Mr. Archer's Park History Notes 1965

Picture from a 1959 Birthday Calendar sponsored by Reston Chamber of Commerce

Today's post features the writing of Mr. Alfred Archer as a follow up to a previous post with minute books and scraps of paper loaned by the Reston and District Museum. This post was transcribed from Mr. Archer's handwritten notes which the Park Board Committee requested in the mid 1960's as he was stepping back from his role as Park Supervisor.  His final sentence is my favourite!  Even in his wildest imagination, I'm sure he would have never thought his notes would be available to the world online.

After the First Great War it was decided to get a memorial. It was discussed which to have a monument or a memorial hall. Mr. A.E. Smith asked me what I thought but I thought a monument as it were purely memorial. No source of pleasure or revenue.

At a public meeting of the community in 1921 it was decided to have a memorial monument. A monument was decided on being more suitable than a hall. A committee of J.R. Duncan, William Watt, N.H. Ready, J.R. McLean, W.A. Brady, Dr. Clark, and E.H. Berry secretary. They were to collect donations from the district around Reston purchase a suitable monument and erect it.

The town of Reston was to provide the site with the site committee of Dr. Chapman president, A.E. Smith secretary, W.A. Brady and John Guthrie. There were no donations the village provided the park for the site of the memorial statue by taxes. Later Mr. Smith asked me about the best site. Suggestions from the four corners on Main Street to different small town lots. I suggested a small park and a number of places were considered. I thought the best place was in the present grounds as we had no water and the ground was the most suitable for growing shrubs etc. and fairly central. I suggested vacant ground on the east side of town this was decided on and property bought from the C.P.R.

The property was bought from C.P.R. was two blocks on east side of Reston. Prairie in the natural state except a knoll in the south east corner which was scraped off by the C.P.R. to fill a slough at the station ground. There were a number of shallow sloughs, no trees except a few small native poplars at one slough and small native shrub usual to the prairies. The ground a shallow black loam with clay subsoil except a small piece of shallow gravel subsoil on the east side. No water.

In the year 1921, J. McMurchy, a willing volunteer worker and have good taste, was asked to fix up or supervise the work on grounds. The scrub was cut off, the west half was leveled - that is the high places were scraped in the sloughs and leveled black earth not saved but put in sloughs and high places. Left with a clay topsoil which was bad at planting time. Later the ground was fenced with page wire and one strand of barbwire on top with wire gates. A small neat well built building was built with public toilet with basement pit on east end and small tool house on west end with lattice screen on east and south covered with vines. The prairie grass could not possibly do as lawns. In 1921, ground was broke and backset by a farmer J. I. Bulloch. In 1922 Mr. Bulloch sowed a cover crop of oats, brome and rye. Grass was sowed and both done well. This was done before I was on the committee. The Park committee was: Dr. Chapman, W.A. Brady, John Guthrie and A.E. Smith (all have passed away except Dr. Chapman who took an active role until his death in 1961.)

Alfred Archer 

I (Archer) was not on the committee but was asked to attend the meeting of the committee to help on the planting in 1923. They had a plan from the Manitoba Agricultural College drawn by a person that was not acquainted with the park site or the nature of the soil. It did not consider the walks in park or the planting stock suitable. I made a rough plan on the back of the blueprint which was accepted and followed with some additions until present time a little done each year. I was added to the committee at this meeting in 1923. Surplus money collected for the memorial $236 turned over to the park at a later date.

Special trees when we first planted the shrubs in 1926. We tried 4 Koster Bluespruce. $2.50 each. Followed planting instructions, very close. All four grew good and beautiful trees today. They were inclined to grow crooked when young. We braced them and put on pieces of wood to keep them straight. In a few years they were straight and braces were removed. These all done fine large trees today. Six Scotch Pine - rabbits ate them in winter - destroyed. Six Spruce these died for want of proper care.

In the late winter or early spring of 1928, the weather was warm and very little snow and the trees budded out. Then the cold weather came and killed a number of golden willows and double lilac. I noticed the bark on the willow trees turned black. Mr. Broderick was in town often attending a meeting I had him go to the park with me he examined the trees he said they had started in growth in the cold zero weather later killed them. We lost the Golden and Laurel Willows also Elm trees. It also killed some of the tops of the white double lilac.

In the 30s we try different evergreens at different times. Bought a few spruce from a man that had 10 left from a truckload. Did not have much prepared ground. He advised placing them close as they grew that way in nature. We done this and they done well when small but when they got large in dry seasons some died for want of moisture they did not winter good. A little later we got more from a truckload these did not do as well we had to make holes after we got the trees think the trees were out of ground too long. They had sod, original soil around trunk but soil was off the roots below. Think they had been dug in light soil which shook out while being handled. The trees that lived are good today, but too close together.

In 1939, we took a lot of iris and some other perennials to the gardener Mr. Leans at Clear Lake. He asked me what he could give us in exchange. I said we had nearly all the perennials he had but would like some Spruce. He said he could not give us them but would see the right authorities. The next time I saw him he said he had seen the right authorities and he could fill our truck - a panel delivery - from trees that were to be removed to make a road. We got around 50 trees including 8 Siberian Larch he had in his nursery. The Spruce have done well. The Larch have done extra well all living and admired by all visitors.

