Blacksmiths
Every
settlement required the services of a skilled blacksmith. The first blacksmith
was John Braithwaite, who built the brick shop on the corner of Desmond Street
and Wolseley Avenue.
Grenfell
Banks
The
first bank was owned by C.R. Tryon but was destroyed by a fire. In 1894, Mr.
Tyron built the stone bank building that is still in use today. In 1955 the
Dominion Bank of Toronto formed the Toronto Dominion Bank.
Grenfell
Beach
The first cabin
at Belson Camp was known as the Brittan’s. It was a log cabin built by a group
of men.
The first store
at Crooked Lake was operated in 1917 by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Elliot. They had
log cabins and boats to rent and sold fishing tackle. The depression determined
its destiny. Following the 30’s, there was a new interest found in Grenfell
Beach. Money was donated by the rural residents and with it a new store was
built.
Grenfell
Boarding House
The first
boarding house was operated by Worchester Coode and 1883 bought by R.A. Copeland
and W. H. Fleming. They paid for it with a yoke of oxen. When this
boarding house was destroyed by a fire, Mr. Copeland built the Granite Hotel,
which still stands today.
In 1905 he sold
the hotel to David Black and it has been owned by the Black family for 70
years. There are some who have said that President Theodore Roosevelt spent a
night at the Granite Hotel because his name was found in the registrar’s book.
Others say it was just a joke.
Grenfell
Brick Yard
Mr. Albert
Switzer owned the first brick yard in Grenfell. When the clay deposit he had
found was depleted he moved the company to Broadview. Bricks from this plant
were used in the Parliament Buildings on Regina.
Grenfell
Doctors
Around 1900
there were four doctors in Grenfell: Bushe, Elliot, Hutchinson, and Argue. A
prominent doctor in Grenfell was Dr. Stafford. He left in 1970 to start his own
business in Chilliwack B.C. In the 10 years he was in Grenfell, he was the
president of the town council, and secretary of the district medical society.
