Some Bristol Vintage Photos and the Story Behind Them -From the Archives of the Brian Konrad Family of Medicine Hat

As a self proclaimed historian and amateur genealogist, I have always been fascinated with “old” or “vintage” photographs. Many of the articles that I have written about the history of Medicine Hat and the surrounding area have been inspired by these types of “classic” photographs. Although reflective of a single moment in time, each photograph often has its own unique story to tell and these images sometimes conjure up a forgotten piece of local or family history, which is “grounded” in the era that they were taken. I was recently interviewed by local historian and broadcaster Brian Konrad on the “Bring Back the Porch” podcast. After the interview and both having a keen interest in genealogy and family history, he produced for my inspection numerous “studio” family portraits passed down through generations. They were classic vintage photos but unfortunately the persons in the images were mostly unidentified with the only data points being the name of the studio or the photographer. I decided to investigate and this is the result…..READ ON

“Leave No Stone Unturned”-Finding the Elusive Peter Grenville Millard and the Story about a WWI Australian Soldier (George Probert Millard) and the Quest to Provide Him with a Proper Burial and a Final Earthly Resting Place

As Chairman of the Family History Research Group of the Medicine Hat & District Genealogical Society, we receive, through our website, requests from around the world from people who are interested in finding out information about a relative or family member, who may have had some past connection to Medicine Hat and the surrounding area, and we undertake gratuitously to carry out research on their behalf and respond to their query. Most requests are quite specific and some are quite generic in nature and others, somewhat bizarre. Here is an interesting request for assistance which required me to “Leave No Stone Unturned” as I searched for the elusive Peter Grenville Millard. READ ON

http

As Chairman of the Medicine Hat & District Genealogical Society “Family History Research Group” and in my self-appointed role as a Medicine Hat historian, I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Brian Konrad on the Medicine Hat podcast “Bring Back the Porch” Here is the link to the podcast:

As Chairman of the Family History Research Group of the Medicine Hat and District Genealogical Society (MH&GS), we receive through the MH&GS website, numerous requests from around the world from individuals wanting information about a family member or relative who may have had, at some point, a connection to Medicine Hat. We endeavour to respond to these requests in order to promote family history or genealogy. 

A recent request from a woman in Michigan in the United States of America seeking a birth certificate or birth record of her paternal grandmother who was born in Medicine Hat (1918) and who has since passed away was very interesting. The stated purpose of obtaining the birth record by the granddaughter was in support of a desire from this American to obtain a record or proof of Canadian citizenship.

As an amateur genealogist and local historian, I decided to investigate.

The result, from my perspective, creates an interesting political and legal anomoly.

READ On

Many current Medicine Hat residents can identify themselves and their ancestors as being proudly, “Germans from Russia”. Indeed a great deal of academic research has been carried out and a “Germans from Russia Society” has been established at the University of North Dakota. Medicine Hat has its own ‘Germans from Russia’ Heritage Society. The Medicine Hat and District Germans from Russia Society was founded in 2005 and was instrumental in working to complete the Legacy Project–the dedication of the Jim Hauser life sized bronze statue, which is inscribed as “Germans from Russia and their descendants dedicate this monument to all immigrant pioneer settlers in Western Canada as a tribute to their sacrifice in building this new land of freedom and opportunity.”

The Bronze sculpture is situated in front of the Esplanade in Medicine Hat. Few are fully aware, both from a historical or genealogical perspective of the significance of the mass exodus of German-speaking people from the Russian Empire to North America and beyond in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

Here is an interesting story of self -discovery, which may be of interest to those “Hatters” who proudly claim as their ancestors “Germans from Russia”. It is entitled “Regards from South America”

In Celebration of the Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge (April 9th)

The monument situated in Riverside Memorial Park is the most iconic and predominant landmark in Medicine Hat, yet few are aware of its historical importance. For decades, this centrepiece of the park has been witness to the annual Remembrance Day celebration as appreciative citizens pay tribute to those who gave their lives in defence of freedom with the old adage, “Lest We Forget”. Following the First World War, the monument was erected in 1922 by the grateful citizens as an everlasting tribute to those men and women from Medicine Hat and the surrounding area who had made the ultimate sacrifice for love of country in the Great War (1914-1918). One of the tragedies of the First World War is that there were countless numbers of young men, whose bodies of were never recovered and as a result of the misfortune of war have “No Know Grave”. READ ON

Here is Part Three from the desk of the Mad Hatter Historian. READ ON

In an earlier article entitled, “Cousin Connie”-The Mysterious Life of Constance Mary Greenwood, I chronicled the life and times of a dear relative on the Williams/Medlicott side of the family. The story gave rise to some peculiar questions about her involvement in WWII and the quiet emergence of a mysterious female of the same age and name (Constance Mary Greenwood) and her rather curious journey from England to Canada during the height of the Second World War. I surmised in the conclusion of that article that there might be another interesting story to be told beyond that of dear “Cousin Connie. This is that story. READ ON

This is the first of of a two part series.