Maple Creek

Maple Creek is a Town in Maple Creek Rural Municipality No. 111, Saskatchewan, Canada
Located 8km south of Trans Canada Highway #1 on SK Highway 21.
North of Cypress Hills Provincial Park
Midway between Calgary and Regina
Situated on the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railroad (CPR) between Swift Current and Medicine Hat

Aug 9, 1883- Mr. L.A. Hamilton, (Lauchlan Alexander Hamilton) Assistant Land Commisioner of the CPR, returned to Winnipeg after making arrangements of the survey of the town sites of Calgary, Swift Current, Maple Creek and Medicine Hat. Joining him was Mr. W. B. Scarth, [William Bain Scarth (1837-1902)] representing the Canada North West Land Company, subsidiary of the CPR, which had half interest in the townsites.
Maple Creek and Swift Current were to both have 80 acres each.

Latitude- 49.908°N
Longitude- 109.479°

Named by the NWMP when they camped along the creek with Maple Trees overhanging the bank

Hamlet Founded in 1882

Mar 1890, Newspaper Ad for Teacher Wanted, Maple Creek, P.P.S. District #80, starting Apr 1, 1890 signed F. A. Fauquier, Secretary.
1896 Town large enough to have an Overseer- J. J. English elected- (see bio below)
1901 Incorporation of the Town
1901 Bank of Montreal Branch
Mar 14, 1902 Maple Creek area had their own newspaper “The Maple Creek Signal”
1907 Gravity Water System was installed from springs in the Cypress Hills
1907 A Municipal Hospital was built out of brick and had 8 wards
1909 A modern sewer system was installed.
1927 5 Grain Elevators- Saskatchewan Co-Operative Co; the Victoria Elevator Co; The Alberta Pacific Elevator Co; The Ogilvie Milling Co; and the Light Power and Milling co.
Masonic Lodge #9 located in Maple Creek

1884 -International Hotel
Located in Maple Creek, J. J. English owner.
It was the First Hotel in the Village
John James English was First Overseer of the Village
He was assigned to this area ca 1879 by the “Indian Commissioner” of the NWT, Edgar E. Dewdney
Left Winnipeg Aug 28, 1879, took steamer Manitoba for St. Vincent, from there made his way to Bismarck ND
From Bismarck he took a steamer Benton heading to Fort Benton, Montana.
Due to low water they made it to Cow Island about 190 miles away.
From there they took wagons arriving Oct 2, at Fort Benton.
Oct 16 left for Fort Walsh 160 miles away, in wagons pulled by horses.
Oct 26 they arrived at the border, Oct 28 at Fort Walsh
He claimed that about 150 NWMP were stationed there at that time
He was to be assigned to Fort McLeod but because he had his family with him he was told to go to the Assiniboine Reservation, 18 miles away.
He claimed he had 800 “Indians” he would provide rations for each morning.
He had 40 that worked on the farm and received extra rations.
All this info summarized from a 4 page document signed and written by him, sent to an newspaper editor back at Omemee, ON.
He was hired as an Agricultural Instructor to the Native Reserve in the area.
The Farming instructor for the Assiniboine Reserve at the Head of Mountain was J.J. English.
Paid $730 per yr, with board for one year.
He was supplied with Stock, Implements and Seed, and expected to build farm buildings and break up land to feed himself, his family and employees.

John James English
b- Feb 1828 at Omemee, Kenora, Ontario, Canada
d- Dec 12, 1917 at Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
1911 census he is a land agent in Moose Jaw
son of James English and Mary Dean

married- Marie Chambers, Feb 15, 1864 at Omemee, Victoria, Ontario, Canada
b- May 1, 1850? in USA (per 1911 census) ON Canada in 1916 census), (age 43 in 1891)
d-
daughter of Thomas and Mary Chambers
son Frederick John English
son Herbert English,
daughter Marie English

