Frobisher

Village of Frobisher

Located in Rural Municipality of Coalfields #4

Frobisher started out as Frobyshire

A legal name change was required
My couple guesses of where the name came from:
Sir Martin Frobisher, (b- ca 1535 or 1539 ,d- 15 Nov 15, 1594)
was an English seaman who made three voyages
to the New World to look for the Northwest Passage.
or maybe?
There were 3 Frobisher brothers who were famed fur traders and explorers of the West.
Joseph Frobisher, b- 1740 in Halifax Yorkshire.
Benjamin Frobishire came to the North country in 1765
Joseph in 1768, and Tom in 1774
Joseph in 1774 reached the Saskatchewan River.
Established a small post on the Churchill River,
and returned to Montreal with many furs.
He and his brothers, with Simon McTavish,
were founders of the North West Company.
Joseph was a charter member of the Beaver Club in Montreal.
Joseph died Sept 12, 1810
Joseph was involved in the Frobisher-McGill firm
One article I read claimed
“The Frobisher name should be among the first on the roll, of the famous men of the west.”
Looks pretty good to me!
Donald A. Smith of the CPR was an old fur Trader, the last commissioner of the HBC.
He would have known the Frobisher name, I am sure.

Mr. Art Forgay, Principal of Estevan Collegiate Institute in the 1960's did research on the name of the village.

Part of my Dad's 1927 Map showing Frobisher East of Hirsch

Located W 1/2 Sec 13, Township 3, Range 4, W2

Latitude- 49° 12' 35“ N
Longitude- 102° 25' 37” W

Located at the crossroads of the CPR Souris Line, and the Grand Trunk Regina-Boundary, Branch Line

Located on the Grand Trunk Railroad / CNR /

Regina-Boundary Branch Line
GTPR Regina Boundary Branch Line

Elevation 1891 ft

Sept 1903 4 Elevators in Frobisher
Northern Elevator Co.
Imperial Elevator Co. (2)-
Andrews & Gage-
Each had a capacity of 25,000 bushels

Frobisher still has a Grain Elevator standing, June 2017

Frobisher Elevator Nov 20, 2016
Photos taken by Karl Gompf, courtesy Larry Gompf

1906 the “Frobisher Times” became the newspaper of the village

Frobisher School #810
1980 this was a 5 roomed school for grades 1-6 and a modern High School was opened ca 1979

Frobisher has CPR Telegraph, Dominion Express, Government Telephones, and a Bank.
Population =200

Town Hall
Overseer (same as a Mayor today)
Frederick “Fred” Thomas Dallin
b- bet Oct- Dec 1873, Bristol Registration District, England d- Feb 27, 1958, Matsqui, BC, age 84 married bet Apr-June 1898, Bedminster Registration district,
wife- Florence Dallin, nee Wintle
b- ca 1878, d- June 29, 1951, Matsqui, BC, age 73
both buried in Abbotsford BC
left Bristol England , July 1906, on Victorian, arriving in Montreal Quebec, August 1906

Councillors
Charles T. Lapp, and J. G. Bond

Town Clerk
Rev. Edgar Whitehouse

CPR Station- Elwood Graham, Agent

Stores / Restaurants etc
Yuen Ding Restaurant
Frank C. Renie, Clothing and Confectionary
Leonard E. Rennie, Grocer and Meat Market
Samuel Hammil, Livery Sale and Feed Stable
Robert H. White,
Farm Implements, Garage and Repairs
John T. Wood, Ford Agent, Farm Lands, Insurance, and Loans
Imperial Oil Ltd., Duncan MacNicol, Agent
Charles T. Lapp, Farm Implements
John S. Bond- Farm Implements, Harness, Insurance, Farm lands, and Loans
Frank McGillivray, Barber and Pool Room
Alfred E. Potter, Hardware
Donald MacNicol, General Store

Riddell & Co.- General Store, John S. Riddell
William I. Riddell, Clerk

Reynolds & McCall- Garage and Repairs
Albert McCall, Proprietor
Robert J. Reynolds, Proprietor
Harold Manns, Mechanic,

Drayman- Charles Harris

Hotel- Imperial Hotel, John Klaholz, Proprietor

Doctor- R. Allan Lee, Physician and Surgeon

Elevators
Leitch-McClean Elevator Co. Ltd., Leonard Rennie Agent
(May 1920 the Leitch-McClean Elevator Co. Ltd. bought 17 elevators from the Imperial Elevator Co. and one from Hallet and Carey.
No list of which towns though, or owners)

Farmers Elevator Co., William Forsyth, Agent

International Elevator Co. -Fred T. Dallin, Agent
International Elevator Co was was absorbed by Federal Grain Ltd. in 1929
Mar 1924 manager was A. Thompson, and held that position for 13 years prior.
He was being questioned in Winnipeg on setting grain prices.
International Elevator Co. was incorporated in 1910.
Had 48 elevators in 1928.

Federal Grain Ltd, in 1929, merged Federal Grain Ltd., Stewart's Terminals Ltd, the Union Grain Co. Ltd., the North Western Elevator Co. Ltd., Consolidated Elevator Co. Ltd., the Brooks Elevator Co. Ltd. (Incorporated in 1927) , the McLaughlin Elevator Co. Ltd., the Copper Grain Co. Ltd., and the International Elevator Co.
They controlled 338 Country Elevators, total of 11,250,000 bushels of grain, after the mergers.
General Manager A. C. Michael
Board Members 1929:
James Stewart, Henry Eugene Sellers, Fred “William” Riddell, H. J. Symington K.C., Harry D. K. Sellers, J. H. McDonald, Allan Holmes Williamson, b- Apr 28, 1895 in Toronto ON, d- July 1, 1961 in Vancouver, Chairman of the Board- James Stewart
President- John C. Gage,
Vice-President- Henry Eugene “Harry” Sellers (1886-1970)

In 1928 it cost between $12,000-$15,000 to build each elevator.

