More Grand Trunk Pacific and Yellowhead Pass Photos

Here are a few of the photos that I've posted before, but since the diary seems to be mentioning some of these events, I'm putting them up again. Comments are welcome!!



[caption id="attachment_343" align="aligncenter" width="188"] Clem is above the sign wearing a hat[/caption]



[caption id="attachment_379" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Some of these men must be the "Steve" or the "Cullerne" referenced in the diary[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_479" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Modern day Entwistle, AB, the Diamond Capital of Canada[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_621" align="aligncenter" width="170"] Jordan Spreader, possibley very much like the one used in construction of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad[/caption]

Lest We Forget May 10, 11 and 12, 1913 and Yellowhead Pass

Clem gets some good news later this weekend, late though it is!


LEST WE FORGET

Saturday, May 10, 1913

Weather fine and warm

first summer weather we have had in Edmonton.

I did not receive the pass yet I guess there is nothing doing

I did nothing but hang around town

Harry did not come in yet




Sunday, May 11, 1913

Ah Ah good news

this morning A E Came in and told me the job was good. Pass was sent on Tues but did not reach here over to come down tomorrow

A. E. gave me one in case the other one does not come.

A. E. left on the 10 oc train with Harry MacC.





Monday, May 12, 1913

Weather fine and warm I started about 10 oclock to get ready for to go to Yellowhead Pass

start on a bridge gang

after dinner I went with Dank MacDonald to see if he could not get on a bridge gang or the C. M but no chance

we cane back and I bough [sic] all the things I wanted and left for Yellowhead Pass



Below is a photo taken around 1950, many years after my grandfather's time with the Grand Trunk Pacific. There is at least one picture from his album that I'll post tomorrow that might very well be the bridge this train is crossing. Yellowhead Pass is on the border of Alberta and British Columbia. I also have a picture I'll post tomorrow of the crew standing around a large "billboard" somewhere in Jasper Park, the location of Yellowhead Pass.

[caption id="attachment_1020" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Courtesy of the British Columbia Archives Collection, Image H-02911[/caption]

Lest We Forget May 1, 2 and 3, 1913

Just a reminder as these diary posts go up to the blog. The diary was written during the year 1913, one hundred years ago. Since this is the 100th "anniversary" of the diary, I wanted to post one a day as the year went on. But, as always happens, life gets in the way! That's not necessarily a bad thing, but life does get in the way!

At any rate, I wanted everyone to also understand that Clem's handwriting and spelling skills leave a lot to be desired. There are many words that I try to figure out based on context. I'm probably right about half the time. As to various locations, I frequently resort to Google or Google maps. Also, this is a "transcription" meaning that I try to stick to "WYSIWYG" or "What you see is what you get". I write what he wrote, what I see on the pages, warts and all! Capitalization, punctuation...who needs it!

I've found a few pictures that are in the public domain which means I can save them to my hard drive and post them. I haven't found a picture of 1913 Edmonton, but 2013 is a large, major, thriving city in Alberta. What would Clem think of it today? For that matter what would anyone from the early 20th century think of flat screen TV's, smartphones, hybrid cars. Actually, when you think about it, you could buy and electric car in 1913...

Back to the diary. Here are 3 more days in May of 1913.

Thursday, May 1, 1913

Donald and I did not get up till 10 30 this morning. We met K & J at 12 00 had dinner. Donald bought a ticket for Moose Jaw he is going down to work on the CPR
he left at 10 oc to night we all went to [-?-] to see him off

Friday, May 2, 1913

I was al (sic) alone in town to day K & J were working all day. I met Henry at 11 oc this morning. he left town tonight but coming back sunday I may get work then
weather fine and warm

Saturday, May 3, 1913

Weather cold with a little snow fall in the afternoon
K & J work in the morning but lazed of this afternoon.
We three play pool all afternoon.
There was nothing this evening so we went home early
I met Jim and Donald from Lancaster tonight.

[caption id="attachment_985" align="aligncenter" width="228"] Thursday, May 1, 1913
Still nothing going on![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_986" align="aligncenter" width="239"] Friday, May 2, 1913[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_987" align="aligncenter" width="220"] Saturday, May 3, 1913[/caption]

Photos from Clem Dickson's Grand Trunk Pacific Album

Unfortunately, there are no notes to go with these pictures and they are GLUED into the pages of the album. So I can't even see if he wrote on the backs of any of them. And that's why some are shown 4 to a page...I don't want to just rip them out.

I can identify my grandfather, Clem Dickson, in some of them. He is always pictured wearing hat but I don't see him in any of these. In one of the shots, he's reading the paper and in others he's standing with his co-workers. Tomorrow, I'll post the one showing the bear that they chained to a large crate. The camp "mascot" maybe??

