Alfred John Cameron (1859 - 1934)

Born 4 Aug 1859 in St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada

Died 21 Aug 1934 at age 75 in Calgary, Calgary Metropolitan Region, Alberta, Canada

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This profile is part of the Bridgeland-Riverside, Alberta One Place Study.

Biography

So far very little information has been found in regards to Alfred's life. His specific birth date comes from the 1901 Canada census. His birth place of St. Catharines is given in his obituary which mention five surviving sisters, two in Portage La Prairie and three in Vancouver. Unfortunately their last names were omitted which would have been helpful to identify their parents.

Probably because he was wandering through such remote territory in the late 1800's, Alfred managed to avoid various censuses. However, Alfred's name can be found under "List of names of voters...." The Kaslo Morning News, June 26, 1898. There were 11 other Camerons on this list. One suspects some may have been related.

The name of Alfred's wife was Catherine Beattie Mullinix, who was born in Tennessee and raised in Walla Walla, Washington. A marriage record for Alfred and Catherine has yet to be found. The Cameron's only child, Robert Alfred Cameron, was born in Spokane on 25 June 1897. Perhaps Catherine was with her relatives while her husband was off looking for gold somewhere. His obituary mentions that he took the gold trail in 1898 and pioneered in the Yukon.

In the 1901 Canada census, the family can be seen living in Yale, British Columbia, Canada. Alfred was working as a hotel keeper. By 1910 or perhaps before, the family was living in Calgary, Alberta, and Alfred was the proprietor of the Pioneer Stables which was a large establishment located in the community of Bridgeland-Riverside. The stables, located near the Riverside Hotel, can be seen on the right side of the attached photo. Alfred seems to have been involved with horses until about 1919 but of course by that time automobiles were starting to taking over. The 1921 Canada census shows Alfred and Catherine ranching in the Cariboo. The 1927 Henderson Directory indicates that they had returned to Calgary.

Alfred and Catherine had one son named Robert Alfred Cameron (1897-1981). He went to war, then to college, did extremely well on his civil service exams and became a junior trade commissioner for Canada. A 1933 photo in the paper shows an extremely good-looking young man. Robert married Leila Robson Batty (1893-1980). The couple died in Long Beach, California, in the early 1980's. Both of their mothers died in Ottawa, perhaps while living with Robert and Leila. The two mothers share a gravestone at Beechwood Cemetery which has been a little confusing.

Alfred died in 1934 and is buried at Calgary's Union Cemetery.

Obituaries

From The Calgary Albertan (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) 22 Aug 1934, page 3; as found on Newspapers.com:

Alfred J. Cameron, Western Pioneer, Dies in Calgary

Came West 50 Years Ago from Ontario; Known in B.C.

Pioneer of the west, and a veteran of the trail of '98, Alfred John Cameron, 75 years of age, died Tuesday evening at his home, 1735 Eleventh avenue west, following a short illness.

Born in St. Catherines, Ont., he came west nearly 50 years ago, and was prominent in the early development of Kaslo, B.C. He also was in the early livestock business in the west. He took the gold trail in 1898, pioneered in the Yukon, then came back to Alberta to take over a hotel at Carstairs. For the past 33 years he had resided in Calgary.

Surviving are his widow, Catherine, and one son, Robert A., junior trade commissioner at Ottawa. Five sisters, two in Portage La Prairie and three in Vancouver, also survive.

Jacques funeral residence is in charge of funeral arrangements.

From: The Calgary Herald (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) 25 Aug 1934, Sat, page 12; as found on Newspapers.com:

ALFRED JOHN CAMERON

Last rites for the late Alfred John Cameron, pioneer resident of Calgary and prominent figure among western stockmen, who died Tuesday evening at his residence, 1735 Eleventh avenue west, at the age of 75 years, was held at the Jacques funeral residence Saturday afternoon at 2 o'clock.

Interment followed in the I.O.O.F. plot in the Union cemetery.

Henderson Directories

Henderson's Calgary City Directory, 1910, page 282: Cameron Alfred prop PIoneer Stables h 121 17th Ave W

Henderson's Calgary City Diretory, 1910, page 484: Pioneer Stables A Cameron prop 518 Boulevard N

Henderson's Calgary City Directory, 1911, page 320: Cameron Alfred horse dir h 121 17th Ave W

Henderson's Calgary Directory, 1912, page 386: Cameron Alfred horse dir h 1515 12th Ave W

Henderson's Calgary City Directory for 1914, page 475: Cameron Alfd live stock dir h 1515 12th Ave W

Henderson's Calgary City Directory, 1915, page 681: Pioneer Stables (Alfd Cameron and Chas Blythe) feed and sales stable 621 2nd Ave SE

Henderson's Calgary City Directory, 1916, page 448: Cameron Alfd J stock dir h 502 5th St NE

Henderson's Calgary City Directory, 1917, page 91: Cameron Alfd horse dir h 126 2nd Ave W

Henderson's Calgary City Directory, 1918, page 320: Cameron Alfd stockman h 126 2nd Ave W

Henderson's Greater Calgary Directory, 1919, page 335: Cameron Alfd live stock dir h 126 2nd Ave W

Henderson's Calgary Directory, 1920, page 327: Cameron Alfd h 126 2nd Ave W

Henderson's Greater Calgary Directory, 1925, page 294: Cameron Alfd stockman h 1 215 15th Ave E

Henderson's Greater Calgary Directory, 1927, page 312: Cameron Alfd formn Calgary Sales Repository h 1, 215 15th Ave E

Henderson's Greater Calgary Directory, 1930, page 320: Cameron Alfd livestock dir h 1, 215 15th Ave E

