106 Second Avenue - Swayze House

Image from Google Street View 2014

The Swayze House written by Fletch Manning in January 2012

This stately old house has had three significant names in its lifetime, as people in small towns are prone to name. These names have been: (a) the Guthrie house, (b) the McMurchy house and (c) the Swayze house.

William R. Guthrie was born in 1836 and was a shoemaker by trade. He came west in 1882 to work on the new C. P. R. and settled north of Reston in the Lanark district. His family from Ontario joined him in 1884. In 1905, William built a larger brick house which today is the home of Ted and Sandra Zarn. Virden Brick Co., founded in 1890, supplied bricks for many of the new settlers.

William died in 1909 and his son James Wilborn Guthrie carried on with his father’s farm but that same year purchased Lots 1 and 2 in Reston. As of 1906, this property was owned by Mr. R. R. Paul. The new attractive brick house he built was almost a twin of his former home in Lanark. This Guthrie was known locally as J.W.

J.W.‘s sister Ellen had married Mr. T.A. Bulloch and lived across the road (street) from J.W.  These two men partnershipped "Guthrie and Bulloch" business, whose original building still stands on Main Street in Reston, just north of the Bank of Montreal. Larry and Veda Robinson carried on Larry’s grandfather's business in this same office.

Following the death of J.W. and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner and family bought the house. It was war time and rooms were rented out in the upper storey.

In 1944, Mr. and Mrs. Ernie McCartney bought the home. Mr. McCartney had moved to Reston, having been hired by Cecil Paddock (Paddy). Paddy had a new business "The Reston Creamery". This business was located south of the tracks in the former C.C. Campbell & Son Seed House which was originally the C.P.R. Roundhouse. The round house is now a distinguished landmark in Manitoba history. Mr. McCartney was appointed by the municipality as constable. He was respected and also playfully referred to as sheriff or Two- gun.

In 1947, Mr. Duncan McMurchy and wife Mary, who farmed south of Reston in the Dublin district, bought the house. Duncan died in 1953 and Mary in 1972. In 1957, the municipality hired Clarence Swayze as municipal foreman. Clarence and his wife Peggy and children Wayne, Wanda and Clark lived in the municipal-owned house on 1st Street, on the now site of Murray Cowan’s home. In 1971, Clarence and Peggy bought the McMurchy house and now it was the Swayze house.

After retirement Clarence meticulously redid every room on three levels of their home. The property has always been well tended (and still is). Clarence died in July of 1988. Peggy lived alone before moving to Winnipeg where her son Clark lives. Wayne lives in Moose Jaw. Daughter Wanda (Mrs. Murray Cowan) passed away in July 2007. The boys still attend to the upkeep of their beautiful old home.