Category: Regina

WW1 Letters Home - Feb 26, 1917

3/13/2022

Cammell Laird Shipbuilders Advertisement in Brassey's Naval Annual 1915

Author of Letter: Noah C Draper, 30 yrs old
Dated:  Feb 26 (1917)
Mailed from: HMS Bacchante
Attached to: HMS Bacchante
Profession: Farmer, Temporary Sailor
Rank: Ordinary Seaman, Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve
Addressed to:  Mrs. N.C. Draper, Keswick, Ont.
Relationship: Wife
Writing instrument:  Pencil
Writing Paper: 1 sheet 9" x 6" medium weight, smooth, linen-look, folded into 3 page booklet form, with the inside page written across and then down the length like foolscap. The pages are not numbered.

People mentioned in this letter:
Ethel* - Ethel Isabel Nelson Draper, 27 yrs old, Noah's wife of 6 yrs
Percy - Percy Roy Draper*, 33 yrs old, Noah's brother, lives in Sask
Ethel - Ethel Maud Draper Rigler*, 36 yrs old, Noah's sister, lives in Sask
George - George Draper*, 37, yrs old, cousin, lives near Battleford, Sask

Places/things mentioned in this letter:
dry dock** See History Note 2
Chatham - city of Noah's previous posting while attached to HMS Pembroke
Liverpool - maritime city in northwest England across from HMS Bacchante
Regina - capital of Saskatchewan, 10 miles west of Noah's farm

Word or Phrase Use:
snapshot - photograph

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing, or use the search box in the header at the top of this page
** see History Notes below

16 Mess Feb. 26
H.M.S. Bacchante
G.P.O. London, Eng.

Mrs. N.C Draper
Keswick, Ont.
Dear Ethel:-
Well we are in dry dock
and may be here some
time but will be glad
to get to sea altho I
will likely be sea
sick again. HaHa.
Well Ethel I hope you
are all as well as this
leaves me at present
never felt better in
my life. have not
had any mail

since I left Chatham but am
expecting it every day and
looking for the box. HaHa.
Say I think we have a
very fine Captain he said
Sunday morning at prayers
that he did not want any
man to work under him
on Sunday only what was
absolutely necessary.
I was over to Liverpool last
night and had my Photo
taken am to get them tomorrow
night am sending one in
this letter I had taken in
Chatham. it looks like
H--l eh what? have not
received them snapshots
yet. have you sent them
and when.
Well I guess I will get out
tomorrow night to post this.
have not heard anymore

about our leave so dont
know wheather we will
get it or not.
I have not heard from
Percy or Ethel yet so will
have mail from them
soon I expect suppose
George will soon be
going home that would
be a good chance for
you to go if you are
thinking of going. &
if I get to Canada I will
try to get leave & get
out to Regina & see them
all. Well I guess I will
close so Bye Bye Love to All
XXX N.C Draper

History Notes

There are 2 History notes for this letter of February 26, 1917:

History Note 1 - Percy, Ethel, and George

Noah asks Ethel if she's heard from Percy, Ethel, or George yet.

Percy and Ethel are 2 of Noah's living siblings. Percy married Parthena Fisher and live on the section east to Noah and Ethel (NE 29-17-21-W2) at Adams, Saskatchewan.

Ethel Maud married William Rigler and live on the NW part of section 31, beside Noah and Ethel, who live on the NE part of the same section (31-17-21 W2), a half mile west of Percy's land. The Adams CNR siding is also on Noah's land. (See my post on C.N.R. at Adams, Saskatchewan)

A third sibling, Eva Amelia, married Andrew Perrault and live on land that adjoins the town of Grand Coulee, 3.5 miles southeast of Adams as the crow flies.

George Draper is Noah's 1st cousin, brother of Stewart Draper who is often mentioned in Noah's letters. George married Eliza Alberta Hamilton and farmed land in the District of Battleford, Saskatchewan during the time of these letters.

