Reston Motors - A Once Bustling Spot on Main Street

From Trails Along the Pipestone page 474
Jack Cuthill on the left, Dr. Chapman in the middle, Alf Archer on the right (thanks Helen)

Reston has had many retail and repair businesses since the automobile arrived in town in the Teens.  McMurchy Garage and Waddy’s Auto Service have previously been covered but today I’d like to look at Reston Motors. 

It was located on the lot between the present day library and the Anglican Church - now the home of Scott and Vanessa Bertholet.  The land was sold to a William Raynor in 1905 for $100 by storekeeper G.S. Munro. Raynor sold to the Eaton brothers - Leslie and Melvin - in 1917 to upsize a machine shop they had previously established up the street.  Raynor's speculation in the young town of Reston paid off with a $700 profit on the lot by holding on to it for 12 years!  Leslie Whitmer Eaton had trained as a machinist and would have likely come to Reston with work on the CPR. This occupation repairs machines of all types often by making the parts needed, not ordering them from another manufacturer or distributor. This photo of Leslie with a jaunty pipe was posted by user Jessie_AR  on Ancestry and was taken in about 1912.  

He married Emma Elizabeth Kenspeer in Winnipeg in 1902. The couple had 3 children - Clive, Harry and Violet. Luckily for us historians, Leslie took an interest in photography and the Winnipeg Photo Company (1908-11) is the source for many wonderful street scene postcards that tell the stories in this blog.  Despite its urban name, the company practiced its trade in this corner of Manitoba and just into Saskatchewan with portraits and outdoor scenes. The times were changing and more personal cameras meant less need for a professional photographer but the automobile was flourishing and they needed repair. Melvin Eaton left the partnership and in 1921, Ernest H Edwards became involved in the office side while Leslie Eaton did the mechanics.  (Edwards also served as a bailiff for cases as was discovered while researching the County Court building.)  Machines of all kinds were in their trade - cars, tractors, threshing machines and gasoline engines. Leslie Eaton died in 1923 and Dr. A.B. Chapman and some investors took over the garage. 

In the 20's John Cuthill (1896 - 1965) began working in this building which he would later own. John - known as Jack - was born in Kingskettle, Fife, Scotland.  He served as a member of the Scottish Black Watch Regiment in WW1 and joined his immigrant parents in Canada after the war. On the 1921 Census, he was living on 2-7-27 W1 the eldest son of parents Andrew and Caroline Cuthill (married in Reston, Scotland) with brothers Thomas and Andrew.  Rather than farming this spot between Reston and Pipestone, his future was in machines. He married Mable Marion Pierce in 1932 who was the second daughter of Thomas and Helen Pierce of the Kinloss district. Jack and Mabel had two children Helen (later Buhay) and Allen.  Jack Cuthill and his brother Thomas provided violin music for dances and other social affairs in the area. As a citizen of Reston, Jack was active in the Masons and Legion and was chief of the fire brigade. He also administered vehicle driving tests as one of my readers passed hers with him as the supervisor. If you were his daughter however, the RCMP gave you the test to be sure no one thought you weren’t capable! 😉

Gas pumps were installed out front of Reston Garage and Machine Shop in 1928. In 1937, the business was remodeled and a showroom for new Pontiac cars was added. A variety of lines of passenger vehicles and farm machinery were carried over the decades. The business became known simply as Reston Motors. Reston’s first car wash was another part of the business and it was reportedly a very busy spot on Main Street. 

Ad from Kinloss Cookbook 1959

Lloyd Armstrong was born in Rapid City and was raised by his grandmother Adeline Armstrong, after the death of his mother. They moved to Reston and he served in WW1 from 1917-19. Lloyd worked his was up to the rank of Sergeant using his mechanical skills in the CASC - Canadian Army Service Corps in the Training Depots in England and France. On his return, he was a mechanic in Reston at the Townsley Garage and for Ross McNicol. He married Mary Somerville Guthrie in 1920 and they had a son Murray and two daughters, Clair (later Deacon) and Beth (later Wilby). He became a partner in Reston Motors in 1942 with Jack Cuthill and left in the early 1960’s after many years together. Lloyd was a community man as well, contributing his time to the school board, Masons and Legion.