Here are 4 of the 22 which I'll post over the next few days.

Lest We Forget April 22, 23 and 24, 1913

Lest We Forget

Tuesday, April 22, 1913

Weather very wind (sic) with a little rain
it was bad to work with the sand blowing
did not go out all day

Wednesday, April 23, 1913

This morning Cull came at 6 ocl and told me I had just a hour to get ready to go with Franks outfit to the brand.
In the hour I had my time and ready for Edmonton
arr Ed. at 5 30 and got a room [Clora st.]

Thursday, April 24, 1913 [NOTE: 65 years later, my first son, Matthew, was born!!]

All day in town with Johnson and Kenzie both broke
we [past?] around all day the evening we went to a show call the Prince of Pilsum [?] a very good play

Lest We Forget April 16, 17 and 18, 1913

The following are the next three days as recorded by my grandfather, Clement Alexis Dickson, as he worked on the construction of the Grand Truck Pacific Railway in western Canada. After reading these pages, I'm beginning to wonder how hard this job really was! Playing ball, staying in the car all day, going to "the show"...







Wednesday, April 16, 1913

I went up the branch with Bill Bob & Gordon to measure a pit it took us about 1/2 hour
We left at 9 oclock and got back at 12 just in time for dinner. 20 miles
In the afternoon we lazed around the car In the evening we all went up to do again nothing

Thursday, April 17, 1913

Weather a little cold
I did not work. I was to go out with [-?-] but Cullerne did not tell me so I did not go out at all stayed in the car all day with Election all over now.
Cross elected in Edson 173 to 128

Friday, April 18, 1913

Weather fine and warm nothing all day we stay in Frank outfit all day Cullerne pretty sore because I did not go out to work. He did not speak to me all day He told me about 11 oclock the (sic) we would go west to do more

Lest We Forget April 13, 14 and 15, 1913

I'm hoping to get caught up before the end of the year! So, beginning with this post, I'll put up 3 days at a time.

Sunday, April 13, 1913

Our day of rest started in early this morning with the washing to finish in time for the games of ball.
Stan came down from the front
We all had a big time all after noon.
I wrote to C. B. D.

Monday, April 14, 1913

We all stayed in the car all day. We should have gone west but Cullerne changed his mind
Weather was fine a little east wind.
After supper we all went out and played ball till dark.

Tuesday, April 15, 1913

Today was the same no work all day weather fine We have nothing to do but eat three meals a day. The boys all went to the show I stayed and wrote letters.

Well, that's it for these three days...not much going on once the "washing" was done! At least it's not the dead of winter. Who would want to sit in a freezing "car" all day with no work to do. At least early spring in that part of Canada must have been breathtaking! All I have are black and white photos which I've posted a while ago, but maybe I'll do a separate post to put them up again. You'll just have to use your imagination to add the color!

Lest We Forget---Sunday, March 30, 1913

Well, it's Sunday and there's no word about "the wash"...

All night on the train arr. at Edson at 8 Oclock had breakfast at Frank's outfit. Then we fooled around all day.

Kinzie and I took a little walk but there was too much wind to go far


[caption id="attachment_853" align="aligncenter" width="229"] Too windy to walk![/caption]

Lest We Forget---Saturday, March 29, 1913

A little time to relax maybe??

We got up at 7 Oclock had breakfast the first thing was to have a game of pool, Then we went over to the High Level Bridge for to see Jim but I could not get. I left word to meet him at the Windor Hotel but he did not show up Left Edmonton at 12.15 for Edson train was late

[caption id="attachment_850" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Back to Edson[/caption]

Leaving Entwistle, Monday, March 17, 1913

Monday, March 17, 1913
"Lest We Forget"

Left Entwistle at 9:31
had dinner at Gainsford
and left for Wabamun
arrived at 4:20 20 miles
It snowed all day. I had
to pull the spreader just
a few miles

[caption id="attachment_783" align="alignleft" width="255"] Mentions Gainsford and Wabamun[/caption][caption id="attachment_791" align="alignright" width="300"] Wabamun Park, Alberta[/caption]

"Lest We Forget" Sunday, March16, 1913---Not much going on!

Still snowing I stay
at Birts' all day and
read nearly all day
too much snow to
work. It cleared up at
4 oc. got colder.

[caption id="attachment_785" align="aligncenter" width="252"] "Still snowing"[/caption]

Not much going on because of the storm. We all know that Clem wrote in the diary every day, but I wonder what he was reading? The bible? I know he was a reasonably strong Catholic. The newspapers? Were there any available out in the boondocks where they were building the Grand Trunk Pacific? Did they bring books with them for days like this? We'll never know!

Saturday, March 15, 1913: Big Storm!