When Noah says that George will be going home soon, he is referring to the fact that George and Eliza are spending the winter months in Ontario with family, just like Ethel is doing while Noah is away. Noah and Ethel did the same for years and Noah is using this as a prod to get her to go back to their own farm in Saskatchewan now that winter is almost over.

Draper sisters (L to R) Sarah Louisa, Eva Amelia, Ethel Maud, and Jennie (sitting), about 1910

History Note 2 - Dry Dock

In this letter, Noah says he is dry dock and might be there for some time, but doesn't say why. Dry docks, also called graving docks, are used when a ship needs to clean or repair the hull. Over time, sea-going vessels suffer a buildup of marine life such as barnacles that can damage the hull if not cleaned off on a regular basis. This can be done in or out of water, but a dry dock makes the job easier. Same for repairs. A dry dock allows the ship to sail into a box-like structure where a door, such as a canal lock, can close behind it creating a seal between the dry dock and the sea water. The dry dock is then drained of water leaving the ship on a support system which stops the vessel from toppling over. The poster at the top of this post shows a drained dry dock system, while the photograph below shows a dry dock on the Birkenhead side of the River Mersey which may even have been the one that repaired the Bacchante in 1917. (More of that in a future letter.)

Graving dock NO 4, Cammell Laird Shipbuilding Yard, 2019. Courtesy of Phil Nash, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0 & GFDL

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WW1 Letters - Percy to Ethel Jan 1, 1917

1/1/2017

From Noah & Ethel Draper's first Photograph Album, courtesy of the Norma Draper Photograph Collection.

Today's letter differs from the rest because it's a letter on the home front sent from Noah's brother to Noah's wife informing her of what's been going on back at the homestead in Saskatchewan while Noah's enlisted, and she's spending the winter with family in Ontario.

Author of Letter: Percy Roy Draper, 33 yrs old
Dated: Jan 1/17
Mailed from: Grand Coulee, Saskatchewan
Attached to: N/A
Profession: Farmer
Rank: N/A
Addressed to: Mrs. N.C. Draper
Relationship: Sister-in-law
Writing instrument: Pencil
Writing Paper: 8" x 10" medium weight writing paper with a linen-look and feel. Percy has written straight across the first sheet and down to the bottom, left the backside blank, and then he's filled the second sheet, turned it over and finished halfway down the backside.

People mentioned in this letter:
Ethel* - Noah's wife of 5 yrs, Ethel Isabel Nelson Draper (b 1890)
Will* - Will Rigler, husband of Noah's 35 yr old sister, Ethel Maud (b 1881)
Mr. Buts - 60 yr old John Butts is Noah & Ethel's lodger/hired man**

Places/things mentioned in this letter:
- Keswick - where Ethel is staying with family
- Regina - downtown Regina is 12 miles east of Grand Coulee
- The ERA - local newspaper printed in Newmarket, York County, Ontario
- dispecer - liquor dispenser/vendor (see **Prohibition & article below)
- stalk - he means animal stock as in cattle, horses, etc
- fire insurance**

Word or Phrase Use:
car - automobile since a street car didn't run from Grand Coulee to Regina
nearly strapped - out of money
Merry X Mas

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing, or use the search box in the header at the top of this page
** see History Notes below

Grand Coulee
Jan 1/17

Mrs. N. C. Draper.
Dear Ethel & children
Received the Photos & think they
are fine. Have been waiting
for a letter from you ever since
I came home but have not had
one as yet. how are you all
any way we are all as usually
I think around here. We have
had some very cold weather
ever since I came home until
last Friday it is quite mild now
very little snow I was in to Regina
with the car this after noon the
roads are fine. Well I had a
letter from Noah that was wrote
the eighteenth of Dec said he had
had his first experence on salt
water 20 of them trying to row
a boat 50 ft long and could not
make it go at all some sailors
ah. Well Ethel the stalk is all
looking fine. I think the old man

