ab:simonsvalley


Simons Valley, Alberta

Simons Valley, Alberta, Canada

A Post Office on Sec 9, Tsp 26, Rge 2, W5
11 km /7 miles from Keith Alberta, a flag station on the CPR Main Line,
13 km /8 miles west of Calgary, the nearest Railway in 1911
22 km /14 miles from Calgary the nearest Telegraph in 1911

Please Note- Alt Spelling- “Symons” Valley, which is WRONG!
I still see “Symons” name used online for this area, which is disrepectful to the Pioneer it is named after
In 2001 this area became a new development area for the City of Calgary

Named after Walter Edward (alt-Edwin) Simons, Postmaster in 1911 (see bio below)

Post Office History

Office Name: Simons Valley
Electoral District: Calgary East, West Calgary (Alberta)
Established Apr 1, 1907
Closed Feb 27, 1926
Additional Information: Mail route - Calgary R.R. No. 4
First located on Sec. 9, Twp. 26, R. 2, W5M - Apr 1, 1907
2nd Location- Sec. 3, Twp. 26, R. 2, W5M - Aug 1, 1911
3rd Location- SW Sec. 2, Twp. 26, R. 2, W5M - Feb 2, 1925

Name of Postmaster Military Status Date of
Birth
Date of
Appointment
Date of
Vacancy
Cause of Vacancy
Walter Edward Simons (see below) Mar 29, 1856 Apr 1, 1907 1911 Resignation
George Gray Nov 18, 1854 Aug 1, 1911 Oct 28, 1924 Resignation
James McKay Fairweather OAS Aug 9, 1889 Feb 9, 1925 Feb 27, 1926 Closed

Post Office Information Disclaimer: 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

Postmaster Bio

First Postmaster-
Walter Edward (alt-Edwin) Simons
b- Mar 29, 1856, in ON (age 52 in 1906) (Mar 29, 1855 in 1901 census)
d- July 21, 1927 in Saskatoon SK
note name is shown as Walter Edward Simons in daughter's birth info
GTR Agent in 1901 in Hibbert, Perth, ON
Shown as Postamster and Physician in this area in 1911
Simons Valley Drive named after this man
His homestead signature says his name was Walter Edwin Simons
June 30, 1903 Homestead Number: 139922
Part: SE, Section: 16, Township: 26, Range: 2, W5
he moved to Vancouver ca 1911 and owned “Simons Garage” at 1435 Kingsway, living at 4482 Welwyn Vancouver
There was a Matthew A. Simons here as well, so not sure how they are related if they are.
married Mary Adeline Simons, nee Stone
b- Feb 12, 1854, age 63 in 1906 in ON
d- Dec 27, 1926, in South Vancouver BC, age 73
daughter Sarah Mariah Simons
b-Apr 12, 1875 Bruce, ON
d-
son George Washington Simons
b- Dec 8, 1882 in Stratford ON
d- May 3, 1932 in Vedder Crossing, BC age 49
came to Alberta ca June 1903 to homestead SW 1/4 Sec 16, tsp 26, Rge 2, W5
buried in I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Chilliwack BC
Lived in Saskatoon in 1927
married Sarah “Sadie” Kathleen Simons, nee Nelmes in 1905
b- age 25 in 1906 in Stratford ON
d-
daughter of Peter Nelmes and T. Baier


2nd Postmaster-
Note- Official PO Archives listed his name as George Grey
George Gray
b- Nov 18, 1854 in Guelph, Wellington, Upper Canada (ON)
d- May 15, 1946 in General Hospital in Calgary AB age 92
buried in Burnsland Cemetery
Came from London ON to Simons Valley in 1906
Teamster in London ON in 1901
He had 9 siblings in 1871 in Guelph
father- William Gray (1831-1924)
mother- Christina Gray, nee Bain
daughter of George Bain and Elizabeth Crosby
married Martha Malia Gray, nee Wilson Mar 5, 1879 Wellington, ON
b- Dec 18, 1862, age 55 in 1916 in ON
d- before 1946
daughter of Samuel and Margaret Wilson
George and Martha had at least 5 sons and 1 daughter


