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Archiver > CAN-SASKATCHEWAN > 2000-07 > 0964282158


From: "Terrance Jestin" <>
Subject: Re: [Can-Sask] North Portal Border Crossing Records
Date: Sat, 22 Jul 2000 09:09:18 -0700


Bev, Listers,

Bev has seen these records of the border crossings. They are extemely hard
to deal with as every one must be examined. The eyestrain also hard to deal
with. My eyes tire easily when reading detailed records. There were many
other crossing points as well across CANADA.

The particular ones I ordered are the North Portal records which is a
railroad crossing. The years included are 1909, 1910 and year 1911. It seems
that a lot of travellers are heading into Alberta at this time especially
northern and central points. Examples are Castor , Stettler, Olds and
Carmengay. Others are going to the larger centers of Calgary and Medicine
Hat and Edmonton. Maybe they went to smaller centers using Calgary as a
transfer point? There are coach passengers too.

Saskatchewan destination points seem to be mostly in the south and central?
Popular destination points are Towns of: Gull Lake, Seven Persons (where
is that?), Webb, Elbow, Yellow Grass, Maple Creek, Drinkwater, Hawarden and
Herbert. Of course bigger points are there as well: Weyburn and
Estevan.............but the surprise to me is the lack of northern point
destinations?? My nearest destination point is the Town of Watson,
Saskatchewan- but I have not found a single person travelling there??
Could there be a railroad transfer point ? A few for Prince Albert and two
for Quill Lake and one for Saskatoon (population in those days was very
small - six hundred people?), one person travelling to Humboldt,
Saskatchewan??..................An interesting question asked the settlers
was how much money they had with them??..............Some had lots of money
for those days............a complete line of farm equipment cost under $
1000 including horses.............Some people had three thousand dollars or
more with them ...............Most had three hundred or $500 ...........Some
had only $100............

I can not promise to find anybody's folks as it it so hard to find my own
folks, and my time is so limited as the microfilms must go back soon to the
National Archives- I was on holidays when they arrived so have little time
to examine them.........It would be easy to miss a name as
well.............I am using the destination column first ignoring the other
destinations- then going to the actual name......People were often
travelling as a family group with their children, and others helping them to
move, I guess? Or maybe they were coming with friends to CANADA to take a
look around and check out the land available and the possibilty of
immigration to Canada for friends or other family etc. - maybe they actually
moved a year or two later when they had sold all their actual personal
items and the land , or house they owned in the
USA??...................virtually all people (males) were listed as
"farmers" .......in my own family one ggrandfather was a bar
owner........so it will be interesting to see if he to was listed as a
farmer as well (he was not a farmer as far as I know)..............lots of
Scandinavian names, Russian , Ukrainian and German names there.............

...........tj...........bye............

..............tj.............
----- Original Message -----
From: Beverley Gutenberg <>
To: <>
Sent: Saturday, July 22, 2000 6:08 AM
Subject: Re: [Can-Sask] North Portal Border Crossing Records


> Last summer I went through one reel of Border crossings and
> I can attest to the difficulties in searchig them, had to
> take several breaks because I almost fell asleep a couple of
> times in the darkened viewing room. I was just going to quit
> when I achieved success. Looking at the destination, if
> known, is easier than looking at the names. In my case the
> destination was Leader but I knew the first name of Leader
> was Prussia. The lirarian at the SGS says the ship lists are
> the last things you look at and Border crossings would be
> the second last thing.
> Beverley Gutenberg in Saskatoon
>
>
>
>
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