[caption id="attachment_777" align="alignleft" width="236"] Big Storm![/caption]


Saturday, March 15, 1913

"Lest We Forget"

Last night a big snow
storm snowed all night
and all day I left Lea. [Leaman, where he went on Friday]
for Jenkins at 8 oc
arrived at Jenkins
at 11:30 I had to pull
the spreader about 8 miles
had dinner at Jenkins
and left for Entwistle
arrived at Ent. at 4:31
had to pull the spreader [-?-]
all the way 10 miles

Well, I hope there are no "big snow storms" in our forecast!

When he says "I had to pull the spreader", I imagine he's pulling it with some kind of motorized rail car. From what I think a spreader does and how big it must be, I can't believe that a man was required to just throw a rope around it and tug it up the line for 8 or 10 miles!

Warmer Weather, Thursday, March 13, 1913

Weather much warmer sun was out nearly all day. We did a little work
Juno and I went to the paint shop and got some paint and get ready to start for Edmonton on a spreader to paint the benches. Juno was to go but Cullerne changed his mind and sent me first trip

[caption id="attachment_739" align="aligncenter" width="246"] Paint the benches...[/caption]

Dark, cloudie and cold...Tuesday, March 11, 1913

[caption id="attachment_745" align="alignleft" width="238"] Today was dark and cloudie[/caption]

Today was dark cloudie and cold with a little snow fall. Cullerne and I in the car all alone. We did nothing all morning
In the afternoon I copied a few notes. After supper Arthur came over too the car to fix his album
staz till 9:30 then I went to bed.

I don't know about you, but it seems that there are a lot of days when they "stay in the car all day". How did they ever build the Grand Truck Pacific Railway? I imagine that things will pick up as we move into the spring.

A little warmer today! Friday, March 7, 1913

Friday, March 7, 1913
"Lest We Forget"

[caption id="attachment_741" align="alignright" width="263"] "Weather a little colder"[/caption]

Weather a little colder
Cullerne Lee and I went out in the afternoon and levels for a ditch west of bridge about 1 1/2 Got through about 4:30 PM
Cullerne took the level to town to get it fixed

"Lest We Forget" Thursday, March 6, 1913

Wow! Am I behind! I'm going to get this up to date tonight...I hope!

[caption id="attachment_712" align="alignleft" width="217"] "Weather fine and warm..."[/caption]

Lest We Forget, Thursday, March 6, 1913:

Weather fine and warm. We three all stayed in the car all day. Cullerne did a little work in the office with Walton in Edmon[ton] After supper we went uptown to play pool. Art [?] Walton went home and I

"Lest We Forget" March 5, 1913

[caption id="attachment_711" align="alignleft" width="225"] "Got up at 6:30..."[/caption]

March 5, 1913
"Lest We Forget"

Got up at 6:30 and got ready to work. Cullerne went to the office and didn't get back till nine and told us that Arthur was coming out with us. We all had dinner out. Arthur was about all in. We got back about 6:31 Weather a little dark and cloudie

Jim's [?] letter [ ] a letter from Agatha and a card from C B L A

Help! If anyone can make out the last 2 lines, I'd appreciate it!

By the way...it's 11:25 AM and we've barely gotten a snowflake! The news is showing video from areas not too far from here with upp to a foot of the white stuff... I hope that's the story for the rest of the day because I'm on my way out to a genealogy workshop to help some "beginners" find their families.

"...and the level was out of order..." March 4, 1913

[caption id="attachment_710" align="alignleft" width="240"] "...and the level was out of order..."[/caption]

We started to work Cullerne Lee and I got out in the field and the level was out of order and we had to come back to the car in the afternoon we had Louis come out with us and we made him help us. at night he was pretty tired of the job we got home about 6 oclock weather fine and warm

Realizing that my grandfather was no big fan of punctuation, this entry has to be read a few times to figure out where the periods and commas should be. One of the sentences ends with a period, which helps. Initially, I was concerned that we wouldn't get a weather report but after "translating" the last few words, it's there!

Monday, March 3, 1913

"Lest We Forget"



Weather very warm thawed all day. In the afternoon we all went to work on a drain. Walton, Cullerne, Arthur, Davis and myself work all afternoon got home at 6:30 feeling very hungry

Sunday, March 2, 1913

[caption id="attachment_727" align="alignleft" width="225"] Near Edmonton, Alberta, Lest We Forget Sunday, March 2, 1913[/caption]

Weather dark and cloudy all day but warm. I was all alone in the car all day. I started to wash about 9 oclock and finished about 3 oclock

After that I work on my album till supper time

After that Arthur and I went to church

And here's another shot from "The Album"...by the way, this is the first time he mentions the album, which I assume is the photo album that contains the pictures that I've been putting up here occasionally.