Lies About The County Court

This 110 year old building really demonstrates what I love about living in Reston.  I have lived here over 3 decades and aside for a few days in 2009, it has never been occupied.  I believe it is owned by the RM of Pipestone and it is left to stand, drawing curiosity.  At one point, I may or may not have told my children it was a jail for kids😉.

The County Clerk building was the subject of two different articles in the Reston Recorder in 2004.  One was written by Fletch Manning and the other was David Braddell's work.  There is also information in the Trails Along the Pipestone history book on page 451 and Nancy Schiltroth was helpful as always. Thanks to them, here's what I know today.  

Dr Alva Burton Chapman - approx 1950
Photo loaned from Olenick collection

It was built for Dr. Alva Chapman in September of 1910 after being asked by government authorities to find a place to accommodate a County Court. Fletch's article says leftover bricks from a supply used to build the CPR Round House were used. It sit behind his original drugstore built three years earlier along Second Avenue. A brick building with two windows, one door and a tin roof that holds only a large metal walk in vault which has never been removed because of its weight. The original purpose seems to mainly used to record mortgages and bills of sale. Clerks also assisted with applications for Canadian citizenship. Dr. Chapman rented it to the provincial government for $15 a month and that amount never changed in over 50 years. The building was never wired for electricity or hooked to town water and sewer. A small wood and coal heater supplied some heat when needed. The outside door had a lock to which only Dr. Chapman knew the combination and so most of the time it remain unlocked. The reason being Dr. Chapman once locked the door and left for several days and no one could get in.

The first clerk to work in it was Isaac Grayson Mossop (1864-1933).  He arrived in Canada from England in 1886 and came west to farm, and have a family of 4 or 5 children with his wife, Jessie Ann Rintoul at the turn of the century. The family are in Strathcona, Alberta in the 1906 Census, but the couple seem to have parted ways shortly after.  Ike later returned to Reston with his bride of 1911, Elizabeth Sinclair.  They can be found on the 1921 Canadian census with their three children, Hazel Elizabeth, Ethel May and William Gavin living on the east outskirts of Reston on 9th street where Reimer's house is now.  His brothers John and Anthony, and sisters Mary Alice and Agnes farmed in the area, and Issac farmed NE 36-7-28 in the Hillview district north of Reston, as well as working in the County Clerk building.   

The second clerk was Frank Manning (1870-1945) editor of the Reston Recorder. His office was located right beside this one (where the Drop Inn is now) and he no doubt became the clerk out of convenience. After his death he was succeeded by his daughter Helen (Manning) Ready(1902-1993) who was the last in the position. It was a part-time job for the last two, but Mrs. Ready recalled the poor pay connected with it and felt Ike Mossop must have made a very poor living. The clerk was apparently paid only through fees.

According to this link, the County Courts were to be held in each county of Manitoba six times each year. It seems this was not for criminal charges but mortgages, bills of sale, and property dispute cases that required official rulings.  Judge Arthur Gordon Buckingham and Judge Stephen Emmett Clement were two of the men who served in this position. Court was held in Berry Hall beside the Berry Hardware and later in the Masonic Hall. A bailiff was appointed to serve papers for cases, Ernest H. Edwards and later James Forbes were two who filled this role. Fletch says the latter resigned when he was asked to serve papers or foreclosures on friends or neighbours during tough times.  It was due to an amalgamation of the land titles office in Western Manitoba that the building was no longer needed. In 1960 stacks of old papers and documents were moved to Virden and Brandon. 

The next 60 years have seen only sporadic uses for the building.  The story of pharmacist Wayne Morrow (1937-2004) raising chinchillas in the building got me doing some serious searching. This ad was found in a January 1966 edition of the Brandon Sun.  I've found it takes over 100 pelts to make a coat and the animals were native to the South American mountains.  Extinct in the wild, they are now exclusively raised for fur or pets. The coats, hats, and linings are dark blue gray with stripes of darker and lighter variegations. Fur was very popular in the 1950's and 60's but Fletch reported in her article that the Morrow venture didn't last long.   Yes, Amazon really does sell everything as you can buy a chinchilla coat here.   Scandinavik Fur's website shows a huge variety of styles in outrageous prices.  Well, outrageous for a retired teacher at least. Randy remembers a Jobbins Mink Farm on the outside of Melita. 

Reston Drugs used the space as a Christmas Toy Shop in 1977.  Finally, I recall the Registration Office for the RM of Pipestone's 125th celebration being in this building in 2009. 

A message to my boys, it was never a jail for kids. That was the only little white lie I told you when you were small.  Really.