Category: Archives

ww1 battlefield
Archives, Our Stories

In Memory of Private Robinson

Clayton McLain Memorial Museum

The CMMM Archives received a request for information from the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 in Belgium. Their researchers have been able to identify the wartime burial locations of more than 1,400 of the 6,928 missing Canadians in Flanders. One of the burial sites located has been identified as belonging to Ernest Robinson, who homesteaded in the Cut Knife area. His name is listed on the Roll of Honour in our local history book Where the Cut Knife Waters Flow Volume I.

From the letter mailed to the CMMM from the Passchendaele Museum:

More than a century ago, a fateful letter was sent to Mrs. Mary Robinson (M), who lived or worked at Tatsfield, SK. It was the postal address of the next of kin of Ernest Robinson, a Canadian soldier who fell in Flanders during the First World War.

Ernest Robinson was born in Greater Manchester, Ashton-under-Lyne, England. Before he enlisted, he worked as a Homestead Farmer. Ernest was killed on 5/26/1915 and buried near Roeselare Kriegslazarett 123, Roeselare… Ernest Robinson is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing in Ypres, Belgium…

Unfortunately we were unable to trace Tatsfield, SK to a modern address. This is the reason why we are contacting you, in the hope you can help us…

Perhaps, you’re familiar with the story of Ernest. Do you have unique letters, pictures or stories related to him, his family or the house they lived or worked in? Or if you would simply like to share your thoughts, we kindly invite you to post them on the website. You will be helping to build a platform for surviving relatives, interested individuals, researchers and museums.

Help us to remember the missing and preserve their stories for the future.

Joachim Jonckheere President, Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917

Private Ernest Robinson’s death has been recorded on the Commonwealth War Graves website. It tells us that his parents were Robert and Mary Armitage Robinson of Tatsfield, SK. Are there any recollections from the Cut Knife community of where the Robinson family may have moved? The Passchendaele Museum would like the family’s descendants to know his burial site has been determined. Private Ernest Robinson is one fallen soldier of more than 6,900 Canadian soldiers who are commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing.

Or, perhaps: “Do you have unique letters, pictures or stories related to him, his family or the house they lived or worked in? Or if you would simply like to share your thoughts, we kindly invite you to post them on the website.“

Information gathered from the community in the replies below and on the museum’s Facebook page will be compiled and forwarded. Thank you.

~ Debbie M.

Passchendaele Museum, Belgium
Archives, Our Stories

Archives Week 2023

Clayton McLain Memorial Museum

Of all national assets, archives are the most precious; they are the gift of one generation to another and the extent of our care of them marks the extent of our civilization.

Sir Arthur Doughty, Dominion Archivist 1904 – 1935

The Clayton McLain Memorial Museum Archives was established in 2009 under the guidance of the Saskatchewan Council of Archives and Archivists (SCAA). This brought all the materials displayed and stored onsite in the heritage buildings into one location, where a climate-controlled and pest free environment would ensure their safety and longevity. All materials are being organized and classified according to archives industry standards.

The CMMM Archives are in transition from their home in the Museum Administration & Archive Centre (MAAC) at 201 Railway Avenue to their soon-to-be new home at 113 Broad Street, which also houses the Cut Knife Municipal Library. MAAC2 will be located at the rear of the building with a separate entrance. Watch for a spring-time public event to celebrate our new home!

In the meantime, we’ll be sharing a few archival-related items on the blog this week. If you’d like to see what’s going on in archives across the province, check out the list of events on the SCAA’s website at the link below.

Click here to view Archives Week activities throughout the province.

From the 2023 SCAA Archives Week poster:

Sunday, February 5 – Saturday, February 11

The Saskatchewan Society of Archives and Archivists (SCAA) represents institutions and individuals in communities throughout the province. Our archives range from small volunteer-run organizations to the larger provincial archives.

archives week 2023 saskatchewan council for archives and archivists poster

~ Debbie M.

map of railways circa 1970s
Archives

Skill Testing Question…

Clayton McLain Memorial Museum

The Clayton McLain Memorial Museum and Archives receives at least half a dozen research requests per year: someone may need a photograph for a publication, or information from a school ledger, or newspaper articles about a particular event. The types of requests are hugely varied. Most of the time we’re able to help. Other times, the relevant information just doesn’t exist in our archives.

Folks, this is one of those times.

We received a request from a researcher in Victoria, BC, who is looking into “early railway development in west Saskatchewan”, in particular the Canadian Pacific Railway’s (CPR) and the Grand Trunk Railway’s (GTR) first lines through the Cut Knife area. Information from “Where the Cut Knife Waters Flow Volume I” has already been forwarded.

This researcher is especially interested in the CPR-built line that connects the Town of Cut Knife on the CPR line to Rosemound on the GTR line. The map below shows that section.

Questions:

  • When was the Cut Knife to Rosemound connector built?
  • Why was it built?
CNR refers to the former GTR rail lines, which were purchased by the Canadian National Railway.

Of course, this is a long shot.

However, if you have any information at all about the CPR’s Cut Knife to Rosemound connector, whether it’s a family story, or a book / document / photo album with a reference in it, please comment below, or email the museum at cmmmcutknife@gmail.com. Also, we’d sure appreciate it if you passed this along to any of your railway enthusiast friends. Thank you!

~ Debbie M.

to do list and assorted tools
Archives, Museum

Many hands DO make light work

Clayton McLain Memorial Museum

12 helpers and 2 mini-helpers arrived Saturday morning ready to work. Randy’s To-Do list was extensive, complete with something for everyone to tackle: From washing windows to cleaning bathrooms; from replacing ceiling tiles to putting in door-stops to putting up shelves; from organizing the kitchen to programming door locks to wiping down chairs, to vacuuming, sweeping and washing floors – everyone was kept busy. Some volunteers even stayed beyond noon to check off a few more items on the list. Our mini-helpers were amazing too. They dusted; they helped Rick with a multitude of tasks, and they remained cheerful for a good three hours!

A few photos:

to do list and assorted tools
At 9am, the table looked like this. By noon, it was a wet, sudsy mess from washing the light ceiling panels…
kitchen cleanup crew
Lucille, Terri & Janice cleaned and organized the kitchen – even making coffee for a mid-morning break.
cleaning the kid's chairs
Jean cleaning the children’s chairs, moving on soon afterwards to… more chairs!
Caught Randy on his way to do more painting and Lyle getting started on shelves for the storage room.
paint touch ups
This is Christine touching up the baseboard paint. She’s already circled the space working on the doors and walls.
Colton (on the ladder) and Chris replacing stained ceiling tiles.

Our sincere thanks to each person who was able to take the time Saturday morning to help the Library and the Museum move that-much-closer to moving in. Your support is very much appreciated.

Missing from photos Rick B, Debbie H., Debbie M., and James & Albert S.

~ Debbie M.

Archives, Museum

Volunteer Crew Needed

Clayton McLain Memorial Museum

Folks, we’re almost ready to move in to the new Library / Museum building. The walls are painted; flooring has been installed; minor renovations completed; the electricians are done (we think). It’s touch-up time because… moving in is next!

6 – 8 people needed to help us make the space ‘move-in-ready.’

WHEN: Saturday, November 12 from 9am – noon
WHERE: 113 Broad Street (the former Good Shepherd Church)
WHAT ELSE: Tools, brooms, cleaning supplies will be provided. Please bring your own water bottle.

R.S.V.P.s appreciated. Email the museum at cmmmcutknife@gmail.com or speak with Randy.

THANK YOU!

~ Debbie M.