Hobbs and Kelly Families

It has been recorded in some history books, and newspaper articles, William (Bill) (Billy) Hobbs bought the First Lot in Estevan, which was located on 4th st. Reading Mr. Arthur Kelly's Obituary, it states, “He” bought the first lot in Estevan, where he built the Kelly Hotel, on 5th st. Interesting part, Mr. Kelly went into a partnership in 1911 with William Hobbs, in a general store in Goodwater SK, which he owned until 1925, the store name was Kelly and Hobbs, in the General Merchandising Business.

No proof yet who was right. so will record them both for now, let's say First Lot sold on 5th st., Arthur Kelly, and First Lot sold on 4th St., William J. Hobbs!

Will start with the Hobbs family, First on 4th st.

• b- Sept 25, 1855, ON
• 1881 census says born in ON,
• d- Oct 21, 1935, in Estevan
• buried in Estevan Cemetery

He died age 80, where he retired to.
He constructed a boarding house on 4th St. Operated it in partnership with his sister Anna.
He owned a general Store at Goodwater SK., He went to Goodwater with Arthur Kelly to chose a site for a new business.
Billy Hobbs had his choice of the first lots sold in Goodwater, when the Townsite was surveyed. They started a store in a tent.

On the petition Nov 21, 1898 incorporating Estevan as a village, he was shown as a rancher.

He was a member of the First Town Council in Estevan, as well as in Goodwater SK. He was the First Overseer in Goodwater

Appointed Coroner in Estevan in Dec 1903

He was the brother of Miss Anna Hobbs.

• b- Jan 9, 1854 in ON
  
• in ON per 1881 census.
  
• d- May 18, 1947, in the St. Joseph Hospital extension, age 93, which was located at the Estevan Airport.
  
• Her funeral was held at the McNeil and Lee Funeral Parlour, with Rev. Frank Morgan of St. Paul's United Church officiating
  
• buried in Estevan Cemetery
  
• she was never married.
  
• She was prominent in Eastern Star Circles
  
• Nearest living relatives when she died, were 2 living nephews, Clyde and Joseph Skinner, residing in the United States.

There was supposed to be 2 more brothers, living in Michigan, when Billy died.
These 2 nephews would be related to them, but if they were brothers why the name Skinner?

They were the children of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Hobbs, of Port Burwell ON

• b- June 26, 1827, in England
  
• d- Dec 11, 1920, Bayham, Elgin Co. ON, age 93
  
• Methodist religion
  
• immigrated in 1876 per 1911 census
  
• but I believe this is wrong as Anna was born in 1854 in Ontario
  
• Occupation Farmer

• b- 1829
  
• d- 1864

They also had 3 more children that seemed to die very young.
Mary Jane Hobbs- (1853-1854)
George S. Hobbs (1858-1861)
John Hobbs (1860-1861)

Joseph, Jane, and 3 children above buried in Guysboro Cemetery, Bayham Township

2nd wife- Elizabeth Hobbs nee ?
b- 1826 in ON
d- Oct 11, 1895, age 69 years and 12 days
buried in Estherville Cemetery, Bayham Township, Elgin Co, ON

1881 census shows Joseph, wife Elizabeth, both age 53
and William, age 24, and Anna, age 27, living in Township of Middleton, Norfolk North , ON
William shown as a farmer.

3rd wife- Blanche (Phoebe?) Hobbs, nee Merrill
b- Jan 25, 1833 in ON
(1911 census says b- Jan 1833, in ON, Scotch, Baptist, name Elizabeth?)
d- Feb 16, 1917, Bayham, Elgin Co. ON, age 84
buried in Estherville Cemetery, Bayham Township, Elgin Co, ON
shown in 1901 census as Blanche, in death index as Phoebe.
She was the widow of Charles Pelton, daughter of Rev. Joseph Merrill

Grandfather- William Hobbs
Grandmother- Margery Symons

Anna Hobbs came west to Oxbow in 1892, where she worked in the Post Office, before coming to Estevan.
ca 1920 she returned to ON when her father became ill.
When he died at age 93, she returned to Estevan.
another online source says he died in his 94th year.
Mr. and Mrs. George Rooks were already in Estevan when Anna arrived.

Below from my 4th St archive page

Lot 42- 1223 4th St.
2 story plain- no sign visible, a small window above the door, 2 windows top floor.

ca 1903 View

1939 View

1955 View

called Hobbs Boarding House, built in (1892? or 1893?)

Somewhere along the line I think the business was called Mathieson’s (Matheson's?) boarding house, also Mathieson's White House.
Can't find much info on the Mathiesons here
(caption on picture page 481)

Simply called “Boarding House” (1955 history book)

Building tore down in 1958, Toronto Dominion Bank, built new building on this lot, it opened Apr 14, 1958.
they moved later to corner of the next block west. 1301 4th St.

