Hubert Manning fonds. — 1926-1973. — 4.5 cm of textual records. — 2 maps.
Biographical Sketch
Ernest Hubert Manning was originally from Meaford, Grey County, Ontario. In the fall of 1910 he left Ontario on a harvest excursion to Davidson, Saskatchewan. He was impressed with the potential of the west and, hearing about the Peace River District, determined to check it out. Early in the spring of 1911, he and his brother Truman traveled to the Peace over the Long Trail with a team of horses and a democrat. They chose land south of the Kleskun Hills and returned to Grouard, where on June 5, 1911 Hubert filed for a homestead on the SE 16-72-4 W6th and Truman purchased a full section with South African Scrip on the SE, SW and NW of 9, and the SW 16-72-4-W6th. They picked up their freight in Grouard and returned to Kleskun Hill. In 1913, they opened the first Kleskun Hill Post Office in their home under the name of neighbour James Brims, who had received the commission to be post master. The Manning brothers plowed two furrows from Dead Horse Creek (now called Crystal Creek) from their homestead to create a trail to the Smoky River on the route that is now Highway 43. Hubert also helped install the first ferry at Goodwin Crossing. They received patents on their lands between 1914 and 1916. During the 1950s, Hubert was an inspector for the Prairie Farm Assistance Act. Truman sold his land in 1926 and later returned to Ontario, where he died in 1958. Hubert retained his for the rest of his life, spending his winters with a sister in Ontario and his summers on the Kleskun Hill farm. He passed away sometime after 1976. Neither Hubert nor Truman married.
Custodial History
The records were deposited in South Peace Regional Archives on two separate occassions. The Prairie Farm Assistance Record was deposited in the Grande Prairie Museum by Jim Clarkson in 1990, and the personal papers by Irene Gitzel in 2006.
Scope and Content
The fonds consists of personal papers, including financial records, correspondence, and a war-time map of the world; records related to the Prairie Farm Assistance Act; and a list of voters for Kleskun Hill Polling Station 92 for the 1958 federal election.
Notes
Table of Contents
| Series 368.01 | Personal papers |
| Series 368.02 | Prairie Farm Assistance Act records |
| Series 368.03 | Enumerator’s Records |
| Series 368.01 | Personal papers. — 1929-1967. — 2 cm of textual records.The series consists of personal financial records and correspondence. The financial records include a Farmers Pocket Ledger recording Mr. Manning’s wages from 1926-1932; and a series of counter sales receipts from various stores, mostly in Grande Prairie, but also from Clairmont, Glen Leslie, DeBolt and Sexsmith. The correspondence dates from 1929-1967, and contains letters from a friend Madge in Vancouver (1929-1930), a friend Kay in Niagara Falls (1929), sister Jean in Kelvington, Saskatchewan (1947-1948), niece Jean in Blackstock, Ontario (1966), and sister Mina in Meaford, Ontario (1967). There are also two maps: a 1942 map of the world produced by Radio Station CFGP, showing war-time actions; and a 1955 road map. | ||
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| Series 368.02 | Prairie Farm Assistance Act records. — 1950-1973. — 2 cm of textual records.The Prairie Farm Assistance Act was implemented by the federal government in 1939, and was the first crop insurance program. Farmers were charged one percent on their grain deliveries and could collect $2.50 an acre on half of their cultivated acreage when their yields dropped below five bushels per acre. Hubert Manning was a crop inspector for PFAA during the 1950s. It was his job to inspect the crop on each farm when a claim was made, giving legal description, total acreage, cultivated acreage, new breaking, other lands the same farmer was farming, who was doing the work on the farm, whether or not the farmer had another occupation, whether farmer was absent or present, his age and marital status, the yield of wheat production, and if it was an estate. Mr. Manning’s area covered the Grande Prairie, DeBolt and Spirit River districts.
The series consists of a set of Instructions for carrying out the work of a crop inspector, including how to determine the crop yield; and Township maps on which all the landowners are plotted. The area covered by the maps is mainly in the Grande Prairie and Spirit River areas, but also includes some land east of the Smoky River. Land plans are from Township 69 to 79, and Range 26 West of the 5th to Range 11 West of the 6th, between 1950 and 1960. There is also a small notebook with some mileage notes and lists of farmers he needs to inspect; and a 1973 sketch Hubert made of Township 72, Range 4, West of the 6th meridian, showing when each person arrived in the Kleskun Hill area. |
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| Series 368.03 | Enumerator’s Records. — 1957-1958.Because of his position as a federal crop inspector and his records regarding landowners, Mr. Manning was also asked to compile the list of electors when the 1958 federal election occurred.
The series consists of a copy of the “Rural Preliminary List of Electors” for Kleskun Hill polling station no. 92, and the hand-written list compiled by E.H. Manning in February 1958. Kleskun Hill Polling Station covered all of Township 72, and the south half of Township 73, Range 4, West of the 6th Meridian. |
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