Material Type

Recording

Date Range

1979

Fonds

Pioneer Researchers Association Oral History Project

Creator

Pioneer Researchers Association

Physical Description

2 cassette tapes; digital copy

Physical Condition

Excellent

Acquisition Source

Pioneer Researchers

Scope and Content

Tape 1 Side A - Explains how he got the nickname "Bud". - Biographical information: Father - Harold A was born in Quebec in 1886 and circa 1906 he came west. Harold opened a grocery store at 317 6th Street South, and later opened stores at 543 13th Str S and 902 7th Ave S. His mother's maiden name was Hamilton. - Harold died in 1927 and all but the store on 6th Street closed. It was managed by the estate until Bud purchased it in 1936. - Description of area between 1 st - 3rd Aves South west of Gait Garden. - MacKay family information: owners of Western Canada Hardware. - Continue description of downtown area: Chinatown, Brewery area, Red light district located on 4th Str between 3rd and 4th Aves (property owners included McBride and Walter Backman). Bud owned the smoke shop in the Marquis Hotel where McBride and Backman would purchase cigarettes for the girls, and at the same time check the hotel for potential customers. - Continue description of downtown area: The OK Laundry, and a restaurant run by Mrs Ella Dunn and her sister (2 Black women). - Entertainment: Dumbells, minstrel shows, wrestling matches at Majestic Theatre. Describes the match between Ernie Arthur and Bahsemis (?). - Names Lethbridge wholesale companies. The only jobs women had were as stenographers or clerks in the dry goods section. - Banking information: cheques had postage stamps on them. Junior clerks were poorly paid and often lived above the bank or at the YMCA. - YMCA: Mrs MacLean ran the boarding rooms and the dining room. - Depression: relief, employment, property losses because taxes could not be paid. He mentions that there were few marriages because of the economic situation. SideB - Municipal government: local businessmen had more influence; Mayor Hardie was a good business man and often met with opposition (Hardies lived across from the McKillops); north and south side conflicts. - YMCA: He started going to the Y library at age 6, and joined as a member when he was 8. Names some of the instructors. Activities included bowling, billiards, track. There was a dining room on the 2nd floor and boarding rooms on the third and fourth floors. Building was demolished in 1972 or 1973. - Public library. - Yates family and Yates Memorial Centre. - School days: he attended kindergarten, then Central School. - Description of RCMP barracks. - Students gave a performance during Prince Edward's visit. - Continue school days. Boys and girls received separate instruction in grade 7. He doesn't recall there being much homework, but school room instruction was hard. School sports included baseball, football (Westminster School had the best team), girls and boys basketball, physical training taught by George McKillop, school cadets. Following grade school he attended Immanuel Training High School. Names some teachers. Graduated in 1928 and went on to commercial college to take clerical and bookkeeping. Almost all students took music instruction. There was little dating in school and youth activities included skating, hockey, tobogganing, curling, YMCA, picnicing, baseball, swimming at Henderson. Tape 2 Side A - Continue entertainment. Description of Henderson. Aquatic Club met there to boat and sail. - Henderson Golf Course (first clubhouse was originally the RCMP boathouse). The course had 9 holes and sand greens, later expanded to 14 holes. South Parkside Drive use to run through the course. Bud started golfing at age 8. Membership fees were $5/year for students and$10/year for adults. Country Club information: members planted the trees. - Continue entertainment: families attended talks, Dumbells, Rotarian minstrel shows, and Chautauqua. Another well attended event was the high school debating competitions. - Armistice Day Ball: held at the Masonic Lodge, Whittaker's Orchestra played, and Mrs MacLean catered the food. - Old Timer's Ball: Mr Sick donated beer. - Lethbridge Brewery: short history. During prohibition they produced low alcohol beer and pop. When the United States prohibition was in effect, many Lethbridge residents ran liquor. SideB - Continue brewery. Expansion and moving the head office to Seattle. - Dr. Rivers family: First jail warden. 2 sons - Earl and Sainty. Earl taught school in Milk River until his death. - Provincial Jail. Self suffient - grew crops and produce, raised livestock. - Religion: McKillop's attended Knox Presbyterian. The pews were numbered and assigned to the members. Their family had pew 23. At 17 he joined the Knox Big Brothers, a discussion group presided over by the minister. Methodist and Presyterian union: congregation was torn over it and some of members broke away and formed their own church. The church funds were divided between the two groups. His father lost about 80 customers when he voted in favour of the union. Bud feels the union was positive. RH Bennett, Twin Butte, donated $10,000 towards the expansion of the Sunday school and Buchanan donated money towards the building of the chapel. - Lethbridge Herald: he was a carrier, names other employees. - Prejudice: Chinese were called "Yellow Perils" and segregated. Later the central European laborers, "Bohunks", and Japanese were targeted. He recalls the living conditions the Japanese faced upon their arrival. - Japanese Garden.

Access Restrictions

Public Access

Accession No.

19921008034

Collection

Archive

Less detail