Gypsumville (original) (raw)

Gypsumville

Origin of Gypsumville's name:
The Post Office opened in 1905 and was so named because of the gypsum deposits in the area (Robert Douglas, Geographic Board of Canada, 1933). It was also the northern terminus of the CNR line and a School District name. The deposits of gypsum were first developed in 1890 when gypsum was shipped to Davis Point on Lake Manitoba via a small railway line, then south to Delta by barge. When the CNR arrived in 1912, residents of Davis Point moved to Gypsumville. This is probably why the places names were reversed on some early maps. One railway foreman thought that the community should be named after its chief product, gypsum, and another foreman of French origin suggested adding "ville" (French for town).

"The Kinship our ancestors developed with this land; is the grace that warms and sweetens our lives..."

"The discovery of gypsum in 1888 by a Mr, J.B. Tyrel led to the establishment of the first Gypsum Mill in Manitoba situated at Portage Bay, Lake Manitoba and by 1900 a quarry twelve was hauled by horse and sleigh in the winter months to the Mill for processing and was subsequently shipped by boat to Winnipeg. Between 1904 to 1905l railroad from the Quarry to the Mill was added and locomotive, "The Dinky", was employed to transport the rock year round. The settlement of personnel near the quarry became large enough to require a school and was known as Gysummville. The destruction of the Gypsum Mill by fire in 1908 intiated the decision to move the Mill to Winnipeg. This led to the moving of Gypsumville to the end of the CNR Railway Line better known as The Back Camp in 1911. The first settlement became known Davis Point and the Back Camp became what is now know as Gypsumville. With the advent of the railroad, "The Dinky" was no longer required. The Town now included the school, new company office, company store and boarding house, several provate homes and sldo the services of the telegraph/ The fisrt local freight train brought a steam schovel for the quarry allowing the retirement of horse-drawn scrappers, wheelbarrows and pick and shovel. With the prosperity the mine brouight to the area, it also brought its first casualty. The foreman, Mr. George McCallum, lost his life in an accidental dynamite. The train that took Mr. Callum's body to Winnipeg for burial also took the first cars of gypsum rock to Winnipeg by railway instead of by boat. The Gypsum company was the heart and soul of the community with an employee count of anywhere from 40 to 60 people. Presently, the mine is owned by Georgia Pacific of the USA and is Non-Active.

Prior to 1914, Dr. Clark (A Baptist Missionary) offered medical and Spirtual service to the area. Dr. Clark left gypsumville at the onset of W.W.I leaving the area without any mediacal services until 1929. This marked the arrival of Missionaries from the Woman's Society of the United Church of Canada who set up a medical center at a Gypsum Company's Building and the year 1934 saw the completion of the United Church. The Health Services have undergone a variety of changes through the changing years with the most recent being the opening of teh health clinic in 1982.

The "Women's Institute" organized in 1919 was responsible for a variety of services that community enjoyed including Christmas Concerts and Locals Fairs. This institute also established the local cemetery, the Doctor's Clinic, Dental services, library books , aiding in the funding of the Memrosal Hall, Interlake Music Gestival, Red Cross Swimming Lessons, A History Book, Defensive Driving Courses, Home Ec. Courses, Boy Scouts and made numerous donations to worthy organizations. Mrs Peral Dawyduk was presented with a paque for fifty years of service in 1987.

One cannot forget those who developed the land through much pysical labour - namely the farmers. Many of them worked by day at the mine and evenings at teh farm. Men, women and children worked together to achieve what we witness today. Dorthy Rawluk's father, Alex McCuroy coined the phrase "Tomorrow will be a better day". So it is for our generation and generations to come.

-Sharon Cote