3rd Postmaster-
James McKay Fairweather
b- Aug 9, 1889, Sibster, Halkirk, Caithness, Scotland
d- Mar 6, 1976 age 86
buried in Queens Park Cemetery, Calgary AB
Came to Canada and Didsbury district in 1906
Moved later to Calgary worked as a teamster for the Canadian Pacific Cartage Co.
Served overseas in WWI
Regimental Number: 502562
enlisted in Calgary Jan 20, 1916
Returned to Calgary and the Simons Valley in 1922
President of the Simons Valley Telephone Co.
father- George Fairweather (1831-1907)
mother- Margaret Fairweather, nee McKay, (1849-1935) next of kin living in AB
married to ? Fairweather, married Feb 28, 1919
they had a son and daughter
married twice

Please Note- this site does NOT contain every name that lived in this area.
Please look for a local History book if you want that.
My site is to give a small clue for living relatives of some of these folks

Relative of my wife Neil William Beaton was a farmer in this valley
Neil William Beaton
b- Jan 6, 1862 Kincardine, Bruce, ON
d- Sept 16, 1939 Calgary AB
son of Donald Beaton and Ann M. Mackenzie
married twice, maybe 3 times per research on Elliott below
Came to Calgary in 1884 worked on the CPR Line
Homesteaded in this valley in 1905

Allan Bird
b- July 1888, in USA age 22 in 1911
brother of Merton and Frank below
immigrated in 1895
Is this Allen Floyd Bird? who took out homestead in Alberta May 18, 1909 living in Airdrie, lived in Kalispel Montana before this
Homestead NW Section: 32, Township: 26, Range: 2, Meridian: 5
Lived in Airdrie area in 1918, applied for an excemption to serve in WWI

Merton Russel Bird
b- Oct 1, 1880, Westport, Pope Co., MN, USA
d- Apr 1, 1945 Lincoln Co., Montana, USA
wife- Ella Bird, nee Stone, age 24 in ON

T. Bird This might be F. Bird below and transcribed wrong in old directory

Frank Bird
b- ca 1883 age 28 in USA
d- ?
brother of Merton and Allan

B. Bond

Thomas Herbert Bond
b-1884 in Leigh, Staffordshire, England
d- aft 1973 ?
Arrived Feb 10, 1906 on the SS Dominion,
age 23 in 1911 census, and age 28 in Apr 25, 1911 on his homestead application.
lived in Ghost Pine AB in 1921
Lived in Priddis AB in 1971
son Herbert C. Bond, b- 1920 in AB
daughter Elizabeth Beatrice “Bette” Bond- 1921 in Three Hills, AB, married John Given
father- Thomas Bond, age 70 in 1891
mother- Sarah H. Bond nee ?, age 40 in 1891
married Elizabeth Jean Cutts in 1918 at Beddington, AB, b- ca 1891 Orkney Islands, d- Dec 30,1971 Priddis AB age 80
Siblings-
Sarah Bond, age 16 in 1891; Cicely Bond 14; Ada J Bond 12; Alice Mary Bond 11; Harriett B Bond 5;
brother John W Bond, b- ca1889 living in Alliston ON in 1916

Bowhay Family
John “Jack?” Bowhay
Joseph “Joe” Bowhay
Robert Bowhay
Reginald Claude Bowhay
b-1887, in England
d- 1960 in Red Deer AB
buried in Queens Park Cemetery, Calgary AB

William Brown
b- ca 1854, age 56 in 1911, in Scotland (age 62 in 1916)
d- ?
wife- Jean Brown
b- ca 1856, age 60 in 1916 in Scotland

Gilbert Buchanan-
b- ca 1878, age 33 in London, England
d- May 29, 1972 Calgary AB, age 94
They Lived in Mindapore, AB and Red Deer District
Retired to Calgary in 1947
married Helena F. Buchanan, nee Schroeder
b-
d- Jan 4, 1976 in Calgary AB age 87
father Felix Schroeder a well known pioneer Livestock man
son PO John Gilbert Ross Buchanan
b- Nov 20, 1922
d- Feb 25, 1945 in WWII
Service Number- J95232, RCAF

Francis R. Cathro
b- ?
d- ?
married

John Davidson
b- 1869 in Scotland
d- 1963
buried in Mountain View Memorial Gardens, Calgary AB
Immigrated in 1906 with his wife per 1916 census, in 1921 census says 1902?
Took out homestead, Application Date: May 13, 1907
Residence Place: Simons Valley, Alberta, Canada
File Number: 1196699
SE, Section:12, Township:26, Range:3
wife- Minnie Davidson
b- age 45 in Scotland
d- Oct 13, 1964 at High River, Alberta, age 89
buried in Mountain View Memorial Gardens, Calgary AB
son John Arthur “Art” Davidson
b- ca 1911 in AB
daughter- Elsie Davidson, married H. Kempster