2

is getting along pretty good now
he was away for several days selebrati...
just before I got home but was
back to work when I got home
Will had to do his chores while he
was away. I guess it wont
happen again now the doors
of the dispecers closed Saturday.
Mr Buts was telling Will he wished
I would hurry home that he was
going to quit but he has never
mentioned it since I came. I see
by the Era that yous have lots
of snow now. Hope you had
a merry X mas & a Happy new
Year. Say Ethel have you sent
Mr Buts any money yet he came
in the other .and said he was
nearly strapped. had been a little
reckles with what he had : But he
is to get twenty dollars a month
isnt he. he would have $40 coming
to him to night he said.

3

And your fire insurance I guess
Noah forgot about it I will enclose
there letter to you it should be looked
after at once. Well I must close
hope you can make this letter
out & dont forget to send
us a line.

I remain --- as be fore
Percy

History Notes

There are 2 History notes for this letter...

History Note 1 - Prohibition

Prohibition reached Saskatchewan in April 1915 when Premier Walter Scott and his liberal government halted the sale of liquor within its borders. Bars had to close by 7 pm with no liquids carried home. According to the Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan, Premier Scott blamed alcohol for domestic violence and high crime rates, and felt that it was unpatriotic and more dangerous than German submarines. The following year, in July 1916, bar and club licenses were abolished. Individuals and businesses were prosecuted for non-compliance, and Saskatchewan became the first Canadian province to ban the sale of alcohol in the private sector.

As you can see from Percy's letter, written on January 1st, 1917, it's months later and liquor is still available. I wonder if it's because they were allowed to stay open while disposing of their stock? I don't know if the vendor in question was the local hotel, or if Mr. Butts had been in Regina, which grew into one of the hottest red light districts on the prairies in the following decade, but someone in the area seemed to have alcohol on hand.

History Note 2 - Fire Insurance

In this letter, Percy mentions that Noah and Ethel have received a letter for fire insurance and that he's going to send it to her because "it should be looked after at once".

It's interesting to note that one of the my first posts on these letters was 1906 Percy's Policy which included the magnificent graphics of a life insurance document that is now 110 years old. Percy wasn't married at the time and although single adults of today are told they don't need to spend money on life insurance if they aren't married, Percy's beneficiary was his mother, Sarah Draper, who would receive $1000.00 upon his death, even while his father, David Draper, still lived.

Percy's admonition that Ethel see to the fire insurance at once was in direct contrast to Noah's response in WW1 Letters Home - Dec 19, 1916, when he says, "Well Ethel I dont know what money you mean for Percy to send down but if it was for that life insurance
I dont think I would pay it."

Noah doesn't know that Percy is talking about fire insurance rather than life insurance, but that makes it worse...Noah can't swim...he's in the navy and spends/will spend a majority of his time on the water...and he's heading into a war zone. Unless the policy is for someone else, why wouldn't Noah want Ethel to pay the premium on the life insurance?

1912: Dec 1st Letter from Ma & Sadie

7/13/2014

Written on the back: Mr. Jewel & Mr. Brooks at Adams, SK.

The above photo is from Ethel's Treasure Box. The names of Young and Brooks have come up several times in these letters and yet this photo is in my Unknown folder because I don't know if these 2 men in this circa 1930+ photo are the same ones mentioned in the 1911-1912 letters. If anyone recognizes these men, please email me through my contact page.

Author of Letter: Ida Amelia Glover Nelson & Sadie Nelson
Dated: December 1 (1912)*
Addressed to: Dear Ethel and Noah
Mailed from: Belhaven, Ontario
Relationship: Mother & Sister
Profession: Farmer's Family
Writing instrument: Pen with Black Ink
Writing Paper: Medium weight, textured, linen-like paper, each written page 5" x 6". Paper is folded in half and written in booklet form with numbered pages. Although they've been written in the order of 1,3,2,4,5,7,6,8, I've shown them here in the order they were meant to be read.

