Fonds 177 Ann Macklin fonds

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1911-1947. — 3 cm of textual records, 90 photographs.

Biographical Sketch

Ann Macklin was born at the Kathryn Prittie Hospital in Grande Prairie in 1917, the daughter of David and Annie Philips-Roberts.

Her father had homesteaded in the Clairmont area after coming over the Edson Trail in 1912. David Philips Roberts was the only son of Mr. E.M.Roberts, J.P. in Talsarnau, Merionethshire, Wales. Born in 1877, he had spent some years in Austrailia before coming to the Peace Country. His homestead was called Trevor Farm. He also worked out on a road gang building the Dunvegan Hill road ca. 1914.

In 1916, his fiancé Annie Roberts, a nurse and matron of a hospital in Wales, came to join him and the couple was married in Grouard on January 26, 1916. They spent their honeymoon traveling to Clairmont in a caboose pulled by two oxen.

Growing up on the homestead, Ann attended Clairmont school, then high school and business college in Grande Prairie. An only child, she enjoyed all her pets as well domestic animals on the farm, recording each one by name.

After the war Ann married Victor Macklin, son of I.V. Macklin (the first school teacher in Grande Prairie). David Philips-Roberts passed away Feb. 23, 1948 and is buried in the Grande Prairie Cemetery. Annie Roberts moved to Ottawa where Ann and Victor lived and where the couple resided for their entire married life. Ann Macklin passed away in 2003.

Custodial History

The records were donated for reproduction by Tillie Macklin Gordon, second wife of Ann’s father-in-law, I.V. Macklin, in 2005.

Scope and Content

The fonds consists of colour copies of 96 photograph album pages which have been laminated and bound into an album for display in the Grande Prairie Museum; and 90 digitized scans of photographs which have been printed. Subjects of the photographs include the trip to Clairmont by caboose in 1916, Trevor Farm and animals, photographs of people and groups in the Clairmont area including United Farm Women and the I.V. Macklin family, Fletcher and Anna Bredin and their farm Twin Shacks, road gangs building the Dunvegan Hill Road, Ann as a child and teenager on the farm, a trip to Aurora Ontario, students at Grande Prairie High School and Grande Prairie Business College ca. 1935, and a pack trip to Nose Mountain in 1935 with two Cree families as guides and providers.

Buffalo on the Prairies, 1930 ca
1 postcard; b & w; 4 x 6
“Into the Land where the Buffalo Roamed”, the cover photograph for Ann Macklin’s photograph album.
Location: 177.001

Travelling to the Peace Country, 1916
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Dave and Annie Philips Roberts traveling to the Peace Country on their honeymoon.
Location: 177.002

Travelling to the Peace Country, 1916
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Dave Philips Roberts hands a pail of snow to Annie to melt for water in the caboose while traveling to the Peace Country.
Location: 177.003

Travelling to the Peace Country, 1916
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Annie driving the oxen, Jimmy and Nigger, which took them into the Peace Country.
Location: 177.004

Travelling to the Peace Country, 1916
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Dave and Annie Philips Roberts beside the caboose in which they traveled from Grouard to the Clairmont area.
Location: 177.005

Travelling to the Peace Country, 1916
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Dave and Annie Philips Roberts traveling with oxen and caboose in 50 degree below weather from Grouard to the Clairmont area in January 1916.
Location: 177.006

Trevor Farm, 1916
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Dave and Annie Roberts first homestead buildings, a cabin and a barn for the oxen.
Location: 177.007

Trevor Farm, 1916
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Dave and Annie Roberts first homestead buildings, with Jimmy and Nigger the oxen and Daisy, the first cow.
Location: 177.008

Trevor Farm, 1916
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
First load of wood brought in by oxen to Dave and Annie Roberts first homestead.
Location: 177.009

Trevor Farm, 1916
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Team of oxen coming out of the barn on Dave and Annie Roberts homestead.
Location: 177.010

Off to the Waterhole, 1916
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Annie Roberts driving team of oxen with waterbarrel on a flatbed sleigh.
Location: 177.011

Building of the Railway, 1916
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Trainload of railway ties for the building of the E.D. & B.C. Railway line in March 1916.
Location: 177.012

Building of the Railway, 1916
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Crew and machinery used for building the E.D. & B.C. Railway line in 1916.
Location: 177.013

Velma and Victor Macklin, 1916
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Velma and Victor, the children of I.V. and Nellie Macklin.
Location: 177.014

