Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Walter Scott fonds
General material designation
- Textual record
- Graphic material
- Cartographic material
- Poster
- Object
- Microform
Parallel title
Description type
Ministerial
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
Level of description
Fonds
Repository
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
-
1887-1937, 1994 (predominant: 1903-1916) (Creation)
- Creator
- Scott, Thomas Walter, 1867-1938
Physical description area
Physical description
12.271m of textual records
178 photographs : prints, b&w
78 photographs : negatives, b&w
3 watercolours
4 drawings : b&w and col.
7 maps
ca. 10 prints : posters
ca. 20 objects
microfilm reels of textual records
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Thomas Walter Scott was born on October 27, 1867, near Strathroy, Ontario, to George and Isabella (Telfer) Scott. In 1885, Scott moved to Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, where he became a printer's apprentice for the newspaper The Manitoba Liberal. In December 1886, Scott moved to Regina, North-West Territories, to work for the Regina Journal newspaper . Scott subsequently was employed by the Regina Standard and Regina Leader newspaper companies. In September 1892, J.K. McInnis and Scott formed a partnership to operate the Regina Standard. Scott purchased the Moose Jaw Times newspaper company in 1894 and moved to Moose Jaw. A year later, he purchased the Regina Leader company and returned to Regina, although he retained control of the Moose Jaw Times.
Scott was first elected to the federal House of Commons in 1900 as the Liberal Party Member of Parliament for the Assiniboia West constituency. He was re-elected in 1904. In 1905, he resigned his seat in parliament and on September 12, 1905, became the first Premier of the newly-formed province of Saskatchewan. At this time, Scott was also appointed as leader of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party. He led his party to victory in the first provincial general election in December 1905, and was re-elected in 1908 and 1912.
During his time in government, Scott served as Premier and President of the Executive Council (1905-1916), Commissioner of Public Works (1905-1909), Commissioner of Railways (1906-1908), Municipal Commissioner (1908-1909), Minister of Municipal Affairs (1909-1910), Minister of Public Works (1909-1912) and Minister of Education (1912-1916). During its mandate, the Scott Government used a co-operative model to establish rural telephone service and grain elevator operations in the province. It also established the University of Saskatchewan. Additionally, Scott oversaw the construction of the Saskatchewan Legislative Building. Scott retired from politics due to ill health on October 20, 1916.
Upon his retirement from politics, Scott relocated to Victoria, British Columbia, and travelled extensively. He resided in Victoria until the mid-1930s when he moved to Ontario. Walter Scott died in Guelph, Ontario, on March 23, 1938. He was interred at Royal Oak Burial Park in Victoria.
Walter Scott married Jessie Florence Read in Regina on May 14, 1890. They had one daughter, Dorothy. Jessie Scott died in Victoria on April 23, 1932 and was interred at Royal Oak Burial Park.
Custodial history
The Office of the Premier of Saskatchewan transferred some of these records to the Regina office, Saskatchewan Archives in one accession in 1947: P 40 (June 17, 1947).
Edith Haslam donated some of these records to the Regina office, Saskatchewan Archives in one accession in 1949: 82 (March 5, 1949).
Dorothy Scott, daughter of Walter Scott, donated some of these records to the Saskatoon office, Saskatchewan Archives in one accession in 1950: 120 (S) (October 13, 1950).
John Adam McDonald, half-brother of Walter Scott, donated some of these records to the Regina and Saskatoon offices, Saskatchewan Archives in three accessions in 1962: 641 (Photo R) (October 1962), 651 (Photo R) (December 1962) and 353 (S) (December 1962).
Helene Giffen, niece of Walter Scott, donated some of these records to the Regina office, Saskatchewan Archives in three accessions between 1978 and 1994: R78-326 (August 18, 1978); R83-111 (March 3, 1983); and R94-076 (February 1, 1994).
Gordon Barnhart donated some of these records to the Saskatoon office, Saskatchewan Archives in one accession in 1979: S79-128 (September 23, 1979).
Gordon Bell donated some of these records to the Regina office, Saskatchewan Archives in one accession in 1980: R80-261 (June 11, 1980).
Scope and content
This fonds consists of records created, accumulated and used by the Hon. Walter Scott from 1900 to 1916 during his political career in the North-West Territories as the Liberal Party member of the House of Commons for the Assiniboia West constituency (1900-1905); and in Saskatchewan as Premier and President of the Executive Council (1905-1916); Commissioner of Public Works (1905-1909); Commissioner of Railways (1906-1908); Municipal Commissioner (1908-1909); Minister of Municipal Affairs (1909-1910); Minister of Public Works (1909-1912); and Minister of Education (1912-1916); as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Lumsden (1905-1908) and Swift Current (1908-1917) constituencies; and as a member of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party. The fonds also consists of personal records from 1887 to 1937.
