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lt;*V t5 I , Yi t 1I» 1 f l * e • *■ .lt; i it ■% -J tr t ‘it' am.Monday, September 28, 1998 THE ARQUS 9MMThis. week's Flashback is taken from the Sept. 17,1958 issue of the Argus. The article was written for the Argus by Mrs. O. W. Brown of Teulon and featured the early settlers of Dundas DistrictThe Irish CampbellsMr. John Campbell Sr!, with his son Mark K. left their home in Iroquois, near Morrisburg, Ontario and with some other friends started for the'west to try and find some of the NewrCountry that would be satisfactory for settlement.They arrived at Fort Garry in July 1873, having travelled over the Great Lakes by boat to Fort William, and over the Dawson Trail from there to Fort Garry. After making enquiries about available land for homesteading, they obtained provisions and some equipment and started for the home of Mr. William Vincent, who was located a few miles north of the present Village of Stony Mountain, from where they were re-directed to see some land in Township 15-2E which had just been surveyed the year before, and where some settlers had already taken up land.After leaving Mr. Vincent's place they arrived at Township 15-2E, at the home of Messrs. Edward and Jack McKivor. Mr. Campbell stayed with Mr. Edward McKivor while Mr. John McKivor went with Mr. Mark Campbell to show him some land in Township 16-2E that was available for homesteading. The Township was not as yet surveyed, but after looking the land over and finding it satisfactory, they made inquiries and found that the survey would soon be made, and they prepared to mark out and stake the land they wished to homestead. When the surveyors saw the Campbells they informed them that certain homesteads would also have 20 acre wood logs included, and they were advised where these wood lots would be.Mr. Mark Campbell and Mr. McKivor were engaged by the surveyor to run lines projecting from the survey of Township 15-2E, to enable them to select their homesteads easier. As soon as the homesteads were all selected, Mr. Campbell Sr. and son Mark erected a shanty on the Southwest quarter of Section12, Twp. 16-2E, where Mark, and friend, Mr. Farewell, prepared to stay for the winter. During the winter they took out sufficient logs for each homesteader of the family so they could build their homes in the following summer. Mr. John Campbell Sr. returned to Ontario in the fall, and in the spring of 1874 he gathered the remaining members of the family and returned to the west over the same lake and Dawson route.Besides Mr. and Mrs. John Campbell Sr., there were four married sons, Thomas, John, David and William, with theirfamilies; also Elizabeth, Mark and Joseph, who married later in the district, and Anthony, who died while quite young. They also brought a nephew, William J. Boyd, whom they had adopted as a baby, on the death of his parents. He was fa-. miliarly known as 'Billy Jack.'Homesteads were secured for all the men, including Mr. Boyd, and the daughter Elizabeth, who afterwards married Mr. Benjamin Spearman, a Fenian Raid veteran, who arrived about the same time and homesteaded nearby. They later sold out and moved to a farm near Stonewall,' and later on purchased a flour and feed business in the village.The trip was a great experience for all the members of the family. There was some uneasiness about the Indians encountered on the way, which necessitated some members of the family being on guard both night and day.In the Lake of the Woods area, near the end of the trip, a portion of the party, including Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Campbell and Mrs. David Campbell, made camp close to a friendly Indian settlement, and here Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Campbell's oldest son was bom and named 'Dawson' in memory of the Dawson Trail. After a few days they were able to continue on to Fort Garry and join the rest of the party.Mr. Campbell and his boys brought horses and some equipment. The boats on the Dawson route became too heavily loaded, and some of the horses were put out on lines and made to swim. Upon arriving in Fort Garry the party rested for a few days and purchased some supplies, including food, tents and tools, etc. to take with them to the homesteads. There they started what was known as The Irish Campbell Settlement, which Mr. Campbell named Dundas,’ after their home country in Ontario. They were fortunate in the selection of their lands and through their enterprise, interest and hard labor, had developed one of the finest farming districts in Manitoba. Nearly all their land was situated on the Southeast comer ofTownship 16-3E, which is justeast of the present Village of Teulon.The first home to be furnished was that of Mr. John Campbell Sr. There the first church service was held and continued on until the first school was built. Mr. John Campbell Sr. also donated the property now known as the Dundas Cemeteiy.In 1874 Mr. Mark Campbell was appointed in the local committee that arranged the reception at Stony Mountain for theGovernor-General LordDufFerin and Lady Dufferin.The Campbell families always took a keen interest in their church and school affairs. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell Sr.were humble Christian folks, always taking time for their daily devotions, which no doubt was the secret of their great faith, which enabled them to face such hardships and difficulties through their pioneer days.Mr! John Campbell Sr. was killed in an accident on his farm in 1881, and his youngest son, Joseph, took over his father's farm.The first Post Office to serve the people of Dundas was opened in Greenwood by Mr. Edward McKivor in 1875, and four years later Mr. John Campbell Jr. was appointed Postmaster and operated Foxton P.O. at his home until the railroad came to Teulon in 1898.The Campbells began raising horses quite soon after settling on their land and in a few years had quite a number of good teams. They did most of their breaking of land with their own horses. There were some oxen in the district that were used for special work. Both light and heavy horses were brought from Ontario, and we learn that there is still a team of horses in thedistrict that are descendants of an original team brought but by Mr. John Campbell Sr.When it came to building houses, barns and granaries, the Campbells were always ready to lend a hand and do it cheerftilly too. In fact, these 'bees' often ended up in a social evening.The social activities in those days consisted of basket picnics in the summer, and concerts and house parties in the winter, with the younger Campbell generation helping to provide the violin, organ and auto harp music, and possibly joining in an Irish Jig.Great tribute was due to the women who came to help settle the new land. They always had more than their share of work what with bearing children and rearing them without doctors, except at a great distance. During the first while the nearest doctors were in Winnipeg. Then, a doctor on the staff of Stony Mountain was somewhat closer. Then later, at Stonewall - a distance of 20 miles away, so most people just did without medical care, but the women stood by each other to nurse, comfort and help in any way they could.At first the water had to be lifted in pails from wells; wood cut by hand; cows to be milked; the milk to be put in pans to let the cream rise and then skim off; water heated over wood fires; flies, mosquitoes and bulldogs to contend with, and no screens for protection. Bread and butter to be made, and meat to be brined, and countless other jobs of the early settler. But through it all, these women were optimistic, cheerful and full of enthusiasm in anticipation of the new home they were helping to build, and which their faith in God made them confident they would succeed.It was a great honor to have known and lived among these wonderful pioneers.
Newspaper Details
Stonewall Argus and Teulon Times
Stonewall, Manitoba, CA
Mon, Sep 28, 1998
Page 17
Full Page
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CA 09 Jun 2020
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