Yorkton's first grist mill - Old timers and others are standing at the mill foundations in 1947. It was built by the York Farmers Colonization Company in 1884 on the east bank of the Little White Sand River, which flowed west of the old Yorkton site, 4 kilometers north of present day Yorkton. The construction of the mill at that time provided work, wages, put new money into circulation, and provided a local source of flour.
The equipment for the mill was ordered from Galt, Ontario, and hauled over trails from Whitewood.
In the photo are: left, D. Arnett, Pauline Summers, F.D. Langstaff, D. Fergus, W.H. Wilkinson, H.M. Jackson, H.M. Bailey, Mayor Charles Peaker, George Parsons, Frank Collacott, Ruth Beck, next two not known, then Frank Meyer and J.E. Hockley. (Photo by Cliff Shaw, H. Jackson Collection)
Two weeks ago, we published for the first time the list of the very first settlers of Yorkton and District. Their origins were mainly Ontario, England, Scotland, Ireland, Manitoba, British Columbia and the United States. In the years 1882 to 1888, when the York Farmers Colonization Company was in charge of York Colony, they continually sought and brought settlers from the same places. There are no records that show the Company was seeking settlers from outside of the Commonwealth. It had never been in their policy to do so. Serious immigration from Western and Eastern Europe would begin in 1897 in the Yorkton region under Clifford Sifton, the Minister of the Interior with the Laurier Liberal government.
The Yorkton Enterprise dated October 6, 1965 states the following:
"Many an argument has taken place concerning who were the early pioneers of Yorkton. We have in our possession a copy of the official report of Rufus Stephenson, Esquire, Inspector of Colonization Companies, Department of the Interior, Government of Canada, written in Winnipeg, dated November 13, 1883, which should establish permanent proof who were settled first in Yorkton and District, and where these people came from."
(Actually, this statement was written 47 years ago, and yet too many writers still make erroneous statements and mix the history of the rural areas of the Yorkton region, with the actual history of Yorkton proper and the district.)
Here are excerpts from Inspector Stephenson reports: "Sir, I have the honour to report to you the results of the inspection of the lands of and enumeration of the settlers located by the York Farmers Colonization Company. The quality of the land is for the most part very good being principally being rich black loam with clay subsoil, with occasional bluffs well supplied with timber fir for fuel and in some cases large enough for building purposes. The total number of settlers who have made entries with the agent of this colony is one hundred and fifty eight. The colony is very prosperous.
I think I would satisfy the most incredulous as to the correctness of my statements. A large amount of money has been expended by the directorate of the company in the way of cash advances to settlers, giving them employment in freighting from the line of the Canadian Pacific Railway which lies a distance of 65 to 70 miles to the south, the improvement of the trail, the establishment and maintenance of ferries across the Qu'Appelle River, paying guides and agents at Whitewood station, as well as other agents on the lands of the company, breaking the soil, purchasing machinery at the cost of several thousands of dollars for the mill (flour), erecting buildings, maintaining postal facilities, printing pamphlets, advertising, etc.
On my inspection tours, I was accompanied by Mr. James Armstrong, Managing Director, and Mr. R.N. Taylor, the resident agent, both of whom took break pains to bring me in communication with the people of the colony from whom I received the most satisfactory assurance as to the way in which they had been dealt with in all matters relating to their welfare. All seemed contented and hopeful. Many of the farmers were experienced farmers from Ontario, others were sons of well-to-do-residents of other parts of the Dominion and the old country. "
It is interesting that Inspector Stephenson does not mention any of the women who homesteaded in York Colony. It would have been interesting to know some details of how they managed to break, seed and harvest 10 acres a year during the required three year period of farming the homestead, how they managed to build a residence, if they kept livestock, etc. Here are our records of the few who did, and what we know of them:
1. Mrs. Prudence Ferguson from Miami, Manitoba obtained title to NE of Section 30 Township 26 Range 3 West of the 2nd Meridian and SE of Section 30 Township 26 Range 3 West of the 2nd Meridian (Homestead & Pre-emption quarter -usually the neighbouring quarter made available for purchase.
2. Mrs. Christina King of Vaughan County, Ontario, obtained title to SE of Section 16, Township 26, Range 3 West of the 2nd Meridian
3. Ida J. Reaman of Woodbridge, Ontario. applied for entry on homestead, but does not show on the Western Land Grants Web site. Her history is not known. She likely abandoned the homestead.
4. Charlotte Reid filed for homestead on NW Section 34 Township 26 Range 5 West of the 2nd Meridian and a Pre-emption quarter SW Section 34 Township 26 Range 5 West of the 2nd on June 14, 1883. She was a widow with children living at Eday, Scotland. Her oldest son John Flaws Reid came to York Colony in 1882, chose homestead NE Section 36, Township 26 Range 5 West of the 2nd Meridian and pre-emption SE Section 36, T 26 R5 W2nd Mer. His brothers Robert and James also filed for land in the same township in 1883. That area of the York Colony was named "Orkney" after many settlers from their beloved Orkney Islands home. They all obtained title to their lands.
At the time of early settlement in the West, women were allowed to file for a free homestead if they were widowed and head of the household. (The Dominion Lands Act of 1872) It would appear that these women came with a brother or other relative, some filing on the next land to theirs. Example, Mrs. King filed next to Jonathon W. King.
And, so to recap, as Ted Regehr states in his book Remembering Saskatchewan, the majority of settlers in the West in the 1880s and 1890s, came from Ontario.
They brought British/Canadian traditions with them. They transplanted eastern Canadian money, entrepreneurship, religious, social, judicial and political institutions to the West.
The establishment of York Colony/ Yorkton beginning in 1882 was a microcosm of this reality.
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]