This fonds also includes a small volume of records created and accumulated by Scott's half-brother John Adam McDonald, his niece Helene Giffen and his great-nephew Bill Giffen.
This fonds contains public, private and political records.
No series assignment has been applied to the records in this fonds. Headings used for descriptions completed for GS 38 are: General, 1887-1929; Telegraph Books, 1903-1905 and Correspondence Scrapbooks, 1905, 1912; Personal, 1902-1916; Premier's Subject Files, 1905-1916; Dominion Government Departments; Subject Files After 1916; Business Papers; Personal Accounts, 1906-1921; Autobiography; Miscellaneous Political Material; Pocket Notebooks, Diaries and Daily Journals; Newspaper Clippings, 1896-1921; Pamphlets, Travel Folders and Miscellaneous Publications; Souvenirs and Photographs; and Printed Enclosures.
The types of records included are correspondence; memoranda; publications; speaking notes; newspaper clippings; reports; petitions; resolutions; scrapbooks; notebooks; diaries; journals; financial records; pamphlets; photographs; negatives; telegraph books; posters; maps; travel folders; invitations; calling cards; programmes; objects; and watercolours.
Notes area
Physical condition
Records are in good physical condition.
Immediate source of acquisition
Arrangement
Order for records described as S-M1 imposed by archivist.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Location of originals
Box number(s): 1-83
Availability of other formats
Microfilm copies exist for some of the records in this fonds: Micro. R-2.62; Micro. R-7.1 (Reels 1 to 49)
Some electronic copies of photographs are available in Archival Digital Storage.
Restrictions on access
These records are subject to access restrictions.
Interloan: R-2.48; R-2.62; R-7.1 and S-1.29 may be available for inter-institutional loan. Please consult the reference archivist.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Use, publication and/or reproduction of records are subject to terms and conditions of the Copyright Act.
Finding aids
SAFA 651 (old guide GS 38) consists of a fonds description and file listings.
Uploaded finding aid
Associated materials
Related material: SHS 57 Saskatchewan Historical Society Biographies - includes correspondence from Scott to J.K. McInnis, editor of The Standard, from November 1899 and to Dr. John Gibson Inkster from June 1935.
R-E188 - includes correspondence written by Scott to J. Seed in 1905.
R-E229 - contains copies of files from the Saskatoon office of Saskatchewan Archives re: biographical information on Scott.
S-A450 - includes correspondence written by Scott to Peter McAra in 1904.
Additional textual and photographic records related to Walter Scott are available. Please consult the Regina and Saskatoon main card catalogues and Threshold for descriptions of these records.
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
General note
Watercolours, posters and certain maps are retained in the textual records.
General note
Micro. R-2.62 includes records relating to the construction of the Saskatchewan Legislative Building, 1906-1914; applications and recommendations for architects; correspondence regarding the site; method of procuring design; competition; laying of cornerstone; interior fittings and decorations, including correspondence with artist Edmund Morris regarding painting of Indigenous portraits.
Conservation
Conservation practices in place at the time of processing were applied to the records in this fonds.
Alpha-numeric designations
Textual Records: Old guide GS 38 (S-M1); R-374; R-E634; R-E3285.
Alpha-numeric designations
Photographs: R-A4266 to R-A4272 (1)-(13); R-A4683 (1)-(2) to R-A4685 (1)-(2); R-A6006 to R-A6025; R-A6124 to R-A6130; R-B170-1; R-B596-2; R-B1503 to R-B1509 (1)-(13); R-B1855 to R-B1868; R-B1870 to R-B1871; R-B3862; S-A1 to S-A12; S-B640 to S-B713.
Alpha-numeric designations
Drawings: R-B1869; R-B1872 (1)-(3).
Alpha-numeric designations
Maps: B5.2 (S); B9.1 (S); B14.3 (S); B14.4 (S); B28.1 (S).
Alpha-numeric designations
Microfilm: Micro. R-2.48; Micro. R-2.62; Micro. R-7.1; Micro. S-1.29.
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number area
Standard number
Access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Scott, Thomas Walter, 1867-1938 (Subject)
Genre access points
Control area
Description record identifier
Institution identifier
Rules or conventions
Saskatchewan Archives. Archival Description Manual 2004.
Status
Final
Level of detail
Language of description
- English
Script of description
- Latin
Sources
Content of the fonds.