Jack Cuthill passed away in 1965 and Mabel ran it for another year. In 1966, the business closed and was demolished shortly after.  

Parade heading south on Main Street in 1964 includes Reston Motors to the right of the Esso sign.
Source -  S.J. McKee Archives at Brandon University

End of an Era but a New Beginning

The announcement of a new golf course clubhouse in Reston for the 2022 season got me wondering about the history of the present building at the far west side of town. It has a long history in Reston and before that in Souris. There is no doubt that it has served its purpose and we need to make way for future needs at our new recreational space and golf course. This is the story I have today but I would appreciate any other details or pictures that my readers may have to fill in the story.

Before becoming the golf clubhouse, the building was home to the local Legion. Legions began as informal community groups to help returned veterans from World War One and their families.  The Soldier Settlement Board helped returned veterans set up farms with land grants, low interest loans and ongoing support for new farmers and their wives. The Canadian Legion  B.E.S.L. (British Empire Service League) was founded in Winnipeg in 1925.  Advocating for the needs of veterans was a main goal until the Second World War broke out when parcels for the soldiers overseas became a focus.  As they returned home, continued help for readjusting and support was more important than ever.   The VLA - Veterans' Land Act - was passed in 1942 to assist with housing and beginning farming careers.  

In about 1940, a legion charter was granted to Sinclair, Reston and Pipestone as all one branch - The Elizabeth Branch No 106.  Due to gas rationing, it was decided to split into 3 branches to avoid travelling for meetings. After WW2, Reston veterans met in Mennie Hall (aka Jackson Hall) on the corner of First Avenue and Fourth Street.  The Masonic Hall basement was also used for social gatherings and meetings.  In 1947, the group purchased the post office and guard house from the former base for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan at Souris.  From March 1943 - March 1945, Souris was home to #17 Service Flying Training School.  The building was split to accommodate a Legion Hall for Reston and one for Pipestone.  This second building is today the Drop In in Pipestone beside the Community Centre.  Reston Legion held their first meeting in their new space in December of 1948.  The first location for the building has been noted as north of the Memorial Park and if anyone can help with a more precise spot, please contact me at ssimms@escape.ca 

For unknown reasons, it was relocated to the corner of Sixth Street and First Avenue in 1956.  Many meetings and social events were held within its walls there over the next almost 4 decades.  Weekly Bingos in the Legion Hall were held for many years spring to fall as a fundraiser and social event.  The membership grew older and smaller and upkeep on the building became too much.  The building was once again loaded up and moved in June of 1994 to become the clubhouse at the Reston Golf Course.  The Legion continued to meet for a few more years after this time until it ceased to operate in Reston in the early 2000's.  Glen and Eleanor Henderson built their home on the former Legion site. 

June 1994 -Photo of relocation of Legion building from collection of John and Verna Olenick.

I believe it is Terry and Chuck Mayert supervising the move in this picture. 

Women had an important place in the Legion too and the the first women's auxiliary meeting was held in October of 1939 in Cusack's Hall, now the Panda Cafe. Ladies from Sinclair, Pipestone, Ebor and Reston joined to form a group dedicated to "Service and Comradeship". During WW2, a money belt was sent to each local boy overseas and they sent packages including such items as cake, gum, candy, cigarettes and chocolate bars. Red Cross work like making quilts, knitting socks, bereavement support, welcoming committees and war bride support were taken on by the group. Money was raised and given to needy locals as well as country wide veteran needs.

 

Most of my Historic Reston posts include research on a person or two instrumental to the building's history and their families. This one is different.  So many people would have been vital over the years in running the Legion and the Ladies' Auxiliary, upkeep on the building, organizing events and honouring the fallen during remembrance services.  As in war, each person had his role and the collective efforts went toward the community's benefit. I hope the new golf clubhouse will rise with the same spirit and pride.