People/places mentioned in this letter:

Sadie - Ethel's 16 yr old sister
Christie - Ethel's 11 yr old sister
Uncle Will's - could be Ethel's mom's brother, or their uncle - both *Glover's
Grandma Nelson - Eliza *Crouch - mother of *James Nelson
Pa - Ethel's dad, James Nelson
Marry - Mary the milliner?
**David Sprague - David Henry Sprague, Noah's 2nd cousin 1x removed
Mrs. Draper - Noah's aunt, *Martha Barnhart, wife of *Stephen Draper
*Edith Draper - wife of Frank *Kavanagh
Mrs Rob Smith
Mrs. Andy Tompson (or Thompson ?)
Mrs. Joe Stickland (or Strickland ?)
*Gertie Nelson - Ethel's 2nd cousin (same great-grandfather John *Nelson)
Santy - Santa Claus
Dr Clark - Ethel's old dentist
*Martha & Mr. Brooks - see Genealogy Notes on 1912: Letter Fm Hester Soules Prosser
*Mrs. W. Young - ? Mrs. Walter Young has been mentioned a couple times already, with 2 photos posted of her and her son with Noah & Ethel in Adams, but unsure if this is the same one or if there are 2 with the same name.

Places/things mentioned in this letter:

- Santy heading north
- consumption

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing, or use the search box in the header at the top of this page
** see Genealogy Notes below

December 1.

Dear Ethel and Noah
I got your letter one
day last week and was
as usual glad to get it.
it has been some time
since I wrote you but
than Sadie has been
writing and I thought
you would rather have
her write as she does
so much better than I do.
Sadie and Christie are
at church and I am

Writing Grandma Nelson a letter
also we got one from her
a bout a month ago and
got a card from Aunt
anna last week.
Sadie was in to Newmarket
thursday and came home
friday. she got a new hat
and the stuff for a dress
the hat is white felt
trimmed with pale blue
and the dress is blue
I will get marry a day
to start it off and than
I can finish it

I made Christie one last
week. it is navy serge
trimmed with plad.
I and your pa was down
to Uncle wills last
wensday. and it was stormy
and I got cold in my face
and it has been verry
sore since an I was
afraid it was going to
gather and brake but
it is getting better I think
I will have to get some
of my teeth out.

Mrs W. Young has been
verry poolely but is some
btter Just now doctor
said she was apt to
die at any time from
hart trouble and she has
a terrible cough people are
getting afraid to go there
for fear of comsumption so
think I wont go so often
as I have.
Mrs Andy Tompson
has a little girl a bout a
week old, and Mrs Joe
Stickland has a little
boy a bout a weak old.

Martha Brooks is home
got here last tuesday,
mister Brook was in to
day. and said she think
she would rather live here
but thinks they will stay out
there till they get some money
as they can make more out
there.
Mister David Sprague
was burried last friday,
I suppose you have got your
house cleaning all done by this
time ore did you keep it so
clean that it does not need
it. I have got mine to do yet

down stairs I done the up
slairs a couple of weeks
ago but didnt feel like
doing much last week I have
had a lame back
how is your face is it
broke out yet.
Your pa does not have
to go so far as your place
to hunt. there was a hawk
chicken hawk lit in
one of the elem trees north
of the house yester day and
he got the gun and killed
it, thinks he is a great
marksman now,

I was talking to Mrs
Draper one day last week
and she said Edith and
her husband expected
to be hone for christmas.
Your pa said he seen
Santy in Belhaven
one day last week and
he was going north so
you had better get your
stockings ready. as
he might get there by
christmas.
Hello Ethel - this is Tuesday
and we have been washing

this forenoon. We cleaned
the front room yesterday
and the parlor. Mrs Rob
Smith is here this afternoon
She just came a little
while ago. I am going
up to the market so
am in a hurry. Dr Clark
was asking Gertie Nelson
how you were getting
along. Guess he thot it
was time you were back
getting your teeth fixed.
Pa and Ma have both
had lame backs and tooth
ache lately. Write soon
and come to see your loving Mother
little Nell - Sadie

