Fonds 0056 - Harry Tuffill fonds

Mr. Harry Tuffill was born in London, England in 1887 and immigrated to Canada in 1906. He worked at various trades in Hamilton and Toronto until 1909, when he was offered a position with Walter McFarlane's survey crew. Their contract, that summer, was to survey portions of the Peace River Country of Alberta. Surveyor McFarlane's field notes list Tuffill as one of the three "head Chainmen" in the 30-man crew that first year. The survey party traveled with 12 teams of horses and sleighs loaded with supplies, trailing a cow along for milk. Over the next three years the crew surveyed the south Peace from east of the Smoky to the British Columbia border, and from the Wapiti River to the Burnt Hills. Some work was done north of Dunvegan and some north of Peace River. The 1911 party also helped survey nine townships in the Peace River Block of British Columbia around Pouce Coupe. Impressed by the potential of the Peace Country, in 1911 Mr. Tuffill filed on NW 33-73-7-W6th, in the Buffalo Lakes area. His intention was to build a home for his fiancée, Maud Shattock. The First Great War interfered with those plans and Harry joined the 91st Highlanders from Hamilton. He served overseas and returned to his homestead in 1919. Harry and Maud were finally married in 1920.*Mr. & Mrs. Tuffill farmed and lived on their homestead until his death in 1965. Mrs. Tuffill died several years later.