Lögberg-Heimskringla - 21.05.1982, Qupperneq 6

6-WINNIPEG, FÖSTUDAGUR 21. MAÍ 1982
Businesses sprang up quickly
Sketch of Early Langruth
Continued from page 5
Company!and constructed in short
order a general store building,
which proved to be a going concern
from the start. It was on the site of
the present modern store building of
this firm and which has continued
under the able management of Mr.
Bjarnarson except for an interval of
three years when he and his brother
Karl operated an implement
business just South of the store and
the store business had been taken
over by Helgason Brothers, joined
later by C.F. Lindal. The original
store building which had been
enlarged and improved from time to
time was unfortunately destroyed
by fire in 1936.
Mr. Williams and his able gang
were kept busy during the next few
years constructing buildings both in
the village and country. He passed
away in January, 1920, at his
residence at the South of the village
where the writer and family have
since resided. Mr. Williams was for
a few years Police Magistrate.
As to the Boardjng House, it was
operated by three or four different
parties, the first being Wm.
Lightfoot who came West with the
Haneys. It was of course traded by
the writer on farm lands and in the
spring of 1913 was secured by Wm.
Grant, a hotel-man of Portage la
Prairie and enlarged to give
Langruth a hotel. The boarding
house was the Southern part of the
present Ridge Hotel back as far as
the kitchen.
The next building was Robert
Long’s implement warehouse and a
residence, or at least a stable which
was used as a residence in the mean-
time, Mr. and Mrs. Long having
moved in from the farm with their
little nephew — adopted son Charlie
McLaughlin, who as C. W.
McLaughlin was destined to
become one of our most successful
business men. He continued the ex-
panding implement, auto and
garage business after Mr. Long's
death in 1919 and until his own un-
timely death in 1948. Two years
before his death Mr. McLaughlin
replaced the former buildings by a
large modern garage and implement
building but which was unfor-
tunately destroyed by fire in
January of the present year (1950). In
fact, Langruth has had much more
than its share of destructive fires.
Going back to 1910, Mís.
Williams having arrived from On-
tario, she and Mrs. Long were our
first women residents. I think that
Mrs. Williams was a little the first.
Mr. Williams next constructed a
residence for himself across the
street from Mr. Long's and which
also was destroyed by fire a few
years ago. A few smaller buildings
were built later in the year and 1910
saw the new town off at a fair start.
Second General Store
In the spring of 1911 two brothers,
also of Big Point, Finnbogi and
Erlendur Erlendson (Fred and Ed)
constructed our second general
store and for a number of years car-
ried on a very successful and expan-
ding business. This building was on
the site of the present modern store
of Johanson Brothers. Within three
years Erlendson Brothers had also
constructed the two fine residences
opposite their store. The first baby
born in Langruth was Arnold, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Erlendson, born
in 1912, and a little later the fírst
baby girl, Catherine, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Erlendson arrived.
The same spring Mr. Williams
constructed a manse for the
Lutheran congregation and the
minister, Rev. B. Thorarinson, mov-
ed in from Big Point. Langruth got
its first Post Office in 1911, with B.
Bjarnarson as Postmaster. But the
mail was not carried by train until
July, 1914. Previous to that it was
mail delivery by horse express from
Westbourne to the various Post Of-
fices as far North as Kinosota.
Outlying Post Offices closed one by
one as trading centres and better
facilities for travel developed, those
closed within the range of Langruth
being Hollywood, Wild Oak (at Big
Point), Addingham (at N. Lakeland)
and Marshland. Following Mr. Bjar-
narson, F. Helgason was Postmaster
for a time and then Robt. Long and
C. W. McLaughlin, each for a
number of years, and at present
Mrs. McLaughlin is our
Postmistress.
Ivor Bjornson and Sigurdur Finn-
bogason were pioneers of 1911 and
R. F. Matthews from Ontario, who
had purchased a half-section of the
original block for a time occupied
the Boarding House. Mr. Matthews
later carried on a very successful
lumber business for a number of
years.
In the latter part of 1911 John
Hanneson and Magnus Johnson
opened a barber shop and pool room
which was taken over by the latter
the following year and Mr. Han-
neson with his brother Tryggvi later
established a hardware business.
This business proved to be a very
successful one from the start and
has continued to steadily expand.
Tryggvi withdrew from the firm to
enlist in the First World War. In
1947 the original building was
replaced by a very substantial and
modern one, a great credit to Mr.
Hanneson and to Langruth, and
now Mr. Hanneson has as his very
able partners his two sons, George
and Leonard.
The School
Langruth school was constructed
in the spring of 1912. Until then the
nearest school was nearly four miles
to the South-East, known as Poplar
Leaf School, a cement building
which still stands. The first
Langruth children were driven to it,
with Mr. Jos. Falconer as their
teacher. R. F. Matthews was the
first van driver. Langruth school
opened for the fall term of 1912 and
a Miss Williams, of Gladstone, was
the first teacher. A petition had
been circulated in 1910 for the for-
mation of a consolidated district and
the then Minister of Education,
Hon. Mr. Coldwell, came to
Langruth and addressed a meeting
in the newly constructed Langruth
Trading Company store in that con-
nection, this being the first public
meeting held in Langruth. A con-
solidated district of thirty-seven sec-
tions was formed the following year
and the trustees decided on the con-
struction of a substantial white
brick building which served for
years not only as a school but as a
community centre, being used for
church services, social events and
public meetings in general. The first
trustees were: Thos. G. Moorhead,
Robt. Long, Bodvar Johnson, Chas.
Parsons and A.T. Williams.
In 1919 it was found necessary to
divide the teaching room into two
separate rooms and a few years later
a separate building was constructed
for a third room and later a fourth
room was added. At present these
rooms are over-crowded and it is
necessary to use space in the Com-
munity Hall for a fifth class. A
substantial new six-room school
building is now contemplated, thus
showing the growth of the popula-
tion during the past few years. The
present trustees are: Mrs. V. Bjar-
narson (chairman), Mrs. G.W.
Langdon, V.A. Johnson, H.
Tomasson and Helgi Thompson.
The consolidated system has pro-
ven a boon to many a child,
especially to those living at a
distance, in providing not only safe
and comfortable transportation but
also regular attendance and larger
classes. The additional necessary
taxes have been nothing as com-
pared with such advantages to the
children.
Also in 1912 Edward Armstrong
opened our first butcher shop, I.
Olafson had the first livery
business, John Oliver the first
blacksmith shop and J.H. Johnson
the first "fish-house."
Editor's Note:
Further excerpts and pictures
from this remarkable book will
appear in future issues.
“The Chapel founded by A.S. Bardal to provide warmth,
understanding and personal service within the means of all."
BARDAl FUNERAl HOME
AND CREMATORIUM
843 SHERBROOK STREET, WINNIPEG, MANITOBA
774-7474
The Langruth schooi was built in 1912, a consolidated district be-
ing formed. It was used for years for religious services, meetings,
dances, etc.
Hanneson Brothers Hardware was built in 1915 by John and
Tryggvi Hanneson. Later Tryggvi sold his share to John. In 1946
George and Leonard, with their father, tore down the old store and
built a modern store.