A.M. Logan was born in Carleton County, Ontario in 1855. He homesteaded in the Manitou district of Southern Manitoba in 1879. In 1881 he returned to Ontario and on Feb. 22, 1882 married F.L. Hayes. They returned to Manitoba. In 1904, Mr. Logan and several of his sons moved to the Central Butte, SK district (Bridgeford area) and took up homesteads. Mrs. Logan and the other children joined them in 1909. The Logan children were Wilbert, Albert, twins Norris and Hardy, Ormond, Victor, Wilfred and one daughter Pearl.
Mr. Logan was a member of the Loyal Orange Lodge, No. 338 for nearly fifty years, and a member of the Independent Order of Foresters, No.135, of Manitou. He died on Feb. 22, 1928 at his home in the Central Butte district. His sons Albert, Hardy, Norris and Wilfred all served in World War I. Hardy was killed overseas in 1916 while serving with the 5th Artillery Brigade. Norris married Jane Ellis, his English war bride. He passed away in Central Butte on Dec. 11, 1976 at age 80 years. Jane died on July 10, 1978. Wilbert resided at Kindersley and Albert in Estevan. Pearl never married. She came to Moose Jaw in 1948 and passed away there on Oct. 22, 1976 at the age of 83 years.

The Moose Jaw Philharmonic Ladies Chorus formed in June 1937 as a successor to the Moose Jaw Philharmonic Society which had been formed several years earlier.

The results of the first election of officers was Miss Florence Johnstone - President; Mrs. E. W. Badger - Vice President; Miss Marjorie Horsefield - Secretary; Miss Lyla Hynes - Treasurer; Mrs. J. L. Hilton - Librarian; Mrs. G. Hall - Business Manager; Miss Mabel Bryce - Press Secretary; Mrs. Greenfield - Social Convener. Mr. Francis Stevenson was the first conductor.

The first concert was given in the Baptist Church. The choir sponsored a scholarship for the Moose Jaw Festival of Music. They won a number of awards in competition and recorded an album to tape in May? 1966 which was released in 1967?.

A final meeting was held on February 19, 1979 where a vote to disband was taken and all remaining funds were donated to the Canadian Cancer Society.

The first meeting of the Newberry Rural Telephone Co. was held on May 22, 1912. The first board consisted of D.W. Newberry - President, F.B. Johnson - Vice President, W.F. Jacobs - Secretary/Treasurer and as directors S.R. Newberry, Jas. Sinclair, S.P. Peterson. One item suggests a 1910 incorporation but all other documents refer to the 1912 start date.
The company operated a small rural telephone system in the Archive area, south of Moose Jaw.

The last date of operation is unknown. The last date of the records is 1956 but they are incomplete.

The Moose Jaw Canucks Hockey Club was formed in September 1933. The management was headed by Adam Thomson and Ivan Morrison and consisted mainly of the fathers of players who had been members of the “Stars”, Moose Jaw’s entry in Juvenile hockey. Canucks coaches from 1933-1945 were Gymie McMillan (7 years coach), Ikey Morrison, Hal York, Chuck Robinson, Bob Kennedy, Clay Boiteau and Roy Bentley.

The Canucks became the first amateur affiliate of the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League in 1945. Besides operating the Junior Canucks in the Southern Junior League, the Canucks Hockey Club also operated a Juvenile team in the South Central League, and a four team city midget league.

In 1974 the ownership and operation of the Canucks was turned over to the Moose Jaw Hockey Society. In May 1982 four men, John Waronek, Gilbert Prefontaine, Murray Baldwin, and Gary Bolinger purchased the franchise from the Moose Jaw Hockey Society. Later in the same season, Waronek took over sole ownership of the team. In November 1983 the Moose Jaw Junior Hockey Community Club was nominated by the Saskatchewan Amateur Junior Hockey League (SAJHL) to run the team for the remainder of the 1983-84 season after they (SAJHL) terminated Waronek’s franchise.

In December 1983 Moose Jaw Tier One Junior Hockey Inc. and the Moose Jaw Junior Hockey Community Club Inc. (Club) joined forces in order to bring the best junior hockey available to the city of Moose Jaw. The amalgamation of the two groups placed the bid to bring a Western Hockey League (WHL) franchise to Moose Jaw and the existing Moose Jaw Canucks of the SAJHL under one community hockey roof. The objective of the new group was to move ahead with the present tier two team (Canucks) in place and continue to plan for the future of a WHL team in Moose Jaw. The new group would assume all obligations which the Club had concerning the Canucks.

On December 22, 1983 Tier One Hockey Inc. were successful in their efforts to buy the Winnipeg Warriors, who became the Moose Jaw Warriors.