1884-85 Commercial Hotel-
The largest in the NWT at that time, owned and operated by Thomas Medford Rasin
Worked for T. C. Power and Brother when he came to Maple Creek, probably from Fort Benton Montana, where Power had his business based.
Power company also opened a store in Maple Creek
Thomas Charles Power, b- May 22, 1839, Dubuque, Iowa, d- Feb 16, 1923, Helena, Montana
Rasin was involved in a clothing store business in Spokane and Seattle that went into receivership.
He was also involved in some other scheme in Elmira, New York that went bankrupt.
1870 age 8 in St Louis Missouri with his family
July 6, 1887 he was working for Kellogg Johnson & Co, of St Paul, dealers in Boots and Shoes, arrived in Fort Benton Montana.
He was well known in the area. Rasin claimed he leased his property in Maple Creek, and was going into business in Montana and Washington.
June 12, 1891 Rasin and his wife were in a hotel at Boston MA, visiting from Seattle WA, so I know he was married at least
Sept 16, 1891 he returned to Seattle after his trip East, he stopped in Spokane and bought out his partner there, so he was the sole owner of both clothing stores
Rasin Clothing Company was one of the largest dealers of clothing in Washington state at that time
Dec 22, 1895 shown as a former resident of Seattle, now in the wholesale woolen and dry goods commission businessin New York and San Francisco.
1896 shown living at 706 Van Ness in San Francisco age 34, Merchant from Missouri
Mar 27, 1898 he was in San Francisco as a Grain Buyer in trouble with another deal to buy the building he was operating in there.
Apr 26, 1901- declares bankruptsy living at 255 West 22nd St in New York, with liabilities of $208,000 and assetts of $100 cash
He was partner in Spokane and Seattle Rasin & Goss, from 1890 to Aug 1893, when the firm failed
Assets were $300,000 which was applied to his debts.
They listed 4 creditors in his bankruptsy, but he claimed there was more.
He came to New York about 2 years earlier, ca 1899
He had a failed scheme of building a huge store called “The Metroplitan” in Elmira, New York.

Thomas Medford Rasin
b- abt 1862 in St Louis Missouri USA
d- Apr 12, 1910, Manhattan, New York, USA, age 47
shown age 18 in 1880 census, in St Louis as a clerk in store
Note- His grandmother's maiden name was Medford, origin of his middle name

Had trouble tracing him, Then I found a clue in a Fort Benton Montana newspaper, his father was Unit Rasin, who lived in St Louis for some time.
Father- Unit Rasin
b- ca 1805 on Eastern Shores of Maryland
d- Dec 7, 1880 at his home, 1432 Poplar st, St Louis Missouri, age 75
Buried- Bellefontaine Cemetery, Saint Louis, St. Louis City, Missouri, USA
Came to St Louis Missouri in 1837, one of the oldest settlers of St. Louis City
He was for years a member of the firm Rasin & Cabanne, Commission Merchants.
in 1856 Unit Rasin was elected one of the alderman of the 6th Ward
He was a Director of the Old State Bank of Missouri
Son of Joseph Rasin Jr. and Susanna Medford
Unit was survived by a wife and 4 sons, and 5 daughters
sons Hanson Rasin and Thomas M. Rasin were present at his death
son- Joseph M. Rasin was living in Montana, resident of Sun River Crossing, father in law was a Mr. LaCroix
son- Mackall Rasin was in Oregon
daughter Eunice Rasin, was married to Charles R. Woodin of Fort Benton
daughter Mary Rasin, wife of Thomas Horsey of Galena Maryland
daughter Laura S. Rasin and Matilda R. Rasin, were single, and present at their father's death.
His father was married twice,
First wife- Martha Henrietta Hanson, Married on November 9, 1831
b- 1813
d- 1854
Thomas's mother was Unit's 2nd wife
Mother- Henrietta E. Hanson
b- abt 1830 in Maryland
d- bef 1930

Post Office established on Sec.15, Twp.11, R.26, W3, June 12, 1883
Post Master General assigned the First Post Office to the NWMP detachment

Louis William Fauquier (pronounced “Folkier”)- First Post Master
Louis William Fauquier
b- Apr 18, 1857 in ON, Canada
d- Nov 13, 1935 at Siskiyou, California, USA, age 81
buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Yreka, Siskiyou County, California, USA
L. W. Fauquier shows up age 22 in Wood Mountain as a NWMP officer in 1881 census.
Reg #332
Engaged in NWMP June 9, 1879 at Fort Walsh
Left the NWMP June 9, 1884 after his 5 year term expired at Maple Creek
Oct 8, 1880 promoted to Corporal
May 26, 1881 promoted to Sergeant
ca 1886 he was in the US
Feb 1889 he was claiming an Agricultural Patent on land in Great Falls area.
Mar 1889 he was in Great Falls, Montana, USA
1894 he was appointed Notary Public at Union, Comox District, Vancouver Island BC
1895 had an office at Cumberland BC
Shown as a Real Estate Broker in 1895 at Union

