Additions made: November 13, 2006

Brandon mail in the early years reflects the importance of letters and postcards from commercial and government sources. The Post Office sold a variety of pre-stamped CANADA POST CARDS that could be used for commercial messages. Many companies had tailored-made cards for the same purposes. Envelopes were printed that showed the logo of businesses. Some examples are shown below this photo of Rosser Avenue businesses taken in 1882.

click for a later early view of Rosser Avenue


Early cards from City of Brandon

     

Banking business cards

     

     
Both sides of a card to the famous Percy Criddle at Aweme. Note the Treesbank and faint Two Rivers postmarks.

Law Firms

     
- the third image is courtesy Gray Scrimgeour.

Other Business

     

19th Century Publicity for Brandon

     

For details about Brandon in 1891, click on the image [above right].

For additional examples of early Brandon government and business mail, select from the following (note - many of these are scans of letter-heads; personal information has been deleted):

Government

  • Brandon College, 1892
  • Brandon General Hospital, 1894
  • Agent of Dominion Lands, 1898
  • Experimental Farm, 1899
  • Whitehead, City of Brandon, 1899*
  • City of Brandon Water Works, 1904
  • Dominion Lands Agencies, 1908
  • Surrogate Court (LH), 1925
  • Brandon Land Titles Office (LH), 1929
  • Children's Aid Society of Brandon (LH), 1930
  • Provincial Police, Brandon (LH), 1931
  • Municipality of Cornwallis (LH), 1931
  • Brandon Board of Trade & Civics, 1932
  • Normal School, Brandon (LH- B.J. Hales), 1933
  • Judge's Chambers (LH), 1933
  • City Assessor, Brandon, 1936
  • The Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba, 1948

    Medical

  • Fleming & Sons, 1899
  • Bigelow Clinic (LH), 1929
  • Wellman's Pharmacy, 1958
  • Clement's Drug Store, 1937, LH

    Legal

  • Taylor & Meighen (LH), 1934
  • Henderson & Matheson (LH), 1916
  • Foster & McQuarrie (LH), 1929
  • Kilgour & Foster (LH), 1924
  • Adolph & Taylor (LH), 1931
  • Coldwell, Coleman & Noble (LH), 1905
  • Coldwell, Coleman & Curran (LH), 1911
  • Coldwell, Coleman and Bruce, 1914 (LH)
  • Coldwell, Coleman & Kerr (LH), 1917
  • A. Gordon Buckingham (LH), 1923
  • Clement & Clement (LH), 1929

  • Financial

  • ** D. H. Scott, Fire Insurance, etc., 1899
  • Central Canada Insurance Co., 1910
  • Manufacturers Life Insurance Co., 1917
  • Canadian Bank of Commerce (LH), 1930
  • The Dominion Bank (LH), 1933
  • Mutual Life Assurance Co., [LH] 1925
  • ** Mutual Life Assurance Co., 1925
  • Imperial Bank of Canada (LH), 1918
  • The Hamilton Provident & Loan Society (LH), 1917
  • Canadian Guaranty Trust (LH), 1930

    Other professions and organizations

  • Brandon Turf Club, 1886 NEW
  • race program, 1886 NEW
  • Canadian Order of Foresters, 1893
  • Brandon Turf Club, 1897
  • Brandon Kennel Club, 1901*
  • Diocese of Brandon, 1925
  • Dr. Harry Ross (LH), 1929
  • Elliott Architect (LH), 1929
  • R.J. Jephson, Surveyor (LH), 1929
  • E.G. Waller, Surveyor (LH), 1929
  • Knights of Columbus War Services, 1942

    Other private businesses

  • Canadian Pacific Railway, 1884
  • ** Parrish & Lindsay, grain merchants, 1896
  • Grand View Hotel, 1897
  • Palace Hotel, 1897 (Beaubier), LH
  • Kelly Mills, 1902*
  • Brandon Pump Works, 1904
  • Thomas & Co., boiler-makers 1904 (LH)
  • Palace Hotel, 1907 (Hadley)
  • Palace Hotel close-up
  • E. L. Christie, 1908
  • Brandon Fire Engine Co., 1910
  • Empire Hotel, 1911
  • C.H. Peirson Monuments
  • H.W. Ball & Co., 1913
  • H. Cater
  • Macpherson & Bedford (LH)
  • Nation & Shewan, dept. store
  • Hanbury Hardware (LH), 1915
  • Smith & Burton, 1916
  • Campbell & Campbell, Furniture (LH), 1917
  • Can. Int'l. Info. & Lands Sales Bureau, 1919
  • A.E. McKenzie Co. Ltd., 1920, LH
  • J.J.H. McLean, pianos, etc., 1920 (LH)
  • Massey-Harris (LH), 1925
  • McCreary's Ltd. (LH), 1929
  • Ames-Baker Ltd. (LH), 1929
  • Canadian National Railway (LH), 1929
  • Willson Stationery (LH), 1929
  • Patmore Nursery (LH), 1929
  • Tha Manitoba Hardware & Lumber (LH), 1929
  • Jos. Donaldson's (LH), 1930
  • Howick's Tents & Awnings
  • Glencarnock Stock Farms (LH), 1930
  • W. J. Creelman (LH), 1931
  • E. E. Lehigh (LH), 1931
  • Home Lumber Yards Ltd. (LH), 1931
  • The Great Northern Railway, 1932
  • Frank Massin & Son, 1932 (LH)
  • Western Motors, 1932 (LH)
  • C.W. Harrison (autos), 1932 (LH)
  • McDowell & Doke (LH), 1933
  • Canadian Pacific Railway (LH), 1933
  • MacArthur & Son, 1934
  • MacArthur & Son, bus token
  • Johnson Hardware, 1937
  • The Sun Publishing Co., 1937
  • CKX Brandon, 1949
  • W.M. Farguson Machine Shop, 1950
  • Canadian Brown Steel Tank, 1952
  • Robinson's Tents & Awnings, 1960

    LH = Letterhead

    * - courtesy Gray Scrimgeour
    ** - recently added

  • Go to Page 4 (early history, postmasters, post offices)


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