The SBSH Online Spring Auction was a huge success. We raised $10,686, well above our initial goal. SBCA want to thank all our donors and the enthusiastic bidders who made the whole event so much fun. The community at large showed so much support. There were 99 bidding participants with 44 successful bidders and 81 items donated by local businesses and neighbors. We are so pleased that we have raised enough through the auction and personal donations to reach our goal, enabling us to secure the matching grant from the Foothills County. This means we will have shovels in the ground by June 26th. What a wonderful community and surrounding area we live in, it has tremendous scenery and equally fine people.
Square Butte Ladies Group: The ladies will be participating at the Millarville Farmers Market this summer. We will be there with our delicious baking on the following dates: July 10, Aug. 7 and Sept. 11. If anyone has special requests we may be able to offer that service on a limited basses. Call 403.931.2098.
“Stories and People from our Past”: We have so many stories of men who settled and homesteaded in our community but few accounts of the women who were an integral part of that era. Many of these women came from comfortable homes in Europe to land on a isolated farm or ranch with few neighbors close by. At times life was lonely and difficult.
Tilly Hulme (Lily Stant)
Born in England, she arrived in Canada in 1907. She worked as a mother’s helper for ranchers in the Millarville and Kew area. In 1913 she married Harry Hulme who had land on and by where the Square Butte Hall is located. They were generous people and as they had no children they adopted two girls, Florrie and Evelyn. Florrie married John Silvester. Good drinking water was at a premium in this particular valley. Tilly would accommodate many of their neighbors with good spring water and of course it was always an excuse for a visit. There was always plenty to eat when you stopped by. Tilly was so very kind and put others ahead of herself. One year she rescued a male fawn which she raised and of course it hung around for a few years, often being seen by neighbors. One time in the fall with a good set of antlers the buck showed up at Alex Lyall’s place where he had two fellows building his new quonset. A scuffle ensued and the buck had one of the workers down with his antlers grinding him into the dirt. The co-worker ran off and Alex wrestled the deer off the man to save his life. In 1945 Harry passed away and a few years later Tilly married Elijah Hargreaves who was a lifetime friend of Harry’s. Both men had worked for ranchers, the local coal mine, and for oil companies. They definitely shared a long history. After Elijah passed away Tilly married Jack Robertson. Tilly gifted the land that the Square Butte Hall sits on. It took over 7 years for the Community to finally become incorporated so they could gain title to the land. That took place in 1966, 6 years after the hall was moved. Tilly was one of the first people to have a TV, so often neighbors would go to visit just so they could watch this new fangled machine and then she served scones. What a delight!
Look for more Square Butte information at our website: Squarebuttehall.com
Facebook: Friends and Neighbors of 762
Contact@squarebuttehall.com
Financial: sq.butte.comm.assoc@gmail.com
Submitted by Mary Ann Watson
