|
William Oliver of
Lethbridge has made valuable contribution to the development and
progress of Alberta through his success in dry farming and his
demonstration of what can be accomplished in this way. With a cash
capital of five dollars, when he reached Brandon, Manitoba, he started
upon his business career here and has steadily untilized his
opportunities and strengthened his powers until he is today one of the
successful agriculturists and property owners of this section of the
province. He was born in Oxford district, Ontario, December 26, 1860,
and is a son of William and Margaret (Hogg) Oliver, both of whom were
alsd natives of Ontario, the former born near Gait, while the latter was
born in the district of Oxford. They spent their lives in Ontario, where
the father engaged in business as a contractor in early life and later
gave his attention to farming. He was a Liberal in politics and both lie
and his wife were members of the Presbyterian church. The family
numbered ten children, seven of whom are living. William Oliver is the
eldest of the family. The father was active in community affairs for a
considerable period and served as school trustee and as a councilor for
several years. He was of Scotch descent, his father having been John
Oliver, who was born near Edinburgh, Scotland, and who came to Canada
about 1822, settling near Gait, Ontario, where he continued to reside
until called to his final rest. In the maternal line William Oliver is
also of Scotch lineage, his mother's father having been George Hogg, who
was born near Edinburgh and in 1818 took up his abode at Hamilton,
Ontario. He purchased two hundred acres of government land in the
district of Oxford— a timber tract in the midst of which he hewed out a
little clearing and there erected a cabin without doors or windows. This
he occupied for three years. The first bushel of wheat which he raised
oil farm he carried on his back to Hamilton, sixty miles distant. As the
years passed, however, his labors wrought a marked change in conditions
and his once wild timber land was converted into a rich and productive
farm, on which he continued to reside until his death, which occurred
when he was eighty-six years of age.
William Oliver pursued
his education in the public schools of Oxford district, Ontario, and
started out in the business world as the assistant of his father in
building operations, spending three years in that way. He came west in
1882 with a kit of tools which his father had given him, and made
Winnipeg his destination. There he remained for four weeks, after which
he proceeded to Brandon, Manitoba, which was then the terminus of the
Canadian Pacific Railroad. He worked on various jobs for different
contractors during his stay at that place from April until July, and
then left Brandon in company with a companion, traveling by ox team to
the present site of Regina, although there was no town at the time.
There he homesteaded and remained for three years until he received his
patent and during that period he did considerable building through the
country and in the town of Regina, which was founded about that time. He
helped unload the first car of lumber oil town site. After a time he had
seventy acres of his land broken and under cultivation but lost his
first crops through dry winds. Later he obtained work on the Indian
Reserve near Lethbridge, putting up some houses for the Indian
department. In 1884 he took UI) his abode in Lethbridge and entered the
employ of the Alberta Railway & Coal Company in the shops, building snow
Plows, in the spring he engaged in house building for the company,
erecting houses for their miners. He worked with that corporation for
two years and then turned his attention to brick manufacturing, which
lie followed for three years. lie next began contracting on his own
account and built many houses in Lethbridge, remaining an active factor
in building operations in this city until 1909, when lie sold his
business and went to the coast, where he remained for a year. In the
meantime he had made investments in property and is now the owner of
considerable city realty as well as farm lands. He devotes his time to
farming and to the Supervision of his personal interests and his success
has caused him to be regarded as an authority upon many subjects
relating to agricultural life, especially to dry farming. He has a small
stock farm that is stocked with pure blooded Berkshire hogs and
Percheron horses, he has made wheat his principal crop and has
demonstrated what can be accomplished in a country where rainfall is
comparatively slight.
In 1889 Mr. Oliver was
united in marriage to Miss Amelia Oliver, who was born in Eastend,
Ontario, and there pursued her education. They became the parents of
three children: William, who is conducting a garage at Coalciale,
Alberta; John, who works for the Northern Irrigation Company in
Lethbridge; and Mrs. Gladys Helen Shonts, a widow, residing in
Vancouver. She has three children: Glen, Cecil and Bettie. Mrs. Oliver
passed away in 1912, in the faith of the Presbyterian church, of which
she was a consistent member. Mr. Oliver afterward married Margaret
Cyntha Cossaboom, who was born in Nova Scotia, and they have become
parents of a son, Robert Wilfred, who was born September 1, 1916.
Mr. and Mrs. Oliver hold
membership in the Presbyterian church, in the work of which the latter
takes a very active part. Mr. Oliver also belongs to the Masonic
fraternity and to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, having been a
member of the latter for thirty-five years and passed through all of the
chairs in the local lodge. For an extended period he gave his political
support to the Liberal party but is now a Progressive. He has filled
many positions of public honor and trust. He was on the city council for
a number of years and was alderman when Lethbridge became a city. He
filled the office of mayor from 1901 until 1904 and was instrumental in
introducing many improvements, including the establishment of the first
waterworks and sewerage system. He was a member of the city council for
several years after retiring from the office of mayor and has long been
active in civic affairs, his influence ever being on the side of
progress and advancement. His labors have indeed been far-reaching and
effective as factors in progressive government and at the same time he
has wisely and carefully managed his business affairs, thereby winning
the substantial measure of success which is now his. |
