Hirsch Grain Elevators
Hirsch, Saskatchewan, Canada
Hirsch Grain Elevators
My painting of the Hirsch Elevators
My Watercolor Painting (10×14“) of the Hirsch Elevators, Just before they were destroyed.
I painted this in 1986, and I believe it was the year the Elevators were tore down.
Saskatchewan Pool Elevator #822 and White Five Roses Flour Elevator, in the background
Looking west, and I believe the power line crossing the tracks in the background
Is the power line to the Backman Farm. I painted this from a snap shot of the Elevators taken by Uncle Roy Backman,
just before they were demolished.
By Sept 5, 1903 Hirsch had 4 Elevators
- Winnipeg Elevator Company
- Northern Elevator Company
- Imperial Elevator Company
- Colonial Elevator Company
all were 25,000 Bushels each
In 1920 one of the elevators was called Lake of the Woods Elevator Co. It was operated by Mr. Frederick (Fred) Billington, who was also the Hirsch Post Master at that time.
Fred B. Billington
- b- Feb 2, 1870 in Minnesota
- d- Jan 20, 1958, buried in Estevan City Cemetery
- His mother was born in Wisconsin
- Fred B. Billington shown as a bookkeeper in a mill
- Fred married Ella Adeline Billington, nee Giem,
- married Oct 2, 1895 in Morgan Village, Redwood, Minnesota
- b- Nov 19, 1876, in Elgin, Minnesota
- d- Nov 8, 1951, buried in Estevan City Cemetery
- daughter of William Jacob Giem, and Amelia Blaska
- Her father shown born in Minnesota and mother in Wisconsin
- 2 children in 1900 US census:
- daughter- Verna Irene Billington
- b- July 1896 in Minnesota
- d- ?
- married a Mr. Ching, Ferintosh AB
- b- July 28, 1896, Morgan, Redwood, Minnesota
- son- Francis Edward Billington
- b- Sept 1898 in Morgan, Minnesota (see below)
- d- ?
- 1900 living in Morgan Village, Redwood Co., Minnesota
- son Lester Halbert Billington
- b- Sept 1, 1902 in, Morgan township, Redwood, Minnesota
- d-feb 14, 1976 in Edmonton Canada
1895 census shows Fred's family:
- father- Frank Billington
- b- 1843 in Vermont
- d- ?
- mother- Martha Billington
- b- 1845 in Ohio
- d- ?
- brother- Doyle Billington
- b- 1873 in Minnesota
- d- ?
1885 census shows more siblings:
- family living in Sherman, Redwood, Minnesota
- Larza Billington
- b- 1867 in Wisconsin
- (daughter- Lowseve Billington ,
- b- 1867 in 1880 census)
- (Luisa Billington,
- b- 1867 in 1870 census)
- Daton Billington
- b- 1874 in Minnesota
- (Son- Dayton Billington,
- b- 1873 in 1880 census)
- real name- Dayton E. Billington
- married Adelaide S. Billington, nee ?
- John Billington
- b- 1881 in Minnesota
- William Billington
- b- 1885 in Minnesota
1880 census family living in Eden, Brown Co., Minnesota
Received an email in 2010 from Brenda (King) Kvamme, granddaughter of Fred. She wrote:
”My mother was Marguerite Billington, daughter of Fred and Ella Billington and she married William J. King, son of Ed and Dora King.“
She is looking for a picture from the 1940's of the Lake of the Woods Elevator, which I believe was bought by Ogilivie Flour Co. who used the Red Roses logo, which was the grey elevator in my painting above.
Fred had a son Francis Edward Billington
- b- Sept 27, 1898, Morgan, Redwood, Minnesota
- age 62 when he died Nov 10, 1960,
- died in Bienfait Hospital
- buried in Souris Valley Memorial Gardens in Estevan
- He was born at Morgan Minnesota, USA
- came to Canada with his parents age of 7
- they homesteaded south of Hirsch
- He went to school in Hirsch and Oxbow
- In 1923 he came to Bienfait and operated a garage there, until April 1936.
- He worked with Stewart Giem. (relative of his mother)
- see Bienfait Ad page 2 for their business ad
- In 1925 he married Katie Mae Elliott.
- b- 1899- d- 1980,
- buried in Souris Valley Memorial Gardens in Estevan
- employed at Dominion Briquette and chemicals.
- He had a son Donald Frank Billington
- daughter, Mrs. J. Miller.
©