Alexander Martin

Moved to Regina with brother Robert in 1882.

Uncle Alex and Uncle Bob Martin, with a few other fellows, came to Regina in 1882 and were in love with the ‘wild' west. They decided on homesteads not far from where Lumsden was started a few years later. They had some oxen and equipment with them and broke a few acres of land. Some of the built a sod shack as well. Then Uncle Alex and Uncle Bob went back to Ontario for the winter. That winter they wrer both married – Uncle Alex married Margaret Broadfoot (aunt Maggie) and Uncle Bob married Helen McNeish (aunt Nellie). Uncle Bob had met her when he was finishing his studies as a druggist.

In late April of 1883 they prepared for the west with carloads of lumber, machinery, some horses but mainly oxen, cows, chickens, some furniture, food for men and animals and then they were on their way. There were Uncle Alex and Aunt Maggie, Uncle Bob and Aunt Nellie, Jack and Jim Balfour(16 and 18 years old), J.S. Ramsay (later Beth and Beattie's dad), Charlie Sherrifs, Jim George and Alex Mutch. There were others who did not stay. And so the folks who were the settlers in the Lumsden District started life in the west. They arrived in Regina and had to haul their goods about 25 miles, to where they all found homesteads. Uncle Jack, Uncle David and Uncle Donald Martin went out later that summer but only Uncle Jack stayed. That winter a Major Walker of Calgary wanted men for the bush so Jack and Jim, Jack Ramsay, some of the Mutchs, Uncle Jack martin and Uncle Alex went to the bush to work. Aunt Maggie went along to cook. They took oxen with them for hauling logs. The others stayed at home to look after the animals and the rest of their things.

They had a splendid winter and came back in early April. Jim Balfour stayed on with Major Walker and did not come back until 1886. In 1885 he was part of an oxtrain that freighted supplies to the army under Colonel Steel for the Reil Rebellion.

This settlement was west of Lumsden. There was no one to the north except one house, built by people named Cowan, which was later Jack and Agnes Grant's. It was on high ground and was the only landmark on the north plain for many years.

Due south of Lumsden settlers came in during the 1880's. There were the Mortons, Jimmy Gilmore and then about 1890 Eddie Carss, George and Robert Dickson, Chris Scott and perhaps, Sid Dolman. To the east there was Renolds – Mr. And Mrs. Renolds, Louis Keil and family, Charles Burgess and family, some of the Purdys, Jeffries and Kinneards. There was also a Mr. Kennedy, from whom we bought our first cow.