EVOLUTION OF TOWNS AND VILLAGES.
BY THE LATE LIEUT. COL. G. B. MURPHY.
The following additional information of Moosomin was prepared by
the late Lieut. Colonel (then Major) Murphy in February, 1918:
The Reverend John McDougall, a scholar in the Indian languages of
repute, translated the word "Moosomin", which is a Cree word to be that
of "moose-Berry". Mr. McDougall also stated in connection with the word
Moose-Berry that this is a berry something similar to high bush cranberry
and is a fruit upon which the moose feeds in the fall season. The name
may have some connection with Moose Mountain and Chief Moosomin.
The town of Moosomin was named by the Canadian Pacific Railwayofficials.
When the High Court of Justice was abolished in 1887, the North-
west Territories were divided into five Judicial districts, namely: East-
em Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, Northern Alberta and Southern Alberta,
and the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories was established.
Edward Ludlow Wetmore, K. C. of the firm of Fraser, Wetmore & Wins-
low, of Frederickton, New Brunswick, was appointed the first Judge for
the Judicial District of Eastern Assiniboia, with Whitewood as the Judi-
cial centre. The first Court of this District was held at Whitewood in
April, 1887; later an order in Council was passed establishing Moosomin
as the Judicial centre, and the Court offices were then opened in Mooso-
min. The first Sheriff of the Judicial District of Eastern Assiniboia was
P. W. King, appointed from Mount Forest, Ontario. Shortly after his
arrival in Moosomin he was transferred to the Judicial District of North-
ern Alberta as Sheriff at Calgary, and was succeeded in office by Charles
Marshallsay, member of the North West Council for Whitewood District.
He continued in office until November, 1887, when after a short illness he
died. George Anderson of Grenfell was then appointed as Sheriff. Shortly
after his appointment as Sheriff he went away on leave of absence to
South America, and appointed Major C. E. Phipps as Acting Deputy
Sheriff. After an absence of about a year, Sheriff Anderson resigned and
G. B. Murphy of Qu'Appelle was appointed Sheriff in May; 1889. Oliver
Neff was Clerk of the Court, appointed 1887.
With the establishment of the Supreme Court of the Province of Sas-
katchewan in September, 1907, new Judicial Districts were formed, and
the District of Moosomin was established with the Town of Moosomin as
the Judicial centre. G. B. Murphy was appointed Sheriff of the Judicial
District of Moosomin at that time and has since continued in office. His
Honor A. Gray Farrell was the first Judge of the Judicial District of F
Moosomin, and the first clerk of the court and local registrar was W. K.
McDougall, a solicitor from Regina.
When the Northwest Assembly was established, 1888, the first local
member elected from the Moosomin Electoral District was J. R. Neff, who
was elected in 1888, and continued as member until 1898, when he was
defeated by Mr. A. S. Smith. He, Mr. Smith, represented the District
until the organization of the Province of Saskatchewan, when he was
defeated by D. D. Ellis of Fleming. He in turn was defeated by Mr. A. S.
Smith at the next election; Mr. Smith continued to be the sitting member
until his death in November, 1916.
The Mayors of Moosomin since the Town was incorporated in 1889
are as follows: Joseph Daniel; A. S. Smith; John Curdy; N. G. McCallum;
0. Neff; W. J. Cleverley; Andrew Whyte; E. L. Elwood; A. W. Tanner;
J. T. Cooke; and L. D. Keown.
Moosomin is situated on the intersection of the old Fort Ellice trail
with the Canadian Pacific Railway, and was considered an important point
for the distribution of mail, and a mail stage line was operated from
Moosomin to Cannington Manor and Alameda to the south and to Fort
Ellice and Birtle to the northeast, mail leaving Moosomin for Alameda
and Birtle once a week each way, for a number of years, with A. G.
Hamilton as contractor.
The first Anglican Minister in charge of the parish was the Rev.
Mr. Bolton, who was afterwards moved to Victoria.
The banking facilities in the early days in Moosomin were private
banks operated by Messrs. Lafferty and Moore in one bank, and Messrs.
Lajeune and Smith in the other. Finally Messrs. Lafferty & Moore with-
drew from operations and the other private bank was taken. over by the
opening of a branch of the Union Bank of Canada in 1890 under the
management of Major A. E. Christie. This branch was the first bank in
the present Province of Saskatchewan east of Regina, and was the first
Branch of the Union Bank in Saskatchewan. In 1903, The Canadian
Bank of Commerce opened a branch here.
The Moosomin Protestant Public School No.12 was opened in 1885.
The first dentist established here was Dr. L. D. Keown, who came in 1888.
Moosomin Lodge No.34 A. F. & A. M. was opened in 1886. The first
W. Master was Joseph Daniel. The first Odd Fellows Lodge was opened
in 1886; the first Noble Grand was John McArthur.
The early lawyers practising in Moosomin were W. Johnston, who
moved to McLeod in the early days; W. White, K. C.; Ralph Stevenson;
F. F. Forbes; R. H. Wyssman; Bertram Tennyson (a nephew of the poet);
F. L. Gwilliam; E. A. C. McLorg, and later followed J. T. Brown; E. L.
Elwood; D. Mundell; E. R. Wylie; T. W. Brown, the latter five all subse-
quent to 1896.
The first Hospital was established in 1902, the only hospital between
Brandon and Indian Head, and the President of the Board of Directors
then and since that time was Col. G. B. Murphy of Moosomin.
The first elevator in the Northwest Territories or in the
Province of
Saskatchewan and Alberta was established in Moosomin in 1884, and
built by the Ogilvie Milling Company. This elevator is still in
operation.
The Court House at Moosomin was built in 1890; the contractor was
R. H. Williams of Regina.
The Moosomin Curling Club was organized in 1890, and a curling
rink building erected. A cricket club was organized here in 1883 and
a polo club was organized in 1892, one of the first on the
western prairies.
The Board of Trade was organized and incorporated in 1892 and is
still in existence. F. G. Lewin was one of the pioneer merchants; he
commenced business in 1883 and continued to reside here for 27 years.
W.H. Barton opened a lumber yard and agency in 1886, and is still in
business; A. Bell opened an agency here in 1884 for Maxwell & Company,
Implement Dealers, and for some time conducted a' business and is still
a resident of Moosomin. A. G. Hamilton, one of the prairie pioneers,
opened up a stage line here in 1883 and for years conducted a stage and
mail driving business. G. Campbell, contractor and dealer, still here,
was a pioneer of the town in 1883.
Bibliography follows:
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