Reston United Church

Postcard from Peel's Prairie Provinces taken about 1910

Today is the final post in my churches of Reston series along with The Baptist, Anglican and Methodist buildings.  Thanks to a little gold booklet bought at our second hand store - Hidden Treasures - I have a lot of early information about the Reston United Church. The booklet was written to mark its 60th Anniversary in 1963.  The 2 RM of Pipestone history books are a huge help as always as well. 

Opening day of the impressive Presbyterian brick structure was Sunday February 1, 1903 with both a morning and evening church service. The following evening, the ladies of the congregation served a supper meal in the basement -“ the tables groaning under the load of good things “. The meal was followed by a lecture and choir music upstairs. The building is described as solid brick with a stone foundation with seating for over 200. It boasted gasoline lighting and stylish furnishings at a building cost of $5000, with only 300-400 dollars owing in 1903.

The Presbyterian Church in Manitoba originated from the Scottish immigrants and HBC employees. United Empire Loyalists moving from the east and new immigrants swelled the ranks. Morally and socially, they were attempting to meet the challenges in the advocation of prohibition, the nurturing of overseas missions, advancing Sunday schools, and the cultivation of new immigrants into good Canadian citizens.

The Reston townspeople declared their religion on the 1916 Canadian census and I tallied the responses below. Many more parishioners lived on the farms surrounding the town who are not included.  Although they identify as that religion, they may not have attended or supported the local church but these numbers give an idea what diverse religions lived in Reston.  Interestingly, it was not uncommon to see husband and wife declaring different religions but children were declared the same one as the wife.  

• 210 men, women and children were counted as Presbyterians, 
• 90 were Methodist, 
• 90 Anglicans, 
• 40 Baptist, 
• 20 Lutheran, 
• 13 Greek Catholics, 
• 9 Roman Catholics 
• and 4 Congregationalists. 

Previous to this brick building in 1903, outdoor services were held on the banks of the Pipestone Creek and in settlers' homes and barns beginning in 1883. Presbyterian and Methodist followers both held services at Lanark. In the spring of 1893, services were moved to Reston to the building that sat where the library does now. The Methodist built their own building first in 1896 and the Presbyterians used it as well until building this fine brick church. Work was done by local pioneers to scrape the lot, dig the basement, gather and lay stones for the foundation.  After renaming as Reston Union Church in 1917, the Reston Methodist and Presbyterian congregations joined. In 1925, the United Church of Canada was born.

1958 - Photo from the collection of John and Verna Olenick

Music was an important part of services and choir members, a leader and the organist were needed to give their talents. In the 1930’s, the Sunday School had an orchestra and a Junior Choir group carried on for many years. Sunday School for children often included all denominations under several long term Superintendents including G.S. Munro, J.F. McLaren, W.J. Abbey, A. K. Cates and Murdock McIver supported by many teachers. In years since 1963, A. Miller, John Rainnie, Warren Reid, Mark Gould and Fred Stonehouse took their turn. 

Ladies Aid has been known as the Women’s Association and U.C.W. - United Church Women.  The first meeting of ladies of the Presbyterian congregation was recorded on November 18,1898. Suppers and concerts were successfully organized to raise funds. Maintaining and furnishing the manse was one responsibility of the group as well as Red Cross work to support the troops in both wars. Visiting and sending flowers to the sick and bereaved was a practical community support. Several Units or Guilds were formed geographically and for different times to include as many women as possible.  CGIT, Mission Band/Messengers and Baby Band/Cradle Roll were groups for children. Cubs, Scouts and Tyros were groups of boys for socialization and outdoor pursuits. A young people’s society was organized and continued through the years for bible and mission study, social events such as debates.  A women’s Missionary Society was also associated with the church as early as 1907 to support the work of missions in other parts of the province, country and world.  A Reston lady Myrtle McArthur Timmins was recognized for 19 years of Mission work at Pine River, MB with Ukrainian immigrants in such communities as Ethelbert and Garland. The Reston congregation supplied clothing, food and money to support her work.