Genealogy Notes

As you may have noticed, this letter doesn't give a date it was written. However, it does give 3 dates of reference:

Death and burial of David Sprague
New baby girl to Mrs Andy Tompson
New baby boy to Mrs Joe Stickland

Searching the Newmarket Era, I found this clipping which threw me off guard because it states David Sprague died on Nov. 26, 1913... however it was released on page 2 of The Newmarket Era of November 29th, 1912:

The Newmarket Era. November 29, 1912

To complicate matters, I did not find a reference to either of the births but that wasn't too unusual because Ida could have spelled them as variations such as Thompson vice Tompson, and Stickland as Strickland. All were valid names, but none came up in a search for births for Nov 1912 or 1913.

The Newmarket Era. April 4, 1913

Another reason I wasn't worried is because not all social news was carried in the paper. Some families didn't like their news being broadcast and the paper respected those wishes. Having a birth or death announcement in the paper has always been a courtesy - not a requirement.

In my search I stumbled upon one other bit of evidence confirming David Sprague's death of Nov 26th, 1912 and that was the settling of his estate in the spring of 1913.

Since it usually takes several months to settle an estate, there is no doubt of David Sprague's death in 1912, thus this week's letter of Dec 1st is definitely from 1912.

And now I'm off to sort through my files for births, deaths, marriages, etc in the coming year and match them up with newspaper clippings and photos and bring them to you in an order that resembles true life in Noah and Ethel's family as well as their loved ones.

As these posts may be irregular over the coming weeks until I starting posting Noah's WW1 letters, your can keep informed of new posts by clicking on the link for RSS FEED in the right sidebar and you'll get an email notification whenever I publish a new post.

Sep 1912: Letter from George Draper

5/25/2014

The Adams, SK house that Noah Draper built for Ethel Nelson in 1911 prior to their 1912 marriage. Photos courtesy of the Norma Draper Family Photograph Collection.

The Draper's house at Adam's, SK after enclosing the veranda in screens. Noah and Ethel's album says the front windows were blown out in the 1912 Regina cyclone.

In this week's letter, Noah's cousin George Draper comments that Noah probably witnessed the Storm from his place at Adams, SK. Although Ethel didn't mention it in her post card in last week's post about the June 1912: Regina's F4 Cyclone, they may have spotted something because the distance along the track from the C.N.R. station in Regina to the siding in Adams is an official distance of 13 miles (20 km).

Author of Letter: George Draper
Dated: Sept 15th, 1912
Addressed to: Mr Noah Draper, Grand Coulee
Mailed from: Keswick (North Gwillimbury Twp, York County, Ontario)
Relationship: Paternal 1st cousin of Noah Draper
Profession: Farmer
Writing instrument: Blue-Black ink
Written on: Textured ivory-colored notepaper 5" x 8", 2 pages written on the front only.

People/places mentioned in this letter:

- *Noah Draper, age 23 (Newlywed, moved west in 1905)
- *Ethel Nelson, age 21 (Newlywed, moved west Feb 1912 upon her marriage)
- *Stewart Draper - George's brother near Indian Head, SK
- *Joe Perrault - married to Noah's sister, *Eva Amelia, and living near Grand Coulee
- *Will Rigler - married to Noah's sister, *Ethel Maud and living near Grand Coulee
- Aunty - Noah's mom, *Sarah Sophia Deverell Draper
- *Edith & *Frank - George's sister, Edith who married Frank *Kavanagh

Places/things mentioned in this letter or in the Genealogy Notes:
- the storm - the 1912 Regina F4 cyclone I blogged about last week
- a man engaged - the hired man

