worked a dray, then worked  West building the Canadian Railway.

He entered the United States,North of Bozemont ND to visit his eldest sister he did not like the ever flooding Red River of the North,

he moved on West working as a deputy sheriff, and  owning a hotel in Churches Ferry.  

He filed  on a homestead at  Maza, ND, where his older brother Hugh joined him in

farming wheat.

While in Maza, he  married  the sister – in – law of his best friend  Emil Plath.

William Metcalfe moved  to the Turtle Mountains from Cando/Maza with his 1st wife Bertha (Ebert) Metcalfe

and fuour young children, Lillian, Billy, Bertha and Bessie.

The first summer after moving  they lived in a  dirt dugout on Indian Creek, until their home was built.

My Dad pointed the location out,  as he did …where Lily died,  the lake North of  Walter DuBois house on #3 . 

(OOPs I got ahead of my self. ( I am  a better oral story teller than a writer like you, Susan)

Bill Metcalfe on his travels likened  the Turtle Mountains to Ontario, where he was born.

He purchased acreage north of Rabbit City Lake from a “black squatter”. 

The little lake, just West of Rabbit  City Lake was named after the squatter.

 Lily  and Billy attended HillSide School together. 

( I’ve  researched their school record at  the Rolette Supt. of Schools office).

 One day,  William I took the wagon  into town, Lily was dropped off  at the end of a road,

 to visit at her paternal Auntie Annie (Metcalfe) Eccles.

When her father came to pick her up, Aunt Annie hadn’t seen her as she and her husband

had been out looking for a calving cow.

Then…. came the Egbert’s looking for their daughter.

Two  girls   were missing, one was Billy’s sister Lily, the other Sadie Egbert.

A  neighborhood search party ensued.   Finally  the  frantic searchers dragging  the lake where two 

bodies were  recovered.

A terrible, tragic mystery which haunted each of  Lily’s siblings through out their lives.

Another baby, Hugh Emil was born the following  July 15. 

His mother,  Bertha died shortly after.

It was said, she was a weary, broken, woman full of sorrow.    

Lily and her mother were both first buried in the cemetery north of Lake Shutte.

After his mothers death and funeral, Young Billy went to the Red River Valley with Auntie Christina Nicholson. 

Bertha and Bessie went with their maternal  Aunt and her husband the  Emil Plath’s to Cando, then moved as teens to California.

Hugh Emil went to live with his paternal Uncle Hugh and Aunt Sarah Metcalfe in Cando.  

Sarah changed the name Hugh Emil to Roy.  

The younger three children never  again lived with their father.

William I,  as a widower continued to live on the farm north of Rabbit City  Lake.

He met  Veronica Rose Ann Leduc DeMontigny.

 William I and Rose lived  on the  North side of Rabbit City Lake in Hillside Township from until1935.

” When my dad told this story he’d say,  his “Wild Bill brother” reddish hair, freckled and full of life!

Apparently, “Young “to much to handle”, Billy also lived with his cousin,  Tillie Chrisitianson and her husband,

….. a big logger in the big woods of Minnesota.  After all ther efforts,

Young Billy  with a sign around his neck arrived by rail, back in  Dunseith. 

The sign said:

William Metcalf

 Dunseith, ND.

His father met him at the depot. They rode silently in a wagon to the farm.

When Billy  jumped off the wagon, ran into the  house he saw a jolly, chubby, toddler playing on the floor.

Billy pointed at the lad, and said to his father, “Who’s that?”

His father said, “That’s your brother, Laughlin.”

Billy pointed to the big woman in the room and said, “Who is that?

His father replied, “That’s your new mother.”

Uncle Bill respectfully called her, “Rose”.

The Metcalfe children,  attended Hillside School,

with the exception of Bertha, Bessie and Roy who attended school in Cando.

The summer of 1935, Cliff the seventh son was 12. The Rabbit City children were all 

walking home from Bergan School, some one came and said, “Mr. Metcalfe passed away.”

All the children ran for home.  Cliff ran, sobbing blindly through the brush.  He clothes lined on tree. 

Arnie Evans came back, helped him up, put his arm around his shoulders, and said, “C’mon Cliff”

” I’ll walk you home”.

Young Bill the eldest son, dug his  fathers grave, in the hard packed, late summer soil.   Then, he

 along with Charlie, Lucky, Jim,Archie,Emil  pall bearers at their father’s  funeral at the Dunseith Stone Church.

Grandpa’s dog  “Hoover” sat, waiting and waiting at the gate at the end of the lane for his master’s return. 

Rose took food out, tried to coax him to eat, and come to the house when it began raining.

The poor dog refused, mourned and subsequently died waiting for his master.

After a time, Rose and her youngest children moved into a little  building that had been 

a chicken coop on the South East side of Dunseith.  Leona, Cliff and Jean attended  Dunseith school.

Yes Susan, Rabbit City Lake was a tight community.  Everyone knew each other’s  strengths and faults,

and  were accepting and fond of  each other in spite of their differences.

They looked after each other and whenever together shared fond memories  and laughter.

I was lucky to get a glimpse through stories passed on to me.

…Sorry ..folks…I do get long winded about history. 

 

Thanks Gary.

Vickie Metcalfe