Author Archives: Dave Robison

About Dave Robison

Professional Genealogist with more than 15 years experience. Currently engaging in lectures, instructional classes from introductory to advanced level research and contract client research. A Mayflower descendant and a pending member of the Sons of the American Revolution with more than 18 direct Revolutionary War Patriots.

January 15, 1913 aboard the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway….

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….or what would become the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway! Clem mentions “the car” which is, of course, the railcar where they lived throughout the construction project.  No mention of the temperature today, but it did snow.  So much for today’s weather report!

Here’s today’s entry in “Lest We Forget”:

Steve and I in the car all day keeping on the fire.  Weather about the same as yesterday with a little snow.  No work all day.  I went out in the afternoon an (sic) started to clean the flat car.  I just got it cleaned when it started to snow.  All that work for nothing.  Cullerne came home on the mixed about 4.30 PM.  I wrote home to father.

 

Winter Scenes...Huge Snow Removal Car Up Front

Winter Scenes…Huge Snow Removal Car Up Front

I’ve never said, “…a little warmer about 15 below…” !!!

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Below is the diary entry for January 14, 1913. There are a few words on this page that I can’t figure out, but I’ve come as close as I can. For example, I don’t know what a “clavor” is or an “elavor” for that matter. If anyone out there knows, post a reply! For now, it’s the best I can make out from the handwriting. Maybe a “clavor” is a railroad term or maybe it’s hard to read because his hands wouldn’t stop shaking from the cold! Good grief….15 below!!!

If you’re at all interested in the Grand Trunk Pacific, there’s an article at this link at Wikipedia.

Here’s the transcription of what he wrote 100 years ago today:

Weather a little warmer about 15 below. We stayed in the car all morning. Cullerne went west on the mixed he had some work on the line. In the afternoon Steve and I went out and staked out the clavors/ elavors at Stony Plain worked about 2 hours. After supper Steve and I had 2 games of Pool. Then went home to bed. 9.30 good hours.

Busy Schedule Coming Up!

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Today, I’m going to do my best to update my website www.oldbones.co to include all the classes and presentations coming up.  Another genealogy fundraiser for the First Church in Ludlow is starting February 25th, a 4 week course begins this Thursday at The Yellow House Center of Community Learning then the Hitchcock Free Academy would like to repeat what we did last fall.  Finally, the last of 4 monthly meetings will take place February 11, 2013 finishing up a 4 week introductory genealogy lecture series at the Wilbraham Public Library.

In addition, I’m still committed to transcribing and posting each day of my grandfather’s diary “Lest We Forget” on a daily basis.  Watch for it!!

Please take a moment and visit www.oldbones.co for more details.  And certainly I’d love to hear any constructive criticism or suggestions from anyone who’d care to comment.

Thanks!

Relationship Chart by Alice J Ramsay

Relationship Chart by Alice J Ramsay

Much warmer on January 13, 1913 near Spruce Grove, Alberta in “Lest We Forget”

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Weather much warmer about 20⁰.  We did nothing but clean up the car in the morning.  Steve and I walked to Spruce Grove on rail drainage.  Walked both ways eight miles.  After we started it started to snow and it lasted it till we got back at 4.30 and the car was very cold.

[From the diary of Clem Dickson “Lest We Forget” on the 100th anniversay of his entry while building the Grand Truck Pacific Railway in Alberta Canada]

It got a little colder??? “Lest We Forget” January 12, 1913

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Clem Dickson Album (15)

 

 

 

Here’s a another few shots from my grandfather’s photo album.  It looks as though the bear might have been a camp mascot!  I’ve got a few others that I’ll post with the next few blogs…

 

 

 

 

 

Northwest Canada in 1913…even today…January weather can be counted on for cold!  You see, this is long before “global warming”.  I’m sure these guys would have enjoyed a little “global warming”!  They’re still in Spruce Grove, Alberta.  I don’t imagine they’re making much progress on the weekend.

Sunday, January 12, 1913:

Weather was a little colder about 44⁰.  We got up at 7.30  went to breakfast and stayed n car all day.  About 9.30 the sun came out and got a little warmer.  In the afternoon got water for the wash.  No church or I would have gone.

Cold Snap Continues in “Lest We Forget” Saturday, January 11, 1913

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The cold snap conitnues and yet Clem and Steve still made it “uptown” for some relaxation.

Saturday, January 11, 1913:

Same old story stayed in the car all day could not work as it was only 35 below.  We found it bad enough to go to our meals.  I had to get up at 5.30 to put on a fire or we might have been frozen.  Steve and I went uptown and played 4 games of pool then went back to the car.  The first pool we played for some days.

Wilbraham Public Library: Full House for Session III

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Wilbraham Public Library Session III

Wilbraham Public Library Session III

This was Session III of “Introduction to Genealogy and Family Research”.  This session was titled “Becoming a Genealogy Detective”.  Maybe that why so many people showed up!  This crowd was double the number of people who attended Session II last December.  We managed to get through all the material planned for the night.  Lots of great questions and great audience participation.  Although the program was scheduled to end at 8 PM, only one person left at 8….everyone else stuck around for an additional half hour.       These sessions were held under the auspices of the Western Massachusetts Genealogy Society.  WMGS holds monthly meetings in Agawam, MA 10 months of the year where speakers on a wide variety of subjects make presentations which are free.  Membership is only $20/year.

“lest we forget” that it was 35 below zero on January 10 1913!!!

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When he describes the weather that day, he states that it was “35 below”. Now that’s cold! But keep in mind that he’s talking about 35 degrees Celsius, not that 35 degrees Celsius is tropical….That’s still pretty cold!

At any rate, here’s the entry for January 10, 1913 in Saskatchewan. I know it’s Saskatchewan because there are references to “Spruce Grove” and other towns that are in that Province:

Friday, January 10, 1913
Weather a little colder only 35 below this morn. I got up at 5 oclock to put on more fire but I didn’t stay up very long. About 10 oclock the sun came up and it got much warmer. Tonight it is getting much colder. Now about 15⁰ below.

“Lest We Forget” diary entry for Thursday, January 9, 1913

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Track Laying Equipment

Stuck in a rail car for days at a time with no hi-speed internet connection, no cell phones, no “Words With Friends” and certainly, no cable TV!! The cold snap continues!

Here’s what Clem had to say about Thursday, Januaary 9, 1913…one hundred years ago today:

Stayed in the 7 spot all day keeping on the fires. 28 below. Cullerne thought it to (sic) cold to work. Only left the car for our meals. It snowed just a little in the morning.
Nothing to do. We talked till 9.30 then all went to rest.

Clem Dickson Diary “Lest We Forget” Wednesday, January 8, 1913

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Keep in mind that when my grandfather, Clem Dickson, wrote this diary 100 years ago, he was working on the construction of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad in northwest Canada, a bitterly cold and primal wilderness .  He worked with the team that was responsible for construction westward from Winnipeg, Manitoba toward the team that began in Prince Rupert, British Columbia and worked eastward toward Winnipeg a total distance of about 1,500 miles.

[NOTE: I make no attempt to interpret what he wrote.  What I’ll be posting every day this year is a simple transcription of each page of the diary as he wrote it.]

Here’s the entry:

Stayed in the 7 spot all day and kept on the fire all day.  Weather was about 24 below and a cold wind blowing the same as day before and snow blowing.  Wrote two letters in the afternoon one to J/A/ R. Bob Dickson Nan(?)