In 1944 people in Saskatoon called a meeting to discuss the formation of a senior citizens club. Many towns were represented including Moose Jaw. The Old Age Pensioners Club was formed with Mrs. A. Douglas, president; Mrs. Nurse, secretary; and Mrs. Brown, treasurer. In January 1945 Moose Jaw received their charter and were known as the Old Age Pensioners, Branch 5 Moose Jaw. The object of the club was to try to get together to make life less lonely for the elderly. The first officers elected for Branch 5 were Mr. E. Heath, president; Mrs. Ellis, first vice-president; Mr. Vaughn, secretary; Mrs. E. Foster, treasurer. Aims were to visit the sick at home and in the hospitals and to send cards to the sick and bereaved. A ladies auxiliary was formed to assist with fundraising projects. Four meetings a month were held in a small room on Main St. From 1954 to 1957 meetings were held in the I.O.D.E. room at the Y.M.C.A. With over 400 members in 1957 a larger hall was required, so the Odd Fellows Hall was rented for meetings from 1957 until 1964.

After the Old Age Pensioners approached several clubs in 1961, the Cosmos Club offered to sponsor them in their efforts to build a facility. After a meeting of the city, officers of the Old Age Pensioners, and Mr. Jack Dorfman, president of the Cosmos Club, the Pensioners agreed to turn over $11,000.00 to the Cosmos Club. The City of Moose Jaw provided the land to build, and in 1963 the Cosmos Centre opened. The Old Age Pensioners were given the use of the Centre.

In 1971 the name Old Age Pensioners changed to the Pensioners and Senior Citizens Organization of Saskatchewan, Branch 5, Moose Jaw. At a convention in Saskatoon in 1981 they joined with the New Horizons and became known as Saskatchewan Seniors Association Incorporated, Branch 5.

In 1984 Branch 5 had 59 members. It was the only charter branch left in the province. Officers were Violet Peeling, president; Agnes Goodnough, secretary; and Mrs. H. Braaten, treasurer.

On May 8, 1997 it was decided to disband Branch 5. Membership had declined to six active members. Mary Webber was president, Violet Peeling, secretary. Remaining funds were donated to the Moose Jaw Union Hospital and to the Provincial Saskatchewan Seniors Association Inc. All record books and material were donated to the Archives Dept. of Moose Jaw Public Library.

The McWilliams family history in the Moose Jaw area consists of several generations beginning with Thomas Edwin McWilliams (Tom). He was born in Kingston, Ontario in 1840. He married Martha Jane Dunseith and had six children - Eliza Jane, Margaret Ann, Mary Victoria, Samuel Henry, George Edwin and William John. He spent from 1879 to 1882 in Fort Garry, returned to Ontario and then headed west to the Moose Jaw area in 1883. His family followed in 1884. He rented several properties in the Pasqua/Drinkwater area including a railway section house and E½ 10-16-25 W2. He worked away from the farm at various jobs including as a freighter of supplies for the military during the Riel rebellion.
In July 1886, Thomas discovered the hills south of Drinkwater contained deposits of a clay suitable for ceramics and brick. By 1887, he had registered a homestead claim for the property containing the deposits. He and his family moved to Moose Jaw and lived there for several years. Martha leased the Queen’s Hotel and operated it as a boarding house for a number of years.
By 1889, Thomas was in danger of forfeiting his homestead claim as he had not abided by the rules requiring habitation and agricultural development. He and his son, Sam, moved to the property - Thomas living there for six months of the year and working elsewhere the rest and Sam staying there year round while the rest of the family stayed in Moose Jaw. They cared for cattle on the property to help fulfill the agricultural requirements.
There are several different sources providing conflicting timelines re: the early development of the clay deposits. One states that after trying unsuccessfully to interest investors or raise capital to start manufacturing, Thomas sold the property to a group of businessmen in August or September, 1899. They then started what is known as the Claybank Brick Plant.
Another source suggests that McWilliams hauled clay from his property to Moose Jaw for sale to various manufacturers in Moose Jaw until he partnered with the Moose Jaw Fire Brick and Pottery Co. from 1904 until they reorganized into Saskatchewan Clay Products and bought out his shares in 1912.
Thomas was also a founding member of the Moose Jaw Orange Lodge and was recognized as being one of the longest serving members of the lodge in the Canadian west.
He died on River Street in Moose Jaw at age 78.
Samuel Henry McWilliams (Sam) was the son of Thomas E. McWilliams. He was born in Muskoka, Ontario ca. 1874 and moved with his family to the Assiniboia territory in 1884.
At the age of 15, Sam worked as a water hauler for the people of Moose Jaw. All the water used in the construction of Victoria School was hauled to the site by Sam. He attended the school the following year.
In the Fall of 1889, Sam moved to Claybank, Saskatchewan to help fulfill the residency requirements for his father’s homestead claim.
In June, 1892, when he turned 18, he filed for his own homestead on NE 1/4 24-15-25 W2. He purchased SE 1/4 31-14-24 W2 in 1904.