Cliches/Phrases
- cuz - George signs the letter "your Cuz, Geo Draper"

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing. If you don't see a label, use the search box at the top of page.
** see Genealogy Notes below

Keswick Sept 15th 1912

Mr. Noah Draper
Grand Coulee
Dear Noah.
Pretty near time I answered
your Card July 12th. was glad to
hear from you My was'nt that
Cyclone desperate Suppose you could
see the Storm from your place. It
would certainly look fierce Stewart said
He went & saw the ruins and is
going to send me some pictures of it
I got a letter from him on the 9th Sept
has all his wheat cut & oats
without Frost or Hail pretty Lucky I hope
you escaped the same was your
crops pretty Good this year. It dont
seem long ago. since Iwas up
there with you. driveing around
through the wheat. How is Aunty

2
I hope She is well. is She liveing
with you or Ethel Rigler
we are not through Harvest yet Barley
to Draw yet & some Peas to cut. & Draw
Pretty slow In Ont, Eh. But In order to have
a crack shot He has to come from
North Gwillimbury and show Noah how to
tumble the Ducks. no doubt you have
said to your self many times | if I
could only shoot like | George Draper |
I would give a good deal | But you
may learn after a long time. of
course I showed you quite a Bit.
I am going up at the Head of the Baye
Tomorrow to shoot a few Doz Ducks
Come along Noah and I will give you
another Lesson It is raining to
Beat the Devil to Day we have had a
Desperate lot of Rain this Summer.
Come East this Winter and we will do
nothing but Fish I have a Man Engaged
for the Winter & I am going to Fish
everyDay Come along I know Ethel
would like to come Home guess Edith
& Frank are comeing for the Winter
write me Noah soon With kind Regards
to all In your Home your Cuz GeoDraper

Genealogy Notes

George Milburn Draper has been mentioned several times in Noah & Ethel's 1911 Courtship letters - most recently Feb 1912: Letter from Noah's Cousin, Edith Draper.

On Sep 23rd, 1908 George, 28 yrs old, bachelor farmer, married Eliza Alberta Hamilton, 23 yrs old, Spinster, daughter of David Hamilton & Priscilla Stevenson. George and Eliza both reside in North Gwillimbury, and both attend the Christian church.

The 1911 census finds George and Eliza living on the Draper Homestead near Keswick in the house where he'd been born, where his father Stephen Draper had been born, and where his grandfather Joel Draper Jr had worked the crown-deeded virgin uncleared land when York County was first being settled.

(Joel Draper Sr is my husband Nelson Clement Draper's 3rd great grandfather born 1789 in Boston, Mass)

1911 Canada census showing George and Eliza living on the Draper homestead along with his parents, Stephen Draper and Martha Barnhart, and his unmarried sister, Edith.

I'm not sure where George's oldest brother, Charles J, is in 1911, but he'll eventually take over the family farm while the rest of the siblings headed west, returning to Ontario to spend the winters with family and friends.

In this letter, George mentions driving through the wheat fields with Noah and although he doesn't give a date, we can surmise he's talking about the trip he took west during the summer of 1911, partly because of this clipping:

The Newmarket Era. August 18, 1911 - pg. 6

George also mentions the 1912 Regina cyclone in his letter, and how he's waiting for pictures from his brother Stewart, who's renting a farm at Indian Head, east of Regina. I don't have Stewart's photos, but if you haven't looked yet, check out last week's post for images of the ruins.

1913 finds George heading west on a business trip. Perhaps the trip was to buy land?

The Newmarket Era. October 3, 1913 - pg. 6

I only make that assumption because a mere 4 months later, George and Eliza are preparing to move to Wolfe, Saskatchewan.

The Newmarket Era. February 13, 1914

By the time the special 1916 Western Canada census rolled around, George's sister, Almeda and her husband, James Edward Baker and their 2 children, Milburn and Ruby, had joined George and Eliza on their quarter section of land at Wolfe, RM of Reford, Saskatchewan.

