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Yeoward
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May 24, 1899 |
Recreation
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Mrs. Margaret Hislop McLellan, says in a 1954, Saskatchewan Archives questionnaire: ?The first picnic was held on July 1, 1891, at Picnic Hill in the Moose Mountains. It was organized by James Hay Dickie who was a farmer from Carlyle, 20 miles east. He took it upon himself to advertise the picnic in that district and came with his family. Going over a boggy spot on Section 29 his wagon sank and the horses were unable to carry on. After some difficulty he managed to get help and came on up to the picnic. He acted as master of ceremonies through the day.
It was the entire community. People from Alameda, Oxbow and Carlyle and as far west as Forget is now, though there were no names for these places then. They came in wagons, buggies and on horse back. There would be well over one hundred people there.
Mrs. Dougald Strachen was the convener of the sports committee. She had two baseball teams, Arcola and Carlyle, play. It was a well fought battle but Carlyle came off victorious. There were games and all kinds of races for everyone. The women enjoyed these as they rolled up their long skirts and often took off their boots, button boots at that, to take part. A band from Oxbow was in attendance and speeches were given.
Jack Hislop and Jack Anderson went up and made a picnic ground by cutting trees and clearing a place in the shade to sit. They made long tables of planks nailed to tree stumps with more planks nailed to tree roots for seats. When people arrived they took the food baskets and put them in the shade to keep cool. Linen cloths were spread over the planks and the food was cut and put on plates. Everyone brought dishes from their own family. It sure was a well spread banquet.?
When asked what there was to drink she replied, ?Everything you would have now but the whiskey.? She continues, ?It started when the folks who got up at 4:00 a.m. got there about 10:00 a.m. or before. It lasted till the sun set. The women washed the dinner dishes and we had supper before dark and we left for home to milk the cows and feed the pigs by lantern light in July. An unheard of thing for everyone went early to bed for the days were long and the work started at five or six a.m.
These picnics became a yearly tradition and for many years, the First of July was picnic day at Picnic Hill.? |