I think it was in the early 40’s there came a heavy frost in the fall before the leaves had fallen and the wood reopened on the Spirea - Vanhouttei and Arguta. The next spring had the wood all dead to the ground. New growth all came up and the following year had the best bloom we ever had. I think the old growth should be all cut out every year immediately after blooming, but we have not done it. Mock orange suffered badly but came from roots. Mock oranges don’t do well here - the tops kill every winter. I got one from A. P. Stephenson for my own property which did not do well. After the park started, I took it there. There are two or three growing and bloom but suffer badly every winter. In 1946 I got some double ones from Morden Experimental Farm. They make good growth every summer but winter kill just have a few flowers at the bottom of the bush. We have had no damage from floods. No bad hail damage. We had a heavy wind storm about 1947 blew over a number of poplars and one Koster blue spruce. We dug out the ground on the uprooted side, pulled it back with tractor, covered roots good and watered and placed a guy wire to hold it and today you would never know it was blown over. I don’t remember ever being discouraged.

Mr. Archer's hand drawn map - unknown year 

The park committee at this time did not have any money to buy trees and shrubs so we obtained them from other people who had a surplus. I raised shrubs and perennials in my own back garden, brought some from the Assiniboine Valley, and exchanged plants and shrubs from people in other places. We lost some trees on the start as we had no water. I made no charge for my time for a number of years. Afterward I was given a donation not for the work I had done, but in appreciation for what I had done. The ratepayers moved that I be given $200. Later this was increased to $400 which I have received every year since and have been given praise every year. For labour, expenses and my donation, a grant was made every year by the municipality from the Local Improvement District. This was $350 at first and raised as required. The last number was $1200.00. We tried to keep this for labour. I’ve also raised bedding plants, cut flowers, sold perennial plants and shrubs which brought in money. Herbaceous perennials and peonies were purchased later. A few others that could not be raised were bought. Most of the perennials were donated and then multiplied. I also donated tools and materials I did not need. This last year we stopped raising bedding plants, when I could not go to the greenhouse, the distance of 1/2 mile twice a day, and to have a man do it would not pay.

In the 30s bought from Skinners six Juniper from the Badlands of Dakota. We lost three for lack of attention but the other three are nice. In the 30s I bought some pink cherries from the Assiniboine Valley these grew well lots of bloom but never any berries.

Double flowering plum we got in 1925 is a beautiful bush. Got more in the 30s but planted them where there were too many other shrubs.

About this time Skinner’s nursery of seedlings had a special dollar collection of seedlings: 1 Juniper, 1 Morgan’s Pine, 1 Colorado Spruce and 1 Cedar. I got 4 collections planted them in nursery. Planted where we wanted later. All done well. We tried a couple of cedars earlier but they sunburn in winter and finally died. The ones we got later planted on the north and east side of shelter and have been doing good.

In 1942 Dr. Chapman donated six selected blue Colorado spruce, six green Colorado spruce, and six Scotch pine - all these trees are doing good.

Dr. Chapman also brought in from the wild in his car trunk, 10 Jack Pine which we planted among the shrubbery as the trunks don’t to well so hide the lower part and Black Spruce which done well. But some died four years ago. Think they did not have enough moisture in the fall.

1942 Mr. McMorran (Souris) donated some Balsam and Native Tamarack and Mountain Maple. The Balsams still growing but not Tamarack died from drought a few years ago. They were planted in wrong places and not given any attention. The Mountain Maple lived a few years but did not do well finally died. This was also in wrong place and paid no attention. Mr. McMorran gave us another Mountain Maple fall of 1956 and balsam. I gave this Maple good attention in planting and situation.

In 1953 Dr. Chapman donated a pyramid Cedar. We planted this on north east corner of grove and this is doing good. At the time of planting I noticed a root that looked like new shoots were starting. I gave this special attention and last spring I moved out from this three small cedar. They were looking good at freeze up last fall. Kept them well watered in a shady place.

1955 bought two Globe Cedar and one Juniper. These appear to be doing good - had no setbacks.

Buffalo berry also brought some from nice bunch south of Miniota. These grew well but never any berries. I found some more from south of Bradwardine. They are bearing berries now. I also got some from Morden in 1952. Had berries in them this last year. I did not know there were the two sexes. So now if I am digging wild plants get them different places if possible to ensure a better chance of getting both sexes and good fruit varieties.

Paper birch - took some young shoots from an old stump in the Assiniboine valley in the 30’s. Very little root but they grew good. The borer killed some later but they came from bottom. Lilacs we have Skinner’s different varieties - Vellum, Hybrids, Persian, Amur and Japanese. These all do well excepting the white Persian which just done well one year. Possibly it is not pruned enough.

Native Saskatoon - have a nice clump planted in the early 30s. Look very good. Foliage nice green in summer and colours good in the fall.

High bush cranberry planted about 1925 still living but too crowded. Planted more in 1955.

Russian Olive very desirable planted in 1927 done well had them 30 feet tall. Lost one which came from an old stump in 1952 - expect it was the early frost.

Weeping cut leaf birch planted in 1925 done well but it is done now think it has run its life.

The gardeners which have looked after the park - Mr. Tom Caldwell 1928, Alf Anderson 1930, Maurice Ludlum 1942. Up until this time the work was done by hand and a one horse cultivator. A small tractor and cultivator was bought in 1942. Mr. Paul McCartney was next in 1956. There were a number of persons after that and the dates not recorded, Tom Nash, Tom Lockhart, Earnie Johnston, Jim McGregor, Raymond Kendrick, Louis Chaskie, Earnest Scott, Mrs. Tom Lockhart, and John Pickett. There were others who did casual labor. Flowers were sold by Lyall McMorran, R.C. Bulloch and Mrs. Archer.

The knowledge of the park will soon be forgotten if some younger person does not care to learn about it.