Alan Hamilton

Alan, my friend and fellow Fennemore Band member lived with his parents John (Jack) and Caroline (Carrie) Hamilton near Dafoe on SW.4.32.18 along with his three older brothers Archie, Gordon and John Jr. (Jock).  Alan's father Jack was born in Scotland in the spring of 1877 and immigrated to central Canada in 1900 when he was only 23 years old.

In late 1905 he picked out a homestead for himself near Dafoe and the following year he applied for homestead patent on SW.4.32.18.  Jack had traveled to the Foote/Copeland area with his friends Stan Smith, William Wood and Lea McDougall.  He built a sod house and started to prove up his land.

Jack married an English girl, Caroline Woodward in 1907, and was later active in community affairs being a trustee board member for the Copeland United Church in 1918, and a councilor for the Rural Municipality of Big Quill (#308) for 12 years.

Telephones came to the area in 1914 and the Hamilton's were the second family to acquire one after George and Elizabeth Neale, who lived just across the old number 6 road on the East half of 5.32.18.  The next year they purchased the first car in the district, a Model T Ford.

Jack and Carrie expanded their land holdings in 1919 by buying William Wood's quarter on NW.4.32 and the west half of 7.32.18 from the Morrows.  Eight years later they purchased J. Dew's section in 1927.

Alan played the drums with us in the band until it was disbanded before the second world war.  He married Jonina (Nina) Sveinbjornson from Mimer in 1940, which was the same year I married Lila Amor.

I mention the Hamilton family only once in my diary on September 6th, 1933 when during threshing time, my brother Clarence hauled wheat with Mr. J Hamilton.

John Hamilton 1877-1958  Caroline Hamilton (nee Woodward) 1873-1948
Alan Hamilton 1911?-????
Patent SW.4.32.18 started 1906, granted May 25th, 1909.
Diary September 6th - 8th, 1933