Located in the Steelman Store
Federal Electoral District:
| Name of Postmaster | Date of Appointment | Date of Vacancy |
|---|---|---|
|
George H.
Ingram, b- Jan 1890, in Ontario A Robert John Ingram homesteaded on SE Section 4, Tsp 4, Rge 5, W2 who I believe was his father. In 1911 his mother is shown as Elizabeth, 2 brothers Charles and Frank, all living in Tsp 4, Rge 5, W2. In 1901 the family was living in Peterborough ON, with a sister Lillian here. |
1912-03-01 | 1916-05-10 |
| Lewis Hirt | 1916-06-01 | 1919-12-29 |
|
Mathias Fleck A Matthias Sr and Jr are buried in Estevan Souris Valley Memorial Cemetery both born in Landau Russia Nov 13, 1931 a Matthias Fleck lived in Torquay, when he invented and took out a patent on a new farm gate |
1920-06-29 | 1920-09-26 |
| John Rech (see story and photo below) | 1920-12-21 | 1937-06-29 |
| Miss Ethel Seeley | 1937-06-29 | 1947-04-18 |
|
Miss Evelyn
Helen Giem She worked in the Estevan Post Office as well |
1947-05-01 | 1949-01-17 |
|
Frank Andrew
Mehler February 19, 1918 - January 31, 2007 son of Nicholas and Anna Mehler raised on family farm SE Section 34, Tsp 4, Rge 5, W2, near Steelman. He also operated the picture show in Steelman, besides the PO. Lived on 700 block, in Hillside, Estevan, for years |
1949-04-01 | Acting |
| Frank Andrew Mehler | 1949-05-14 | 1952-07-18 |
| Mrs. Grace M. J. Lischka | 1952-08-31 | Acting |
| Mrs. Grace M. J. Lischka | 1952-11-25 | 1953-08-09 |
| Mrs. Viola Elaschuk | 1953-09-04 | Acting |
| Mrs. Viola Elaschuk | 1953-12-18 | 1955-11-07 |
| Mrs. Vera B. Gregoire | 1955-11-18 | Acting |
| Mrs. Vera B. Gregoire | 1956-01-31 | 1956-08-20 |
| Mrs. Josephine Peter | 1956-09-16 | Acting |
| Mrs. Josephine Peter | 1956-11-21 | 1972-04-29 |
| Mrs. Maxine M. Harris | 1972-04-29 | ? |
| Mrs. Katherine Peters | 1982-05-29 | - |
| Mrs. Katherine Peters | 1982-06-01 | - |
and no fees charged for viewing.
Night of Sept 27, 1928 the Post
Office in Steelman
was robbed of $600.00
Four Armed Bandits in a large automobile
made off with the money.
1/2 hour latter they robbed the PO in Hirsch.
John Rech would have been postmaster at the time.
Lewis Hirt was a General
Merchant in Steelman, in 1915
per an ad in the Alameda Dispatch Newspaper
The
Pioneer Store, Steelman
owned by John Rech
photo courtesy Darwin Wagner, May 7, 2012
Adolph
Rech Hardware Store in Steelman
Info below from Darwin
Wagner
"One of my ancestors, John Rech, operated the
Grocery Store/Post Office
in Steelman from 1920 thru 1937.
He first owned the old store on George Street
( known to us as kids as Anderson's Store ) in
Estevan,
and then relocated to Steelman where they remained
until the dirty thirties took hold, and they were forced to sell
to Ethel Seely ( I believe from Weyburn ).
John's brother, Adolph, operated the hardware store
in Steelman,
and used part of it as a billiards hall and gasoline
station.
My father and his parents lived in Steelman
for about five years in the late 1920's
and then moved to South Frobisher area.
Both the Rech and Wagner families are documented
as being the first founders of the Lutheran Church
at Steelman and Frobisher.
Adolph Rech bought a new 1928 Ford truck
and would take the local Lutherans to Church in Estevan
before their own Church was built.
John and Adolph's sister, Bertha, came to Canada in
1912
and married Albert McCormack
who was one of the first journalists for the Estevan Mercury.
Bertha and Albert had one son, John Edward,
who became an MLA for the Liberal party
under the leadership of Ross Thatcher.
He was killed in a car crash just after beginning
his second term in office."
School
Located in School District # 820
My dad, Phil
Gent, worked at the Steelman Gas Plant
when our family moved to Estevan from Bienfait
in 1958
I have a
picture of the plant somewhere
and will add it here when I track it down
His sister
Kathleen was born near Steelman in 1915
My grandfather Percy Gent
moved his family to the Arthur Nelson place near
Steelman in 1909
Cemetery
nearby:
Roman Catholic Cemetery
Steelman-Maryland- SE2-5-5-W2
Records at Sask. Gen. Society
History
book of the area
which I don't have a copy of
"Poet's
Corner."
Lampman & District History Book Committee,
Lampman, Sask. 1982.
