Wilkins Brothers in Reston

 

Photo and caption taken from a picture at the Reston Museum

Picture from Ancestry-  Knowmark Genealogy

Ernest James Wilkins (pictured right) came from England in 1891 to join his brothers Thomas and William who had arrived to the Reston area the previous year.  He first worked on farm of Robert Forke where he met with an unfortunate accident on a separator and lost his right hand above the elbow.  He attempted to homestead SW 6-7-28 but ran into more trouble in the form of prairie fire so he left the farm to work in Reston.  Ernest ran a hardware store for a time but set up a harness store where the playground is today beside the former bank.  This shop was built by Sinclair McMillan about 1898 who remained in the harness trade until about 1902. George William Stonehouse owned the building after that. Brothers Ernest and Tom Wilkins had married two of his daughters,  Elsie and Emilie Stonehouse in the early 1900's.   

Advertisement from 1906 Reston Recorder

In April of 1911, the Ernest Wilkins family, Elsie Lafayette Stonehouse and his 3 sons headed west to North Battleford where a fourth son was born.  Perhaps the leather work with only was hand was too challenging for him. He died in May of 1928 at North Battleford at the age of 58. W. A. Shippam took over the business but fire claimed the building in 1916. 

From Reston Museum

Paid Up Account of Thomas Boulton - 1910

Wilkins bill holder on display in Reston Museum

As to the other two Wilkins brothers - Tom and his wife Emilie farmed and had 2 children. She was quite an entrepreneur and operated a confectionary and store in the harness building and later ran the hotel’s restaurant.

Brother Will and his wife Beatrice Powell were married upon her arrival from England in 1894.  They homesteaded SE 17-7-27 until 1918 when he broke his leg badly and was never able to regain full use of it.  They moved to town in 1922 and he began work for the Municipality of Pipestone first as assistant and later as the secretary treasurer. They had 6 children and were involved in community life at the Baptist Church , Masonic Lodge, Reston School Board.

If I've learned anything while writing this blog, every family has a story to tell and the pictures and papers that are left help to tell it.  Take the time to write down everything you know about your family's history.  Someday, someone will thank you!