Father- Bishop Frederick Dawson Fauquier
b- England (age 53 in 1871) in 1871 census
b- Aug 24, 1814 at Corfu, Island of Malta, Ionian Islands, Greece
d- Dec 7, 1881 at ?, Ontario, Canada
Clergyman- family in East Zorra, Oxford North, ON in 1871 census
First Anglican Bishop of Algoma
Mother- Sarah Eliza Burrowes
b- England (age 48 in 1871) in 1871 census
b- Sept 15, 1821 at Benarth, Wales
d- Nov 4, 1881 at Mount Vernon, Westchester, New York, USA
They had 5 sons

Louis married Lena H. Bisbee in 1900 in Siskiyou County, CA
b- Aug 12, 1866 in Siskiyou County, California USA
d- May 29, 1945 in Siskiyou County, California, USA
daughter of William W. Bisbee and Emma Autenrieth
1910 Louis and Lena were living in Yreka Ward, Siskiyou, CA, USA
Louis shown as an Insurance Agent
1940 Lena shown as a widow, occupation music teacher, living in Yreka City

4 Siblings of Louis
Arnold Edward Fauquier, b-Dec 18, 1849 in ON, d- WA, USA?
Charged with embezzlement in Seattle after a business fire where he worked, and disappeared.

Charles Gilbert Fauquier, b-1851 in ON- d-Nov 11, 1893 in Victoria BC, Canada

Frederick George “Fritz” Fauquier, b-Oct 13, 1854, d-Dec 10, 1917 at Fauquier's Lodge, BC, Canada

Henry “Harry” Haines Fauquier, b- Sept 14, 1862 in Woodstock ON, d- Mar 28, 1941 in Maple Creek SK. Canada
Brother Harry came to this area in 1884 to work on the 2 largest ranches in those days
He took up land on Hay Creek where he and his family stayed for decades.

John Dixon
Dixon Brothers, John Dixon and Isaac “Chester” Dixon, came in 1883 and built an early General Store in Maple Creek
The brothers were on their way to Calgary when they stopped at Maple Creek, realizing this was a place to set up their business.
First in a tent, then a small frame building, then a substantial Stone building
John Dixon was also the 2nd Post Master in Maple Creek from July 1, 1884 to Sept 16, 1905 when he resigned
John was a member of the Board of Governors of Alberta College, Regina College, and University of Saskatchewan
He was educated at Toronto Military College
Captain of No 1 Company of the 75th Battalion, Peterborough
President of the Maple Creek Board of Trade
President of the Alberta Clay Products Company in Medicine Hat
Prominent Cattle Rancher
1913 appointed Notary Public for Maple Creek

John Dixon
b- May 4, 1850 in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
d- Jan 3, 1922 at his home “The Maples” in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, Canada, age 71
buried in Maple Creek with full Masonic rites
son of Joseph Dixon (1807-1863) and Margaret Brown (1816-1895)
married Agnes Christie Dawson June 20, 1877 in ON
b- Apr 23, 1858 in Oro, Simcoe, Ontario, Canada
d- Sept 19, 1930 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
They had 2 daughters and 2 sons

Aug 1883 25 men were stationed at Maple Creek, moved from Fort Walsh when it was closed.

I added this page to include this link, to an early NWMP member that lived in Maple Creek.
Robert Edward "Ed" Tucker, NWMP
Apr 2019 his 1898 NWMP Diary/Journal was identified.

Photo courtesy Robert A. Stein
Also on that web page some history of Staff Sergeant J. L. Poett, VS, the First Veterinarian in the NWMP
The father in law of Ed Tucker

By Oct 29, 1884 the NWMP had comfortable barracks built, and all the necessary offices and outbuildings.
Superintendent John Henry McIllree, Reg #O.13, commanded the Post
Apr 1, 1874 appointed Superintendent from rank of Constable
John Henry McIllree
b- Feb 28, 1849 in Jamaica, West Indies
d- May 17, 1925 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
married Caroline “Lily” Elizabeth Humphrys
b- Nov 22, 1854 in Painestown, Co. Carlow, Ireland
d- Dec 12, 1930 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Note- Not my sites, Links may or may not work in the future, as I do not control them or their content

Southwest Saskatchewan Oldtimers Museum & Archives
http://swsaskoldtimers.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/OldtimersMuseum

History Book Vol 1 online on Ourroots.ca

Really good Historical Tour Booklet here
http://www.visitcypresshills.ca/assets/Self-Guided-Walking-Tour-2016-Maple-Creek.pdf
But there is a small error on Thomas's middle name in there, they show Melfort which is wrong.
Good picture of his hotel in there, plus other great photos and info.
One of the best heritage books I have seen for any town.

Official Town of Maple Creek Web page
https://maplecreek.ca/

First Nation History
http://cegakin.com/

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