THE FIRE BUG

This mass resignation took place the same year that the firebug
broke loose. The culprit, a fellow named Sam Mirk, was finally caught
and sentenced to five years in jail, but not before he had burned
and destroyed the fire hall and then set fire to 75 percent of the
business buildings in the east end of Portage la Prairie.

The Dodge Block, Rossin House, Queen‘s Hotel, London House,
Lorne House, Pratt Block and many other buildings either burned to
the ground or suffered heavy damage in the fires.

The man who had incited Mirk, James White, was acquitted on
the grounds that he had been‘under the influence oi liquor and was
not wholly responsible for his actions.

The fires did accomplish one good thing. Previously, the Hudson’s
Bay Company had control of the west end and refused. to sell land
for building or husiness purposes around their trading post on the
corner of the Saskatchewan Trail and 18th Street. The land between
the east and west ends was all field, with only the Trail connecting
them. The fires deepened and strengthened a feeling for centralization
and gradually the east-west division was pushed aside and business
began appearing on what was later to be called “Saskatchewan
Avenue”.

A bakery was erected, which was taken over by Paulin’s
Biscuits Company in 1885. It made hardtack for soldiers fighting
against Riel.

Two brothers, R. and ]. Watson, who had come to Portage la
Prairie in 1876, established a machine shop and planing mills in 1886.
(Previous to the latter date, R. Watson had built two mills, one at
Portage and the other at Stonewall.)

THE COMMUNITY HALL

The date that the Community Hall, shown next page, was built,
is uncertain. However, it was built after the fire on the site of the
Rossin House and served Portage well until it was demolished in
1966. This was the building where Reeve and Council held their
meetings and where the Rural Municipality paid their taxes for many
years. In this building there was also a large room that could be
rented to organizations for meetings.

A public ‘Ladies Rest Room’ on the main floor was an appreciated
accommodation for country ladies shopping in Portage.

64