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Original Jaques Farm1910
Near Mirror, Alberta
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Shown here is the original Jaques homestead.George, Archie, Percy and Norman Jaques were four well to do brothers who came out from England to homestead.
George and Archie arrived first, around the turn of the century, and settled in the Lamerton district, with the other two brothers coming later to ranch farther away, near Coronation.
Bringing a lot of money with them, they raised Suffolk Punch horses, an expensive undertaking, and became so well known that Lamerton was listed as the headquarters for the Suffolk Punch Association of America for many years.
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The Jewell Family Farmstead1910
Near Mirror, Alberta
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This would be the farmhouse D.M. Jewell built in 1903/1904.Mr. and Mrs. Jewell moved from Iowa in March, 1903, with their two children, Wayne and Myrtle.
They arrived in Ponoka, and Mr. Jewell took a homestead in the George district, not far from Mirror, later that year.
In between working at various jobs, Mr. Jewell began to build a house for his family, hauling the lumber for it all the way from Lacombe.
It took a year to build the house, so the family first stayed in a log cabin on Ernest Tulk's homestead, then went back to Ponoka for the winter, where another child, Alton was born.
They finally moved into their new home on the homestead in 1904.
Mr. Jewell worked for the Jaques brothers and Frank Taylor in the summer, and at Lamerton in the winter, and would walk four miles after work to get home.
The Jewell's were both very active in the community, helping to build roads and getting involved with both the schools and the churches.
In 1911, they built the first restaurant in Mirror, supplying meals for the people who came to the Townsite Auction.
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The Simpson Home1910
Lamerton, Alberta
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This is a 1914 photo of Clem Simpson's log house on his homestead in the Lamerton district.The Simpson family consisted of Clem and his wife, two sons, Ray and Rex, and three daughters, Mable, Hyla and Delta. They arrived from Nebraska in 1902.
Mrs. Simpson came first by colonization car with most of the children, staying with a stepbrother who had come a few years earlier.
Mr. Simpson and their son Ray arrived shortly after with the car of settler's effects, consisting of horses, cows, chickens, pigs, farming equipment and household effects.
This was a real adventure for the family, who hadn't even picked out their homestead yet.
The land agent took them to see several places before they chose the Lamerton district to settle in, and the ride to bring the family and their goods to their new home was full of surprises and challenges, such as sick horses and the like.
They finally arrived after three days and stayed at a neighbor's, Harry Phelps, until their own home was ready the following February.
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Balthasar Gschwendtner's Homestead1910
Near Mirror, Alberta
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Balthasar and Emma Gschwendtner's homestead.The Gschwendtners came to our area from Naponee, Nebraska in 1902.
They took a homestead on NE 12-40-24, but lived on SW 15-40-24.
One of their sons, Lewis, married Lavona Neis of Mirror, and a daughter, Gladys is Mrs. William Beamish, also of Mirror.
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Charlie Peterson Homestead1910
Near Mirror, Alberta
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This is Irving Peterson, Sr., standing by Charlie Peterson's homestead house.Charlie Peterson brought his family to the Lamerton district to homestead in 1903, bringing with him five incredible Percheron horses to help him break his land.
Irving Peterson was Charlie's son. He came with his parents and brother, George, in 1903.
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William Steven's Farmstead1910
Near Mirror, Alberta
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The William Stevens farm.William came to our area from England. He married Mary Gadsby, Jim Gadsby's daughter.
Jim was the first homesteader in the area, and Mary was most likely the first settler child born here.
William and Mary had five children, George, Jim, Mary, Doris and Peter.
Their farm was later transferred to the Gadsby Lake district, where the Stevens' children attended school.
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The Henry Sayers Farmhouse1916
Rutherford District, Near Mirror, Alberta
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The Henry Sayers farmhouse in 1916.Henry, born in England in 1862, first came to our area as the second settler in the Rutherford district just after the turn of the century.
In 1904, he returned to Ontario, where he met and married his wife, Mina (Hanes). In 1906, they returned here to homestead, bringing Mina's daughter, Margaret with them.
This photo is of their farm after returning in 1906.
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