Memorable Manitobans: William Harvey McPherson (1879-?)

Auctioneer.

Born at Paisley, Scotland in 1879, he moved to a village near Stirling soon after. In Scotland, he trained as a cooper and worked in Kilmarnock and Glasgow before coming to Canada at age 23 to become a farmer. Initially employed as a farm labourer in the Yorkton and Indian Head districts of Saskatchewan, he later homesteaded at Canora. A friendship with an auctioneer named Bert Owens brought him to Winnipeg in March 1905. This began a career as an auctioneer that lasted over 42 years in this city. Interested in art, he was active on the board of the Winnipeg School of Art for around 27 years, during which time he served as its President. He was also an original member of the Winnipeg Art Gallery and served as a board member. He also belonged to the Manitoba Jockey Club.

Sources:

“A humorous auctioneer,” Winnipeg Tribune, 30 August 1948. [Manitoba Legislative Library, Biographical Scrapbook B10, page 45]

This page was prepared by Sarah Ramsden.

Page revised: 13 February 2020

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

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