William N. “Billy” Elliott
b- age 39 in York Co., ON
d- Dec 29, 1935 at his home in Simons Valley, age 61 buried in Burnsland Cemetery
came to the area in 1892
wife- Elizabeth Drusilla Elliott
b- ca 1884, age 27 in 1911, in Rausby, Lincolnshire, England
d- Oct 1941 at her home, age 59
buried in Queens Park Cemetery
daughter Eileen Elliott age 4 in AB
Had 2 daughters, one daughter married N. Beaton above, which I don't show in my records so found a new one.
son Kenneth Elliott He had 3 brothers, 4 sisters

Horace Bonar Forbes
b- July 11, 1882 per headstone (July 11, 1884 per Attestation paper), Oxford, england
d- Nov 10, 1963
buried at Grange Cemetery in Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Horace took out Alberta homestead in Sept 15, 1905 at NW, Section: 16, Township: 26, Range: 2, Meridian: 5
Served 2 years with the Scottish Horse in South Africa
Enlisted in WWI in 1916 in Red Deer, shown as a rancher living in Simons Valley AB
Rank- Captain
next of kin- Mother- Agnes Forbes, South Kensington, England

Guy Gibbson
b- ?
d- ?

Gray Family
Charles Gray- age 29 in ON, son of George Gray see above
Edward Gray- Blacksmith
George Gray (see bio above)
Randolph Gray- age 25 in ON, son of George Gray see above

Robert Hardy
b- ca 1881, age 30 in 1911, in England
d- ?
wife- Jane Hardy
b- ca 1880, age 31 in 1911 in England
son William Richard Hardy
b- ca 1909, age 2 in 1911 in AB
daughter Mildred Marguerite Hardy
b- ca 1911, age 10 mo in AB

A.A. Johnston
b- ?
d- ?

3 Kidd Brothers:
Arthur Herbert Kidd
b- age 29 in ON Moved to BC in 1918
d- 1939
Harold Kidd
Moved to Nordegg with his brother Stuart by 1939
Stewart (Stuart?) Kidd
They had another brother Rev. W. J. Kidd, lived in Clover Bar in 1939

George McDonald
b- age 29 in 1911 in NS, in 1916 shown b- age 35 in ON

L. McNoulty
b- age 49 in England
d- ?
wife- Melinda
b- age 37 in England

William John Marshall
b- age 37 in ON
d- ?

Edwin Morrison
b- ?
d- ?

Harold E. Newcomb
alt Newcombe
b- age 29, NS
d- ?
lived on NE Sec 2, Tsp 26, Rge 2, W5 in 1907, for 3 years
Daughter- Edith Newcomb, age 7 in NS

William Rickland
b- ?
d- ?

J. Robinson
b- ?
d- ?

Walter Savill (alt- Salvel?)l
b- age 42 in 1916 in England
d- ?
immigrated in 1909 wife- Sarah Ellen Savill
b- age 41 in 1916 in England
d- ?
immigrated with 2 children in 1910
son- Arthur William Savill
b- ca 1902 in England
d- ?
son- Walter Savill
b- ca 1906 in England
d- ?
daughter- Nellie Savill
b- ca 1916, 2 mo old 1916 census, in Alberta

William S.(or E?) Saunders
b- age 33 in NB
d- ?
wife Grace Saunders
b- age 38 in NB
d- ?

Matthew A. Simons
b- ?
d- ?
General Merchant in 1911

George E. Simpson
b- age 45 in ON
d- ?
in 1907 he lived for 4 years on E, Sec 14, Tsp-26, Rge 2, W5

Ralph Stevenson
b- age 57 in England
d- ?
wife Ruth Stevenson
b- age 32 in England
d- ?
3 daughters 2 sons. 1 daughter b in England, rest in AB
1916 they had 3 and 3

Henry Ryder Teghtmeyer
alt- Tightmeyer
b- ?
d- 1948
buried in Union Cemetery Calgary AB
June 16, 1908, took out Homestead Number: 294293 NE Section:6, Township:26, Range:2, W5
married Annie Elaine Smith in 1909 in Calgary AB
daughter Pearl Anna Teghtmeyer
daughter- Irene May Teghtmeyer

Charles Wescott
b- ?
d- ?

J. Wilks
b- ?
d- ?



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  • Last modified: 2019/11/07 10:07
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