Return Ghost Towns of Southern AlbertaMARY'S GENEALOGY TREASURES
The first known white man to live here was William
Lee, a fur trapper who came here about 1867 from Fort
Benton, Montana. He built trapper's cabins on land
owned today by Charles W. Ivins. lt was for him that Lee
Creek was named.
Next came W. S. Shirley from Oregon where he was
known as the "Cattle King of Oregon". He started a cattle
ranch on section 11, and branded his cattle with a big
"44". For years the ranch was called the "44 Ranch" by
the early pioneers. When he left he sold out to the
Cochrane Ranch Co. who operated the ranch for several
years. When they left, the house was sold to George E.
Peterson who moved it to his homestead where it is still
standing (1977), and has the distinction of being the first
house built in Beazer.
Mark E. Beazer from Kaysville, Utah, was the first
perminent homesteader, arriving in Cardston with his
wife and four children by "prairie schooner", June 7,
1890 after seven weeks of travel.
Thc next two settlers were Jasper Head and Samuel
Buck. These three families had the country to themselves
until 1899 and 1900 when over sixty land-hungry
homesteaders swarmed in and took up all the remaining
homesteads.
Mr. Beazer requested the Territorial Land Depart-
ment to survey a townsite on his property, which they
did. He offered lots for sale, but donated one for a church
and another for a school.
On July 8, 1900 an L.D.S. Branch was organized with
Mark E. Beazer as the Branch President and Elizer
Chapman as the Superintendent of the Sunday School.
Six months later, due to increased membership, a Ward
was organized on December 9, 1900. Mark E. Beazer was
chosen Bishop, with James M. Broadhead and James B.
Wright as Counselors. James Prince was the Ward
Clerk, and May Wright Wynder the Ward Organist. In
effecting the organization, Stake President Charles Ora
Card announced that the ward would be named
"Beazer" after the first permanent settler. A relief Society
was organized August 25, 1901 with Sarah Jane
Wright as President, Ellen Beazer and Amelia Chapman
as Counselors, and Fanny Peterson, Secretary.
In 1902 a church house was erected by a building
committee headed by carpenter James B. Wright. It was
built of logs brought from the mountains, and served the
the religious and social needs of the community for upwards
of sixty-five years. Previous to 1902, meetings, dances
and socials were held in the homes of members of the
community.
Dance music was furnished by James M. Broadhead
on the organ; later by Victor Wynder on the violin, and
John Wright chording; and still later with the Broadhead
brothers-Parley Broadhead on the violin, Grant-
Broadhead brothers furnished music for dances for years
at all surrounding communities.
When the church house was extended to provide a
stage, Samuel Cox organized the Beazer Dramatic Co.
that produced one and three-act plays each year, and
exchanged these with other wards that did likewise.
The school district was established in 1903, and
school was held in the church house for four years until a
school house was built. W. A. Day from Owen Sound,
Ontario, was the first teacher. He was still living at Fort
Macleod in 1976. After Mr. W. A. Day, the following
teachers taught in Beazer until 1928:-George Chipman,
J. C. Campbell, J. H. Weatherilt, Charlie Ring, D.
R. Redmond, Robert McNish, William A. Davis, Mr.
McDonald, A. E. Langley, Mary Smith, Sarah Spence
Hilda Peterson, Miss Hartley, Orson Daines.
Baseball and basketball teams were organized in the
early days, and games played against teams from the sur-
rounding districts. Players included such prominent
names as the Wrights, Olsens, Ockeys, Broadheads
Wynders, Princes, and Beazers, to name a few. Del
Beazer was perhaps the outstanding baseball pitcher
produced in southern Alberta.
Celebration days included May Day, Dominion Day
Pioneer Day, Christmas and New Years. Dances were
held nearly every Friday night; and in winter time, sleigh-
riding parties were popular any time.
The Beazer Post Office was established in 1903 with
Mark E. Beazer the first Post Master. W. O. Lee of
Cardston brought the mail to Beazer by team and buggy
if roads permitted; otherwise he came with pack horses.
Succeeding Post Masters were George Duce, Richard
Bradshaw, and Roy Beazer who held this position for 38
years.
For fuel, the first settlers all burned wood, which was
plentiful after the green trees were killed by a forest fire
in the mountains. But a good quality of coal was found
on the Frank May ranch about 1918. The succeeding
owners of the ranch continued to operate the mine for
several years. The softer veins were used by the power
houses in Cardston; but the harder grades of coal were
used by the ranchers of Beazer, Leavitt and Mountain
View.
Saw mills were eventually set up to provide lumber
for the roofs and floors of houses and other buildings.
The first of these was called the "Card Mill". Others
were operated by Joseph Wray, and Johnny Archibald.
Besides raising livestock, ranchers also grew oats,
barley, and fall wheat. The "Lagoda W" variety of soft
fall wheat, if planted in July or August, would ripen
before the first frosts the following fall.
The first plowing was done with a hand plow. Later
the four-horse sulky with a single bottom and a seat for
the driver took over. Home-made harrows served at first,
then the disk harrow came into use. At first the seed was
broadcast by hand and harrowed to cover it up. But in
time the horse-drawn grain drill was used.
The first threshing machines were the horse-powered
rigs. Usually two or more farmers would share the cost of
these, and then do custom work after their own grain was
threshed. Mark Beazer, George Peterson, and Ernest
Wynder owned such an outfit; as did also Ellsworth
Shipley and Mid Rose. Charles B. Ockey and Sons
owned the last one of these, before the steam engine and
the gasoline engine replaced the horse-powered threshers.
