Letter from Gertrude McLaughlin (nee Allan) to Dr. E.K.Wright in 1961
Dear Sir,
I am enclosing several snapshots taken while I was teaching in Athabasca in 1913.1 do not know
whether they will be useful or not but they are all I have. It will not be necessary to return them. I
enjoyed the time I spent there teaching intermediate grades. Miss Gill, Miss Roberts and I batched in a
shack beside Capt. Smalley's house. In the spring we had to wear rubber boots to get to the sidewalks. In
the fall we had a larger house on the street back of Smalleys. Wishing you success in your enterprise.

Second letter
Thank-you so much for the snap of Athabasca. It is very interesting.
I knew Miss Gill married Archdeacon Little but I did not know she was in Victoria. Mr. Minns was post
master when I was there but I believe he died of cancer. His daughter lives on the Island but I do not
know her name. However she was in Miss Gill's class at school so I did not see much of her.
Capt. Smalley was on one of the freight boats going north but he moved to a farm in Saskatchewan
before 1919.1 saw Mrs. Smalley and some of the children here on the Island some years ago. I do not
recognize the names of the men you mention.
We attended the Methodist church while we were there. Thanking you for the snap and the news, I am
Sincerely yours, Gertrude McLaughlin

Letter from Fred J. Marshall to Dr. E.K.Wright dated Feb.3,1961
Dear Sir,
Enclosed you will find a photo and showing a part of the equipment used by John Henry Kennedy. Mr.
Kennedy carried freight, mail and passengers to Athabasca Landing up to about 1912. Monday morning
they left Edmonton and I understand that they met the teams from Athabasca midweek and changed
loads and the Edmonton men and horses arrived Friday or Saturday. I can remember seeing the teams
leaving Edmonton and counting eleven teams altogether.
This letter is inspired of course by the letter in the Journal of Feb. 2 . I am very much interested in the
history of Edmonton and its surroundings. I came here in 1909 and have been a member of the choir in
McDougall United Church since Feb. 1912.1 am a member of the archive committee of the Alberta
Conference and also of the Edmonton Presbytery.
nd

In the picture enclosed the driver of the team on the extreme right is Albert Kennedy who died in
Athabasca in 1946. He was well known there. The driver of the next team from the right is Harry
Kennedy. (His address in Halifax is given)
Harry Kennedy is my brother-in-law and if you could send a line to him he would answer a few questions
as to the years that his father operated the stage. Some of the old timers in Athabasca might be able to
tell you who some of the other people are in this picture. I am very glad that someone in Athabasca is
alert to the news of saving as many of the historic documents as possible. Robert Service, Agnes Dean(s)
Cameron and Agnes (Lant or Laut) are three of the people who travelled to Athabasca with Mr.
Kennedy. A search through a lot of old snaps here might bring out a picture of Mr. Kennedy and if that
would be of use to you I will dully undertake to send a snap of him. I do hope that this will be of some
interest to you.
Sincerely, Fred J. Marshall