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Bienfait, ca 1920-21

Town Info

Population = 300

Overseer (same as Mayor today)

 Archibald "Archie" John Milligan
b- Apr 30, 1875 in Wirksworth, Belper Reg Dist, Derby, England
Christened June 3, 1875 in Wirksworth, Derby, England
d- Dec 15, (Dec 7 per cemetery records) 1931 in Bienfait SK.
burial Dec 17, 1931 in Estevan City Cemetery, Estevan SK
son of William Milligan and Emily Laura Smith (LeBlanc-Smith?)
Archie immigrated June 14, 1892 to Canada
He married Mary Lillian Scott
b- Dec 24, 1887 in Moose Jaw, NWT (SK)
d- Feb 11, 1980, age 92 in Victoria BC, as a widow.
they were married Jan 20, 1923 in Vancouver, BC
Archibald was 47, b- 1876 in England,
and Mary was 36, b- 1887 in Moose Jaw, Assn (SK)
she was Assistant Librarian in Estevan.
Her father Dr. Ernest Harold Scott
was the First Doctor in Estevan.
Archie had 3 daughters
(He owned the First General Store in Bienfait
plus the First Post Office was in his store)

Archie's brother, Private William Harold Milligan
b- Mar 10, 1876, Wirksworth, Derbyshire, England
d- Mar 1, 1917 at Vimy, WWI
he was living at West Summerland BC when he enlisted

Councillors

Gordon White
b- Mar 17, 1891 in Goderich Township, Huron Co., ON
d- Sept 28, 1958, probably in Bienfait,
buried in Bienfait
his wife Bertha nee Brundage, buried with him
Gordon was son of Robert J. White and Jane Robinson

Thomas Ellis (see below)
 

Town Clerk

Howard Duke Felgate (see below)

Grocery, Meat Market, Stores, etc

John A. Auld
 Meat Market
His meat market ad
 

Bienfait Drug Store
Druggists, Stationers, School Supplies
Luke Albert Roe, Manager
b- ca1890, d- Mar 14, 1985 in Langley BC, age 95

Martin Stores
General Store
Ross D. Martin
Harvey Martin, clerk
Verna Martin, Clerk

George J. Oliver
Hardware
See more Oliver Info Here

Rogers Lumber Yards Ltd.

Howard Duke Felgate, Agent
b- July 20, 1891, Walthamstow, Essex, England
 d- Dec 15, 1955
Enlisted at Quebec, Nov 18, 1914,
in WWI, Rank of Corporal, Reg #63338,
previously served in 5th City of London Volunteer Regiment
next of kin, Mrs. E. A. Felgate,
59 Rectory rd, Walthamstow, Essex, England
Howard's wife- Mrs Mildred Felgate
was Bienfait's Telephone Operator
in the years 1915 and 1916.
Mildred Ryson Felgate, nee McCathern
b- May 7, 1896
d- Mar 14, 1969
buried in Bienfait Cemetery
brother- Cyril Percy Felgate, b- bet Oct-Dec 1896
sister- Ella Lucy Felgate, b- bet July-Sept 1900
father- Percy Howard Felgate,
b- ca 1865,Hackney, Middlesex, England,  age 36 in 1901,
d- Bet Oct-Dec 1930, Rochford Reg dist, Essex, England, age 65
Iron Founders Traveller in 1901
mother- Edith Annie Felgate, nee Duke, age 35 in 1901
married bet July-Sept 1890, Hackney reg dist, Essex, England
Grandfather- Charles W. Felgate, Grocer in 1881
b- 1828, Hoxton, Middlesex, England
Grandmother- Elizabeth Felgate

Charles Carroll
 General Store and Meat Market

See more Carroll info Here

Arthur Herbert Cuddington
Confectionary and Bakery

Arthur Herbert Cuddington
b- 1884, d- Jan 30, 1961
(see my Cuddington Family page)

Thomas Ellis
General Store

Thomas Ellis,
b-  ca 1848,
 d- Apr 1, 1931, age 83

Traders Store
General Store

William Adolphus Ellis
b, Oct 21, 1886 York Township, York, ON
d- Mar 2, 1976
buried in Estevan City Cemetery
shows up as a Teamster on a Survey Gang
in 1911, in Estevan
Father- John Ellis
Mother- Mary Elizabeth Hill
married Alberta Aston English, Oct 4, 1913
b- May 12, 1885, Pittsburgh Township, Kingston, ON
d- May 8, 1972
father- James Grant English (1831-1911)
mother- Sarah Ann Lane (1843-1926)
James and Sarah, had 10 children
 more Ellis family info here

Alexander "Alex" Cameron English-
b- Feb 14, 1876, in Pittsburgh Township, Kingston, ON
d- Dec 17, 1963
buried in Cataroque Cemetary, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
worked in the Traders Store for his brother in law
Older brother to his wife, Alberta Aston English
Alex was a son of James and Sarah
Alex married Mary Leota Ross,
b- ?,
  d-  Jan 17, 1922
Alex had one child, Berva English

Edward Gunderson
Farm Implements

Coal Company

Bienfait Commercial Co.
Coal Mine Operators

Maurice J. Hawkinson, Manager (see link below)