Lampman and District and the RM of Browning
including the hamlet of Browning, Steelman, and the village of Willmar
and the School Districts of:
Cateville, Cote, Crystal, Enniskillan, Erin, Glasston, Idlewilde,
Lampman, Morrisville, Rockland, Roseleigh,
Sinclair, Weir Hill, Willmar and Yankee
If you have any pics or info
let me know,
will add it here.
Grand Trunk Railway
Brief History
Originally this area was
located on
the Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad (GTPR),
incorporated Oct 24, 1903,
a subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway, (GTR)
referred to as the "GTPR
Regina Boundary Branch Line"
GTPR station at Elev 1841 ft
Railroad built by
Grand Trunk Pacific Branch Lines Company (GTPRBL)
which completed the connection,
to Prince Rupert BC from Chicago.
This Railroad connected at Northgate* SK.,
with a new branch line from Niobe, ND.,
built by the Great Northern Railroad.
(*note some old newspaper articles called it Northport)
Feb 6, 1912
Seward T. St. John** Secretary and General Manager
of the Transcontinental Townsite Company Ltd.,
located at 268 Portage Ave.
and also shown as 604 Sterling Bank Bldg., Winnipeg MB.,
who was in charge of the GTP Development Department,
announced the building of 15 new towns,
on the Regina Boundary Line.
A contract had been awarded to a Minnesota firm,
to build General Stores in various towns along the line.
They wanted to make sure the area the train went thru
would be well served and used by the settlers.
They had picked the following names:
Innes, Cedoux, Huntoon,
Rainton, Beliot, Sander,
Minard, Breeze, Steelman and Deborah.
The Post Office required a name that was not the same
as any other town in Canada at the time.
Trains #7 and #8, left Regina at 1pm, Mon, Wed, and Fri.
arriving in Regina Tues. Thurs, and Sat. in 1914.
Times changed a little bit a few years later.
1923 this all became part of the CNR
By Mar 20, 1915
the Transcontinental Townsite Co. Ltd. was in receivership
and Mr. St. John was hauling the books into court.
**Seward Thaddeus St. John
b- Apr 20, 1865 in Eldora, Hardin Co., Iowa
d- ?
shown as a homesteader at Wilcox SK, 1901
also shown as Real Estate Agent there when he was
a shareholder in the Canadian Central Railway Company.
1900 living in Omaha City, Douglas Co., Nebraska, single
father- James McKie St. John, b- ca 1831 in NY
mother- Diantha Ellsworth, b- ca 1838, in PA
He married Stella Wilson, June 29, 1900
she was born in Roseland, Adams Co., Nebraska
Mar 17, 1913,
An article stated 600 men will
be working on this line that summer.
Branch expected to be in operation end of 1913.
Steel was already laid for 106.9 miles to Hill Hall.
grading was done as far as Frobisher, 136 miles from Regina.
and 90% of the grading was done to the border from there.
Saturday
Sept 6, 1913
Government Railway Inspector,
approved the line for use.
Vice President and General Manager of the GTPR,
Edson Joseph Chamberlin***, was expected
the next Thursday or Friday to officially inspect the line.
***Edson Joseph Chamberlin
b- Aug 25, 1852
Lancaster, New Hampshire, USA
d- Aug 27, 1924 in Pasadena CA
May 24, 1912 he
became President of the Company
after Charles M. Hays died on the Titanic in 1912.
Sept 1917 he resigned, and remained as Director.
Howard G. Kelley moved up from Vice- to President.
Dec 4, 1913
A Grand Trunk Special train of Regina Business men
with train executives, were the first to travel on this line.
ca 1914
Mr. G. U. Ryley**** was Land Commissioner for the GTPR
they named a village in Alberta after him.
He was in Winnipeg at this time
but I believe he was from Ottawa, married
This was the guy that named all the towns/stations
****George Urquhart Ryley
b- June 16, 1852 (1854?) in ON
d- Apr 16, 1927 in Carleton, ON, age 73
1881- Surveyor, living in Collingwood, Simcoe N, ON
married Eleanor Wallace McQuilkain, (McQuilken?)
Apr 14, 1881 in Toronto, York, ON
b- 1858
d- ?
daughter of Samuel and Kate McQuilkain
father- John Proud Ryley
b- July 1, 1825, in Birmingham England
mother- Jane Elizabeth Ryley, nee Urquhart
b- ca 1836 in ON, age 45, in 1881
3 younger siblings of George:
John Edmond Ryley- b- ca 1857 in ON, shipping agent
Alfred Golde Ryley- b- ca 1859 in ON, accountant
May Dickenson Ryley- b- ca 1871 in ON
2 children born in Ottawa
George had land grants on Sec 28 and 30, Tsp 71, Rge 3, Meridian 6
James Cuddington Family
See my
Cuddington Family
Page
located in my Bienfait Section
Researching this family for Bienfait
I found out they overlapped in Steelman
James Charles Cuddington,
and William Cuddington homesteaded near Steelman