He married Bessie Ann Coventry of Coventry, Saskatchewan and had five children - Leslie Earl and William Henry who later rented the family farm from their father when he retired to Moose Jaw, Harry Hector who worked for the CPR, and daughters Fern Louise (who married an Englishman in the RAF and moved away) and Olive Jane.
Sam was active in the community and was an original member of the Moose Jaw Agricultural Society and was also a member of the Saskatchewan Grain Growers and the Moose Jaw Museum Committee.
He retired to Moose Jaw in 1939. He died November 13, 1962, age 88.
Leslie Earl McWilliams (Les) had one son, James Leslie (Jim). William Henry McWilliams (Bill) had three sons - David, Ronald and Murray and one daughter, Sandra.
A number of family members were involved in the St. Andrews Society and Scottish pipe and drum bands.

Tuxford Lodge No.87, Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) was instituted on January 9, 1912. Charter members were David Reekie, Roy T. Lowther, William D. Boyd, A.G. Kepner, J.H. Storry, John B. Calver, R.E. Spicer, Don Kilpatrick, John D. Fraser. The Lodge hall was built that same year. During its existence, 130 men joined the Lodge. The charter was surrendered to the Grand Lodge of Saskatchewan on November 28, 1939. At the same time the Lodge hall was sold to the Village of Tuxford.

The Princess Patricia Club of Moose Jaw was formed in October 1933 by Maudie Radcliffe Baylay and Nan Evans Buchbach. The original aim was to help young girls during the Depression. Assistance was given to numerous girls, but soon extended to needy families and the elderly.
The first executive elected were Maudie Radcliffe Baylay, president; Nan Evans Buchbach, vice-president; Verna Woods Forrest, secretary; and Dorothy Knox Gibson, treasurer.
Blue and silver were chosen as the club’s colours. Meetings were held weekly. A special project was undertaken once a month. The prime source of fund raising became the afternoon tea and bazaar. Other projects included charity balls, supper dances, tag days, gala Boxing Day dances and sales of roses and tulips.
In 1939 the Princess Patricia Club was invited to become the auxiliary to the 77th Battery Royal Canadian Artillery. During World War II, the Princess Patricia Club sent more than 2800 parcels to Battery personnel serving overseas. Funds raised were also spent on bursaries, nursing scholarships, milk for Britain campaign, children’s shelters, the elderly and the blind. In later years the Club supported many institutions and local agencies including the Union Hospital, Providence Hospital, St. Anthony’s Home, Pioneer Lodge, the Christmas Stocking Fund, and Easter boxes for shut-ins.
In 1999, after 66 years on a most distinguished record, the Princess Patricia Club, mostly because of a declining and aging membership disbanded. A final donation of the Club’s funds was made to the Foundation for the Moose Jaw Union Hospital.

Richard “Dick” Neil Lillico was born May 3, 1921 in Moose Jaw and attended school at Alexandra Public School and Central Collegiate. In 1941, he accepted a position at the Moose Jaw Times Herald. In 1944, he accepted a job at CHAB radio station where he worked in various positions, such as announcer, operator, salesman and writer for sports desk, Confucius Say, and Army and Navy programs. In 1945, Lillico married Florence Webber of Moose Jaw and had one daughter, Michel. After Lillico ran and lost as the liberal candidate for the Moose Jaw-Lake Centre district in 1957, the family moved to England where he worked as a freelance newscaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the British Broadcasting Corporation. They returned to Moose Jaw in 1960. Lillico then worked as an advertising manager for newspapers in the Moose Jaw area. In 1962, he attempted to seek nomination at the Liberal nominating convention, but did not succeed.

William George Wood was born in Hounslow, England in 1895 and immigrated to Canada with his family in 1912. His family tried to book passage on the Titanic; however, they were unable to reserve tickets and left on another ship the following day. The family settled in Moose Jaw and Wood began work at the CPR. In 1918, he joined the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen. Wood retired from the CPR in 1958. He was married to Maye (Atkinson) Wood and they had four children: Joyce, Lynn, Dennis, and Garth. He died April 26, 1985.

The Prairie Pens Writers was established on February 10, 1991. The creation of the group was accomplished due to Gertrude Story (in 1991 she was Moose Jaw’s writer-in-residence) and a grant from the New Horizon’s program. One of the first actions of the group was to petition city hall to declare Robert Currie and Gary Hyland Honorary Poets Laureate. Members participated in their first public readings at the SIAST’s Macoun Lounge in June 1991. This event, called Readouts, is now an annual event held at the library.
Membership is open to anyone; however, due to weekday meeting times, the majority of members are seniors. Meetings are held on the second Monday of each month, excluding July and August.