Luke Albert Roe, Manager
b- Mar 29, 1890,  Hartford Conn, USA
d- Mar 14, 1985 in Langley BC, age 95
Luke Roe bought the Kelly Hotel in Estevan
with a Mr. McLeland, both from Melita MB.
Not exactly sure of the date here.
Then it turns out Mr. and Mrs. Luke Roe
operated the Hotel San Antonio in Bissett MB
when my mother worked there in the 1930's.
Luke's wife- Ida Maud McDonald,
one of the early Estevan Families,
that came from the Alameda SK area.
Captain Luke Roe M.C. unveiled the Oxbow
and District War Memorial in 1928.
He was in command of the
1st Batt. of the Saskatchewan Border Regiment
the predecessor of the South Saskatchewan Regiment.
next of kin, John Roe, 209 Franklin St., Flushing New York.
mother- Margaret Madden
Luke was shown as a Trainman for the GTP
when he enlisted Sept 1914.
reg # 33443, Lieutenant

Joseph Augustus Seguin, Superintendent
b- Apr 1879 in Quebec, Catholic religion

Albert E. Watt, Secretary
Albert E. Watt and Samuel Fielding, both from Bienfait
took out a Canadian Patent on a "Shocking Machine",
CA 123849 A
which was some attachment to a Grain Binder.
to me it sounds like an automatic Stooking machine.
Applied Aug 4, 1909, granted Feb 15, 1910
turns out Shocking grain, and Stooking it, is the same thing.
Never heard of it until now.

Joseph Buns, Employee
Ernest Carlton, Employee
William Carr, Employee

James Chartrand, Employee
b- ca 1876, d- Feb 23, 1954, age 78,
buried in Bienfait Cemetery

H. A. Clarke, Employee
Oliver Clearmont, Employee
Samuel Clearmont, Employee
Ivor Erickson, Employee
Lewis Erickson, Employee

Andrew Flett, Employee
buried in Bienfait Cemetery

Samuel Forneaux, Employee

Nicholas "Nick" German, Employee
b- 1879, d- May 14, 1962
buried in Bienfait Cemetery

Victor Harris, Employee
Bert Heard, Employee
Knute Helliman, Employee

W. Hudemko, Employee
Wasyl Hudemko
b- Mar 22, 1893, d- July 18, 1983,
 buried in Estevan Cemetery

Hugh Jones, Employee
Paul Klemick, Employee
Mike Kudszer, Employee
Harvey Lacoste, Employee
John Lacoste, Employee
Otto Langen, Employee
Thomas Langen, Employee
J. Loisselte, Employee
Hugh McLean, Employee
John McLean, Employee
Thomas Mandszuk, Employee
Thomas Moss, Employee
Albert Oehlke, Employee
Axel Olsen, Employee
Nicholas Prysoznook, Employee
Mike Sawa, Employee
W. H. Schrock, Employee
Harry Whitty, Employee
Stanley Zjaski, Employee

see my Bienfait Mines Page

Hotel

King Edward Hotel

Gordon White- Proprietor
(see above)

George E. Bush, Clerk
b-  1863,  d- Sept 21, 1932, age 69
buried in Bienfait Cemetery

CPR

J. Earl Goddard, CPR Agent
May 25, 1946 newspaper article claimed he was the Agent
in Bienfait, for 30 years, and was transferred to Russell, MB
He was replaced by Mr. Kennedy from Broadview
earl and his wife received gold watches from
the early Bienfait residents.

John Mularky, Assistant CPR Agent

CNR

CNR Station- William "Bill" Henry Rigate, Agent

William (Bill) Henry Rigate
b- 1877 in England
birth reg bet Jan-Mar 1878,
Reg Dist of St. Olave Southwark, London/Surrey Co, UK
d- ? in ON
wife- Ellen Emma Rigate, nee Daines
b- Sept 10, 1879 in London, England.
d- Sept 11, 1929 in Bienfait SK
married bet July-Sept 1902, Reg dist West Ashford, Kent Co, UK
William Rigate moved to Ontario and is buried there
More family history here
http://gent-family.com/Bienfait/trainlastrun.html

Garages

E. J. LaCoste
Garage and Repairs

James Lacoste
Garratt B. Lightfoot, Mechanic

Rural Municipality Coalfields #4

Archibald "Archie" John Milligan, Pal Clerk
(First Secretary-Treasurer of the RM in 1913)

Saskatchewan Government Telephones

Mrs. William Henry Mularky, (Mularkey?)- Agent
actually Martha "Ruth" Mooney
b- ON, d- Dec 7, 1931
buried in Estevan City Cemetery,
 married William Henry Mularkey Sept 1, 1896, in Brown, Wisconsin USA
Father- Thomas Mooney, Mother- Martha Sunmierskill
More Mularkey info

School Teachers

June M. Norin
Kathelene M. Rogers
Margaret Easton

Carpenter, Builder

Ernest Philp, Carpenter
Ernest Alfred Philp
b- 1880, d- July 20, 1950
buried in Estevan City Cemetery

James Kershaw, Carpenter
his Carpentry ad

William Vaughn, Carpenter

Liquor

Yorkton Distributing Co.

Monte Rosebourne, Local Manager
b- 1878 England, d- May 18, 1940, Victoria BC, age 62, single
Aaron Shoop, Warehouseman

Harry Zellickson, Warehouseman
Harry was a farmer from Hirsch area,
His name might have only had one l.
he assisted Paul Matoff
who was murdered in Bienfait.
He gave evidence at the murder trial.

George Grover, Truck Driver

(This company was owned by the Bronfmans
and was alleged to be heavily involved
 in rum running in the 1920's)

Blacksmith

James L. Salmond
his Blacksmith ad

Dray / Cartage

Frederick "Fred" Deason, Cartage
b- ?, d- Dec 12, 1955
buried in Estevan City Cemetery

Post Office

Valentine Doerr, Postmaster
Post Office History

Taxi?- car rental

A. W. Ellis, Autos for Hire

Church

Presbyterian Church
Rev Samuel Hill, Pastor