Whiskey in the Walls

Reston Recorder article reprinted in the July 12, 1948 issue of the Winnipeg Tribune 

Bet the title of this post got your attention! Reston's Reciprocity Liquor store to serve residents of Saskatchewan was located near the corner of First (Railway) Avenue and Third Street. When you think silly government regulations are a modern invention, remember this one! 

In about 1915, James Borthwick Townsley renovated the former liquor store and opened a dealership for Chevrolet and Studebaker cars.  Business was brisk with selling and repairing cars. Besides mechanical fixes, body repairs needed to be done after accidents involving novice drivers and poor road conditions.  

Jim Townsley first came to the area from Owen Sound, Ontario with his parents William and Barbara where they farmed in the Kinloss area at 22-5-26 from the late 1880’s to 1910. He farmed and ran the garage business for over 25 years until his death in 1947. He lived on SW 18-6-27 and later he and his sister Barbara Lily lived in their house on the west side of First Street where it meets Second Avenue.

In 1935 the garage was leased to Sherman Hilton Dayton. Check here for details on the snow plane he built during his decade in business here.  It was used for winter transportation for the R.C.M.P,  doctors and utilities repairmen in the later 30's and early 40's.  Documents shared with me belonging to the Lockhart family show the 1937 purchase of Lot 1 Block 4 in Plan 68 from Sam Woo from Canton, China to Mr. Dayton for $160.  Sam Woo was described as a retired laundry operator whose home and business must have been on the west side of the garage.  Thanks for sharing, so neat to see!  In 1942, Dayton moved to Newdale to operate a successful John Deere agency there for the rest of his days.  A deed for lot 1shows it was  purchased by William Lockhart from Sherman Dayton in 1944 for $60. 

William Lockhart started out farming south of Reston  and later moved to town to run a wood and coal business, run the theatre in the Berry Hall and had a cow pasture and barn south of the elementary school and sold the milk. He later took over the Cockshutt Farm Implement dealership in Reston. They built an office on the corner west of the Townsley Garage and used the space to the north of it to set up machinery. In 1948, William Lockhart purchased the garage. At this point they moved both buildings back from the street and connected them. After this, William was ready to retire and his sons Everett and Beverly took over.  A co-partnership agreement was drawn up between William and his son Everett in 1945 and four years later, second son Bev was added to the partnership.  

from  Mc Kee Archives at Brandon University - approximately 1964 

This branch of the Lockhart family originally came from Ballydugan, County Armagh Northern Ireland. Thomas and Annie (Fraser) Lockhart lived in Lucknow in Bruce County, Ontario before moving west in 1896 to raise a large family including William in the Kinloss district south of Reston on SE 31-6-27. 

William married Lauretta Maude Kendrick in 1911 in Brandon and they began farming on the north half of 23-6-28 and had 2 sons Everett and Beverley.  Everett married Violet Gemmill in 1933 and had 3 sons - Dale, Layton and Murray.  Beverley married Norma McClement in 1949 and raised 7 children on the garage business they built - Corinne, Barry, Richard, Keith, Debra, Warren and Robin. 

 In 1957, they switched to selling Versatile and the bills over the years advertise their connection with Ford, Morris, Ford-Monarch Falcons, Honda Sales and Service, Shell Oil and Gas.  Welding in the shop and on farm was an important part of the business.  In 1973, Everett moved to Brandon and Bev' s son Rick bought his shares in the business.

In 1981, Lockhart's Garage sold Versatile Farm Equipment, Mercury Cars and trucks and did complete overhauling. Rick and Bev sold cars for Wilton's as well as selling RCA televisions and aerials , later satellite systems. Repairing anything that came in was what they were known for. In 1988, Bev sold his half to Richard but his talents stayed on as an employee.  Norma opened her own video rental business first on the south end of Main Street with Bernice’s Fabrics and later beside their home on the south west corner of Second Avenue and Second Street.  I may be dating myself by admitting we borrowed a video disc player and dics from Norma many times.  We were so proud to get our own VCR and borrow movies on tapes from her as well!  In 1990 the garage business was closed out and Howard Moore bought it as a home for his electric business, Moore's Electric. 

Next time you drive past the building, you may give it a second look and wonder if any more smooth Scotch whiskey may be hiding in the walls. Imagine how smooooooth it will be after over 100 years!