Jenish Brothers Mine

Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada

WARNING

Old Abandoned Underground Coal Mines can be Very Dangerous, Due to Collapse, and Mine Gases (Noxious and Flammable). Extreme Care should be taken around them, due to Falls, Sudden Ground Collapse, and Bad Air, and in NO Circumstances should People enter into ANY Mine Openings, or Associated Caves. The Material Contained on my Sites, is NOT to Encourage Personal Investigation of these Mines, But only as a Historical Record of these Long Abandoned Mines. Please View these Mines from a Far, Safe and Legal Distance. Always Observe Private Property Rights, and Obey ALL Warning Signs.

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Jenish Brothers Mine

aka: Jenish Coal Mining Company

Located at LSD 7, 8, 9 & 10, Section 1, Township 2, Range 8, W2

Operating from 1947-1953 at least
Originally owned by a Mr. Hillstrom, sold to the Jenish Brothers, Joseph (Joe) John Jenish and Egne Jenish Jr..
They started deep seam mining in 1924.

Joseph John Jenish
b- 1895 in Lithuania
d- Nov 2, 1962,
buried in Estevan City Cemetery.

Egne Jenish Jr.
b- Mar 4, 1898 in Lithuania
d- Jan 28. 1974
buried in Souris Valley Memorial Gardens.

June 5, 1946 they signed a wage agreement with the UMWA, District 18

Jenish parents migrated from Lithuania to Scotland.
Jenish brothers worked in the coal mines in Glasgow Scotland
when they were age 12 apprenticing for 5 cents a week for a year on face work in the mines.
They then got a raise to 50 cents a week.
1911 they moved to Canada, settling in the Pinto area, to farm.
Then Joe, the eldest, joined the army and went overseas.
When he returned, they moved to the Estevan area to farm.
Their first mine was in the Souris Valley about half a mile from this mine.
1924 they purchased this larger mine.
In 1947 they employed up to 50 men during the winter.
The tunnels from this underground mine, went to the border.
In 1947 the coal was loaded by hand.
Both men built their homes near the mine, and later on after the coal mine era, they had a Greenhouse and Market Garden business.

Joe Jenish had 10 children,
wife- Mary Miller
b- Sept 27, 1897, d- Oct 30, 1932
Enge had 4 children.
Wife- Sophie Millar
b- May 2, 1902, d- Feb 26, 1982
Their wives were of Scottish ancestry.
Joe's first wife died, and he remarried a Belgian girl
Father- Enge Jenish Sr.- b- July 1871 in Russian Poland., Catholic

Found a Joseph Jentish listed enlisting in WWI in Estevan, Dec 23, 1915
next of kin Eugene Jentish, North Portal SK.
shown born in Russian Poland, Oct 28, 1892, trade- miner.
his signature is clearly “Jentish”. shown not married at this time.
Rank- LCP, Reg #426146, member of the 46th Battalion
There is no Jenish listed.

1948 Joe Jenish was Director of the Wood-End Telephone Co
1949 Eugene Jenish replaced him.

1911 Enge Jenish Sr. family on Sec 25, Rge 1, Tsp 6, W2
Wife Kate, b- Aug 1873 in Russian Poland, emigrating in 1911
with Joe and Enge Jr, a daughter Annie, b- Nov 1899, Russian Poland

found an entry in Macoun book that Ernest George Foord Sr. opened up a mine south of Estevan, ca 1922-25, that later became the Jenish brother's mine.

an article dated Aug 1949 stated William Jenish was a representative of the Jenish Coal Mining Company
and was complaining the 3 cents per ton payment to the U.M.W.A. welfare fund was likely to prevent his company from converting to strip mining.

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