It isn't until 1919 where we find the first mention of a child born to George and Eliza and that's thanks again to the newspaper back in York County:

The Newmarket Era. December 12, 1919 - pg. 2

George and Eliza named their son, Ernest David and there is no record of any siblings for him. I spent hours searching for Ernest. Thanks to the Sask Genealogical Society, I found obits for an Ernest and Lillian Draper who retired from farming in the same area and moved to North Battleford. Every matched ... until I realized it couldn't be George's son because this Ernest was born in the late 1800's in Wisconsin and not 1919 in Saskatchewan. What a letdown.

George, Eliza, and Ernest show up on the 1921 Canada census and I have newspapaper clippings of them for a few years after that, but then they fall off the radar. A very brief - too brief and sketchy - description is given in the Landis Record history Book, where it shows them renting the land and moving back to Ontario until 1950, and then spending the summers at Wolfe, and the winters in York County.

There's hope though because I still have Noah's WW1 letters to post and although we know where George and Eliza are during the war, I still have several years of Ethel's diaries from the 1940-50's left to go as well as a batch of letters which I glanced at but not made notes for. Hopefully somewhere in there is a clue to their whereabouts.

Of course, if you have any information about this family - pictures would be lovely - please help us fill in the blanks:

George Milburn Draper
Eliza (Elizabeth) Alberta Hamilton
Ernest David Draper

June 1912: Regina's F4 Cyclone

5/18/2014

Front page of the pamphlet which contains information and pictures of the cyclone-tornado that hit Regina at 5 pm on June 30th, 1912.

1912 RPPC by Noah Draper showing Ethel Nelson Draper and their horses, Adams, Saskatchewan. Courtesy of the Norma Draper Family Photograph Collection.

Remember this Real Photo Post Card (RPPC) from last week? Ethel must have written it on June 30, 1912 because of what she wrote on the back...

Ethel wrote to her 11 yr old sister, Christie, on the back of the above RPPC except I don't believe she actually mailed it due to the lack of a stamp and the fact that it was still in Ethel's possession. I've found other notes and letters in her Treasure Box written in draft form which implies that she wrote a practice one first, and then mailed a second one. Or, she could have kept it as a souvenir because of the date and information.

I've posted the same backing in two directions so you can read it for yourself, but here's what Ethel wrote to Christie:

Christie why don't you
write anymore. Will
you see what Annie
Owens & Olive Lee's addresses
are. I think they are on one
of those post cards hanging
on the wall, Noah and I are going to

Miss Christie Nelson

Belhaven,

Ontario

Regina to-morrow. also Eva
& Joe. Louie & Fred & Mrs Draper,
going to see the ruins. I guess
it is something fierce. the main
part of the town is all wiped out
Carried a loaded street car 40 rods.
Bye-Bye. Love from sister Ethel.

The Cyclone

On June 30, 1912 Canada was making final preparations the next day's Dominion Day celebrations and Regina was no exception. At 5 pm after a day of extreme heat, a combination of a cyclone and tornado due to two storm clouds colliding, hit the ground 18 km (12 mls) south of the city and cut a swath 400 yds (2-3 blocks) wide heading north through grain elevators, business and warehouse districts, and manufacturing plants, with the worst of the damage downtown and in the affluent residential area between Wascana and Victoria Parks.

The Morning Leader - Jul 1, 1912, Page 2

It was over in 20 mins leaving 28 people dead or dying, hundreds seriously injured, 2500 homeless, and over 400 of the finest buildings in the city - some the finest in the province - destroyed or missing. Total cost in 1912 - over 5 million dollars.

For sure Noah and Ethel and the family went to Regina to see the aftermath of the cyclone because Noah took this RPPC of the YWCA:

YWCA ruins on 1900 block of Lorne St. 1912 Regina Cyclone. Photo by Noah Draper

The thought occurs to me as I look at these photos is that Noah, Ethel, Louie, Fred, Joe, Eva, and Sarah Draper could be some of the people walking around looking at the ruins, but from the distance, I can't tell.