Prairie grass for winter feed was cut with a mower,
raked into bunches, hauled to stacks, and fenced for
protection. It was mostly handled with pitch forks.
Vegetables were stored in a "root cellar" at some dis-
tance from the house, since basements were literally un-
known in the early days. But the ingenuity of the pioneers
overcame most all obstacles, and people lived happily
together in spite of their lack of modern conveniences.
A Beazer School District No. 694 was formed by the
Dept. of Education in 1903. A local school board of
trustees was elected.
School began in the first log church house in Beazer
just previously built and was held there for the following
four years. The first teacher was W. A. Day of Owen
Sound, Ontario.
In the year 1907 the first new public school house was
established on lot No. 3 donated to the school district by
Mark E. Beazer. The erection of this building was super-
vised by Mark E. Beazer and Samuel Cox who spent
most of their own time working on it.
In the year 19--, Chairman Jesse Broadhead and the
other trustees, May Wynder and Elva Beazer were in-
strumental in promoting a High School. This is the way
they went about it. The first year they hired the public
school teacher, Athol Cooper to teach an extra grade-
grade 9 and this kept the pupils in the district. The next
year they hired Verda Beazer to teach the first few grades
and Athol Cooper to teach some public grades and also
grades 9 and 10. Mrs. Verda Beazer's grades were taught
in the teacherage and in a spare room of Mrs. J. M.
Broadhead. There were now enough pupils in the district
to warrant a new high school room grade 12. The follow-
ing year a new large High School room was added to the
public school building and that year grades 9, 10 and 11
were taught, and for some years to follow.
After several years of struggling to build up a High
School in Beazer, the vanning of high school pupils to
Mt. View began. This was the beginning of the breaking
up of our community. Finally the sad thing happened.
Our public school children were vanned to Cardston and
our beloved school was closed.
Beazer began to die a little from the time the high
school left. The Post Office went next and then on Sept.
1, 1969 the ward was closed forever.
At present the first trustees are not known but the
following trustees were James M. Broadhead, Mark E.
Beazer, Charles Ockey, George Peterson, Leon Wright!
Fred Wright, Jesse Broadhead, May Wynder, Harr
Jenkins, Elva Beazer, Gane Olsen and others.
Van drivers were Leland Prince, Cliff Johnson, Rayo
Wright, Earl Woodward, Clarice Broadhead, Glen
Broadhead, Robert Woodward.
The Public School Teachers through the years spon-
sored some wonderful Christmas programs consisting of
school choruses, recitations, songs, dialogues, stories
drills, marches and plays, etc.
Years later the high school also carried out some ex-
cellent entertainments consisting of solos, part singing
instrumentals, plays, skits, concerts, contests, comic
stunts and Christmas parties.
Here are some of the games your children played at
school: Fox and Geese, Run Sheep Run, Steal Sticks
Baseball, Softball, Tag, Mumble Peg, Dare Base, Kick
the Can, Hide and Seek, Danish Ball, Rounders, Anti-I
Over, Leap Frog, Red Light, Marbles.
Mrs. Mark E. Beazer boarded teachers for 20 years.
Mrs. May Wynder also boarded many teachers.
Secretaries and Treasurers of the Beazer School
District were: Gane Olsen, Elva Beazer, Leon Wright
and others.
Now for a list of the school teachers but they cannot
be given in the order of the years they taught:
First school teacher in 1903. William A. Day-o
Owen Sound. He was a football player.
George F. Chipman -was a boxer and baseball
player-other interests, music.
J. C. Campbell-
J. H. Weatherilt-was musical, taught songs, also a
baseball player.
Charlie King-good singer.
Mr. D. R. Redmond-from Calgary, Alta.-a foot racer.
Robert McNish-from New Brunswick-good skater.
William A. Davis-baseball player.
Mr. McDonald
Mr. A. E. Langley
Mr. Calvin Chadsey-very good pianist.
Miss Mary Smith-from Mt. View.
Miss Sarah Spence-from Leavitt.
Miss Hilda Peterson-Cardston.
Miss Hartley
Orson Daines-from Cardston-a very good bass singer.
Miss Kate Maughn-pianist.
Neil Richards - from Cardston, dance teacher
taught dances for the operetta.
J. M. McMillan-good harmonica player.
Miss Viola Bevans-from Hillspring.
Samuel Earl-from Mt. View.
Mrs. Mostyn
Miss Laura Duce-from Cardston.
Miss Amy Beazer - Basketball player - from Beazer.
Mrs. Madeline King-gave each pupil a book a
Mormon when she left.
Nephi Head-from Leavitt.
Miss Beth Briggs-from Magrath.
James Alred-from Hillspring.
Miss Hilda Van Winkle-from Cardston.
Miss Vera Anderson - from Cardston - piano player.
Miss Lorna Jacobs-Caldwell.
Athol Cooper-from Raymond.
Miss lla Zemp-from Cardston.
Miss Peggy Carruthers-from Grassy Lake.
Mrs. Elva Broadhead-Beazer.
Mrs. Verda Beazer-Beazen
Miss Norma Litchfield-Raymond.
Mrs. Annie Dawson-Seddon.
Rex Forsyth-Cardston.
Lester Inman --Spring Coulee.
Miss Irene Redd-from Raymond, piano player.
Miss Gwen Broadhead - from Beazer - piano player.
Ray Pilling-from Leavitt.
M. D. Dowdle-Cardston.
Return Ghost Towns of Southern Alberta