1200 Block, South Side

1200 Block, Fourth St. / 4th St. / Main St. / Highway 39

Note- Lot, is Legal Lot Number, for Tax and Registration Purposes, used in Conjunction with the Legal Block Number
# is the Civic Mailing Address of each lot, or combination of Lots, in some cases.

Block 43, Lot 1-20, #1238-#1202 4th St.

Lot 1- Lot 2-Block 43 #1238 4th st- Built in 1912 originally as a Canada Customs Buildingand the 2nd Post Office in Estevan,
There was no customs building at the border until 1932.
Estevan Historic building

1924 Postcard Courtesy C. Brace, from the Norman L. McLeod Collection

Lot 3- #1236-

Lot 4- #1234- Simpson Sears Ltd. in 1955

Lot 5- #1232- Jenish Portrait Studio, in 1955, John E. Jenish owner

Lot 6- #1230- Spence & Buffam, Jewellers & Engravers, here in 1955, Peter M. Spence & Garnet M. Buffam owners.

Lot 7- #1228- Irvine's Drug Store, (A Rexall Drug store was established in Estevan in 1908, in the Davies Block, on 12th Ave. by Dr. Davies) D. L. Irvine bought the business from Dr. D. R. Davies in 1912, per Historical Walking Tour Booklet. In 1920 Irvine moved here in 1920. R. Keith Irvine owner in 1921.

Lot 8- #1226- Wellock's Meat Market here in 1955

Lot 9- #1224-

Lot 10- #1222-

Lot 11- #1220- Edith Kee Millinery Shop here in 1921; Built in early 1950's, Hender's Drugs, still in business, the only Independent Owned Drug Store in Estevan

Lot 12-Lot 14- (Lot 12A) #1216- Dr. F. R. Graham, Dentist Office, located here in 1921, Frederick Roy Graham, b-Nov 3, 1884 in Saint John, NB, wife- Emily, b- age 36 in Ireland, children: 3 daughters and a son. Parents- Thomas Alexander Graham, and Mary Elizabeth Armstrong.

#1214- Lindsay & Patterson had first General Store here, in 1893; Mr. H. King bought the store. James Green lived here in 1921, he owned the Palace Cafe on 12th Ave. at that time.; This location became the Palace Cafe, then the Canada Cafe ; New Canada Cafe was here in 1955, Hamm Chow manager

Canada Cafe Building 1999 Building in the center, the old Canada Cafe.
The building on the left in the picture above taken in 1999, was T. H. Kelly's harness shop, later became the Dairy Queen. see next lot below

Lot 15- #1212- T. H. Kellys Harness Shop, owned by Thomas Harry Kelly was here very early ; Dairy Queen, James Penny Manager in 1955
Trivia- The FIRST Dairy Queen in Canada, was NOT in Estevan in 1953, as I originally thought it was. Even the official DQ site said it was.
The First Ice Cream Shop to use a DQ freezer unit, was a private Ice Cream shop in Melville SK.
The First Official DQ named Ice Cream Shop, was built and owned by a lady in Winnipeg MB.
Estevan was the 3rd in Canada.

The original Estevan DQ was located at 1212 4th st. It was in the middle of 4th St, south side, between 12th and 13th Ave.
It was located in a store that was built by Thomas Harry Kelly, and used as the first harness maker shop on 4th st.
Ironic in 1953 is was an Ice Cream shop, in 2010, it is Curves, a ladies workout gym!

Mr.Thomas Harry Kelly was born Oct 1876 in Ontario, shown as a harness maker in 1911 census.
His middle name shown as Henry on his headstone
Headstone says b-1878, d-Aug 12, 1953, located in Estevan City Cemetery
Thomas Henry Kelly in Birth reg, b- Oct 28, 1878 Lambton Co, Sarnia Township, ON
Father- Thomas Kelly, Plasterer
Mother- Eliza Annie Tremaine
Thomas was married to Elizabeth (Bessie) Tookey,
b- Mar 1886 in Ontario.
Headstone says Mar 27, 1874-Aug 18, 1951 located in Estevan City Cemetery
they had a son Ross Sanderson Kelly,
b- Nov 25, 1908 in Estevan
Ross attended ECI, d- June 7, 1984 in Victoria BC
and a daughter Grace Elizabeth Kelly,
b- Jan 1911 in SK
Headstone says she died Sept 16, 1940, located in Estevan City Cemetery
Grace attended ECI, she died in 1940
Son- Frances Earl, b- Apr 16, 1913, in Estevan, SK, shown in 1921 and 1931 census
Daughter- Sarah Doreen Kelly, b- Mar 12, 1915 in Estevan, SK shown in 1921 and 1931 Census
Kelly family lived at 1318 2nd st in 1921

Lot 16- #1210-

Lot 17- #1208- Albert Edward McCormack family lived here in 1921, He owned the Five and Dime Store. b-age 46, in Ireland, he immigrated in 1913, wife- Bertha McCormack, b- age 27, in Austria, immigrated in 1912, son John Edward McCormack, b- 1917 in SK, Sister- Josephine Edith McCormack, b- age 49 in Ireland. she immigrated in 1920.

Lot 18- #1206- Joseph Berg operated a Grocery store here in 1921, he lived at 904 2nd St.

Lot 19-Lot 20- #1202-Price and McKay General Merchants, had a store here, that cost $1200, it had a hall upstairs, used as Estevan's First School, First Community Hall, and for Church Services. They owned a large ranch with 200 head of cattle. They also owned and operated a coal mine, 15 miles down river; Became “W. R. Whitby Hardware” Furniture, Funeral Home & Undertaker upstairs, before 1921 to-1960's, owned by Willis R. Whitby, he lived at 1338 3rd st.; then it became the Royal Bank of Canada (2017)

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