Richard Symons Hobbs
alt- Richard Simon Hobbs on headstone
b- Apr 1830 in parish of Linkinhorne, Cornwall, England
Christening May 16, 1830 in Linkinhorne
d- Nov 23, 1916 in Estevan

Family lived in New Garden when he was baptized.
Richard was the Uncle of William “Billy” Hobbs
Living in Estevan May 1916
Came to Toronto ON, in 1847
Carpenter by trade.
He put in the First Plate Glass Window in a building in Toronto

Father- William Hobbs
He was a landscape gardener in Cornwall
He was the Linkinhorne Parish clerk in 1830 when his son was baptized
Mother- Marjorie Hobbs, nee Symons
parents had 6 boys, 3 girls
One of the girls was living on the Isle of Bute, age 91 in 1916
One of the sons died age 28
another was wounded in battle of Sebastopol, and died on board ship on his way to China, buried in Hong Kong.
Richard living with his brother Joseph Hobbs, age 25, (see above)
and Joseph's wife Jane Ann Hobbs, nee Hall, age 23, in Brantford in 1852

Richard married Anne Pickett, he was age 25 or 26, probably in St. Catherines ON
His wife Anne and one child died early

After St. Catherines he went to Louisville Kentucky, until the Civil War broke out, he returned to Canada to Collingwood, then Guysborough for 10 years.
Postmaster at Guysborough, Jan 1, 1863- Jan 26, 1865.
1871 shown in Houghton, Norfolk South, ON, age 41
From there he went to Michigan, then ND where he farmed.
Then he went out to BC.
Rheumatism forced him to join his brother William and his sister Anna in Estevan.
Third st was described as “In the Country” at this time!
Anglican Church wasn't even finished at this time.
He became a Mail Carrier for 7 years.
He filed for a homestead down by the river, 18-2-8

Then we have Mr. Arthur Kelly
I have recorded lots of his history in my Hotel history page.
finding his Obituary I will elaborate a bit more on this fellow here.

First on 5th St.

Arthur Kelly (Sr)

b- Sept 8, 1850 in Tavistock.
Launceston Reg. District, Devonshire, England
d- Feb 19, 1931 in Weyburn General Hospital, Weyburn SK.
died from an extended illness and a recent operation.
Funeral was held at Ceylon United Church, Rev. Mr. Walker officiated.
Buried in Ceylon SK. Cemetery.

He was survived by his widow,
Selena Kelly, nee Cory
b- 1863 in ON
d- 1941
Buried in Ceylon SK. Cemetery.
they were married Nov 23, 1888 in Brandon
6 children I know of:

1. Frederick Arthur “Freddie” Kelly,
b- June 10, 1889 in Brandon MB
d- in Brandon age 3 1/2 of typhoid fever

2. Archibald William Milton “Archie” Kelly
b- Sept 2, 1890 in Brandon MB
d- 1995
Buried in Ceylon SK. Cemetery.
- of Hardy SK in 1931
married Elfie Marie Mikkelson, June 1, 1916 in Minneapolis Minnesota.
b- 1890
d- Dec 2, 1952 from cancer
Buried in Ceylon SK. Cemetery.
she was the daughter of Nels Mikkelson who started the First Brick Plant south of Estevan

3. Arthur Thomas William Kelly (Jr)
b- July 1, 1892 in Brandon MB
d- aft 1931
of Beaubier SK in 1931
He married Tena Astec in 1914
daughter of Robert Astec
they had 3 children
son Floyd, daughter Verna, and a son Clair Kelly
Arthur was once overseer of Goodwater SK

4. Eva Jane Kelly
b- June 25, 1894 in Estevan SK
d- aft 1931
by process of elimination I believe she was Mrs. John Graham, of Plessis SK in 1931
John Graham was a farmer in that district in 1927 recovering from injuries on his farm

5. Edward G. L. “Eddie” Kelly
b- 1896
d- 1900 in Estevan, of Black Diptheria
Buried in Ceylon SK. Cemetery.

6. Florence Lucilla Kelly
b- Sept 20, 1906 in Estevan
d- aft 1931
of Hardy SK in 1931
she married Samuel F. Roehle, Sept 20, 1937
b- 1904, son of Frederick Roehle, and Bertha Liest, in Sheridan Montana, USA

Described as Octogenarian resident of the Hardy District.
For 45 years he owned Hotels and or General stores in Western Manitoba and Southern Saskatchewan

He came to Canada 63 years before he died. ca 1868
He was a Rock Driller for the CPR
doing his work on the North Shore of Lake Superior.
He worked for them on the line from east of Fort William to Brandon.
In 1885 he built the old Kelly Hotel in Brandon, which he sold in 1892.
This is when he came further West and settled in Estevan.
His tent was the only visible structure when the townsite was surveyed.
Nov 1892 he finished the Kelly Hotel in Estevan

Kelly Hotel
E. R. Davis PhmB Photographer, Postcard #416

11 years later he sold the Hotel, and built a General Store in Estevan, which with the Hotel, was destroyed by fire in 1909.
As described above, in 1911 he went into partnership with Mr. Hobbs in Goodwater SK.

Kelly Hobbs Co, Central Merchants, General Store in Goodwater SK
photo courtesy Howard Roehle, grandson of Arthur Kelly Sr.
“My grandfather was Arthur Kelly Sr. who first built a hotel in Brandon, then one in Estevan.
He went to Goodwater and started this store with Billy Hobbs. He also started the store at Hardy SK that my Uncle Archie Kelly operated”

He sold the store to Billy Hobbs, and in 1933 Billy sold the store to Arthur Kelly (Jr) and later Arthur sold to his son Clair.
In 1912 he established the same kind of store in Hardy SK., which he operated until his death.
He also operated a farm near Hardy. 1912-1913 he was Postmaster in Hardy
Taking over from him, his son Archie from 1914 to 1943.

In 1941 Arthur found a petrified turtle on farm owned near Hardy.

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