Giscome

History

James Edward Bateman was the first settler in the area, obtaining a crown grant in 1914 for a narrow lot one mile east of Giscome along the lakeshore, over which the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTP) held a right-of way. Of the 10 additional early settlers, only Alexander James Hubbard later obtained a grant. Bateman's wife, Wilhelmina, "Minnie", was Hubbard's sister. Bateman's son-in–law was Charles Lindstrom, and grandson was Charles Edward Lindstrom. The Batemans, Hubbards and Lindstroms arrived together in 1911. Although suffering broken ribs from a horse's kick and bankruptcy during the 1920s, James Bateman went on to prosper as a dairy farmer. He died in 1938. A resident until 1957, Wilhelmina died at 96 in 1963. Experiencing a bull attack and some brushes with the law, Alex Hubbard operated a successful dairy farm. After his wife, Mary Jane, accidentally drowned in their cellar in 1946, he married Thelma Selina Burton the following year. Advertised for over three years, he finally sold the farm. He died at 99 in 1973. Giscome, like Willow River to the west and Newlands to the east, was an original train station (1914) on the GTP (the CNR after nationalization). The railway line reached Giscome in December 1913. The standard-design Type E station building was demolished in the late 1970s. When Via Rail assumed the passenger operations of the CNR, they eliminated the Giscome flag stop. The post office opened 1 October 1915 with Charles Lindstrom as acting postmaster. In operation were a school from 1917 (subsequently thrice relocated), and a general store from 1920. Throughout its history, the town boasted: a 14-room hotel, a 3-storey boarding house, a 2-storey guesthouse, a hospital, baseball diamond with grandstand, a hockey rink, tennis court, a community…