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JAMES LOGAN McWHIRTER — Cyr District James Logan McWhirter was one of the original settlers in the area south of Pincher Creek, Alberta. His parents had emigrated from Scotland, and settled on the eastern shore of the Bay of Chaleur, in what is now Quebec. They could speak Gallic and perfect French as well as English. They later moved to Redwing, Ontario where James Logan, nicknamed “Logie” - was born April 9, 1881. He was the youngest of 8 children. He was born when his mother was 51 years old, and he was 10 years younger than the next youngest child, Edward. When Logie was 17, he came out for the fall harvest in Saskatchewan on the “harvest train”. The year was 1898. He worked there for the harvest, then went back east and worked in the bush till the next year. He returned to do the harvest the next fall, then he went down to Montana and worked there for a sheep rancher for a year. By then he had accumulated a horse. He told them he was going up to Canada with his wages from the sheep farm. In 1900 at the age of 19, he rode out with a pack saddle on his horse, as he couldn’t afford a regular saddle.
In Essie's words: My father's grandparents came from Scotland to the Bay of Cheleur in Quebec. They could speak Gallic and perfect French as well as English. My father's family later moved to Redwing, Ontariowhere my father was born. My father's name was James Logan McWhirter. He was born in 1881and was the youngest of eight children. He was born when his mother was 51 years old, and he was ten years younger than the next youngest, Ed. When my father, called Logie by his friends, was seventeen, he came out for the fall harvest in Saskatchewan on the "harvest train". The year was 1898. He worked there for the harvest, then went back east and worked in the bush till the next year. Then he came back out and worked on the harvest again that fall. After the harvest, he went down to Montana and worked for a sheep rancher for a year in the Judith Basin. By then he had accumulated a horse. He told them he was going up to Canada with his wages from the sheep farm. In 1900 at the age of nineteen, he rode out with a pack saddle on his horse, as he couldn't afford a regular saddle. Everything he owned was with him on his horse. One of the things he had was his violin, as he was a very good musician. That's the same violin that we have to this day. The place that he worked was in the Judith Basin, east of Great Falls,Montana. He headed toward the Northwest Territories, as there was no "province of Alberta" at that time. One night he met someone on the trail and he asked how he could get to Macleod or Pincher Creek. The man told him to get closer to the mountains, then to follow that range up to Pincher Creek. On his travels from the Judith Basin to Pincher Creek Alberta he had to open two gates. He came across some homesteaders up there, and went to work for Dick Stuckey as a carpenter. He liked it out south of Pincher Creek, so he homesteaded a farm – at that time you got a ¼ section – 160 acres. In order to homestead you had to stake your homestead, file papers and then improve the land a certain amount each year. The legal description of his land was: Part NE Section 6 Township 5 Range 29 Meridian W4. On April 28, 1903, Logie was playing baseball in the small town of Frank in the Crowsnest Pass. After the game, he was invited to bed down on the baseball diamond with some of the other players for the night. He declined and went home that night to his homestead south of Pincher Creek. In the early hours of April 29, 1903, the town of Frank was obliterated by the collapse of Turtle Mountain. The field, and the baseball players, were buried under thousands of tons of rock. Logie was awakened many miles away in Pincher Creek by the roar of the mountain's collapse. He met a friend named Harley Dyer about that time. Harley and Logie were both very good baseball players, and Logie was also popular because of his violin playing. Harley was a catcher, Logie was a pitcher – the picture below of the two of them was taken in 1904, and Logie sent it back home to his mother. Logie never went home again after he left at eighteen, and his parents never came to visit. He never saw them again till the day they died.
Logie was going out with a woman named Mary Upton and he had given her a ring. Then he was introduced to Harley's sister, Ina Dyer. Ina came up from Athol, Idaho. Her brother Harley and another person had a horse ranch and they wanted Ina to come up and cook for them. When she came up for the harvest of 1904, she met Logie. They were married on June 28th, 1905, the next year, in Athol, Idaho. Ina and Logie McWhirter lived on the land he'd homesteaded south of Pincher Creek, Alberta in an area called Dry Fork. They had six children, Ed, Jim, Margie, Bill, Essie and Jean, all born at home,except Margie who was born in Athol, Idaho. Logie was a great baseball player - if he had been born a few decades later, he might have had a baseball career. The forces of nature brought another turning point for the young
family in May of 1922. Elsie Stewart (Gold) and Essie shared the same birthday,
on May 26, ten years apart, Elsie being ten years older than Essie. George
Stewart, Elsie's father, had walked about eight miles from their place to the
McWhirters to invite everyone over to Stewart's for a birthday dinner the next
day, May 26th. Elsie would turn fifteen that day, and Essie would turn
five. After he left, Essie and Logie went in the car to the school to get Bill.