I.V. & Nellie Macklin, 1916
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
I.V. and Nellie Macklin came to the Grande Prairie area in 1910.
Location: 177.015

Nellie Cass Macklin, 1916
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Nellie Cass Macklin with her sisters.
Location: 177.016

Victor and Velma Macklin, 1916
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Preschoolers Victor and Velma Macklin with pretend guns and dead chickens.
Location: 177.017

Dave Roberts and oxen, 1916
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Dave Roberts with his oxen, Nigger and Jimmy.
Location: 177.018

First Furrows, 1916
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
The first furrows turned on Trevor Farm, the homestead of Dave and Annie Roberts.
Location: 177.019

First Seeding, 1916
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
The first seeding on Trevor Farm, the homestead of Dave and Annie Roberts.
Location: 177.020

Moving House, 1916
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
The Ward Brothers, neighbours of the Roberts family, moving his house to another location with a team of eight horses.
Location: 177.021

Mr. & Mrs. Fletcher Bredin, 1921
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Fletcher and Anna Bredin met on the Hay River near Great Slave Lake. Anna Marsh was originally from Lindsay, Ontario and served as the first Anglican missionary nurse at Great Slave Lake. She was there with her brother Rev. Tom Marsh.
Location: 177.022

Mr. & Mrs. Fletcher Bredin, 1933
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Mr. & Mrs. Fletcher Bredin at their home, “The Twin Shacks”, on the shores of Bear Lake. Their home was built as two log cabins on two quarters of land with a breezeway in between to serve the purpose of “prooving up” both quarters.
Location: 177.023

Mr. Fletcher Bredin, 1930 ca
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Fletcher Bredin was a fur trader and buyer for Revillon Freres when he met Anna Marsh near Great Slave Lake. He went on to become the owner of a chain of trading posts with James Cornwall and a Member of the Legislative Assembley.
Location: 177.024

Mr. & Mrs. Fletcher Bredin, 1939
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Mr. & Mrs. Fletcher Bredin at their home, “Twin Shacks”, on the shores of Bear Lake.
Location: 177.025

Mr. & Mrs. Fletcher Bredin, 1939
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Mr. & Mrs. Fletcher Bredin at their home, “Twin Shacks”, on the shores of Bear Lake.
Location: 177.026

“Twin Shacks”, 1920 ca
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Mr & Mrs. Bredin with Marjory Bradford, daughter of Dr. Andrew Bradford, at their home, “Twin Shacks”, (also Bredin Post Office) on the shores of Bear Lake.
Location: 177.027

Shores of Bear Lake, 1920 ca
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Mr & Mrs. Bredin with Marjory Bradford, daughter of Dr. Andrew Bradford, on the shores of Bear Lake near their home.
Location: 177.028

Boating on Bear Lake, 1920 ca
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Mr & Mrs. Bredin with Marjory Bradford, daughter of Dr. Andrew Bradford, in a canoe on Bear Lake.
Location: 177.029

Mr. Bredin’s Goats, 1921
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Herd of goats showing fenced field and shelter belonging to Fletcher Bredin.
Location: 177.030

Mr. Bredin’s Sheep, 1921
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Herd of sheep with Fletcher and Anna Bredin and a tent in the background. “Camping out at Twin Shacks” is the inscription on the back of the photograph.
Location: 177.031

Mr. & Mrs. Angus Campbell, 1921
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Annie Roberts with Mr. & Mrs. Angus campbell. Mr. Campbell was the first grain buyer at the Alberta Pacific Elevator.
Location: 177.032

Peggy and Desmond Campbell, 1921
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Peggy and Desmond Campbell, children of Angus Campbell, first grain buyer at the Alberta Pacific Elevator.
Location: 177.033

The Morgan Family, 1930 ca.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
The Morgan family, Welsh friends of the Roberts family: Mr. Morgan, Myfanwy, Gordon, Irene, Mrs. Morgan and Gwen.
Location: 177.034

Mr. & Mrs. Bob Griffiths, 1930 ca.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Friends of the Roberts family, Mr. & Mrs. Bob Griffiths with their children Ritchie and Trevor.
Location: 177.035

Rev. Abbot’s family, 1933
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Rev. & Mrs. F.V. Abbott with their children Kathleen Amy, Edwin Vale, Harold Spencer, Margaret Anna, and Helen Irene. Rev. Abbott was with the Anglican Church at Lake Saskatoon.
Location: 177.036

