For a
time, a period of about 20 years, most of the Caswell siblings made a go of
farming in the Saskatoon area. Mary Jane
& Hugh Donnan, Robert & Fanny, James Dickson Caswell & Mary, Sarah
& Ephraim Case, John J & Patience Caswell, David and Joseph; brother
Samuel and wife joined them about 1903.
Alexander Kennedy Caswell was in the Saskatoon area at one time, bought
land in Alberta, but spent his final years in California.
Saskatoon
had but fourteen houses in 1887 when the Caswells started arriving in Clark’s
Crossing. A decade later it became
evident that Saskatoon was growing and Clark’s Crossing was not. A letter from John to a government official cites,
as a reason for moving to Saskatoon, the need to have regular schooling for his
children. Underlying the move to
Saskatoon for several of the brothers was recognition that the land
values in Saskatoon were increasing far beyond any that could be anticipated at Clark's Crossing.
John also
wrote that he wanted to get a better market for his registered Shorthorn
cattle. “These he began advertising in
the first issue of the “Phenix” in 1902 and continued to do so in boxed ads
written in a style that would indicate the TV commercial world would have
claimed him if he’d been born about a hundred years later."[1] I found a few examples of the “Phenix” on
line.
 |
| Saskatoon Phenix Oct 17, 1902 |
 |
| Saskatoon Phenix May 1, 1903 |
John J
Councillor for Local Improvement - Caswell’s district began at 22nd Street and
stretched north some 12 miles. It
contained most of Smithville and the heart of the original farming section
around Saskatoon. Elected councillor for
Division 1, and then first Chairman, was John J. Caswell. Although he lived in section 33, Twp 36,
Range 5 he represented Twp 37, where he had his main farm after 1899.
Although considered windy and contentious,
John seems to have been respected by his neighbours for his skill as a farmer
which won him a number of prizes at agricultural fairs. The first council meeting was held on June 24,
1904 a little over a year later he resigned on moving to California. [2] He sold his Saskatoon ranch to Mr. Allan Bowerman,
who resold it in a few months to the Canadian Pacific Railway (at a great
profit) for its shops. The house became a Roman Catholic convent.
Rob took
up land in Saskatoon on the summit of Caswell Hill. John’s ranch was just to the east of Roberts. Dave went a little northwest of town,
obtaining land that became a part of the city airport. Joe eventually moved to a farm four miles
southwest of Saskatoon.
A couple
of years earlier, Thomas had settled in Ceres, just south of Modesto and about
ninety miles east of San Jose. Brother
William had lived in Williams, California, before moving to Sacramento.
Alexander spent some years in Modesto and two of his sons, Ernest and Clarence,
established homes there. Joseph and
Robert made frequent winter journeys to visit their brothers in
California. Margaret Caswell Styles husband
Robert and grandchildren clustered around Hughson, a few miles east of
Ceres. Lucy (Donnan) and Ernest Shipman
also moved to Ceres. Stanislaus County,
California had become a second nucleus of the Caswell family.
By 1900
Mary Jane & Hugh Donnan had followed the railroad and moved to Grand Forks,
BC. The rest stayed in the Saskatoon
area and lived out their days there.
By the
time of the 1983 reunion the only males in Saskatoon bearing the Caswell surname
and descended from Andrew and Mary Jane were of Roberts’s children and
grandchildren.
 |
| 1983 Caswell Reunion Saskatoon |
[1]
Cory
in Recall; History of Cory by Mary Pattison
[2]
Cory
in Recall; History of Cory by Mary Pattison
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