There was a lightning storm, and those can be very bad in southern Alberta. It
was the 25th of May, 1922. Essie and Logie stopped at the neighbours on
their way to the school. They gave Logie a box of fresh vegetables. Then Essie
and Logie stopped at the school with the car to pick up Bill. Bill would be
seven at that point. When they reached home, Ina was at the chicken house with
an apron full of eggs. She was eight months pregnant with Jean, her youngest
child. Bill and Essie ran ahead to the house, while Ina and Logie stopped at the
well. Logie picked up a bucket of water in one hand, and he had the box of
vegetables on his right shoulder. Ina was a couple of steps ahead of Logie as
they walked toward the house. A bolt of ightning hit Logie directly, going
through his upraised arm, down through his body, and blowing his shoe off his
left foot. The force of the lightning hit Ina indirectly, knocking her to the
ground. As children, they would all go up by the sheep shed when there
was a strong wind, and hold their coats open so that the wind would catch them
and make them take huge long steps along the hill. They said it was the closest
thing they could do to flying across the prairie.
Everything he owned was with him on his horse. One of the things he had was his violin, as he was a very good musician. The place that he worked was in the Judith Basin, east of Great Falls, Montana. He headed northwest, as he knew that he wanted to get to the “Northwest Territories” - there was no province of Alberta at that time. One night he met someone on the trail and he asked how he could get to Macleod or Pincher Creek. The man told him to get closer to the mountains, then to follow that range up to Pincher Creek. On his travels from the Judith Basin to Pincher Creek Alberta he had to open two gates. He came across some homesteaders up there, and went to work for Dick Stuckey as a carpenter. He liked it about 12 miles south of Pincher Creek, so he homesteaded a farm – at that time you got a 1⁄4 section – 160 acres. In order to homestead you had to stake your homestead, file papers and then improve the land a certain amount each year. The legal description of his land was: Part NE Section 6 Township 5 Range 29 Meridian W4. He met a friend named Harley Dyer about that time. Harley and Logie were both very good baseball players. During Logan's early years he was popular as a pitcher for the local baseball team and also held in high esteem as a fiddler. He was on a ball team that played for the championship of the North West Territories at Medicine Hat before Alberta became a province. Harley was a catcher, Logie was a pitcher –there is a picture of the two of them taken in 1904, which he sent back home to his mother. Logie never went home again after he left at 18, and his parents never came to visit. He never saw them again to the day they died.
Logie was a great baseball player - if he had been born a few decades later, he might have had a professional baseball career. On April 28, 1903, Logie was playing baseball in the small town of Frank in the Crowsnest Pass. After the game, he was invited to bed down on the baseball diamond with some of the other players for the night. He declined and went home that night to his homestead south of Pincher Creek. In the early hours of April 29, 1903, the town of Frank was obliterated by the collapse of Turtle Mountain. The field, and the baseball players, were buried under thousands of tons of rock. Logie was awakened many miles away near Pincher Creek by the roar of the mountain's collapse. Logie was going out with a woman named Mary Upton at that time, and had even given her a ring. Then he was introduced to Harley’s sister, Ina Dyer, when Ina came up from Athol, Idaho in the harvest of 1904. Her brother Harley and a man named Cotton had a horse ranch down by the Halifax Lakes and they had asked Ina to come up and cook for them. Logie and Ina were married on June 28th, 1905, in Athol, Idaho. Ina’s family was originally from Vilas, Indiana. They traveled through the Indian Territory and stayed in Oklahoma for a year on the way up to Athol, Idaho, where they settled. They opened a boarding house and restaurant there. Ina’s mother was Sarah Elizabeth Neil (it was O’Neill but they dropped the “O” after they came out west.) Sarah’s uncle was Stonewall Jackson who was famously killed by a sentry in the American Civil War. Grandma Dyer was a very good shot and she passed that skill on to her daughter Ina. Ina Amanda was born April 5, 1886, the fifth of seven children. Her oldest brother, Jim was later killed by outlaws on the U.S. prairies and his body was never found. Her brother Ross was killed by lightning on his ninth birthday, along with a friend. They were sheltering from a lightning storm inside a building with Ross' father, when the building was struck. Ross and his friend were leaning against the wall and were killed instantly. Ross' father managed to pull both boys out of the burning building, but it was too late.. Ina and Logie McWhirter lived on the land he’d homesteaded south of Pincher Creek, Alberta in an area called Dry Fork. They resided continuously on the homestead with the exception of 1911, spent in Athol, Idaho, and two years, 1937 and 1938 spent in the Turner Valley. They had six children, Edward, James, Margaret, William, Essie and Jean, all born at home, except Margaret who was born in Athol, Idaho.
