27
Andrew Jackson Ray Jr. as a child.Andrew was born in the USA on July 6, 1902.
This photo was taken in 1903, in Calgary, after he moved to Lamerton with his family.
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THE THOMAS FAMILYAndrew Thomas was born in upper New York state in 1844.
His wife, Martha Patterson was born in Ireland, moving to Ontario with her family when she was four.
They were married in 1867. They had twelve children; eight were born in New York, one in Michigan and three in Minnesota.
They moved from New York to Minnesota in 1879 - 1880.
In 1902 they moved to Lamerton with three sons and one daughter.
In 1906 the youngest son, George, had a homestead north of Castor, returning in 1909 to Lamerton to start the Thomas and Son general store.
They moved the building and the business to Mirror when Mirror started up.
Their store burned down early in 1920, in the fire that burned down all the buildings east of this same block.
George was the last postmaster in Lamerton and the first one in Mirror. He was also the Mayor of Mirror for a term in the 1920's
In 1913 he married his long-time friend Zella Ray and they had three children, Ray, Guy and Bonnie.
In the 1930's, George and Zella Thomas started the Thomas and Co. Red and White Store.
29
Outside the Lamerton General Store1908
Lamerton, Alberta
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The front of the Thomas and Son store in Lamerton, around 1908.Andrew and his son George opened this store in the early 1900's. They put the building on some sleighs and moved it to the new townsite of Mirror. It was one of the earliest businesses in Mirror.
The store, which was also a post office, was temporarily located north of the present park in Mirror, then moved to it's permanent location on Main Street.
It burned down in the fire of 1920.
31
Inside the Lamerton General Store1908
Lamerton, Alberta
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The inside of the Thomas and Son store in Lamerton.33
Inside the Lamerton General Store again1908
Lamerton, Alberta
34
Another shot of the inside of the store. |
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