Telephones
Saskatchewan Government Telephone Co.
Fred T. Dallin, Agent
Lillian McElroy, Operator,
Vera O'Brien, Operator

School
School Teachers-
Margaret Pickard

Mr. Melville Rae, Principal, Public School,
Sept 1921-June 1922

Bank
Merchants Bank of Canada
Merle Manns, Ledger Keeper
Frank Pullinger, Accountant in Charge
Harold E. Ramsey, Clerk
Arthur W. Evans, Teller

Blacksmith
Frank Meadous

Post Office
John J. Nesbitt, Postmaster

Church
Union Church -Rev. Edgar Whitehouse, Pastor

Misc
Silas Giem, retired farmer
George O'Brien, retired farmer
Thomas Adair- retired

First Name of Office: Frobyshire
Federal Electoral District: Assiniboia (Saskatchewan)
Located on Sec.13, Twp.3, R.4, W2

Due to an Error on the Village Plans the name had to be legally changed to Frobisher

New Name of Office: Frobisher
Federal Electoral District: Moose Mountain (Saskatchewan)

This reproduction is NOT represented as an official version of the materials reproduced,
nor as having been made in affiliation with, or with the endorsement of the National Archives of Canada.
The source of this material is the National Archives of Canada

John Samuel Riddell
First Post Master
b- Mar 16, 1864 in Nissouri, South Frontenac Co. ON
d-
raised at West Nissouri, ON
son of William Riddell and Eliza
when he married Sept 20, 1893 at Keewatin, Rainy River, ON
he was age 29, a telegraph operator at Pipestone, MB

Wife- Lavina Riddell nee Irwin
b- May 2, 1871 in Creemore, Nottawasega, Simcoe Co., ON (1872 in 1901 census)
d- July 26, 1944
raised at Hagerman Township, Parry Sound District, ON
Age 22 when she married, living at Keewatin, ON
daughter of Thomas Irwin and Isabella.

4 children:
1. Isabella “Elma” Phillis Riddell
b- July 21, 1894 in RM of Pipestone, MB
d-
Married Clarence V. Pickard, 1925, Frobisher, Saskatchewan, Canada.
2 Children:
Margurite Pickard
Gertrude Pickard

2. Muriel Alexandrina Riddell
b- Aug 17, 1897 in Alameda, NWT, SK
d-
Married Alexander C. Sweet (1896-1936), in 1923, at Frobisher, SK, Canada
3 children:
Jack Sweet
Douglas Sweet
Helen Sweet

3. William “Bill” Irwin Riddell
b- Oct 1, 1900 in Alameda, NWT, SK
d- 1969 in Frobisher, SK
Royal Canadian Flying Corps, WW1, saw action in France.
enlisted in Regina Mar 26, 1917, 249th overseas Batt., Reg # 1069599
Served in Royal Canadian Air Force, 1925-1960s.
Retired as Wing Commander,
Commander of the Rockcliff RCAF Base, near Ottawa, Ontario.
Stunt flyer
Married Margaret McLean (1903-1970)
2 children:
Martha Riddell
Margot Riddell

4. Georgina Annetta Riddell
(Georgeina in vital records)
b- Jan 4, 1902 in Frobisher SK
d-
School Teacher
Married W. H. Waddel

1901 census, John Riddell living with his family in Alameda SK., CPR Agent
1911 census John Riddell shown as Presbyterian, Occupation- Merchant
Built the first structure in town, which became the Riddell & Company General Store with his residence at the rear. The store contained the Telephone, Telegraph Office and Post Office. Riddell's were the first family to settle in Frobisher. John Riddell also built the first Bank in Frobisher.

John James Nesbitt
b- May 27, 1855 in ON
d- Apr 7, 1938
He was agent of Imperial Elevator Company in 1903, in Frobisher.
Married Lydia Thorn
b- July 23, 1855 in ON
d-
had 4 children, all born in ON
Amy Nesbitt- b- Aug 8, 1880
Walter H. Nesbitt- b- Feb 7, 1883
Wilson T. Nesbitt, b- Mar 13, 1884
Lena A. Nesbitt , b- Aug 4, 1887 (see below)
ca 1900, came to Frobisher from a farm near Kincardine, Bruce Co. ON

Post Mistress and Daughter
Lena Adelaide Nesbitt
b- Aug 4, 1887 in ON
d- Oct 9, 1965 in Kelowna BC, age 77

Ernest William Sabroe
b- July 3, 1890 in Odense Denmark
d- Nov 1949
Age 17 he came to USA
4 years later came to Canada
Married in 1925 to Mary Lancaster
b- Nov 16, 1904 in North Portal, SK
d-
daughter of John Lancaster and Mary Ann Lancaster, nee Lawn
they had 6 children
Ernest served in the navy in WWI and Veterans Guard of Canada in WWII
Rank LCP, Reg # 257759 in WWI
living in Frobisher SK, enlisted in Regina Jan 19, 1918
single, Lutheran, farmer
Father- Christian Theodore Sabroe in Odense, Denmark

A history book was written in 1980
https://cdm22007.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p22007coll8/id/361446/rec/1
NOTE- This is NOT my Web Site, and link May or May NOT Work in the future.
I now have a copy of this book as of June 2017.
I have no affiliation with present day Frobisher.
This page was created to add to the history of the area

Originally Created Mar 28, 2011

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