As children, they would all go up by the sheep shed when there was a strong wind, and hold their coats open so that the wind would catch them and make them take huge long steps along the hill. They said it was the closest thing they could come to flying across the prairie. Both Logan and Ina were active members of the local shooting club and both had trophies to prove their prowess. During the rearing of the family there was never a shortage of young people about the McWhirter homestead and Ina was noted for her ability to cook. He future son in law, Orville Cox, raved all his life about her walnut cake with brown sugar icing. Nobody could ever make it as good as Ina. Logan and Dick Stuckey built several of the first schools in the district south of Pincher Creek, and Logan served many years on the Cyr school district Board and also on the Municipal Council. He was also one of the foreman who worked on the Twin Butte Hall when it was being built. The forces of nature brought another turning point for the young family in May of 1922. There was a lightning storm, and those can be very bad in southern Alberta. It was the 25th of May, 1922, the day before daughter Essie’s fifth birthday. Essie and Logie drove to the neighbours, who gave Logie a box of fresh vegetables, then they stopped at the school to pick Bill, who was seven. When they reached home, Ina was at the chicken house with an apron full of eggs. She was eight months pregnant with Jean, her youngest child. Bill and Essie ran ahead to the house, while Ina and Logie stopped at the well. Logie picked up a bucket of water in one hand, and put the box of vegetables on his right shoulder. Ina was a couple of steps ahead of Logie as they walked toward the house. A lightning bolt hit Logie, going through his upraised arm, down through his body, and blowing his shoe off his left foot. The force of the lightning hit Ina indirectly, knocking her to the ground. Ed, the oldest, was 15. He ran down and picked up Ina, carrying her to the house where he set her down in the rocking chair. When she hit the ground, she knocked out her two front teeth, and the fall broke the two dozen eggs she’d been carrying in her apron. Ed went back down and he couldn’t pick Logie up, so he got hold of him under the arms and dragged him up to the porch. Logie’s burnt shoe was pulled off in the process. Ina came to, and told the kids to rub Logie to keep his circulation going while Ina cut off his clothes. The skin on his chest and his foot came away with the clothing Nobody would answer the phone when the lightning was bad, because you could get electrocuted by the phone in those days. Finally Carrie Neuman, their neighbour came over and helped get Logie onto the bed. Two doctors came out from Pincher Creek. They dressed all the burns, then they went back to town and told everybody that he wouldn’t live till morning. He did recover, but it took him a long time. He had major problems with the sciatic nerve in one leg for many years, and would try to do the work around the house by leaning on crutches and having Essie hold his bad leg up from behind. He became somewhat famous via the uncomfortable distinction of being the only man in the district to be directly struck by lightning who survived to tell the tale. Ed and Jim both quit school that year to help out on the farm. For many years after, Logie would go lie down when he felt a lightning storm coming, and he was always right. Jean was born without problem, but two years later Ina came down with rheumatic fever. She contracted it again in 1943 and it left her with a badly damaged heart, which ultimately led to her early death at the age of 69, in 1955.
The 1930’s brought many challenges to the family, as they were affected by the “Great Depression”. One man was driving his whole herd of cattle to auction as he couldn’t feed them. He offered any cow in the herd to Logie for $5. Logie couldn’t afford to buy one. Logie would don his buffalo hide coat in mid winter, harness the team and head “up the valley” towards Coleman with a load of beef to sell, so they could afford to buy the necessities they needed. Money was a scarce quantity, but Ina fed all the hungry people that arrived at her doorstep. In later years her son-in-laws described her as the “best cook on earth” and they would always stay for dinner when courting the girls. Ina and Logie lived on the farm until 1950. They moved to Marysville, B.C., because Jim and Bill were already living there, working for the CM&S. Eventually Ed and Essie also moved to Marysville. Logie built Ina a house there, with all the “modern conveniences”. Ina had raised six children on the farm, without electricity or running water. The “Rural Electrification Project” brought electricity to their homestead the year after they left Alberta Logie continued to work until he was seventy years old, as a carpenter and a saw filer at the fertilizer plant in Kimberley, B.C. Until Logie died in 1965 at the age of 84, his backyard contained rows of raspberry bushes and a chicken coop. Ina had gone through two bouts of rhuematic fever during her life, and her heart was in poor condition. In those days, there was little in the way of medication for the condition. Ina was advised to carry a flask of whisky with her, and take a drink when she had one of her "spells". Ina died on October 23, 1954, at the age of 69 and Logie remarried in 1957, marrying his former fiancee from his early days in Pincher Creek, Mary Upton (now widow Mary Lucas). Mary began suffering from dementia, and she died in 1960 in Kimberley, B.C. Logie died on October 24, 1965 in Cranbrook, B.C. Ina and Logie are both buried in Marysville, B.C. Mary is buried in Pincher Creek, Alberta beside her first husband, Phil Lucas and her son Charlie Lucas.
Children of James Logan McWhirter and Ina Amanda Dyer
Gilbert Edward Born July 5, 1906 Dry Fork, Alberta
James Logan Born March
28, 1908, Dry Fork, Alberta
Margaret Elizabeth Born October 25, 1910, Athol, Idaho
William Ross Born July
29, 1914, Dry Fork, Alberta
Essie Pearl Born May 26, 1917, Dry Fork, Alberta
Ina Jean, Born June 22, 1922, Dry Fork, Alberta More than a century after Logie’s lonely journey by horseback from Montana, the violin that was his only possession on that trip still resides with his family, and is still making beautiful music. His family still has members living near the Bay of Chaleur and in New Richmond, Quebec. His ancestors came from a small Scottish town called "Ballantrae"
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