In 1929, the vestibule (with a top that looks like a merlons on a castle) and choir loft were added and repairs and renovations were done following a fire.  Many practical and ornamental items were purchased over the years in memory of former members by their families. Chimes were installed in 1956 and dedicated to the early pioneers by the Women’s Association. Modernization on the building has continued with a new office, lighting and an enclosed ramp built in 1989. New organ and speakers and metal roofing and major basement upgrades by both volunteers and paid contractors in 2000 saw the church fortified for the new millennium. The basement gathering space was named Schurman Hall  in honour of Rev Ernie Schurman who was minister from 1969-1977 and remained active in the church after his retirement. 

The Reston United Church continues to serve its community well and is a point of pride for her citizens.

It Really Was a Church!

On the corner of Second Street and Third Avenue in Reston sits a cozy little home with a long and remarkable history.  It was in fact the first church built in Reston in 1896 as the Reston Methodist Church, although looking at it now I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t believe me. For just over two decades, it was a house of worship for a loyal group of pioneers. Local men Henry C. Evans and William W. Shippam were instrumental in the early days of this church.  

Henry Charles Evans (1860-1955) born at Lambton, Ontario was an early pioneer farmer who homesteaded north of Reston in the Lambton district. The Evans became the third family to live in the town of Reston somewhere on Sixth Street while continuing to farm and use his carpentry skills. He was married to Marion Cobb in 1885 and they had three sons and three daughters including almost 22 year old Lance Corporal Wilfred John Evans who died at Vimy Ridge in WW1. His namesake nephew, Wilfred John Ellis has previously been profiled in this blog with his garage business, Ellis Motors.

William Womack Shippam arrived in Reston in 1904 from Hull, East Yorkshire, England.  He made his living here as a harness maker and the receipt at the left from 1912 shows the item he made for Thomas Boulton - a sweeney collar. Properly fitted collars for work horses would be important to minimize injury and interestingly, $5.25 in 1912 dollars works out to be over $115 in today's money.  W. W. Shippam led the Methodist services at times like he had done in England. He and his wife Mary Foster Shippam had a family of 4 girls and 3 boys. William and Mary left Reston for B.C. in 1919 where he died in 1934.  His son Ralph lived his life in Reston and as a dry goods salesman at Munro's Store. He lived on First Street when the 1921 census was taken with his wife Ethel Hales and 5 children.  They were active in the community for many years. 

Postcard found online at Prairie Towns website - Notice the man peeking from the balcony of the parsonage to the west of the church and the barb wire fence around the property. 

The postcard of the Methodist church above shows it to be a plain wooden building with arched windows, constructed for utilitarian purposes. Methodists are remembered for their missionary work and reaching out to new settlers to have them embrace pragmatism rather than theology. Results and consequences mattered much more than ideals in their religion. Presbyterians were close in their thinking to the Methodists.  After WW1, many congregations found they could not monetarily support the wages of the clergy, the living quarters and the church of multiple faiths.  In 1917, the Methodist and Presbyterian churches decided to combine and become the Reston Union Church and use the larger brick Presbyterian facilities.  The idea caught on across the country and in 1925, The United Church of Canada was formed by combining the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregationalist Churches. The latter was not a common one in rural Manitoba, mostly found in middle class urban settings. 

The former Methodist church was used as overflow school room space for the growing town. It was used as a sewing room for the Red Cross.  The Young People’s Society of the Reston United Church created a gym there in 1927. Painted rings were found under the flooring that show it was used for indoor games like dodgeball or basketball. This group had a membership of between 60 and 70 adolescents in the 1920’s. Devotional, missionary study and social time was their mandate. Debates were popular. The group continued but moved to allow the church to be sold to postmaster Wesley George Morris and his wife Elsie Purvis in 1928 who converted it to a home. The top was cut off to make it a one story building and the front door was turned from facing east to facing north.  Hank Klusendorf  worked on varnishing the woodwork and fortunately it has never been painted or changed but remains in its original gorgeous style. Wesley sold to the postmaster who came after him, Cyril Standring and his wife Mabel Sallows who lived there from 1943 to 1955.

Andy and Agnes Cochrane lived in the home in the early 60's and they sold it to Fred and Alice Paul in 1968.  Alice knows it was home to several renters before the Cochranes - bankers, policemen and more.  A new generation of Restonites now call it home, 125 years after it was built. .It was an honour for me to trace the history of one of Reston's oldest and more historic building.