Henderson's Greater Calgary Directory, 1932, page 314: Cameron Alfd stockman h 1735 11th Ave W

Henderson's Greater Calgary Directory, 1934, page 320: Cameron Alfd retd h 1735 11th Ave W

Henderson's Greater Calgary Directory, 1935, page 319: Cameron Mrs Alfd h 1735 11th Ave W

Henderson's Greater Calgary Directory, 1940, page 344: Cameron Mrs Alfd h 1735 11th Ave W

Henderson's Greater Calgary Directory, 1943, page 328: Cameron Mrs Alfd h 1735 11 Ave W

Sources

• Name: Alfred Cameron; Gender: Male; Race: White; Racial or Tribal Origin: Scottish; Nationality: Canadian; Marital Status: Married; Age: 41; Birth Date: 4 Aug 1859; Birth Place: Ontario; Residence Date: 1901; Province: British Columbia; Residence Place: Canada; Relation to Head of House: Head; Religion: Methodist; Occupation: Hotel Keeper; Employer: X; Can Read: Y; Can Write: Y; Can Speak English: Y; District: Yale and Cariboo; District Number: 5; Sub-District: Yale (East/Est); Sub-District Number: 12; Dwelling Number: 35; Family Number: 35; Household Members: Alfred Cameron (41); Catherine (28); Robert (4); John B Carmichael (67) Cook; Daniel R English (41) Head; George O Guise (26) Lodger. Source Citation: Year: 1901; Census Place: Yale (East/Est), Yale and Cariboo, British Columbia; Page: 3; Family No: 35. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1901 Census of Canada [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.

• Name: A Cameron; Gender: Male; Marital status: Married; Race or Tribe: Scotch (Scotish); Nationality: Canadian; Age: 51; Birth Date: Aug 1857; Birth Place: Ontario; Census Year: 1911; Relation to Head of House: Head; Dwelling No.: 144; Province: Alberta; District: Calgary; District Number: 1; Sub-District: 65 - Calgary; Sub-District Number: 65; Place of Habitation: 125-17th Ave W; Religion: Methodist; Occupation: Horse Dealer; Employee: Yes; Life Insurance: 2000; Insurance Cost: 70.00; Can Read: yes; Can Write: yes; Language: E; Family Number: 165; Household Members: A Cameron (51); Katharine (38); Robt (13).Source Citation: Year: 1911; Census Place: 65 - Calgary, Calgary, Alberta; Page: 18; Family No: 165. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1911 Census of Canada [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.

• Name: Alfred Cameron; Gender: Male; Racial or Tribal Origin: Scotch (Scotish); Nationality: Canadian; Age: 56; Marital Status: Married; Birth Year: 1860; Birth Place: Ontario; Home in 1916: Calgary East, Alberta, Canada; Address: 502, 5, St, N E Calgary; Relation to Head of Household: Head; Spouse: Catherine Cameron; Sub-District: 05J; Enumeration District: 10; Enumerator's Name: S J Bushfield; Dwelling House: 773; Religion: Methodist; Can Speak English: Yes; Can Speak French: No; Mother Tongue: English; Can Read: Yes; Can Write: Yes; Occupation: Stock Broker; Employment Status: Worker; Household Members; Alfred Cameron (56); Catherine (44); Robt A (19). Source Citation: Year: 1916; Census Place: Alberta, Calgary East, 05J; Roll: T-21948; Page: 73; Family No: 855. Source Information: Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1916 Canada Census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2009.

• Name: Alfred Cameron; Gender: Male; Racial or Tribal Origin: Scotch (Scotish); Nationality: Canada; Marital Status: Married; Age: 62; Birth Year: abt 1859; Birth Place: Ontario; Residence Date: 1 Jun 1921; House Number: 52; Residence Street or Township: Parkdale; Residence City, Town or Village: Cariboo; Residence District: Cariboo; Residence Province or Territory: British Columbia; Residence Country: Canada; Relation to Head of House: Head; Spouse's Name: Catherine B Cameron; Father Birth Place: Scotland; Mother Birth Place: Ontario; Can Speak English?: Yes; Can Speak French?: No; Religion: Methodist; Can Read?: Yes; Can Write?: Yes; Occupation: Rancher; Employment Type: Own Account; Nature of Work: Cattle; Municipality: Savona PO; Enumeration District: 14; Sub-District: Kamloops; Sub-District Number: 14; Home Owned or Rented: Owned; Class of House: Single House; Materials of Construction: Wood; Number of Rooms: 6; Enumerator: Kenneth Fessenden; District Description: Mission, Sugar Loaf Valley, Iron Mash Mine, Cherry Creek, Indian Gardens, Lake Kamloops, Savona Village, Three Mile Creek. Line Number: 38; Family Number: 52; Household Members: Alfred Cameron (62); Catherine B (48). Source Citation: Reference Number: RG 31; Folder Number: 13; Census Place: 13, Cariboo, British Columbia; Page Number: 5. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1921 Census of Canada [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2013.

• Name: Alfred John Cameron; Birth Date: 1859; Death Date: 1934; Cemetery: Union Cemetery; Burial or Cremation Place: Calgary, Calgary Census Division, Alberta, Canada; Has Bio?: N. Source Information: Ancestry.com. Canada, Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/122942808/alfred-john-cameron

• Name: Catherine B. Cameron; Birth Date: 1872; Death Date: 1951; Cemetery: Beechwood Cemetery; Burial or Cremation Place: Ottawa, Ottawa Municipality, Ontario, Canada; Has Bio?: N; Source Information: Ancestry.com. Canada, Find a Grave™ Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/193360887/catherine-b.-cameron.\