunn spent the winters hunting coyotes with his hounds.
On sighting a coyote he would let his hounds out of their box on the cutter
(small sleigh) & after the hounds had the coyote cornered Mr. Gunn would
perform the coup de grace with his gun. The price of coyote pelts was good.
(-1946- Mr. Gunn's daughter Jennie married Ray Jeglum of Hardisty Store.)
Mr. & Mrs. Cowley - Hardisty Bakery. Mr. Uebell brought the bakery in 1923. (Uebell family - Ann, Marie & Joe)
John Bennefield - Blacksmith.
Mr. Hume - Blacksmith.
Mr. McGuirk - Station Master.
Mr. Holly - Bank Manager. Children - Carl & Muriel.
Mr. [Marsh] Brown - Post Master.
Jim A'Hearn - C.P.R. station. Wife Jean.
Jim Preece - Roundhouse C.P.R. - 2 boys.
Harry Perkin - C.P.R. round house. Mrs. Perkin had a lovely voice.
Dr. Haynes - Dentist. One boy (Bill).
Mr. Hollenbock - Jeweler. 2 boys.
Mr. Sutton - Butcher
Mr. Robbins & Clyde Wava[?] Barber.
Mr. Lueten - Photographer.
Mr. White - Hardware.
Mr. Fred Bone - Garage Model T days.
& Elden Bone - his son.
Mr. & Mrs. Keifer - First Picture Shows.
Johnny Jackson - Taxi - Ford Model T.
Bella Jackson - Telephone office.
Frank Ingram - Tailor.
Mr. McArthur - Insurance.
Mr. Haverstock - School Principal.
O.S. Martin - Garage.
Raymond, Stewart & Isadore Hoffmyer - Hotel, - Before Bretells.
Mrs. Christie - Milliner.
R.J. & Mrs. Wright - Harness maker, shoe maker & Undertaker.
Dr. Kelman - after Dr. Callbeck
Bill Taylor - C.P.R. Fireman
Related by marriage to
Mr. & Mrs. Brown - C.P.R. engineer.
Mr. Stott & sons Harold & Art - employed by C.P.R.
The Bretall's - Cecil Hotel.
Before 1914
A.E. Donald - Men's wear Store.
Mr. & Mrs. Parker - Machinery.
Reeves - Alex & George - carpenters. Family - Nellie, Bill, James.
Mr. & Mrs. Bill Spencer - C.P.R. (Mr. Spencer - living in Vancouver now) (Harry Aida, Mary, Jack.)
Mr. & Mrs. Crocker - Mary & Dorothy & Johnny. On farm close to town.
Wong Jim - Restaurant owner & President of Chinese League in Alberta.
Mr. & Mrs. Hendricks - Delivery by dray.
Shortreed - Lawyer.
Dr. McBride - after Dr. Kelman.
Mr. Twelvetrees - Grain Elevator.
Mr. Ball - Bank Mgr. for 17 yrs. in Hardisty. After Mr. Ward.
Lloyd & Menno MacLachlan - Employed by Mr. White in Hardware.
Dr. & Mrs. Murray - Dentist after Dr. Haynes.
Mr. & Mrs. Benham - Employed in Store by Webb & Wensley & later by Ruttans.
Lew Ayers - Excellent Carpenter.
Mr. Foster - School Principal after Mr. Haverstock.
Related by Marriage to
Mrs & Mr. Forman - General Store - later bought
by Mr. Barnstable.
Mr. & Mrs. Jack Trupp (Forman's mens stores by Jack Forman)
Mrs. Anderson & Minnie - her daughter. Minnie was telephone operator for many years & married Donald Hall who was a nephew of Mr. Attan's.
Mr. & Mrs. Attan owned & operated the general store which was (1917) late bought by Mr. Ruttan & then owned by Mr. & Mrs. Boag after Mr. Ruttan bought the Webb & Wensley store in 1928. (E.H. Ruttan & Son).
(Mr. Attan owned a Farm which he rented. It was later bought by the Saville family.)
Lloyd Bloom - Entertained with his "Punch & Judy Show." "1916."
Don't Forget - Chautauqua (spelling?) Started just before the end of first world war. The tent blew down in the summer of 1918 & all the high school girls helped to sew it to-gether.
Mr. & Mrs. Walter Daniel - He was an artist in wood craft. His hand made violins were beautiful to see & to hear. He also played the violin. Their only son Noel lives in Vancouver B.C. They owned the house which later became Mrs. Mursell's home.
Mr. & Mrs. Weeks - Came to Hardisty & set up the power house for local electricity. They were of Welsh descent & the family of boys were Rupert, Llewellyn, Clarence & Harold. He exhitibted the first electric lights in ornamental forms on Christmas trees in Hardisty. (1916 or 1917).
Mr. Mills - Ran a dray business. Delivered soft water to our houses
by the barrel at 40¢ per barrel, procured from the deep well in the
creamery.
Family - Lulu & Faun Mills.