|
MY DEAR MAGGIE ... LETTERS FROM A WESTERN MANITOBA PIONEER
William Wallace
Reviewed by Val K. Lem.
Volume 20 Number 2
William Wallace was twenty-two when he left Scotland with his father and younger brother, intent on becoming a prosperous farmer in the Canadian Northwest. They purchased land near Brandon in the spring of 1881 but sold it to a speculator in the New Year and headed farther west, eventually home-steading north of Russell in the Shellmouth district near Manitoba's western boundary. Most of the letters that William regularly penned to his sister Maggie have survived, and those detailing the first five years in Canada are reproduced in this work. Together, these letters present a valuable account of everyday life experienced by some of the British and Canadian settlers who peopled much of rural Manitoba in the 1880s. Good news is balanced with bad, and both hard work and recreational pursuits of the settlers are detailed. The letters arc grouped by year and arc accompanied by helpful end-notes supplied by the editors. The introduction effectively places the letters in an historical context and explains the editorial decisions made in transcribing the manuscripts. Two maps of the Shellmouth district and several portraits are welcome additions to the text. For the history student. My Dear Maggie... is a worthwhile complement to texts examining the development of the Canadian west. Val K. Lem, Board of Education for the City of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. |
1971-1979 | 1980-1985 | 1986-1990 | 1991-1995
The materials in this archive are copyright © The Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copyright information for reviewers
Digital Collections / Collections Numérisees