Frank Leslie Cox (1860 - 1943)

Born 9 Apr 1860 in Avonport, Kings Co, Nova Scotia

Ancestors

Husband of Emily Augusta (Baker) Cox — married about 1907 in Tacoma, WA

Descendants

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Biography

Frank grew up on his parents farm in Avonport, Kings Co, NS. He was a restless young man anxious to get out and see the world. His formal schooling ended with grade six but he was an ardent reader. He always knew what great adventures were taking place in the world.

When it became sure that the Canadian Pacific Railway was going to join British Columbia to the eastern provinces he travelled west to Saskatchewan. in 1885 at the time of the Riel Rebellion he was in that province as head teamster for the government building the railway.

Neither Cree Indian Chief Poundmaker, nor Stonie Indian Chief Big Bear wanted a railway to be built. One night Chief Big Bear and his men entered the camp of the railway workers and captured Frank Cox and his men. The Indians held a powwow to decide what to do. Frank and the Anglican Minister went to the powwow and pled for the lives of the railway men. The young braves wanted to kill them but the older Indians wanted to wait to see the outcome of the rebellion. If Riel won they would kill the railway men. After the government defeated Riel the Indians released Frank Cox and his men. Frank was present at the hanging of Louis Riel in Regina Nov 16, 1885.

He moved to Washington State where he farmed and started a family. His first wife, Irene Shaw Cox died May 7, 1899 and he married Emily Baker Cox in Tacoma, WA. In 1907 he returned to NS and farmed in Middleton, Annapolis Co.

Frank Cox was a real Canadian Pioneer. The young Frank travelled for thousands of miles over the North American Continent by wagon, horseback and canoe. He survived being captured by Indians, a homestead farmer in Ashford, WA, a lumberman in BC, a miner in the Yukon Gold Rush and a farmer in Middleton, NS. In 1928he and his son Arden drove west through the northern states then north to the Canadian prairies where they became homesteaders in the Carrot River area of Saskatchewan.

when he died in 1943 they found a deed to land in the Yukon. It was sold to the Yukon government to be used in helping construct a highway.

Frank was born about 1860. He is the son of George Cox and Julia Kinsman. ^[1]

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Sources

1. ↑ First-hand information as remembered by Alan Whitman, Thursday, May 8, 2014. Replace this citation if there is another source.

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