Mr. & Mrs. S.D. Griffiths, 1930 ca.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Mr. & Mrs. S.D. Griffiths, friends of the Roberts family.
Location: 177.037

On the Dunvegan Ferry, 1914
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Dave Roberts on the ferry crossing the Peace River at Dunvegan.
Location: 177.038

Road Gang, 1914
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Road gang working on the roads leading down to the Peace River at Dunvegan. Road crews were usually made up from homesteaers in the area.
Location: 177.039

Charlie, 1930 ca.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
The Roberts frist horse was Charlie, “a noted and lovable character. He came to Trevor farm in 1916. He featured in nearly all the runaways. He was the most brilliant thinker of his time.”
Location: 177.041

Nurse Grant and Ann, 1917
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Ann Philips Roberts was born at the Pioneer (Kathryn Prittie) hospital in 1917. Nurse Grant is holding her.
Location: 177.042

Leaving Grande Prairie Hospital, 1917
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Dave and Anne Roberts leaving the Pioneer (Kathryn Prittie) hospital with their daughter Ann.
Location: 177.043

Pioneer Baby, 1917
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Ann Philips Roberts in a fur lined baby reclining chair.
Location: 177.044

First Pets, 1918
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Ann Philips Roberts and her first cats outside the family home.
Location: 177.045

Ann and the Cows, 1918
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Ann Roberts at age two with the family cows.
Location: 177.046

Ann and the Chickens, 1918
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Ann Roberts at age two feeding the hens and turkeys.
Location: 177.047

Hunting for Dinner, 1918
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Annie Roberts with her gun on the snowy trail of prairie chickens.
Location: 177.048

Roberts Home near Clairmont, 1920 c.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
In the early 1920s, the Roberts returned back home to the Clairmont homestead. Inscription reads “Back to the Little Gray Home in the West.”
Location: 177.049

Riding in Style, 1920 c.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Annie Roberts, Aunt Noo and Ann riding in a buckboard behind Charlie.
Location: 177.050

Homestead Yard, 1922
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Annie and Ann Roberts in yard of their homestead near Clairmont.
Location: 177.051

Mr. Longear & children, 1922
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Mr. Longear, the first bank manager at Clairmont, with his two sons.
Location: 177.052

United Farm Women Meeting, 1924
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Meeting of United Farm Women of Alberta (accompanied by their children) at Bredin on Bear Lake. In the background is “Twin Shacks” the home of Mr. & Mrs. Bredin.
Location: 177.053

Women’s Auxiliary Meeting, 1926
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
“The Grande Prairie Women’s Auxiliary Deanery being entertained by Holy Trinity Bredin Branch at the “Twin Shacks” on June 29, 1926.
Location: 177.054

“Cap” Roberts family, 1930 ca.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Dick, Jack and Mrs. “Cap” Roberts, with Mrs. Bredin, Margaret and Ted
Location: 177.055

The MacKinnon Children, 1930 ca.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
The MacKinnon children
Location: 177.056

Tour of the Dam, 1930 ca.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Ann Roberts and her friend Gwen with a home-made raft on the farm dug-out.
Location: 177.057

Swimming in Bear Lake, 1930 ca.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Ann Roberts swimming in Bear Lake with Jessie and Mrs. Evans and Mrs. Cameron.
Location: 177.058

Skating on the Dam, 1930 ca.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Ann Roberts skating on the farm dug-out surrounded by farm animals.
Location: 177.059

A New Family Car, 1930 ca.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Ann Roberts with the Durant, the new family car.
Location: 177.060

Grande Prairie High School, 1935
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Grade eleven and twelve class at Grande Prairie High School including Mr. Sterle-Smith, Mr. Fowler and Miss Saunders.
Location: 177.061

Grande Prairie Business College, 1936
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Grande Prairie Business College class of 1936. Mrs. M. Stokes, P.C.T. was the principal and the subjects taught were short hand, typing, book keeping and letters.
Location: 177.062

Ploughing with Horses, 1930 ca.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Dave Roberts ploughing with a team of five horses, with a sixth pulling a harrows at his side.
Location: 177.063

Drilling Outfits, 1930 ca.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Dave Roberts seeding with a John Deere Tractor, with his eight horse team in the background.
Location: 177.064

