A Manitoba company in particular was instrumental in getting the word out that going into cattle was smart and a money maker. They were Gordon & Ironside, later Gordon, Ironside & Fares. These men had come from Ontario to Manitoba in the early 1880s. They became important cattle buyers and were also actually into ranching, buying and running ranches in various parts of the North West, including one ranch in the vicinity of Yorkton. These three men became prominent in business and were also involved in politics in Manitoba.
We have more names to add to the impressive list of ranchers that was published last week:
Fred Konrad, Ebenezer, P.O. FK Left Ribs Recorded brand
James Carson, Yorkton O3O Left Ribs
Fred Hukins, Tetlock VN2 Right ribs Recorded brand
Peter Wunder, Sheho illegible brand -Left shoulder Recorded Brand
N.H. Neilson, Yorkton Diamond Left hip Recorded brand
R.A. Healy Yorkton P6V Right ribs Recorded brand
T. Carleton, Saltcoats TC Right shoulder Recorded Brand
Gordon & Ironside illegible brand on right hip
T. Meredith illegible Recorded brand
Frederik Robert Insinger, Willowbrook Cattle & horse ranching
Donald Gunn, Good Spirit Lake, G brand
This week features the last of the History Corners that dealt with the very early history of Yorkton's beginning in 1882 until the early 1900s. We saw the evolution of rural and urban settlement of this area with the arrival of the settlers from Ontario and the British Isles, who accompanied the officials of the York Farmers Colonization Company. They named the chosen site York City, renamed Yorkton on January 1, 1884, and the surrounding 8 Townships they called York Colony. We know that the Company officials and some settlers assigned as colonization agents were always active in going back east, especially Ontario and also to the British Isles to seek new settlers for York Colony and Western Canada.
The very first settlers came by ox driven carts and wagons via Fort Ellice (near St. Lazarre today), and via other parts of Manitoba. After the Canadian Pacific Railway mainline went through Broadview in 1883, settlers broke a trail from there to York City. Many walked the 70 miles, some rode, most came in carts and wagons with supplies. With great difficulty, they and the Company built a trail that would be referred to as the "Yorkton Trail" or the "Yorkton Stagecoach Trail." They needed to ford the Qu'Appelle River, and that is where the Company stepped in and soon established a ferry.
There were a number of advantages for settlers to come to the newly opened homesteading lands under the auspices of a colonization company. They could go to the officials for advice, information and help. In the case of the York Farmers Colonization Company, they built a Lands Office, and there was a resident agent, at least a good portion of the time. There were no banks at the time, and settlers could negotiate loans with the company officials.
In comparison, settlers who came alone to settle in other parts of the west, were shown to their lands by a Dominion Land Agent, and after getting some advice and directions were pretty well on their own.
We also saw that the York Colonist benefited from the political connections their company officials had in Eastern Canada. It did not take long that they had representatives from their own group appointed or elected in the Territorial government. Thus, they had a voice right from the beginning of settlement, and these Yorkton men helped to lead the way in the governance of this new territory called The Provisional District of Assiniboia.
To date, I have not found any accounts of known near starvation in the colony. Some did say that they had to snare or shoot rabbits for their supper, and there was a lack of a variety of foods. Certainly the first four men who wintered in 1882-83 had a limited diet, and were anxious to get to the nearest supply centre - Fort Ellice in Manitoba as soon as spring arrived. One reason there were no reported cases of extreme hardship was that settlers had been organized with the help of the Company to come start a settlement where no resources existed for hundreds of miles. They brought supplies, and once Joel Reaman's general store was erected at York City, many could get credit or trade at his place. Also, there are stories of settlers who went to Manitoba or places like Regina come late fall to work at a trade or odd jobs to come back with money and supplies in the spring.
In the annals of Yorkton's history, the work of the York Farmers' Colonization Company as colonizers of farming lands and village builders needs to be recognized as having set the direction for the prosperity of this community. The Company and those first settlers are to be remembered for establishing the many resources and institutions that would make life easier for those who followed.
Contact:
Terri Lefebvre Prince,
Heritage Researcher
City of Yorkton Archives,
City of Yorkton, Box 400,
37 Third Avenue North,
Yorkton, Sask. S3N 2W3
306-786-1722
[email protected]
09-05-1895
Winnipeg -- Free Press
J.T. Gordon left last night for Yorkton where he will purchase several carloads of cattle. The firm Gordon & Ironside has purchased 15,000 head of cattle this year and shipped those to Europe.
08-04-1897
Winnipeg - Free Press
A special train of cattle exported by Gordon & Ironside from the Yorkton District was sent east yesterday afternoon for the English markets.