St. John's Anglican Church

Postcard of St. John's Anglican Church - likely from the late teens.  

Isn't this just an amazing picture of the church that still stands on Reston Main Street just south the the RM office! Did you notice the cow grazing in the backyard? Thanks to Ashlea, a Baldwin connection in Toronto for sharing a copy of this postcard with me. It was the inspiration for today's post and I love when I find a Boulton Blog connection to Reston's Bricks and Boards. My husband Randy's Grandma Elsie Boulton (1884-1968) received the letter below from her brother Walter Edward Bushby (1882-1961) in 1958 with details on building the church with his brother Arthur in the spring of 1906.  Thanks to cousin Sharon for lending a box of her mother Jean (Boulton) Elliott’s keepsakes which included this letter. 

Dear Elsie,

I am a poor one to write, how are you now that you will be 74 years old?

Has Reston changed much since I was their, it is 50 years, since I left Reston 1908.

Your church wanted to find out what year the church was built, Arthur's wife Lou wrote and asked me about it. 

I designed the Church, made the plans, and built it with some help from the Church members.  I had to go to Brandon with Rev. McKinney to have the plans approved by the Bishop.  I was the first one to be marryed  in the Church.  I think it was built 1906. Tom Bolton and his sister was at the Church when it was dedicated, see if they remember.

Has Reston grown much since I was their.  I don't do anything, have to depend on Wife, Daughter and Son John and his wife for support. 

Hope you are all well.  Your Loving Brother Walter

Walter and Martha Bushby and daughter Dorothy
about 1914 in Westfield, New Jersey

According to Trails Along the Pipestone (1981) Rev Joseph McKinney crossed the sea from Northern Ireland in 1903 and made his way to Reston to become the first regular Anglican minister. His wife Rachel and three daughters Florence, Mary and Margaret joined him the next year.  The couple later had 2 sons, Irwin and Fred, who went on to join the ministry as well.  He would have been a driving force behind having a "Church of England" place of worship as Anglican was known in the early days. 

The parish was officially formed in 1906, the year after the Reston Baptists had built their church across the street. Thomas Baldwin and William Brady were the first wardens and likely supervised the building with their carpentering backgrounds.  Rachel McKinney was very musical and Mrs. Lucy Pigg, Joseph and Ada Ward and Mrs. Lou Bushby are also mentioned by name as contributing to the music of the congregation. Organists are named as Gladys Dunbar, Kay Wilkins Castle, Mrs. Dr. Clark and Dorothy Baldwin. A new organ was dedicated in October of 1967.  Catholic congregations used the Anglican building for a time too for a few decades beginning in the 1960’s.

A full list of the Rectors up to the present as well as some current pictures can be found on the Manitoba Historical Society website here. After moving to other parishes, the McKinney family returned in 1918 and the history book says he was presented with a new Ford car when he left as he was so highly regarded! 

 

This large online resource shows the architecture of many of the Anglican churches in Manitoba created with different materials and of all sizes. 

Anglican Church Women had an active role in creating social and fundraising events in the community.  Both an evening and afternoon branch met the needs of all the women of the church.  The small congregation remains very mighty in the Reston community.  Fowl suppers, pancakes and beef on a bun are legendary mouth watering examples prepared by the women and men of the present group.  The Guild transitioned their twice yearly rummage sales to "Hidden Treasures", open 2 days a week as a second hand store in Chapman’s Drugstore building. 

The Parish Hall that sits just north of the Church had been the former St Peter's Anglican Church at Cromer which originally opened in 1915 and had closed in 1936. It was moved to Reston about 1958. A kitchen and bathrooms were added and it serves as a social gathering place. It was placed on the corner lot where the rectory had stood that is shown in the postcard.  After it was no longer used by the clergy for a home, it was a place for Sunday School as well as being a funeral home.  Renovations in the main Church in 1960 saw the ceiling lowered, walls redone, floors tiled, aisle and chancel carpeted. The square tower in the postcard at the top of this post is gone and the entrance is centered now. In 1987, the church was moved off its foundation while a new one was poured.  A ramp, new siding, paint and roofing make it ready for another century.