Binding the Grain, 1930 ca.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Dave Roberts binding with a team of four horses. Saskatoon bushes in the background.
Location: 177.065

First Threshing, 1920 ca.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Tractor from the Harris Brothers’ Steam Rig for threshing grain.
Location: 177.066

First Threshing, 1920 ca.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Threshing Machine from the Harris Brothers’ Steam Rig.
Location: 177.067

Combine Threshing, 1930 ca.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Hauling grain from Mr. Kehr’s Baldwin Combine.
Location: 177.068

Trip to Nose Mountain, 1935
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Violet Jebb, Mr. Bredin, and Ann Roberts starting out from Rio Grande one beautiful September morning. “We crossed the Wapiti at Pipestone Creek by means of fording. It was a swift current and in spots the horses almost had to swim.”
Location: 177.069

Cree Family Guides, 1935
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
“Two Cree families accompanied us onour trip. They killed out meat–moose, deer, bear, porcupine and skunk–and picked cranberries and blueberries for us. They pitched our tents and packed our horses. Last, but not least they were our guides.”
Location: 177.070

Moose for Supper, 1935
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
The moose Daniel shot during Ann Roberts’ trip to Nose Mountain.
Location: 177.072

Drying Meat, 1935
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Drying meat at an Indian’s log cabin.
Location: 177.073

Preparing a Moose Hide, 1935
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Two Cree women fleshing a moose hide.
Location: 177.074

Drying Moose Meat, 1935
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Drying moose meat for preserving while on the trail.
Location: 177.075

Fish for Supper, 1935
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Violet Jebb with the speckled trout caught in Nose Creek. Mr. Bredin, in the background, is preparing to cook the trout.
Location: 177.076

Charlie the Pack Horse, 1935
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Violet Jebb with Charlie and his pack on the trip to Nose Mountain.
Location: 177.077

Nose Lake, 1935
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Nose Lake, the destination for Ann Roberts trip into the mountains. The white speck across the lake is her tent.
Location: 177.078

Vermilion School of Agriculture, 1933 ca.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
School Fair winners throughout Alberta were treated to a short course for ten days at Vermilion School of Agriculture.
Location: 177.079

School Fair Winners, 1933 ca.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
School Fair winners throughout Alberta were treated to a short course for ten days at Vermilion School of Agriculture.
Location: 177.080

Skating Party, 1938
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Skating party given by Miss Ann Philips-Roberts was attended by: Earl Parrish, Dorothy Newton, Ann, Art Southworth, Gwen Grant, Gordon Wilson, Doris Gant and Dennys Law. Mrs. Philips-Roberts, Scott the dog, and Evelyn Knight are in the front row.
Location: 177.081

Trapper and Dog Team, 1930 ca.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Roberts family, on a trip to the Wapiti River, meet up with a trapper transporting his fur catch with a dog team.
Location: 177.083

Trapper and Dog Team, 1930 ca.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Trapper and his dog team coming through the bush on the banks of the Wapiti.
Location: 177.084

Victor and I.V. Macklin, 1930 ca.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
I.V. Macklin came to the Grande Prairie area in 1910. His son Victor married Ann Philips-Roberts in the early 1940s.
Location: 177.085

Victor Macklin and Ann Philips-Roberts, 1930 ca.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Victor Macklin and Ann Philips-Roberts, here on horses Birdie and Una, were married in the early 1940s and lived in Ottawa, Ontario for the rest of their lives.
Location: 177.086

I.V. & Tilley Macklin, 1940 ca.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
I.V. Macklin with his second wife Tilley and their three oldest children: Irwin, Arthur and Ann.
Location: 177.087

Yellow Cabs, Grande Prairie, 1950 ca.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Street view of the Yellow Cabs taxi office and three cabs on Richmond Avenue just down from the Capitol Theatre.
Location: 177.088

Dr. & Mrs. O’Brien, 1940 ca.
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Dr. and Mrs. O’Brien in the yard of their Grande Prairie home.
Location: 177.089

Orphaned Trumpeter Swans, 1953
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
“Foster mother” feeding three trumpeter swans which were raised on the Tomshack farm north of Clairmont.
Location: 177.090

Click Here To Order Photos 1911-1947. — 3 cm of textual records, 90 photographs.

Biographical Sketch

Custodial History

Scope and Content

Contact Us

Click Here To Order Photos

1911-1947. — 3 cm of textual records, 90 photographs.