Some of the photograph captions mention that being taken atop a building and I can only assume that's what the man on the roof of the YWCA above is doing.

Here's another view - a lighter one - of the YWCA and surrounding buildings at the corner of Victoria and Lorne.

1912 Regina Cyclone - Corner of Victoria Ave and Lorne St., Ruins of the Metropolitan Methodist Church on the left, and then the YWCA , Courtesy of Glenbow Archives.

The Metropolitan Methodist Church was constructed in 1910 at a cost of $100,000 only 1 1/2 yrs before the 1912 cyclone. Here's what it look like before June 30th.

ca 1910 Methodist church, Regina, Sask., The Valentine & Son's Publishing Co., Ltd.

These were brick and stone buildings!

Here's a different view of Lorne St as we look north toward the railway tracks and beyond to the warehouse district. Note the Knox Presbyterian Church down the street on the right.

1911 - Corner of Lorne Street and Victoria Avenue - Victoria Park on the right, Metropolitan Methodist Church on the left, and Knox Presbyterian Church down the street. Courtesy of City of Regina Archives Photograph Collection.

Before the 1912 Regina Cyclone: Knox Presbyterian Church at the corner of Lorne and 12th, and the YMCA at the Cornwall and 12th. Taken from Victoria Park. Courtesy of the Prairie History Room at the Regina Public Library.

Here's the Knox Presbyterian Church after the cyclone left it in ruins.

1912 Cyclone Ruins - Knox Presbyterian Church, Lorne Street and 12th Avenue. Courtesy of City of Regina Archives.

After 1912 Regina Cyclone - YMCA at the corner of Cornwall and 12th. Courtesy of City of Regina Archives.

Downtown Regina after the 1912 cyclone. Far left: Scarth Street looking north from 11 th Avenue. Courtesy City of Regina Archives.

After the 1912 Regina cyclone on warehouse district. Dewdney Avenue between Cornwall and Scarth Streets with Regina Cartage in foreground to right. Looking north.

Damage caused by 1912 Regina cyclone in warehouse district - looking south toward tracks and across to downtown Regina. Courtesy of City of Regina Archives.

According to REGINA: The Early Years...

Regina 's residents were left to pick up the pieces of their broken city. The dead were buried, the injured were treated, and the rubble was hauled away. An apocryphal story says that Boris Karloff, best known as Frankenstein's Monster of movie fame, was acting in a play at one of Regina 's theatres that day. Karloff supposedly stayed in Regina and helped with the cleanup operation.

It took only a year for most of the city's buildings and houses to be rebuilt. Carpenters and other tradesmen came from as far away as Winnipeg to help with the massive rebuilding efforts. The debt stayed behind considerably longer – it took almost 40 years to pay off the loans that the city and its residents took out to aid in the rebuilding efforts.

Links to more information and photographs on the 1912 Regina cyclone:

Regina the Early Years: Cyclone of 1912
The Regina Cyclone of 1912 (Saskatchewan Archives Board)
MAP: Path of death left behind by Regina cyclone of 1912
Path of the tornado superimposed upon a map of Regina
A Window into the Regina Tornado of 1912 (Regina Plains Virtual Museum)
Regina remembers tornado on June 30, 2012

Downtown Regina Historic Map guide - City of Regina

The Morning Leader - Jul 1, 1912
The Morning Leader - Jul 2, 1912
The Morning Leader - Jul 3, 1912
The Morning Leader - Jul 4, 1912

Twitter Simulation: Tweeting the 1912 Regina Tornado

The Morning Leader - Jul 3, 1912, Page 1

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1912: Dec 1st Letter from Ma & Sadie

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Sep 1912: Letter from George Draper

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June 1912: Regina's F4 Cyclone

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