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1892 - Brassey Barn - cropped
A close-up view of the Brassey Barn. -
1892 - Sunbeam - Brassey Barn, Indian Head
The stone barn situated a mile or so southwest of Indian Head was part of the Sunbeam Farm,so named by Lord Thomas and Lady Anne Brassey in honour of their yacht "Sunbeam", in which hey sailed around the globe in 1876-77. Although it is presumed that other farm buildings were part of the Sunbeam Farm complex, to date no evidence of them - textual or photographic - has been discovered. The stone barn was constructed in 1891, and the only only known historic photo of it was taken in 1892. After Lord Brassey sold off his Indian Head holdings, the land that included the Brassey Barn was eventually sold to the May family, which farmed it for over half a century. Shortly after the turn of the 21st century, the farm was sold to David and Ken Rosin, of Pense, Saskatchewan.
SOURCES:
Sunbeam yacht - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunbeam_RYS_(1874) Historic Photo provided by Albert May, Regina
RESEARCH BY:
Margaret Hryniuk, Regina, Saskatchewan; Michelle Cabana, Saskatoon, Sask.; and Frank Korvemaker, Regina, Sask. -
Brassey Barn - 12 Aug 2015 - facing Northwest
Photo by Frank Korvemaker, Regina, Sask, 12 August 2015. -
Brassey Barn - 27 April 2016
View of the west end of the Brassey Barn. Photo by Frank Korvemaker, Regina, Saskatchewan, 27 April 2016. -
Brassey Barn - 29 May 2020
In the spring of 2020, a small tornado nicked the northwest corner of the Brassey Barn, tearing off part of the roof and breaking windows and doors. Photo by Margaret Hryniuk, Regina, Saskatchewan - 29 May 2020. -
Brassey Barn - 29 May 2020
Lumber ripped off the Brassey Barn when a tornado passed nearby in the spring of 2020. One rafter from the northwest corner was thrown like a javelin and stuck in the ground considerably east of the building. Debris from the roof can be seen on the ground to the right. Photo by Margaret Hryniuk, Regina, Saskatchewan,- 29 May 2020. -
Bunn, John - stonemason
John Robinson Bunn (1860-1939) was born in Quebec, and moved into Ontario in 1871 and then to Winnipeg in 1886. He married Annie Sophia Rich in 1883. Trained in Ontario as a stonemason, he plied that trade for a number of years, but eventually focused on farming and various business ventures. During his stone masonry era, John Bunn built, or helped to build, the following stone buildings: • c1889 - John & Annie Bunn farmhouse, south of Qu'Appelle - status undetermined • 1890 - Sunny South School, near Indian Head - status undetermined • 1891 - Sunbeam Barn (Brassey Farm), SW of Indian Head - abandoned • 1894 - Leonard G. Bell farmhouse and barn, south of Qu’Appelle – house demolished; barn still extant in 2018 • 1897 - Motherwell Farmhouse, south of Abernethy – National Historic Site • 1900-1901 - Inglewood School, near Qu’Appelle - demolished ca. 1967 While farming, he became a member of the first Rural Municipal Council of Qu'Appelle; was a member of the I.O.O.F., and belonged to the Liberal Association in his region. In 1899, Bunn moved to Milestone and opened a lumber, coal and wood supply store. He became active in local politics and was elected mayor of Milestone during 1908. In addition, he represented various businesses and organizations, including: Massey-Harris Implement Company; Canadian Pacific Railway Land Department; the Hudson Bay Company; the Canada North-West Land Company; and served as sub-agent for the Dominion Lands Office in the Milestone region. In 1908 John Bunn was a member of the Winnipeg Grain Exchange, and he was a business partner in the following agricultural businesses: Bunn Bros. Ltd,; Bunn-Munro Elevator Company; and the Blanchard Grain Company. He also became a charter member of the Leader Publishing Company, which published the "Regina Leader" (now the "Regina Leader-Post"), and became vice-president of that company. About 1910 the family moved to Saskatoon; and in 1919 John and Annie retired to Victoria, British Columbia, where John died in 1939 and Annie in 1954.
SOURCES:
Photo Source: Bunn family - taken Aug. 22, 1880. Correspondence from Lois Powell, great-granddaughter, April 2021 "Indian Head & District History", p. 101-103 "History of Milestone: 1893-1910" by A.W. Garrett, 1947 "From Prairie Plow Till Now", 1984 "Qu'Appelle: Footprints to Progress", p. 182, 203, and 370-373 "Qu'Appelle Progress", Dec. 16, 1886 "Regina Leader" - various issues from 1900 until 1937. Obituary - "Regina Leader-Post" - 18 May, 1939, p. 11
RESEARCH BY:
Lois Powell, Port Alberni, British Columbia; Margaret Hryniuk, Regina, Sask; and Frank Korvemaker, Regina, Sask.