Grain executive.
Born at Hale, Iowa around 1882, he worked for Commono and Company (eight years) and Columbia Elevator Company (two years) at Minneapolis, Minnesota. He came to Canada and managed the plants of Robin Hood Mills and Moose Jaw Mills at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. In 1915, he was appointed General Manager of the Canadian government’s storage elevators between Fort William (now Thunder Bay), Ontario and Vancouver, British Columbia. He later moved to Winnipeg to become General Manager of the McCabe Elevator Company and a member of the Winnipeg Grain Exchange, later serving on its Board of Governors. He was President and Chairman of the McCabe Grain Company for several years, retiring in 1953. He and wife Helen Austin (?-?) had three children: John Philip Austin, Margaret Louise “Marnie” Austin (1915-1997, wife of William S. Neal), and Mary Jane Austin (wife of Patrick Garrow and Lionel M. Gillies). He served as Honorary President of the Manitoba Museum (1947). He died at Calgary, Alberta on 22 July 1954.
“To take charge dominion elevators,” Winnipeg Free Press, 9 August 1915, page 25.
“Miss Lois Aurice Wright,” Winnipeg Free Press, 18 July 1935, page 8.
“Mary Jane Austin is married at St. Paul’s Anglican Church,” Winnipeg Free Press, 4 November 1944, page 11.
“Dr. Speechly retires as museum president,” Winnipeg Free Press, 3 March 1947, page 3.
“Former Winnipegger weds in Calgary,” Winnipeg Free Press, 14 November 1947, page 12.
“Ex-grain executive dies in Alta.,” Winnipeg Free Press, 22 July 1954, page 27.
We thank Bill Neal for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 18 February 2017
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