1
Buelow Farm
1904
Palouse Hills, SW of Spokane, Washington, USA
2
Charles Buelow was born in Germany in March, 1861.
In 1873, his family immegrated to Wisconsin, USA, where he stayed until his marriage to Albertina Kuehl. He and Albertina then moved to South Dakota to farm.
This photo is on their farm in South Dakota.
3
The Charlie Buelow Family
1905
Near Mirror, Alberta
4
A photo of the Buelow family after they moved to the Buffalo Lake area. This photo has a sixth child, Alma, who is not mentioned in our other records.
Left to Right:
Back row: Olga, Alfred, Martin and Ed
Front row: Charlie (father), Grace, Mrs. (mother), and Alma
* * * * * * * * *
Charles worked as a labourer in California until 1889, moving to the State of Washington when Spokane was called Shanty Town. He farmed near the town of Addy until 1904.
Always looking for something better for his family, upon hearing about the opportunities in Canada, he came to see our area for himself. Liking it, he filed on the northeast of 30, and went back to collect his wife and five children, Olga, Edward, Martin, Alfred and Grace.
Charles' daughter, Grace Curr tells this tale of the family's first summer, in the book "Land of the Lakes".
"We lived as Indians the first summer in a tent and a hay covered shed, until a log house with a shingle roof was built.
Dad had landed in Ponoka in April 1905 with a car of implements, household goods, four horses, two cows, a dog and some chickens.
Dad and Edward freighted from Lacombe to Stettler (she doesn't mention how they got from Stettler to Buffalo Lake area). He lost one horse, so he sold two of the others as they were not climatized and would get swamp fever and die.
He bought two Indian ponies, Tom and Mollie, and some oxen which the boys later used for breaking our own land and breaking others.
Mother made butter, cheese and some sauerkraut which she sold or would give away to the neighbors. She also baked bread and made butter for bachelors.
Dad fattened a lot of cattle which he bought at sales, and also raised a good many pigs and cattle of his own. He built the house and barn which are still on the homestead. (Here we might mention that the framing for this barn was all hand hewn by the oldest son, Edward.)
Our grain crops were cut by three horses and two oxen on lead team with a six foot binder.
The grain was stacked in round stacks and threshed with a horse power, hand fed separator. I believe the machine was owned by Malcher, and later threshed by Valentine Neis, Steve Grudel and R. Schultz.
Because the land was so rolling, the threshing machine owners didn't like to come in, so Dad bought a gas power and hand fed separator from Mr. Bonham at Alix, which the boys operated for several years until they could afford a larger one.
I, being a roustabout, hauled the fuel from town, and it was one time I had unloaded most of the oil barrels at the machine, and was going home, that I had a runaway with the team of horses, Barnie and Rowdy, who left me closing the gate.
My nephew, Water, enjoys telling about that, as part of the wagon box still remains somewhere on the Tom Ferline farm. Rowdy was eventually sold to the army.
Dad died at the age of 57, and Mother at 74."
5
Charlie and Freda Buelow Sitting on a Wagon Loaded with Logs
1908
Near Mirror, Alberta
6
This is Charlie and his brother, Fred as kids in Germany in the 1860's.
7
Alfred Buelow and Victor Flick Breaking Land
1905
Near Mirror, Alberta
8
A 1905 photo of Alfred Buelow and Victor Flick breaking land with plow and oxen on Charlie Buelow's farm.
9
Buelow's Breaking Land
1912
Near Mirror, Alberta
10
Buelow's are breaking land here with a team of horses. They have fringed gunny sacking tied over the horses noses to keep out the flies.
11
Buelow's Cutting Grain
1914
Near Mirror, Alberta
12
Here, the Buelow's are cutting grain with their first binder.
We have Martin Buelow on the binder, and Ed Buelow is standing in front of the horse.
The others are not identified.
13
Alfred and Ed Buelow Plowing with Case Tractor
1908
Near Mirror, Alberta
14
This is a photo taken around 1908, with Alfred Buelow behind the plow and Ed Buelow working with a "cross motor" gas Case tractor.